Butternut Squash

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fall

These mainstays of the winter kitchen are the best keepers of all. Many longtime Riverview CSA members have found themselves starting a new CSA year in May with one or more butternut squash still in good condition in their kitchen. That’s wonderful. But even though they’ll keep well, you should eat them before then! Just rinse them off, dry and then store in a cool, well-ventilated place. Watch for spots which pop up intermittently. You can also just go ahead and cut your squash in half, remove the seeds and bake (cut side down) until tender. Then scoop out the flesh and freeze it for later soups, pies, pasta fillings and whatever else it is you like to do with the flesh of winter squash. It’s all good.

(2023) Stuffed Butternut Squash

those tiny butternuts are perfect for stuffing for individual servings. I was amazed to see that among the dozens of butternut squash recipes we’ve posted over the years, there wasn’t one for a stuffed squash. (did I miss one?) So here’s a simple I found on Taste and Tell, makes a stuffed butternut squash that’s a lot like a stuffed baked potato, always a hit in this household. Apparently they adapted it from a Rachel Ray recipe.

(2022) Sage Butternut Squash Sauce for Pasta

And because butternut and sage are such great friends, there’s also a recipe for Sage Butternut Squash Sauce from the Southern Food and Beverage Museum in New Orleans. It’s from Liz Williams, founder of the museum and she says, “Sometimes you want pasta and not tomato sauce. This is especially in true in winter … when there is an abundance of butternut squash. Of course, the quick solution is to make pasta with garlic, olive oil and cheese. There’s nothing wrong with that. But when you want a richer sauce, butternut squash is perfect.” (There’s already a recipe for Butternut Squash Steaks with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce in the recipe listings.)

(2021) Winter Squash and Mushroom Curry

If cooler nights are putting you in the mood for curry, love this recipe for butternut and mushroom curry from Madhur Jaffrey, printed in the New York Times. Perfect for the tiny butternut that was in our box. It’s sometimes nice to have a smaller vegetable to work with (like those small Japanese eggplants). This is comfort food, Indian-style, and mushrooms are usually available at our local farmers markets. Curry leaves are available at shops that sell Indian groceries. I purchased a small batch awhile back and keep it in the freezer. I have to say, though, that you could skip the curry leaves. I find their contribution to a dish is pretty subtle.

(2020) Butternut Squash Steaks with Brown Butter-Sage Sauce

I can’t resist sharing this recipe from Epicurious, easiest way ever to deal with a butternut squash. Chop up that rounded base and other trimmings and turn it into soup but use the big beefy neck to an easy dinner. I love that this is skillet cooked, not roasted. Easier for someone like me, who likes to multi-task in the kitchen, to keep an eye on its progress.

(2019) Butternut and Apple Stew

Brookhaven Farmers Market offered a variation of this stew in their e-newsletter and I realized I had never made butternut squash stew with apples. It’s an inspired combination.

(2019) Butternut Enchilada Casserole

Last week I turned all those turnip greens and the big head of bok choy into Creamed Greens. It was so simple and that large slow cooker full of greens cooked down with no attention from me, taking about two hours to go from shredded greens to luscious. It was a hit during the dinner party I gave Friday and then leftovers topped baked potatoes the following day for an easy dinner. It put me in the mood for other slow cooker dishes – and I’m sharing this enchilada casserole recipe. It’s got canned enchilada sauce and, yes, boxed corn muffin mix. Don’t judge. But feel free to substitute your own favorite recipe for corn bread as the topping. It’s been a big hit every time I’ve served it.

(2018) Autumn Vegetable Potage

I’ve shared this recipe before but it’s worth repeating. Save it for when next week’s box when there will surely be a bundle of greens of some sort.

Demonstrated by Virginia Willis at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. As she says, feel free to substitute with what’s in season and in your box. And she recommends the two pots specified here to keep the greens crisp..

(2018) Pasta with Winter Squash and Tomatoes

Bittman writes: “If we’re being truthful, this sweater weather recipe should really be called ‘winter squash and tomatoes with pasta,’ as the 2 pounds of squash far outweigh the 1/2 pound of penne it calls for. I think that’s a good thing. Every single piece of pasta gets a generous coating of sauce, and there’s even some left behind after the pasta is long gone. That’s what bread is for.”

