Oh My Squash!

OH MY SQUASH!

So many types of winter squash are in abundance at the Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market now, pick up three or four varieties and make squash part of your weekly meal rotation. Get around the traditional methods by embracing the flavor of the skin, cutting down your prep time. Squash is versatile enough to be a side dish, a fulfilling main dish or even dessert, so the possibilities are endless.

JR Organics offers acorn squash, with a shape resembling - guess what? - acorns! Slice off the top, scoop out the seeds, and stuff with sundried tomatoes from Baba Foods or Terra Bella Ranch and some fresh herbs from Maciel farms. Throw the top back on and bake in a lightly oiled pan until the sides collapse. Drizzle with a little Mikolich honey and top with a nice crumbly feta from Taste Cheese. While most squash softens as it cooks, spaghetti squash fro Suzie's Farm separates to resemble, well, spaghetti. Cut in quarters and season with salt, pepper and garlic infused olive oil from Gianni's and roast until it caramelizes. Use a fork to scrape the insides, freeing the strands. Eat as is, or toss with your favorite Basiltops pesto and browned Apricot Chipotle  sausage from SonRise farms. We also like this amazing Butternut Squash soup recipe from local blogger Susan Russo. Squash, it's what's for dinner!