Cathy ' s Kitchen
With Cathy Katavich
The Holiday Vegetable Pumpkins & Squash
Pumpkins and winter squash are plants from the gourd family , known as “ cucurbits ” which also includes melon , squash and cucumber . And although they are considered winter squash , they are planted during the warmer months and harvested in the fall and up until the first frost .
Pumpkins are believed to have originated in Central America . Seeds from pumpkin plants have been found in Mexico , dating back over 7000 years to 5500 B . C .
Native American Indians used pumpkin as a staple in their diets , centuries before the pilgrims landed . When European settlers arrived , Pumpkin soon became a staple in their diets , too . The pilgrims also brought seeds back to Europe , where they quickly became popular . Just like today , early settlers used pumpkins in a wide variety of recipes , from desserts to stews and soups .
Fall wouldn ’ t be the same without the arrival of all things pumpkin . Can you imagine Halloween or Thanksgiving without the pumpkin ! Pumpkins were at the first Thanksgiving feast of the Pilgrims and Indians in 1620 , and from that time forward , pumpkins continue to be a tradition at the Thanksgiving feast . Pumpkins became associated with Halloween in the 1880 ’ s when Irish immigrants came to America . They brought with them a harvest ritual of carving lanterns out of beets or turnips . These were called “ jack-o ’ -lanterns,” after a fabled trickster named Jack who roamed the Earth with just a light burning from a turnip . The Irish quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve than turnips and such was the beginning of the pumpkin jack- o ’ - lantern !
Types of Winter Squash and Pumpkins
A wide array of colors , shapes , textures and sizes exist in today ’ s winter squashes and pumpkins , but the common feature is a sweet yellow or orange flesh . The following are the most readily readlyavailable types :
Acorn : This is probably the best known winter squash-acorn shaped with skin colored dark green , orange , or a blend of both . The orange flesh is mild in flavor and is often sweetened .
Butternut : This pale-yellow squash has a long straight neck and rounded bottom that contains the seeds . It ' s one of the
more delicious-tasting squashes and is easier to peel than some of the other squashes , making it a go-to squash for recipes that call for dices or slices , such as gratins .
Spaghetti Squash : Oval and yellowskinned with pale yellow flesh , that when cooked can be pulled into strands resembling spaghetti . It can be served just like spaghetti , with any type of pasta sauce . It can also be tossed with salad dressing and served as a cold salad .
Hubbard : This is one of the best-tasting squashes . The skin can be blue , gray or orange , and usually has “ warts ”. Generally , a large squash , smaller varieties are becoming more available that make it more useful to the home cook .
Delicata : Pale-colored with dark green stripes , this small , oblong squash is probably the easiest winter squash to peel and dice or slice . its oblong shape is perfect for stuffing .
Kabocha : This is a dark green , squat , round squash with very dense orange flesh . These are the sweetest of the squash and often pureed for soups and sauces , as they don ’ t hold their shape well .
Pumpkin : For cooking , the jack-o ' - lantern type pumpkins are not as good as other winter squashes . However , different mini-sized pumpkins that are grown specifically for cooking and baking can be excellent choices .
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GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2018 gmhtoday . com