a primer on squash
When we go to the market right now, Miss L sees all of the squashes shown below and yells, “Mommy! Look at all those punkins! There’s a green one! And there’s a yellow one!” And while I correct her and try to teach her all of the different types of squash, I usually can only name three: butternut, acorn and spaghetti.
So when I saw this little squash primer from our local Nugget Markets, I thought I’d not only share it with Miss L on our next trip to the grocery store (she loves memorizing and identifying new things!) so she can be the expert from now on, I thought I’d share it with you too!
| 1. KABOCHA SQUASH – Green to bluish–gray color – Deep–yellow flesh – Rich and sweet flavor – Dry and flakey when cooked – Seeds can be roasted |
2. DELICATA SQUASH – Small and elongated with dark green striping – Soft–textured for easy cutting or chopping – Tastes similar to sweet potatoes and corn – Creamy texture – Seeds are great for roasting |
| 3. SPAGHETTI SQUASH – Small, watermelon–shaped and yellow–skinned – Look for ones that are bright yellow – Mild, nutty flavor – Flesh separates, resembling noodles when cooked |
4. BUTTERNUT SQUASH – Beige in color and shaped like a bell – Sweet nutty taste – Similar in taste to pumpkin – Excellent roasted, toasted, or puréed for soup |
| 5. CARNIVAL SQUASH – Looks like acorn squash with orange spots and dark green vertical stripes – Yellow flesh is excellent baked or steamed – Flavors of sweet potato and butternut |
6. ACORN SQUASH – Shaped like an acorn – Sweet, slightly fibrous flesh – Seeds are great for roasting |
| 7. SWEET DUMPLING SQUASH – Resembles miniature pumpkin with cream–colored skin and green specks – Sweet and tender orange flesh – Perfect for baking and stuffing |
**information from Issue 8 (October/November 2012 ) of The Field Guide by Nugget Markets.
p.s. Miss L adores spaghetti squash, and has loved butternut squash (i.e. ravioli!) since she first started eating! So far she hasn’t enjoyed any pumpkin recipes that aren’t pie… but I’ll keep trying!
One Comment
Kate
I got them all but delicata and sweet dumpling!