(2018) Roasted Butternut Squash and Coffee Soup

Last Saturday Jenn Robbins was serving coffee-cured butternut squash at her pop-up at Morningside Farmers Market alongside spiced smoked brisket from Riverview. Wonder if the butternut were from Riverview as well.

I wasn’t able to get my share since I was headed to the Woodstock Farmers Market that morning so I don’t know what Jenn was doing to “coffee cure” the squash, but in doing a little research, I ran across this recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash and Coffee Soup which seemed like an interesting combination. It’s from www.abrowntable.com.

Apparently she created it as an ad for the cold brew coffee she mentions, but of course, there’s no reason not to just use a cold cup of your own brew. I also think I’ll try this with regular yellow onion. No need to go for red onion when it’s just going to be pureed. I don’t see that much difference in flavor. Also – why not just use the whole butternut? And finally, if you have an immersion blender, that’s the thing to use instead of moving that hot mixture to a stand blender.

(2017) Pickled Fried Butternut Squash

I know – two crazy recipes for butternut squash. Well, why not?

This one came from Sunset magazine, the Western equivalent of Southern Living. It’s based on a northern Italian pickling technique called carpione that’s traditionally used to preserve fish but works with any firm-fleshed seasonal vegetable.

(2017) Butternut Squash Jerky

I saw this recipe for pumpkin jerky in “Scraps, Wilt + Weeds” by Mads Refslud & Tama Matsuoka Wong
and thought what a great idea for butternut! The recipe calls for you to dehydrate a half pumpkin and spend 5 to 7 days doing it. I’m going to try it with butternut halves and expect it won’t take nearly that long.

Apple Butternut Squash Soup

In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions and cook 4 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in nutmeg and cook 1 minute more. Add broth, squash and apples. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer 50 minutes or until squash and apples are tender, stirring occasionally. Cool soup slightly. Read More…

Chicken and Butternut Squash with Dumplings

Or try this recipe from Asha Gomez’ book, “My Two Souths: Blending the Flavors of India into a Southern Kitchen.” She makes it with other winter squash like pumpkin or kuri, but butternut works beautifully. No rice flour? Skip the dumplings. Although it’s becoming more easily available in stores that carry ingredients for gluten-free cooking.

Sweet-and-Spicy Roasted Tofu and Squash

Did you see this recipe pushed out by the New York Times today? Do you, like me, still have some delicata squash waiting to be used? You could do this butternut, but you’d have to peel it first.

Butternut Squash and Cheddar Dip

We’ve got dozens of butternut squash recipes at https://grassfedcow.com/ingredient/butternut-squash/ but I’m throwing out one more in case you are tired of butternut squash soup and roasted butternut squash cubes. This one’s from seriouseats.com. Interesting tip about using the microwave. I’m going to try that this week.

Curried Cider Pork Stew

So now I’m pretending the temperatures are cooperating and a nice stew is in order. Or maybe you’re just ready for stew no matter that it’s in the upper 80s out there.

Maybe you still have a carrot or two left over from last week? If not, skip the carrots in this recipe. Add more squash, dice in eggplant instead, substitute a few peppers ….. it’s up to you. I don’t remember where this recipe came from, but hope you’re using Riverview pork when you make it.

Beef and Butternut Chili

Butternut chili recipes abound because butternut is a delicious addition to any chili recipe, soaking up and complementing the flavors in a way few other vegetables can do. This recipe started out in Bon Appetit. Use whatever dried whole peppers you have on hand. And if you don’t have any, then chili powder will do. Lots of great chili recipes start with this toasting/soaking/grinding step for dried chiles and so I keep a few small bags on hand in the freezer. If I were more of a connoisseur, I suppose I would be more stringent about which peppers I use, but I find they all turn out pretty delicious.

Butternut Squash and Collard Tacos

This recipe will work with all kinds of greens. Just chop the greens finely. It’s adapted from a recipe in “Tacolicious” by Sara Deseran and Joe Hargrave.

