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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!
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One Comment
Kate
I got them all but delicata and sweet dumpling!