The butternut is my favorite of the winter squashes. I confess, the reason for my fondness is only skin deep. What I really like is that there’s no warty or ridged outer shell. You can bake a butternut squash in the shell like you would an acorn squash, but because it’s a cinch to peel the bell-shaped fruit, you can use the bright orange flesh in all kinds of recipes. You can cut it into chunks and roast it with olive oil and herbs, slice it thinly and layer into a vegetable lasagna or boil it in chicken stock for a luscious winter soup. And no wrangling with a paring knife. A few swipes of the vegetable peeler and the job is done.
Need another reason to love butternut squash? It keeps forever. OK, maybe not forever, but in a dark, cool, dry spot it will keep for many, many months. That doesn’t mean the refrigerator. Once it has been refrigerated, it is only good for a week or two. If you buy the packaged chunks of peeled butternut squash, remember to use them up pretty quickly. Got a cool basement? You’ve got the perfect place to store your whole squash. Stock up and they will keep until spring.
Amanda and Anthony Brown of White Tail Farm in Franklin County put in a 100-foot row of butternut squash each summer. Planted at the end of June or early July, the squash will be ready for eating in about 90 days, and that one row can provide between 300 and 500 pounds of squash. The Browns harvest their squash over a three-week period. How do they know when a fruit is ripe? “The stem will turn just like a melon,” Amanda said, and that makes sense because they are members of the gourd family, Cucurbita, which gives us summer squash, cucumbers and pumpkins.
The Browns plant a variety called Waltham, probably the most popular variety grown in America. The squash can each grow to be as big as 6 pounds, but most are harvested much earlier than that. Last year the Browns took their squash and other vegetables to the Brookwood, Norcross, Snellville and Suwanee farmers markets.
They have been farming their land near Commerce since 1997, but they just began selling at markets about three years ago when they were growing more than they could use themselves. Anthony had started farming full time, and the family has been selling certified naturally grown produce since 2008. They have a community-supported agriculture program for both their vegetables and their meat, with pick-up points at the farm and at the farmers markets they visit.
The Browns enjoy their butternut squash in soups and soufflés, and their customers seem to be particularly fond of roasting butternut squash. “And we’re having a lot of customers buy the squash to puree for baby food,” Amanda said.
Winter squash is available year-round, but they are at their best from fall to late winter. Look for solid fruits with dull skins. The smaller the ball-shaped end, the smaller the seed cavity, and that’s a good thing. Butternut squash peel is edible, but not tasty. Discard it. If you’re buying ready-peeled chunks, look for flesh that is close-grained, not fibrous and that appears to be moist, not dried out or watery.
At local farmers markets
Local markets with winter hours
Dacula Farmers Market, 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays. ranchoalegrefarm.com
Decatur Farmers Market, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturdays, 3 -6 p.m. Wednesdays. decaturfarmersmarket.com/wordpress/
Dunwoody Green Market, some vendors take pre-orders and deliver on Wednesdays, 10:30 a.m.-noon. www.dunwoodygreenmarket.com
Emory Farmers Market, noon-5.p.m., Tuesdays during school year. www.emory.edu/dining/emory_farmers_market.php
Morningside Farmers’ Market, 8-11:30 a.m. Saturdays. www.morningsidemarket.com
For sale
Vegetables: arugula, Asian greens, beets, chard, cherry tomatoes, collards, Jerusalem artichokes, kale, lettuce, mache, parsley, radishes, rutabagas, sweet potatoes, turnips
From local reports
Winter Vegetable Soup
Hands on: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes
Serves: 6
It seems to me that there are 2,001 recipes for creamy butternut squash soups. I like this one precisely because it’s not one of those smooth purees. Filled with chunks of vegetables widely available in the winter months, this soup is easy to love. No fussy techniques, no messy blender, and just as good the next day.
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium carrots, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can tomato sauce
2 cups 1/2-inch-cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds squash)
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
Pinch cayenne pepper; more to taste
2 cups lightly packed, coarsely chopped kale
In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Add carrots and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the stock, tomato sauce, squash, thyme, salt, allspice and cayenne and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Stir in kale and simmer 5 minutes. Discard thyme before serving. Season to taste with salt and additional cayenne.
Per serving: 137 calories (percent of calories from fat, 33), 10 grams protein, 20 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams fiber, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated), no cholesterol, 621 milligrams sodium.
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