Oct
2012
a primer on squash
When we go to the market right now, Miss L sees all of the squashes shown below and yells, “Mommy! Look at all those punkins! There’s a green one! And there’s a yellow one!” And while I correct her and try to teach her all of the different types of squash, I usually can only name three: butternut, acorn and spaghetti.
So when I saw this little squash primer from our local Nugget Markets, I thought I’d not only share it with Miss L on our next trip to the grocery store (she loves memorizing and identifying new things!) so she can be the expert from now on, I thought I’d share it with you too!
| 1. KABOCHA SQUASH - Green to bluish–gray color - Deep–yellow flesh - Rich and sweet flavor - Dry and flakey when cooked - Seeds can be roasted |
2. DELICATA SQUASH - Small and elongated with dark green striping - Soft–textured for easy cutting or chopping - Tastes similar to sweet potatoes and corn - Creamy texture - Seeds are great for roasting |
| 3. SPAGHETTI SQUASH - Small, watermelon–shaped and yellow–skinned - Look for ones that are bright yellow - Mild, nutty flavor - Flesh separates, resembling noodles when cooked |
4. BUTTERNUT SQUASH - Beige in color and shaped like a bell - Sweet nutty taste - Similar in taste to pumpkin - Excellent roasted, toasted, or puréed for soup |
| 5. CARNIVAL SQUASH - Looks like acorn squash with orange spots and dark green vertical stripes - Yellow flesh is excellent baked or steamed - Flavors of sweet potato and butternut |
6. ACORN SQUASH - Shaped like an acorn - Sweet, slightly fibrous flesh - Seeds are great for roasting |
| 7. SWEET DUMPLING SQUASH - Resembles miniature pumpkin with cream–colored skin and green specks - Sweet and tender orange flesh - Perfect for baking and stuffing |
**information from Issue 8 (October/November 2012 ) of The Field Guide by Nugget Markets.
p.s. Miss L adores spaghetti squash, and has loved butternut squash (i.e. ravioli!) since she first started eating! So far she hasn’t enjoyed any pumpkin recipes that aren’t pie… but I’ll keep trying!
 |
Kate
October 16, 2012 at 10:07 pm (220 days ago)I got them all but delicata and sweet dumpling!