November, Squash

[Roasted Delicata Squash with Herbs and Parmesan Recipe here]

November- Acorn, Autumn, Butternut, Carnival, Delicata, Gold Nugget, Spaghetti, Sweet Dumpling... this month's inspiration:  Squash!

Squash are one of the oldest cultivated crops in the Western Hemisphere, with squash seeds in Mexico being dated back as far as 8,000 BCE.  They have also long been revered as one of the "Three Sisters" of North American agriculture, along with corn and climbing beans.  Squash are available almost everywhere that sells food this time of year, and are great for roasting, making into soup, and adding to curries or warm salads.   

Clearly an important staple food for generation after generation, this month we are going to appreciate the long and rich history of squash by cooking them into tasty dishes and eating them!   

Do you know your squash?

information credit:  Botany on Your Plate, The Regents of University of California, 2005
photo credit:  https://hikeandlearn.org/program/winter-squash-extravaganza-slow-foods-cooking-class/squash/