THE Squash

In February a friend and fellow farmer gave me a humongous, gi-normous butternut squash. That was eight months ago. For eight months the gargantuan squash sat on my kitchen butcher block. It was very pretty! But, now I have pumpkins sitting on the butcher block and I really need the room, so the butternut squash had to go. My husband cut it in half for me. I was scared I might lose a finger (or a hand) if I tried to cut it. It was, surprisingly, still good. Winter squash are like that - they last a very long time. I guess it is that super-hard shell that protects the innards.


Tonight I made the first of two recipes out of the gi-normous squash. It was a delicious butternut mac-n-cheese recipe. It made enough to feed an army and only used half of the squash. Tomorrow I am making a soup out of the other half. I am sure it will make enough to feed the opposing army. I will feed any and all armed forces, should they show up craving butternut squash.



The recipes:



Butternut Cheddar Shells

12 ounces large pasta shells (not jumbo)

1 1/2 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed

2 teaspoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

1/3 cup minced onion

2 tablespoons flour

salt, to taste

white pepper, to taste

nutmeg, to taste

2 cups buttermilk

5 ounces mild cheddar cheese, grated

cooking spray or oil

Set a large pot of water to boil, and preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray or brush a 9x13-inch baking dish or similar size casserole with oil. When water boils, add pasta and cook to nearly al dente. Using a slotted spoon, remove shells to a large bowl. In same boiling water, cook squash cubes until tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer to bowl with cooked pasta. Set aside while you make the sauce. In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt butter, add oil and onions, and saute 2 to 3 minutes, until tender. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook another 2 to 3 minutes. All at once, add the buttermilk and all but 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens and cheese melts, about 8 minutes. Pour sauce over pasta and squash, and toss to distribute evenly. Transfer mixture to prepared dish, sprinkle with reserved cheese, and bake about 15 minutes, until bubbly and heated through.



Mexican Bean and Squash Soup

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups butternut squash - peeled, seeded and cut into 3/4-inch chunks

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped celery

1/2 cup finely chopped carrot

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, seeded and minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh bay leaves

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon cumin

1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock

1 (15.5 ounce) can cannellini beans, drained

1 cup corn kernels, fresh, canned or frozen

2 limes, cut into wedges

1 (10 ounce) bag tortilla chips, for topping

1 cup sour cream, for topping

1 (8 ounce) package shredded Mexican blend cheese, for topping



I guess I can count removing the behemoth squash from my kitchen a house cleaning chore of sorts - can't I?