I have often thought that Hubbard squash were the King Kong of squash…large, misunderstood,

Photo By: S. Duquet

a bit scary and really sweet on the inside. Hubbards can be many different colors including blue and orange, and will range in size from 5-50 pounds.  They always pop up in the farmers markets right around Halloween. I have questioned in the past whether natural selection created this as a marketing scheme for the monsterific squash.

Photo BY: S. Duquet

Hubbard squash can be cooked like any other winter squash, just on a larger scale. They taste like a cross between butternut squash and pumpkin pie. The flavor is creamy and sweet with a magnificent color. Because I am a Cucurbitacean ( a person who regards pumpkins or squash with deep, often rapturous love) I usually enjoy the Hubbard as a purist, with nothing more than brown sugar or salt and pepper. I am willing and interested in branching out, so I am sharing an outrageous recipe from 101 Cookbooks.com that features this gentle giant…Hubbard squash. Try it and let me know what you think. If you send photos, I will gladly share them on the blog.

Maranui Surf Club Salad

By: Heidi Swanson

Ingredients

1 small red onion, peeled and chopped
Juice from two juicy limes
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon red curry paste
3 cups hubbard squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
splash of extra-virgin olive oil
2 cans garbanzo beans (or equivalent)
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
fine grain sea salt

Make It Happen

Preheat oven to 375.

In a small bowl combine the chopped red onion, lime juice and a generous pinch of salt. Stir and set aside.

In another small bowl whisk (or handblend) the coconut milk and curry paste together (add more curry paste if you like more heat/flavor). Season with a pinch of salt and set aside.

Toss the squash with a splash of olive oil, sprinkle with salt and arrange on a baking sheet. Separately, in a casserole dish, toss the garbanzo beans with the coconut-curry milk. Place both the squash and beans in the oven for about 15-20 minutes. Toss the squash once after about ten minutes to get browning on multiple sides.

Remove the beans and squash from the oven. Add about half of the reserved red onions and most of the cilantro to the beans and toss. Taste and add a bit more salt if needed. Add the squash and toss very gently – I like my squash to stay intact w/ some structure so I’m careful. Serve in bowls or on a platter garnished with the remaining red onions and cilantro.

Serves 4.

Have a delicious day.

Cool new term for squash lover Cucurbitacean  from The Big Apple Farm

Tags: 101 cookbooks, compassionate eating, dairy free, going veg, Hubbard squash, Maranui Surf Club salad, plant based diet, squash, trying vegan, trying vegetarian, vegan, vegan challenge, vegan experience, vegan recipe, vegan side dish, vegan wannabe, vegetarian recipe