I was surprised to see a spaghetti squash in this week’s box, but it’s a great chance to share this recipe from Steven Satterfield of Miller Union and his cookbook, “From Root to Leaf.” Fresh turmeric and ginger are still available at your local farmers market. Typical of Satterfield, he uses every bit of the squash.
Ingredients:
1 medium spaghetti squash Water 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped 1 tablespoon fresh turmeric root, peeled and chopped 1 jalapeno, sliced and cleaned of seeds 2 teaspoons honey 5 teaspoons kosher salt
Preparation:
Position an oven rack one-third above the bottom, and leave the upper area of the oven open. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the squash in half crosswise and remove the seeds. Place both halves cut side down in a baking dish. Add 1⁄4 inch water to the pan to keep the squash from burning on the bottom. Place the seeds and any flesh clinging to them on a separate pan and spread out into a single layer. Position the seeds on the rack below the squash. Cook the seeds until golden brown and the squash until the skin yields when pressed firmly, 30 to 40 minutes. Note that overcooking the squash causes the strands to lose their shape and become mushy.
Using a spoon, scrape the skins off the ginger and turmeric. Rough chop each and set aside. Half the pepper and remove the seeds in the middle. Cut the pepper into strips and set aside.
Remove both the seeds and the squash from the oven when ready and let cool. Turn the squash over so that steam can escape and cool down faster. To remove the flesh of the squash, run a fork in circles around the inside of each half. You should have about 4 cups of spaghetti-like strands.
Place squash seeds in blender. Add jalapeno, turmeric, ginger, honey, and salt. Blend on high while adding 5 cups of water until the thickness of almond milk. Pass the blended squash seed mixture through a wire mesh strainer to remove any seed hulls.
Once the squash is cool, use a fork to pull out the strands. In a wide skillet, heat the squash broth in a pan before adding the squash. Salt to taste.