Winter Squash and Tomatoes
November 16, 2007
The extent of my experience with winter squash until this day consisted only of staring at it in the grocery store and wondering why also the name "Spaghetti Squash." But on the day I visited Abbodanza Farms, I picked up the yellow gourd and put it on top of the refrigerator, out of sight for about 2 months until now. To my surprise, the Winter Squash lives up to its name - you may harvest it in the early fall, but you can wait to eat it late into the the winter if you'd like.I found directions for preparing the winter squash in the Good Housekeeping cookbook I recently was given. The directions indicated that the squash would be tough to cut, but would turn into a silky and stringy texture if left to roast in the oven in a water bath. Relying on this tip, I prepared the following meal: Winter Squash with Tomatoes.
For the squash:
- 1 winter squash, halved
- 1 cake pan or tall edged cookie sheet
- 1/2 c water
Preheat oven to 370 degrees
Bake the squash, flesh side down, in the cake pan or cookie sheet with water poured over it for approximately 30 minutes. Flip the squash over and continue baking for another 15 minutes or until the squash is soft. Remove from heat.
Taking a fork, gently pull the squash flesh from the skin. The squash will come out in threads. Place into a bowl and cover to retain heat. You may add a few plugs of olive oil at this point.
For the tomato relish:
- 2 heirloom tomatoes
- 2 springs of fresh oregano, thyme, and majoram (or use herbs de provence)
- 1/4 c olive oil
- 1 c red wine
- 1/2 c white onion finely diced
- 3 cloves of crushed and chopped garlic
Saute the garlic, onions and herbs in the olive oil over medium heat. When the onions are translucent, add the chopped tomatoes and wine. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve the squash on plates and top with tomato relish. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Labels: heirloom tomatoes, winter squash
