The Coolest Vegetables

   

As the harvest season starts to dwindle down, some of the coolest vegetables start to show their pretty faces. That’s right, my friends, squash. Everything from acorn to butternut and carnival to spaghetti, even pumpkins! These durable, nutrient packed, flavorful vegetables have become a big hit over the past few years and are becoming quite common in grocery stores. However, for the best selection, head over to your local farm market, such as The Market at DelVal for those in the Doylestown area.


“Great,” you think, “they look neat, but what on earth am I supposed to do with it?!” As they have increased in popularity, so has the amount of uses! Baking, grilling, steaming, mashing, the fun has just begun! JustFood and Confection Perfection at The Market at DelVal have been using the squash and pumpkins for soups, muffins, cookies, tarts, and pies.

But wait! Before you go slicing and dicing, dust of your cornucopia and put it back in its rightful spot: the middle of the dining room table overflowing with gourds, Indian corn, and beautiful squash. And then when you’re ready to cook, use them up! They can store for quite some time when kept out of sunlight and in temperatures around 55°F (refrigeration is not recommended).

While most of these squash and pumpkins are part of the same species, they have different flavors and uses. Let’s go over some of the recommended uses for the most common varieties and uses:

Variety                Method                 Application

Acorn           Roast or Grilled        Stuffed, Sliced

Butternut       Roast or Steam         Soup

Carnival        Roast or Steam         Butter & Herbs, Soup

Delicata        Roast or Steam         Mashed

Spaghetti      Roast or Boil             Toss with Sauce of Choice

Pumpkin       Roast                        Baked Goods

Lest we forget the seeds! Most of us are familiar with pumpkin seeds, but all of these other squash have seeds as well. They are generally a tad smaller in size, but just as tasty. Here is a recipe to try this fall whenever you are expecting company or just want a snack for yourself.

Sweet & Salty Pumpkin Seeds

Ingredients

2 cups pumpkin seeds, clean of pulp, rinsed, and patted dry

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons brown sugar

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Mix pumpkin seeds with butter, syrup, salt, and cinnamon

3. Spread on a parchment paper lined baking sheet in a single layer

4. Bake until seeds puff, harden, and start to turn golden, about 15 minutes.

This article and recipe was contributed by The Market at Del Val.


The Market By Shady Brook Farm
At Delaware Valley College
2100 Lower State Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
215-230-7170

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