Operation Butternut Squash

I always make it a point to try something new every week. Sometimes it's a great thing, and sometimes it's a fail (failure is very rare). The point is to expand my horizons and try new fruits and vegetables on a regular basis.

This week, I tried a butternut squash.



Now, I think I've had this before. The Farmer's Market has a cafeteria that has strange stuff, and every once in awhile, they have a vegetable medley entree consisting of chopped squash, pears, cranberries, and garlic. (Sounds crazy, but it is really good!). I think the squash they use is butternut squash.

I've never cooked a butternut squash, though.

So when blogger and world class soldier Kayla mentioned on Twitter that she was having squash puree for dinner, I asked her to send me the recipe. She used frozen butternut squash, but I chose to go with a fresh one. I saw a whole bin of them at the farmers market, and I wondered what I could do with them.

Hence, Operation Butternut Squash was initated.

These squash are simple enough to cook. I only bought one, and in cost 75 cents. (Definitely not organic, because that sucker would have been 3 dollars! I've gotten these in the lab every once in a while, and they have been pretty clean, so it's cool.)

Then I had to look up on the internet what to do with it.

Turns out I had to split it lenghwise with a very good knife (because the outerskin is tough) and bake it for an hour.


I had to scoop out the seed, and rub the cut sides with olive oil. Easy enough.

I baked them for an hour. I forgot to take a picture, but it browns a little on top.

I scooped out the soft squash and combined it with a little faux chicken broth, butter, turbinado sugar. (I was suppose to use maple syrup, but that ish is 8 bucks a bottle at my store. That's a fail, man! Raw sugar or raw honey would have to do!)

Suprisingly, I didn't get much out of one squash. That sucker look big enough, but it was only enough for two servings.

I placed the puree in a nice little custard baking dish and topped with pecans.

This is my squash puree, aka, Squash Kayla Supreme!

It was sooooo good. Tastes like a much smoother version of sweet potato souflee. I will most definitely be hooking this up again. It was GREAT!

So thanks for the recipe, Soldier Kayla. It has helped me expand my vegetarian recipe library!

And as always, thanks for protecting my freedom, Soldier!