Portuguese Butternut Preserves

Your first inclination when you see butternut squash in your box may be to roast it or turn it into soup. I like the idea of making these preserves, adapted from a recipe in the New York Times. Simple, delicious and starts to make your kitchen smell like fall.

Butternut and Apple Bake

This recipe is from Dianna Tribble of Tribble Farms. She sells her honey at the Roswell Farmers & Artisans Market on Thursday nights.

Butternut and Date Salad

This New York Times recipe would work with either your butternut or your delicata. Did I mention I put delicata into a risotto this week? We had a butternut squash risotto recipe to test and I decided to save myself the work of peeling a butternut by using last week’s delicata. A good scrub, remove the seeds and the squash is ready to cook. Roasted with a little brown sugar, then stirred into a classic risotto with some cream – it was the perfect foil for sweet fresh Georgia seafood.

But I digress. Try this salad where the dates bring out the sweetness of the squash. And no cooking!

Skillet Kale and Butternut Squash Pasta

Were you excited to see kale in your box? I’m ready for this dish that combines kale with butternut squash and pasta. Just says “comfort food” to me. No shallot? Leave it out or substitute some onion or garlic. The pasta cooks in the same skillet – easy cleanup.

Braised and Glazed Butternut Squash

From Mark Bittman: “This is your go-to recipe for everyday winter squash; it will work with any variety, but I usually turn to butternut because it’s so much easier to deal with than all the others. Once you peel and cut the squash, you braise it in a small amount of liquid, then boil off the remaining moisture to glaze it. Other vegetables you can use: any winter squash (except spaghetti), though they will all be more difficult to cut and peel than butternut.” This recipe is from his “How to Cook Everything” (Completely Revised 10th Anniversary Edition).

Butternut Oyster Stew

On my mind right now are oysters – having just come home from one coast and headed to another in about a week. September brings the months with “r” back, so it’s time to be thinking oysters again. I think this is adapted from a recipe that actually came from Better Homes and Gardens magazine.

And how great is it to see that butternut squash in our box today? It may be the first of many to come, but what a blessing – a vegetable you can sock away in the pantry and pull out come January when we’re missing the delivery of fresh fruits and vegetables every week.

Fall Squash and Pepper Soup

And fall boxes always include a variety of winter squash. Use your butternut or delicatas in this recipe adapted from a recipe by Steven Satterfield of Miller Union as demonstrated at the Peachtree Road Farmers Market. You can use all the different peppers from this week’s box as well, but you’ll have to find your own hot pepper.

Wilted Greens Salad with Butternut Squash and Apple

This recipe appeared in the February 2012 issue of Bon Appétit. It’s very like the wilted kale salads that have become ubiquitous on high-end salad bars.

This recipe is from Michael Paley of the Garage Bar in Louisville, Kentucky. As the magazine put it, “This dish flips conventional Southern cookery on its head. Rather than cooking greens into submission, they’re quickly brined to soften their texture and mellow their bitterness, then married with the sweet, salty, and creamy elements of a composed salad.”

I can’t wait to try this. And yes, I still have a butternut squash from last year’s box that’s been waiting for just this recipe.

Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup

If these cooler nights are making you think “soup”, here’s an easy, easy recipe. You could just roast the squash, onions and chicken and stop there, or you can cut it all up and turn it into soup. Your call.

Butternut Squash and Apple Gratin

This recipe is adapted from one by Mary Moore, owner of Cook’s Warehouse. Her recipe uses leeks. I’m suggesting sautéed onions instead. But by all means, if there’s a leek in your vegetable crisper (or rather, 4 leeks) please use those.

Butternut Crab Cake

Finally, that bounty of butternut squash may be getting a little daunting. This recipe is sort of out there, but David Larkworthy of Five Seasons Brewing Company is an amazingly talented chef, and this is one of his recipes. Worth considering, even if 2 pounds of jumbo lump crab meat will be quite an indulgence. Butternut squash in place of cracker crumbs, bread crumbs and other fillers … it’s the kind of thing only a chef would dream up.

