Long Island Gardening Community Resource

Our squash jungle that had grown straight out of the compost pile produced a hefty amount of squash. Some I can recognize and some I am not sure about. One in particular was like a spaghetti squash but has a spotted green outside. Anyway, it’s quite hardy, not as hardy as a butternut or acorn, but I have yet to see one go bad. They do lose their green color after a while though.

So with so many ways to make squash, this simple technique will have the natives asking for more, not screaming “no more squash!..pleeeeease…”

Turn the oven on to 350 degrees. Take a good size cast iron pan (or any oven safe pan but cast iron holds heat the best) and put it over medium heat. Take a squash (i find the deeper the color, the deeper the flavor) and cut it lengthwise in half. Scoop out the seeds and where the seeds were, put in a 1-3 teaspoons of ghee (clarified butter - or you could use sunflower oil, canola - any oil that will take high heat). Rub it all around the inside of the squash. Add in any spices you like. Today I added a bunch of cinnamon, garlic powder, some five spice powder, salt, pepper, and smoky paprika. Rub it into the inside of the squash as well. Now flip them over into the pan and turn the heat up to medium high (depending on your stove - you want to get a nice sear going, so make sure its high enough). If you want, put some weight on top of the squash to help it along. I use a large saucepan filled with water and press down on it occasionally. After about 5-10 minutes, check the underside of the squash. When it is nicely browned, get a pot holder and transfer the whole pan into the oven. Let the squash finish off in the oven for about 20 minutes or until soft.

I love flipping it over and adding a bit of butter at the end (and salt if necessary). If you want to get real fancy, make a thyme butter (which is butter simmered with a bunch of fresh thyme for 5-10 minutes and strained). You could use this as part of a dish. Add it to a stew for a great complex flavor. Another option, when you put it in the oven, flip them over and stuff them with something, sauteed onions and garlic with cheese on top or mushrooms and garlic and rosemary. If it sounds good try it. If your like me you will have plenty of squash to experiment with.