Exploits of a Vegan Wannabe

It was bittersweet when I spied the first Delicata Squash at our farmers market. I thought,”I really love those, why did they have to come so soon?” The debut of locally grown winter squash is a pretty good indicator that my beloved Summer has come and gone. It was such a perfectly steamy and fun Summer, I hate to see it go. Colder Michigan temps do bring some pretty tasty foods though, and winter squash is one of them.

Delicata Squash is buttery and sweet. Its texture is more sweet potato than squash. Because of its divine color it is a natural source of Beta Carotene which is helpful in the prevention of cancer, depression and heart disease.

I found the following info from WhatsCookingAmerica.net about the Delicata Squash and found it very interesting. I had no idea you could eat the skin.  Have you done this?

Also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed.

The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn’t suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.

We were the recipients of a few of these dainty Deilicata in our CSA share. I wanted to celebrate the sweetness of the squash so I paired it with spicy and a bit of salty to create a dish that excites the palate while being jam packed with beneficial nutrients.

Delicata Squash w/Scented Rice, Pistachios and Kale

By: S. Duquet & S. Boulton

Ingredients

4 C chopped Delicata Squash

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1 1/2 tsp maple syrup

2 Tbsp water

Rice Mixture

4 C water

1 1/2 C wild rice

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp curry

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 C dried fruit (we mixed currants and golden raisins)

1 1/2 Tbsp liquid aminos

Wilted Kale

4 C kale, rinsed and chopped

2 Tbsp liquid aminos

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 C  chopped nuts (we used pistachios)

Make It Happen

~Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees farenheit.

~Peel (or leave on skin) and seed the squash.  Cut into 1 inch pieces, mix with 2 Tbsp of water, cayenne pepper and maple syrup. Place

in baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes.

~Meanwhile, bring 5 C water to boil and simmer 2 C wild rice with garlic, curry, coriander, cinnamon, dried fruit and liquid aminos for about  20-25 min (covered) or until the rice is tender.  Stir periodically.

~When squash and rice finish cooking, remove from heat and gently stir together.

~Next, wilt kale for a bed.  Using large pot, put about a Tbsp of water in bottom and on medium low heat lightly simmer kale in 2 Tbsp of liquid aminos and 1 tsp of garlic powder for about 2 minutes, until wilted and darker green, but not too soft.  Leave it a bit al dente.

~To serve, put down a nest of kale and cover with rice and squash mixture. Top with a sprinkling of chopped nuts.

This finished dish is crunchy and creamy and sweet and spicy. It is a dining experience that also happens to be really inexpensive and easy to create. Yum. The recipe will serve four except for the kale. The kale quantity will serve two and you want to make that to order.

I apologize for the font color change. WordPress has temporarily lost its mind.

Have a delicious day.