Four Great Squash Recipes

Fall … a time of falling leaves, cooler nights … and squash. LOTS of squash!!!
Growing up on a squash farm, my mother would add squash to almost every recipe she made. Despite complaints, squash was thrown into chocolate cakes, pasta, hot chocolate, stir-fries, you name it. As a child I never truly understood her obsession with the vegetable, but now I can never get enough of it! Packed with nutrients, squash is an easy thing to incorporate into any meal. Whether your favourite is spaghetti or butternut, there’s no end to the possibilities of what you can do with squash … or what it can do for you.
With the closing of a beautiful summer, expect an abundance of squash from local farmers or even your own garden. And if you need some new squash recipes for this fall…
Squash Bread (all the goodness of bread and squash combined)
1 c. cooked and pureed squash (any type of winter squash will do)
¼ c. milk
¼ c. water
1 egg beaten
1 tsp. salt
3½ c. flour
3 tbsp. brown sugar
3 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. yeast
Make in bread machine on dough setting (or for a more hands-on experience, you can also knead the dough just like your grandmother!). Add ingredients in order given. You may need to adjust the amount of flour.  If the dough is sticky and wet after it has been kneading for a few minutes, add a tbsp of flour at a time until dough is no longer sticky. When dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan. Divide dough into 3 equal pieces.  Roll each piece into 18” long rope. Braid the 3 ropes together. Tuck each end under. Place on greased cookie sheet. Cover with towel and let rise until doubled. Brush gently with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Bake 15-18 minutes at 350 degrees.
Squash Fritters (delicious doesn’t even begin to describe)
1 tbsp. olive oil
¼ c. diced onion
2 c. grated squash (butternut works best)
1 tsp. curry powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. pepper
1 egg beaten
¼ c. flour
2 tbsp. olive oil
Sour cream
Sauté diced onion in 1 tbsp. oil. Set aside.
Mix next 5 ingredients in a bowl. Add onion. Stir in beaten egg. Then stir in flour. You may need to add more flour. Add enough so that the mix isn’t wet. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in frying pan. Scoop ¼ c. of squash mix into the frying pan and flatten into ½” thick patties. Fry until crisp and then turn and fry the other side until crisp. Serve warm with sour cream.
Squash Fries (like yam fries but 10x better)
Butternut squash works best for this recipe.
Peel and cut squash into French fries.  Toss fries with olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano and basil.
Place on cookie sheet and bake at 425 degrees F. for 15 minutes. Serve hot with curry dip.
Curry Dip:       ¼ c.  Mayonnaise

                        ¼ c. sour cream

            ½ tsp. curry paste

Squash Cheesecake (if heaven had a taste, this would be it)
Crust:  1½ c. graham wafer crumbs
¼ c. sugar
¼ c. chopped walnuts
½ c. melted butter
Filling: 1½ lb. cream cheese softened
¾ c. brown sugar
¾ c. white sugar
5 eggs
2 c. cooked and pureed squash (butternut work best)
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ c. whipping cream
Topping: 6 tbsp melted butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts
Crust:  Mix all ingredients and press into bottom of slightly greased 10” springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 5 minutes. Cool.
Filling:  In large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugars until well blended. Beat in eggs one at a time until mixture is light and fluffy. Add pureed squash and the spices. Mix well. Beat in whipping cream until mixture is smooth. Pour into prepared crust and bake at 325 degrees F for 1½ hours or until firm to touch.
Topping:  Combine melted butter, brown sugar, and nuts and mix until crumbly.  When cake is done, remove cake from oven and sprinkle with topping. Bake an additional 10 minutes.
Cool cake and refrigerate for at least 5 hours. Overnight is best. Garnish with whip cream.
 
By: Julie Bull