For me, it’s all about the butternut squash!
Can you believe that Thanksgiving is right around the corner? Many of my friends are chefs and we started talking about our favorite foods that adorn our Thanksgiving table. Some think the star of the meal is the turkey, others like the stuffing (sausage and cornbread seemed to be the leader), and still others like to create a unique cranberry sauce. For me, it’s all about the butternut squash!
This vegetable is so versatile. Once cooked, you can make it into soup, a side dish, a main course for your vegan friends, mash it and add it to muffins or into a sauce or dip. I love the way it looks with its beautiful deep orange color when cooked, and its rich flavor.
When choosing butternut squash, look for squash that are about 2 pounds in weight (though they can be as small as one pound and up to 4 pounds), and feel heavy for their size. The skin should be a creamy color (though may be white) with no brown spots or wrinkled skin. If you find them on sale, buy a few extra – they can be stored in a cool dark place for about one month. No place to store them? Buy them anyway! Roast them, scoop out the flesh and store the unseasoned cooked squash in airtight bags in the freezer. This makes it easy to turn them into soups, sauces, side dishes – almost anything you like that uses this flavorful squash.
This week at Pazoo.com I’ll be sharing a recipe for a Butternut Squash Sauce for Chef Eric’s Butternut Squash Ravioli. The sauce along with the smooth squash filling will make you wonder why you didn’t think of using a sauce like this before. If you don’t have any of my ravioli, this sauce will be still be great on your favorite handmade pasta.
I wish you a very enjoyable Thanksgiving filled with good food, family & friends and lots of happy memories!
Fire it up!
Chef Eric