Cooking With Delicata Squash

Community Supported Agriculture - The Delicata Squash we received from our farmers at Fruitful Hills has become a favorite at our house! This yellow and green striped little squash is just the right transition from summer into fall. It's the melding of seasons, when the days are shorter but still very warm, school is back in session but swimming pools are still open, that time of year when we want to cling to summer days, but are anticipating the leaves changing.

The Delicata Squash is just as it is named - delicate in taste, texture, and size. Because it is small and the skin is thin, these little squash are easy to cut and work with. The taste is so mild, I made sure I used mild ingredients with the squash so that the light, wonderful taste of the squash was not overpowered.  Cooking squash mildly flavored is a great seasonal transition - I wasn't ready for strong spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom, or meaty nuts like walnuts and pecans. It's too soon!

Preparing Delicata Squash is super easy. Wash the outside, cut in half lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds and pulp. When cutting the squash in half, I found it easier to break off the stem first, and then line up the knife in one of the green striped grooves - easy! The squash are so small, that a soup spoon is all you need to scoop out the insides. 

Line the squash up on a cookie sheet, cut side up. 

Next, I brushed each of the cut halves with a little bit of melted butter. I was experimenting, so on a few of the squash I  sprinkled brown sugar, on a few I drizzled a little agave nectar, and the rest I left plain. I plan on using the plain squash for savory recipes, and the sweet topped squash for baking recipes. Bake in a  350 degree oven for 30 to 45 minutes (this will depend on how thick the squash is).

Brown sugar topped squash on the left, brushed with butter only on the right

Close up view of the agave nectar drizzled squash

Taste test time! Plain Delecata Squash with just a little butter is delicious! Scoop this right out of the skin and eat - Yum! We all really liked this! The agave nectar topped squash was very nice too, it was a light, sweet treat. The brown sugar overpowered the squash just straight out of the skin, but I found out later the brown sugar topped squash was perfect in a baking recipe. Some people eat the squash skin and all, the skin is actually thin enough that this is an option.

Baking a big batch of squash all at one time will actually save time with future recipes. But, what do you do with all of the leftovers? Scoop the cooked squash out of the skins, and discard the skin. Mash the cooked squash into a reusable container and store in the fridge for up to a week. Or, scoop the cooked squash into freezer bags and store in the freezer for later.