| Category | Description |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Long yellow squash with green stripes and green spots throughout |
| Other names | Sweet potato squash peanut squash Bohemian squash |
| Nutrition | good source of dietary fiber and potassium |
| Average weight | 1 to 2 pounds |
This fall I am on a mission to more familiarize myself with the squash family. I did not grow up as a squash fan, but I am looking to make up for some lost time. I am experimenting with different recipes trying to find the best use for each type of squash. Butternuts are the only type I have spend much time with. I have mainly use them in Alton Brown’s recipe for butternut dumplings (one of the best!!!!).
Let me give you just a bit more info on this variety. It has been around for quite a while but feel out of favor as it doesn’t ship as well as other hard squashes. Another interesting tidbit is that the Delicata belongs to the same family as the zucchini and yellow crookneck squash. So really it’s a summer squash with the longevity and harvest time of a winter squash. Their size can be eaten like a summer squash or you can choose to peel it.
What to Do with Them
The first time we used one we just roasted it in the oven. Then we pureed it and used it as any ingredient for a Sili Squeeze treat for my daughters. Would also work well for baby food purees. They are sweet like a sweet potato, so that may be attractive to kids.
My daughter, Autumn enjoying her Sili Squeeze with Delicata squash inside
The next time I used one I roasted them again but changed up the technique. I made them into “delicata squash fries” I sliced them into small slices and then made them like I would oven fries.
- 2-3 1 lb Delicata squash
- oilve oil
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- garlic powder
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
- Peel (or leave the skin on) the squash
- Slice in half.
- Remove seeds (don’t throw them out, save them for roasting)
- Cut squash into ½ inch slices
- Place on sheet pan.
- Coat with some olive oil and salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
- Bake in the oven 12-15 minutes, then turn and bake another 12-15 minutes until they have darkened along the edges and soft in the middle
