Squash Goals: A Farmers Market Guide to Winter Squash
October 28, 2021
With fall officially here, zucchini, crooknecks, and other summer squash have given way to their hardier cousins: winter squash. As the days get shorter, these members of the Cucurbitaceae or gourd family, such as pumpkins, kabochas, and butternuts, are reliable go-tos at the farmers market.
As decorative as they are delicious, winter squash have a long growing season and are harvested during the fall, when their rinds have hardened. They store well without refrigeration throughout fall and winter and into spring, and historically they helped keep produce on the table in the cold, lean months.
One of the “Three Sisters” (three staple agricultural crops native to North America, alongside beans and corn), winter squash can be found in various colors, sizes, and flavors. The flesh of winter squash is sweeter and much denser than their more watery summer counterparts, making them a belly-filling basis for soups, roasted vegetable dishes, and pies. Their seeds can be roasted and enjoyed, too, as in pepitas.
Here are some common hard squash (and a few less common favorites) you’ll find at the farmers market this time of year. Visit the Seasonal Spotlight booth at Foodwise farmers markets for more ideas on how to make the most of your winter squash, and don’t miss our Winter Squash Festival on November 22, where we’ll be celebrating these delicious vegetables in all of their variety.
Find Winter Squash at These Farms at Foodwise Farmers Markets
Allstar Organics | Eatwell Farm | Everything Under the Sun | GG Farm | Green Thumb Farms | Heirloom Gardens | Iacopi Farms | Knoll Farms | Lonely Mountain Farm | Lucero Organic Farms | McGinnis Ranch | Oya Organics | RHJ Farms | Star Route Farms | Tierra Vegetables | Ventura Organic Farms
Acorn
These small, ridged squash are popular and versatile, ideal for just about any squash preparation. With thick skin and mild orange flesh, Acorns are typically deep green and orange, but can be found in other colors, like gold or white.
Recipe to try: Acorn Squash Latkes by Elianna Friedman, Bay Leaf Kitchen
Buttercup
A popular variety of Turban squash (see below), the Buttercup is squat and squarish with faintly streaked, dark green skin. The flesh is sweet-potato-like and somewhat dry.
Butternut
The pear-shaped Butternut has dense, sweet, and nutty flesh and only a few seeds, making it a popular cooking squash to roast, mash, or purée in soups. To remove its hard exterior, first cut it in half and roast it, then remove the skin with a vegetable peeler. Waltham is the classic cream-colored variety.
Recipe to try: Butternut Squash and Pork Dumplings by Frankie Gaw, First Generation
Carnival
The small, colorfully striped Carnival squash, a hybrid of the Acorn and the Sweet Dumpling, is perfect for stuffing. After cooking, the light and slightly nutty flesh is scooped out and used as an easy pairing with most recipes. Its flavor improves with storage, so be sure to wait a few days before cooking.
Recipe to try: Lentil and Pecan Filled Acorn Squash with Sage Fried Brown Butter by Abra Berens, Grist
Delicata
The small, oblong Delicata is a single-serving squash. Just cut in half, scoop out the seeds, and roast with a bit of olive oil, salt, and pepper, or bake stuffed with the savory filling of your choice. No need to peel; the thin, green-and-gold-striped skin is edible, too. Sweet and creamy, it has earned itself the nickname “sweet potato squash.”
Recipe to try: Hot Honey Glazed Winter Squash by Naomi Webb, Foodwise Staff
Galeux d’Eysines
Commonly known as the “peanut pumpkin,” this striking French heirloom has a salmon-colored skin covered in barnacle-like knobs. The growths are produced through a process known as “corking,” whereby the sugars break through the skin and exude to form peanut-shell-like scabs, a sign of the squash’s sweetness.
Gourds
Gourds have been used by humans throughout history as musical instruments, art, tools, and food. Available in a gourd-eous variety of colors and shapes, most gourds you find at the market these days are ornamental rather than edible, so be sure to ask your farmer before roasting them up.
Honeynut
Honeynut squash was created as an attempt to shrink the Butternut squash and improve its flavor. Though the crops were unpopular at first due to their size, they eventually became known for their thin, edible skin and their sweetness when cooked, which allows for a flavor that doesn’t need any extra sugar or honey.
Hubbard
With blue-gray, bumpy skin and a teardrop shape, this heavyweight of the squash family has a pumpkin-like flavor. The Hubbard’s family-size heft makes it a favorite for roasting, and thus a great turkey substitute at a vegetarian Thanksgiving.
Kabocha
Similar to the Buttercup, this Japanese variety (kabocha is the generic term for squash in Japanese) has dense flesh and a hard skin, which softens when cooked. The deep yellow flesh is a bit flaky but very sweet. Bake it or roast with lots of butter or oil.
Recipe to try: Red Kabocha Squash and Red Russian Kale with Tahini, Za’atar, and Roasted Hazelnuts by Lynn Gorfinkle, Roam Artisan Burgers
Marina di Chioggia
This heirloom hails from the coast of Italy, from the same village as the candy-striped Chioggia beet. Pumpkin-shaped, with a warty, dark blue-green exterior, the Marina di Chioggia has a decorative appearance, but its sweet flesh is especially good for ravioli and gnocchi filling.
Pumpkin
Pumpkins generally fall into two categories: those for carving and those for eating. Field pumpkins sold for Halloween jack-o’-lanterns usually lack flavor, while Sugar Pie pumpkins hold true to their name. Richly hued French heirlooms like the Cinderella pumpkin (Rouge Vif d’Etampes) and Musquee de Provence are beautiful to display, but they’re also sweet and delicious roasted.
Recipe to try: Pumpkin Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sauce by Ryan Shelton, Reverb
Red Kuri
Resembling a small Hubbard with deep red-orange skin, the Red Kuri is a Japanese squash with a chestnut-like flavor. It’s a versatile fruit, and its bowl-like seed cavity works well for stuffing. Not to be mistaken for a Red Kabocha, the Red Kuri has a teardrop shape that rises at the stem, where the Red Kabocha flattens near the stem.
Recipe to try: Winter Squash, Cabbage, and Apple Slaw by Naomi Webb, Foodwise Staff
Spaghetti
Light yellow, large, and oblong, the Spaghetti squash is another classic variety. When cooked, the light, stringy flesh gives way to strands that make a delicious gluten- and carb-free pasta substitute. Just scrape the flesh with a fork.
Sweet dumpling
These small, squat cucurbits have variegated skin and sweet, tender orange flesh, which, like the Delicata, makes them easy to cook as a single-serving squash, stuffed, or served whole.
Turban
Also known as Turk’s Cap, this bulbous, mushroom-shaped cucurbit makes a colorful addition to any fall centerpiece. Not to be mistaken for a decorative gourd, Turbans are edible, with a sweet, if mild, flavor. A Turban’s flesh is great roasted and made into a soup, and its rind can be used for a tureen.
Looking for winter squash? See which of our farms grow which varieties, as well as some delicious recipes.
Topics: Culinary, Farmers market, Produce guides, Vegetables