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Use acorn squash or small pumpkins as serving bowls: Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut off top of squash/pumpkin, remove seeds, rub exterior with olive oil and place on cookie sheet. Fill with hot soup, stew or chili, and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes. “It makes a nice presentation,” says Eric Aber, chef/owner of Home Grown Café in Newark.
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Bulk up your everyday salad, vegetable stir-fry or stews with roasted winter squash.
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Spaghetti squash makes a nice substitution for carb-heavy pasta.
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Make your own roasted pumpkin seeds: While carving your Halloween pumpkin, set aside the seeds. Rinse until clean. Let dry completely. Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly toss the seeds with melted butter or olive oil, or spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with salt or seasonings of choice. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring after about 5 minutes.
- When buying a pumpkin, make sure to select a “pie” variety if you plan to use it for cooking, instead of the “carving” pumpkins commonly sold in grocery stores. “Carving pumpkins are thin-fleshed and don’t have much flavor,” says Toby Hagerott, owner of Bayberry Farm in Middletown.
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