LCBO Food and Drink Holiday 2016

BASICS  SEASON OF SqUASH

WINTER SQUASHES come in many va- rieties, sizes and colours. They vary in taste and texture. Buying the right kind for a recipe helps make the end result tastier. Some squash are drier: they roast well and keep their shape. The wetter ones such as butternut make good soups and pu- rées. Look for hard, strongly coloured squashes that feel heavy for their size. Don’t buy any that have bruised or scarred skin because they are subject to decay. Store in a cool, dark place for up to 3 months.

SQUASH CAN BE baked whole, halved or in wedges. It can be steamed, boiled and even grilled. When split, its shape makes a natural receptacle for stuffing. Because it has a sweet flavour, it has an affinity for sweet spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice. TO SPLIT A SQUASH, take the blunt end of a chef’s knife and give a hard tap on the stem to break it off. Once the stem is removed, use a large knife to cut in half. You only need to peel squash before cooking if you are making soups, stews or curries. To peel, slice the bottom off so the squash can stand. Using a chef’s knife, peel down in strips like peeling a pineapple.

Acorn Acorn is a dark green or orange colour. It is perfect for splitting and baking. Its flavour is a little underwhelming so it needs some added spices to improve it.

Buttercup Buttercup has a meaty, fairly dry texture and enough sweet flavour that it needs little enhancement. A touch of salt, pepper and butter is perfect. Use for ravioli fillings, risotto, casseroles and baking.

Butternut Butternut is the most popular squash today and often comes pre-cut and packaged for easier selling. It looks like a yellow, pear shaped club. Its fla- vour can be a bit bland but its smooth texture makes it the perfect squash when it comes to puréed soups.

Kabocha Kabocha is one of the gourmet squashes. Orange, green or blue grey on the outside and deep orange inside, it has a su- perb, rich flavour and is drier, making it a star in roasting and in saucy dishes.

Spaghetti Spaghetti squash is oval and yellow coloured. When baked, the pale yellow flesh separates into strands giving it a spaghetti-like look but it does not have much flavour and is a bit watery.

Sweet Dumpling Sweet Dumpling is a small squash with a green and yellow striped outer shell. It is very sweet and is perfect baked whole with very little enhancement. It is also good stuffed.

Delicata Delicata or sweet potato squash has thinner skin so you can skip the peeling. Cut in half and roast. It has a sweet taste and a creamy texture, making it an ideal side dish on its own. It is good stuffed.

Japanese Kuri Japanese kuri squash has a bright red colour with a flavour akin to chestnuts. It is the new trendy squash. It is on the dry side so it works well in braises be- cause it does not fall apart.

64  FOOD & DRI NK HOLIDAY 2016