the second half
winter squash + sage buns to use up that leftover half of squash
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There’s a pile of pumpkins and winter squashes by my dinner table that has been accumulating since early autumn. Half bought, half grown by me or friends, all of them different textures and shades of orange, green, gray, blue- some bumpy and warty and gnarled with tales of life lived, some smooth and and as beautifully curved as a renaissance nude. As soon as I see them come to market in September, I start buying them every time I go to the market or store, no matter how many I already have at home. I just cannot pass them up. I end up having this huge collection on the dining table at any given time- my version of postage stamps or coins or figurines- and use them in just about everything this time of year. My forever favorites are butternut/honeynut (for soups), red kuri (soups, pies, and baked goods) and kabocha (steamed as a side and cubed in red curry). Red kuri is definitely my number one girl, with dense orange flesh, lovely vermillion skin, and chestnut like flavor.
Our farmer’s market has a lovely older farmer who sells just a handful of very good things: romanesco, red walnuts, and italian squashes: lunga di napoli and a round, ribbed, squat one that is a hi-vis orange inside. These he offers as wedges which he cuts for you to take home, which neatly eliminates the inevitable terror that is cutting up a huge, hard skinned squash.
Usually I only need part of a squash for a recipe, therefore (when not buying neat wedges from my farmer friend) always have half squashes languishing in the fridge, needing to be used. I make all kinds of things with them, but if I don’t have something particular in mind, I’ll make purée. Doing this means I can easily use it to bake something, either now or later- it freezes exceptionally well.
I use the purée for pumpkin pancakes, pies, muffins, or quick breads- the usual sweet baked goods. Two years ago, however, we grew these lovely pumpkins called Rouge Vif D’etampes and ended up with two monstrously large pumpkins. That year, I added pumpkin to everything, including my sourdough loaves, my foccacia and my dinner bun doughs, which turned out wonderfully. The purée makes the dough beautifully tender, lightly orange and even more nutritious. Paired with sage to decorate the top and to add a musky herbal counterpoint to the sweet orange, they are just the thing to have with dinner this time of year.
