Squash Panache

Madison Avenue has nothing on Mother Nature when it comes to packaging. She uses no tree or oil products in which to wrap her produce. Peas come in pods, apples on cores, ears of corn on cobs, artichoke hearts in thorny fists, brussels sprouts on vegetal stakes, melons in rinds, bananas in peels and squashes come in a dazzling exhibition of self-containment. Imagine, a food that provides for its own transport protection, cooking vessel and serving dish. Now that’s farm to table all the way to compost.

Indigenous to the Americas, like tomatoes, potatoes and corn, squash was enthusiastically adopted by those who carted them to foreign markets around the world. Squash is another one of those mystifyingly misclassified fruits masquerading as a vegetable. One begins to wonder if it is because whoever the classifiers were, they adhered to the concept that fruits belong to breakfasts, snacks and desserts, while vegetables belong to main and side dishes. A bias with as much basis as so many others. As far as I know there are no fruit or vegetable police for which these misnomer crimes will create an offense.

Not only does the squash have nutrition in its corner, it is frequently a rich golden orange in color that can brighten up a plate and an appetite in the bargain. There are dozens of squash recipes on our website including: Butternut Squash and Vanilla Risotto, Roasted Buttercup Squash with Cider and Forbidden Rice, Lamb Stuffed Acorn Squash, Pan-Braised Winter Squash with Cinnamon-Scented Couscous, Butternut and Goat Cheese Gallete. For today we’re offering Honey Bear Squash Roasted in Honey, Nutmeg, and Sage.