Seasonal side dishes double as decoration

By Jody Main, Special to the Town Crier

JOE HU/TOWN CRIER Acorn, kabocha and delicata, above, are just some of the many winter squash in markets this season.

Winter squash, the hard-skinned, earthy cousins of zucchini, are native to America, where some varieties have remained unchanged for nearly 5,000 years. The colorful, fanciful shapes of pumpkins and squash reappeared in abundance in area markets this month.

These homespun fruits are usually cooked like a vegetable. They range in flavor from the subtle and meaty butternut to the sweet, chestnut-flavored delicata. Winter squash baking fills the home with warmth and a fragrance like that of pumpkin pie. They are easily baked and filled with savory stuffing or with glistening fruits for a lovely Thanksgiving presentation.

Grown in the summer months, winter squash are so named because their hard shells enable them to store well all winter. Collect them as you find them to decorate your home and bake throughout the winter. For best keeping, choose squash with hard consistent shells and store in a cool area.

Winter squash are low in sodium and relatively low in calories, at about 100 per cooked cup. They provide a great source of Vitamin A, potassium, iron and fiber. In addition, the seeds are wonderful in and of themselves. Roasted, toasted or sautéed, they provide a crunchy, protein-filled snack food or salad topping.

Savory stuffed Blue Hubbard

This is a beautiful presentation for a main holiday course, one especially appreciated by vegetarians. Substitute smaller squashes to make individual gourmet side dishes. The delicately flavored and mildly sweet Blue Hubbard is deliciously balanced with the savory moist stuffing.

1 large Blue Hubbard winter squash or 6 smaller squash (delicata, acorn)

1 onion, finely chopped

1 pound mushrooms, minced

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup boiling water

1/2 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh thyme

1/2 teaspoon dried or 2 teaspoons fresh sage

Pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper

6 cups cubes (1 1/2 loaf) sourdough or other bread

Cut off top one-quarter of Blue Hubbard squash and scoop out seeds and pulp. Trim bottom just a bit so that the squash sits level on a baking dish. If using smaller-sized squash, cut in half, scoop out seeds and pulp, trim bottoms and set in baking dish.

In a heavy skillet sauté onion and mushrooms in oil for a few minutes. Lower heat and simmer gently, covered, for 10 minutes. Add water, herbs, salt and pepper and remove from heat.

Sprinkle bread cubes with a little water and squeeze dry. Crumble bread into vegetable mixture and blend well. Fill Hubbard with stuffing, but do not pack tightly. For smaller squash, fill each half with a mound of stuffing.

Cover with foil or lid and bake in a 350 F oven until squash is just tender when poked with a sharp knife. Large squash will take about 1 hour, smaller squash about 45 minutes. Remove cover and bake another 5-15 minutes until squash is truly tender and the stuffing is golden brown. Serves six as a main course with a large squash, 10-12 as a side dish, One-half small squash per person.

Kabocha with warm honey cranberry sauce

There is nothing quite as festive as a baked winter squash filled with warm glistening cranberry sauce. Sweet, tart and bursting with flavor, the cranberries are a perfect accent to the dense rich winter squash. The kabocha provides a perfect cavity bowl for the sauce. Serves 6-8.

1 medium kabocha winter squash

3 cups (1 12-oz. pkg.) cranberries, fresh or frozen

1/2 cup light (orange blossom) honey

1 cup water

Cut kabocha in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and fibers, rub cut ends with oil and bake face down on a baking sheet at 325 F for 45 minutes or until tender when pierced with a knife.

Bring cranberries, honey and water to a high simmer. The berries will pop as they cook, making it easy to gently crush them with a hand masher. Turn down heat and gently simmer, stirring frequently until thickened, about 10 minutes.

When kabocha is tender, set each half on a dish. Ladle hot cranberry sauce into the cavities and serve one at each end of the holiday table. If only one cranberry dish is desired, save the second half of the baked squash for winter squash soup or pumpkin pie.

Sweet dumplings with pear sauce

Instead of serving butter with baked squash, try this seasonal fruit sauce instead. It is easy, delicious and makes a lovely individualized holiday side dish.

4 sweet dumpling winter squash (golden nugget, sugar pie, delicata)

Vegetable oil

4 pears

1 cup unsweetened pear or apple juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup

Cut squash in half, remove seeds and fibers. Rub with oil and place cut side down in baking pan. Bake at 375 F for 30-45 minutes or until soft.

Wash, core and cut pears into small pieces. Combine pears, juice and maple syrup in a heavy saucepan. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes or until tender. Lightly crush pears halfway through cooking. Spoon hot pear sauce into squash cavities and serve. Serves 8.

For more information, e-mail themains@pacbell.net