I now have some really pretty yellow and green striped Delicata Squash, thanks to some wonderful organic seeds! What I really like about this heirloom variety is that it’s kind of halfway between a summer squash and a winter squash, and you can eat the skin since it is thin enough. If you didn’t grow any, don’t despair because you can probably pick these up at your nearest farmer’s market right now!

Since my family is still getting used to ‘weird’ vegetables (their term not mine) I decided to prepare this simple yet good recipe from Nourishing Traditions, called ‘Yellow Squash Supreme’. It is really meant to be used with the yellow crookneck summer squash, but I found that it works well for delicata squash as well. This really was a hit with my family – they really liked the flavor of the delicatas and especially with the parmesan.

Tips for making Delicata Squash

• This dish is so simple that the ingredients really stand out. Make sure you sure you use the best tasting (to YOU not someone else) olive oil, salt, and cheese that you can afford.
• This is a great side dish, and a good one to try on kids, or people that ‘don’t like squash’. A good parmesan reggiano cheese can really make any vegetable palatable for those not used to it! It’s expensive but so flavorful that you can use it sparingly.
• Don’t forget to use the ‘quick’ version of this recipe – just olive oil, salt and pepper the cut slices, throw them on a large cookie sheet. Once the first side is brown sprinkle on the cheese and broil for a few more minutes.
• After scooping out the seeds, don’t throw them away or even compost them… save them for next year’s garden! Since delicata is an heirloom variety you can do this. Here is a great post about seed saving from Food Renegade to get you started.

Squash ‘Supreme’

Difficulty:

Easy

Page in NT: 409

Ingredients:

• 4 large yellow squash or medium delicata squash
• about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• about 1 tablespoon cracked pepper
• celtic sea salt (you may not need it depending on the saltiness of your cheese)

Preparation:

If using delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise and scrape seeds out with spoon. Remove ends and slice into 1/4-inch half moons. Brush a cookie sheet with olive oil and arrange the slices in one layer. [Quick version – toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and throw on a large cookie sheet]. Brush top side with olive oil and broil under broiler until slices become lightly browned. Turn over, brush again with olive oil and sprinkle on parmesan cheese and plenty of cracked pepper. Just before serving, place under broiler for a few minutes or until golden.

Photo courtesy of mollyjade on Flickr