Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Delicatas!



I saw the first local delicata squash of the season at the Ballard Market on Sunday. Delicatas are usually the first winter squash to appear, and they're my personal favorite. They're small so they cook quickly, they peel easily, and they're very, very tasty.

The arrival of winter squash for me is like the spoonful of sugar with the medicine: it sweetens the coming of cooler weather (though the past few weeks have been downright spectacular so it's not like there's much that needs to be sweetened.)

Delicata squash are tender enough that you can peel them, scoop out the seeds, cut them into bite-sized chunks, and toss them into whatever stovetop dish you're making. But I mostly just like to cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, rub them with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and bake them with a bit of water in the pan for 30-40 minutes, until they're soft and ready.

Yum.

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