Roasted Kohlrabi and Butternut Squash

www.epicurious.com
This site catalogues recipes from Gourmet Magazine, and is my first go-to resource. They have many suggestions for kohlrabi, but I couldn’t resist this entry which also features butternut squash.

South American Butternut Squash Stew

Thanks to Andrea B. who picks up her Riverview box in Grant Park for sending in this recipe from the February 2010 issue of Cuisine magazine. he recipe headnote says it’s an iconic South American stew called locro, and a perfect winter meal when served with crusty bread. This would be a great use for that jar of tomato sauce in this week’s box.

Murphy’s Butternut Squash Soup with Candied Ginger

African squash is a Kubota-type squash that looks something like a butternut. It’s a uniquely local product as the seed was brought back from Zaire by Bobby Burns, a gardener at Koinonia Farm in Americus back in the 1990s. It’s become a favorite of local chefs and Murphy’s Restaurant serves this soup made with African squash. The recipe works just as well with our butternut squash. I like the interesting combination of seasonings.

Balsamic Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Butternut Squash

Finally, this is a recipe we ran in the AJC last year in a story about sweet potatoes. It will work perfectly well with just butternut squash – and it really is good.

This dish is pretty irresistible even for those who expect their sweet potatoes to be sweet. A little honey tips the scale slightly to the sweet side, but the natural sweetness of the butternut squash and sweet potatoes may be all you need.

These savory roasted vegetables combined with crisp arugula could be served as a salad-like first course, or as a side dish with the main meal. And it’s easy to halve or double the recipe, depending on the number of people you’re serving.

To make ahead of time, roast the sweet potatoes and squash a few hours or a day ahead and refrigerate up to 1 day. Heat roasted vegetables in a microwave in 2- to 3-minute intervals until just warmed through, then combine with arugula and dress with balsamic vinegar and olive oil just before serving.

Warm Butternut Squash Salad

Many of us roast butternut squash and serve it as a side dish – the addition of croutons here put it into the salad category. You could add another vegetable – like Brussels sprouts – when roasting the squash.

Roasted Chicken and Butternut Squash Soup from Serious Eats

Here’s the idea: Grab some produce, seasoning, and perhaps some protein, throw it on a sheet tray and roast until golden and tender, then mash it up into a rustic, warming soup. Roasting adds a depth of flavor that simmering will never provide, and it also makes for a low-fuss dinner that tastes like it took a lot more effort than it did.

In this recipe, chicken thighs are tucked in amongst chopped onion and cubed squash (peeling and preparing the squash is the hardest part of this whole thing), then shredded into the soup. Ground cumin and coriander add a little punch to help cut the sweetness, and a crucial squeeze of lemon adds acidity to keep it all in balance.

Browned Butternut Squash Couscous

And then there’s that ubiquitous butternut squash. You do know that you don’t need to be in a hurry to use it up – it will keep, in your pantry, for months. A nice reminder come February of the bounty of the fall season.

Several MBers have mentioned butternut squash risotto, and this recipe will give you a similar dish that’s doesn’t require quite as much attention. I love couscous, and I love this combination with almonds and scallions.

Vegetable Mafé

Finally I offer this recipe for an African-inspired stew. It was wonderful, even better the next day as most stews are. I still have a few hot peppers which are basically just drying out in the refrigerator, so I used them in place of the serranos this recipe calls for. The cabbage was the quarter head still in the vegetable crisper. No butternut squash still in your pantry? Just add more rutabagas or sweet potatoes. And maybe you’re one of those brilliant souls who took Suzanne’s suggestion and canned your own tomatoes this summer when they were in such abundance. The perfect accompaniment? MB cornbread or corn muffins.

Adapted from a recipe in “The Cornbread Gospels” by Crescent Dragonwagon (Workman, $14.95).

Black Bean and Butternut Chili

Over at the Splendid Table on National Public Radio, they’re cooking up a vegetarian chili with butternut squash. The recipe is from “Party Vegan: Fabulous, Fun Food for Every Occasion” by Robin Robertson. Maybe like me you still have one remaining pepper from a November box. Mine are turning red and sweet, making them perfect for this chili.