Okay, I admit it. I did not plant the butternut squash. It came up from the compost.
It has taken over my vegetable garden and the neighbors’ yard.
The leaves are lovely.
It has produced dozens of giant squash.
I have made various delicious recipes with them.
BUT…
When I try to give them away, there is a pause, then a polite ” No thank you.”
Why are folks rejecting my gifts of yummy squash?
The ones who do take one ask “How do I cook it?”
So I figured I would do some Butternut squash PR for my poor rejected produce.
First, a stout knife is needed to cut off both ends. This is the secret to easily cutting up the rest.
After the ends are removed you can do one of two things.
Baking requires removing the seeds, brushing the flesh with olive oil, and putting the halves skin side up on a sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake the halves until you can easily stick a knife in them.
Then let them cool and scope out the flesh or use your knife to cut off the skin.
I then go either salty or sweet with this. It can be sauteed with onions and garlic OR baked with nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin spice… It’s good no matter.
I ate some last night with no spices at all.
I also make soup in my Instant Pot.
Saute onions and sage in olive oil. Then saute a couple handfuls of the raw squash cubes with that. Then add four cups of vegetable broth with fresh ginger and nutmeg with the rest of the squash cubes.
Cook on the “soup” setting. Then I pour some out into my Ninja blender. Do NOT over-fill or it blows out the spout onto the wall and the coffee maker and the bag of coffee and the tea bag box…
This is COMFORT FOOD! I feel like I am drinking vitamins.
So now you know.
Embrace a BUTTERNUT and get cooking.
FLOW
Wow thats a lot of butternut squash! I’d be happy to take as many as I could if I were offerred some from a friend’s garden. i wll try your butternut squash soup, it looks yummy!
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Yours will be extra delicious.
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Butternut’s my favorite, and I prepare it almost exactly like you do. One of my favorite autumn treats is butternut squash soup — add apples and onion and see what happens!
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Apples. More vitamins! I will do that.
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Here’s my more complete tip. I cook the equal amounts of apples and onions together until the onions are translucent. Then, I add the cooked, cube squash, and cook it all down, adding whatever spices (especially nutmeg). Then, I puree it. At that point, it’s easy to freeze the concoction, and add milk or cream after thawing! Works like a dream, and takes up less space in the freezer.
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Yummy
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I am trying this recipe tonight. Thanks for the tips.
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A way to use up some apples too! 🙂
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I love butternut squash too! I have missed growing them this year. And I miss you!
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I will stop by with some squash. Ha
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Oh wonderful. I envy you, cos I am not good with squash at all. They usually keep well don’t they? I love having them at Christmas. Roast butternut squash, topped with garlic, mushrooms and cashews for brilliant veggie dinner!
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That sounds GREAT. I will try that.
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Instead of heating up the oven in this 95 degree heat, microwave it. Much faster and just as good. Works well with spaghetti squash also, which is also delicious! Bring some over and I will gladly accept!!!!!
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Thanks for the tip. I may relay some to you through Rachel and Lou or Mary Lynne.
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I have been thinking about making it. Thanks for the ideas.
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Sounds yummy – and now I know what to do with them. 🙂 That’s some fantastic harvest from a single plant!
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I have gotten several dozen and it is still producing. Last year an eggplant went crazy in this same spot. It must be some of my “super soil” mix.
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I wish you could throw a couple over to me. What a harvest!
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Me 2 Hope
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What an awesome harvest. I love squash and think it goes really well with Thai flavours. I make soup and a curry using lemongrass and ginger, galangal and lime leaves as seasoning and coconut milk instead of cream. Yummy!
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More ideas! Thanks
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Ah butternut squash – have been cooking it for years and it is delicious.. People do not seem to take any of my extra butternut either. They normally do not know what it is. I cook and freeze extra for another day. Makes a mild form of pumpkin pie if you use the same spices you use for pumpkin pie.. Love butternut soup. Great Post.
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Thanks Peggy. I plan to freeze quite a bit.
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Wow Flower.. I couldn’t have landed upon this post at a better time, we harvested our butternut squash this morning and I love it to make soups etc.. I also add to bulk out curry recipes, I hadn’t thought to roast as you had shown, so thank you flower for that tip..
And for the step by step guide, very useful 😀 and Love it when we get freebies in the garden.. We harvested 25 butternut squash from 6 original plants 🙂 So you did well 🙂
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Go Sue! Cook it sister.
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🙂 ❤
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Don’t forget they will store for 9 months at least in a cool place, so stop trying to give them away! You can enjoy them all winter.
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I will be keeping them in my basement. Thanks Christina.
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