Pumpkins and squashes are ready two weeks early this year...

[TreasonousBastard]

one of my favorite snacks is a small acorn or buttercup cut in half, cleaned of seeds, and nuked for five minutes or so.

Just a little butter and pepper and dig into it with a spoon. If I have the time and inclination, I'll stuff it with sausage, spinach, mushrooms, and/or or any other combination that fits my fancy.

[yellerpup]

1. Lucky you!

Bare naked or stuffed, squash is delicious. Thanks for the ideas! :hi:

[Lugnut]

2. Everything was two weeks early this year.

That's what I was told at the local farmer's market last week.

It was one heck of a year for all pepper varieties for some reason. I've never seen Italianelle peppers as massive as those I bought two weeks ago.

[Callalily]

3. I'm thinking squash soup.

As the weather gets colder, my soup recipes start dancing in my head. ;-)

[Arkansas Granny]

4. I was just thinking yesterday of winter squash and looking forward to

baking some. I like them with just butter and salt, but my kids always liked them sliced into rings and put on a baking sheet, then brushed with melted butter and honey and sprinkled with chopped nuts. I just used enough to glaze them slightly and help them brown. They were just delicious without being too sweet.

[Warpy]

5. I like the bigger ones cubed

and steamed only until they're fork tender, then tossed with butter and snipped parsley. A little salt and pepper and no one can believe they're eating squash, a vegetable usually cooked to mush, over spiced and loathed by everyone under the age of 10.

It's also good cubed, tossed with a little tamari, and roasted until fork tender, with or without other veg.

Your way sounds good, too, but I'd still want to add that parsley for color and a little extra zip.

The only way to eat pumpkin, IMO, is sliced and candied, out of this world with good vanilla ice cream. http://www.mex-recipes.com/pumpkin-desserts.html

[TreasonousBastard]

6. I just remembered that last year, in addition to "pumpkin soup"...

(made with a variety of squashes, since pumpkins are for carving, not eating) I made a big bowl of ravioli with "pumpkin sauce" for a some potlucks. Made a bowl of pierogies with it, too. Went over very well.

Gotta dig out that recipe.

(The one for pumpkin ravioli, too.)

[pengillian101]

7. Buttercup - yum!

Shoot, we just picked up groceries today, where a butternut squash was on the list.

What did we get instead? A spaghetti squash.

Now what to do with that I wonder ???

[Warpy]

9. Spaghetti squash is the dieter's delight

and it's pretty good for people who can't eat wheat, too.

Cut it in half, scoop the seeds out and put the cut sides down on a cookie sheet and roast in a 325 degree oven for an hour. Start teasing the flesh out with a fork. It really does turn into spaghetti.

You can serve it with butter, salt and pepper or with any pasta sauce you prefer. No, it doesn't taste like pasta, but it's a textural thing and the mild vegetable flavor goes well with most pasta sauces.

Just don't throw the seeds into your compost pile. You'll get a bumper crop of spaghetti squash the next year. Been there, done that.

[pengillian101]

8. I forgot to say...

a butternut Halloween boo to yoo, all my buds!



My latest trick that I figured out -- boil the whole squash a few minutes, so the rind is softened & easy to cut in half. Cook as usual.