The winter squash harvest is piled in the corner here at Gardenerd HQ, and we’re fantasizing about what to make with all these butternuts, pumpkins and spaghetti squashes. Over the years we’ve tried many recipes and one thing comes to mind.
Why do so many squash recipes taste meh? We’ve hunted for the best recipes and have found a few that keep up with our burning need to grow winter squash (because…pretty) every year. Here are some of our favorites that live up to the hype.
Savory Pumpkin Recipes
Roasted Delicata Squash with Honey, Pomegranates, and Pepitas – the secret ingredient in this recipes is cayenne butter. All of the sweet and savory flavors come together in this impressive dish. We’ve made it for Thanksgiving meals or just for us. It’s great on any occasion.
Northern Spy Kale Salad – kale is our favorite fall crop, and this combination of winter squash, kale, toasted almonds and cheese makes it a meal.
Spicy Roasted Pumpkin Wedges – pumpkin coated with an Indian spice blend. Yum. It can cover up even the most bland tasting pumpkin that may have gotten over watered this season.
Sweet Pumpkin Treats
Pumpkin Bread – by far the best version of this ubiquitous fall sweet we’ve ever found. Hearty and spicy, and all the things you want in a pumpkin bread. Makes 3 loaves, so you can freeze 2 or give them away. Yeah, right.
And last but not least…
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds – Why grow winter squash if you aren’t going to toast the seeds! It’s my favorite part, honestly. After years of burning the seeds, I finally found a sure-fire way to roast them. We end up eating the whole batch as soon as they come out of the oven.
Even if you didn’t grow winter squash this year, you can pick from the abundance available at farmers markets. They store well (that’s why they’re called winter squashes) and you can experiment with these recipes through winter.
