Tomato Stewed Pumpkin with Cabbage Slaw

If you were to ask me what my favorite winter squash would be, I would have to say that I couldn’t choose, I love them all. But when I really, really think about it, when I look deep into my food soul, I could, and I think it would be pumpkin. Yup, pumpkin is my favorite.

Pumpkin is amazing and delicious, Not just as a pie or bread, but eaten in any way that any other winter squashed can be eaten. Fantastic in a soup or roasted or sautéed. And yes, blended up into all sorts of baked goods. It tastes somewhat like butternut squash but less sweet and has a nice nutty, earthiness to it and pairs well with al sorts of great spices, not just pumpkin spice. If you haven’t had it outside of a baked good, well then, make this. You are in for a really treat!

But don’t carve a jack o lantern pumpkin then eat that. Those big pumpkins are not very tasty. Get a small pie pumpkin, those are ones to eat.

Now to the tomato stewed pumpkin!

The stuff. A sugar(pie) pumpkin, a couple nice big ripe tomatoes, a large onion, a clove or two or garlic, cumin and chili powder, vinegar, shredded cabbage, and salt and pepper.

Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly shred about 1/3 or it. Small dice the rest Also mince up the garlic too.

Add the thinly shredded onion to the shredded cabbage and toss around with vinegar a little salt and pepper then set aside.

Dice up the tomatoes.

Place the diced onions, minced garlic, tomatoes, and cumin ans chili powder into a big pot with a splash of water and stick on medium heat on stove to start to stew the tomatoes.

While the tomatoes are going, cut up pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (save for roasting) and cut into small cubes. And sure, if you are not a fan of the skin (my favorite part) just peel the pumpkin with a potato peeler before cutting it up small. But really the skin, it is sooo GOOD!

Once the tomatoes are soft and mushy, add in the pumpkin. Keep on heat and place a lid mostly over pot. Let cook.

Soft and stewed and all sorts of everything good.

And then you scoop it into bowls, top with the cabbage slaw, sprinkle with pepper and fresh cilantro if you just so happen to have some, and eat it.

Yeah, pumpkin is my favorite.

-C

---

Tomato Stewed Pumpkin with Cabbage Slaw

makes 2 bigger or 4 smaller serving

• 1 small sugar pumpkin (around 3 or a little more cups cubed)

• 2 large tomatoes

• 2 heaping teaspoons cumin

• 1 teaspoon chili powder

• A few tablespoons water

• 1-2 cloves garlic

• 1 large onion

• 2 cups shredded red or green cabbage

• 2 tablespoons white vinegar

• salt and pepper

Start with the onion. Cut in half and thinly slice a little more then half of the half. Toss with the cabbage, the vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside

Dice the rest of the onion and place into a big pot. Grab tomatoes and dice them up as well and place them into the pot with the onions. Sprinkle with a pinch pf salt and pepper and add in the cumin and chili powder. Add 2 tablespoons of water and place on stove on medium heat to start to cook down.

While the tomatoes are stewing away, cut up the pumpkin. Just cut in half, remove seeds (and reserve for roasting) and dice it into small chunks. If you are not one to enjoy the greatness of pumpkin skin (it is really good) then before dicing it, just peel it with a potato peeler.

Once tomatoes have cooked down a bit, place the diced pumpkin into the pot. Add another tablespoon or so of water, mix around, partially place a lid on the pot, and let cook for about 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pumpkin starts to fall apart. If at any time it seems like it needs more liquid, just add in another tablespoon or so of water.

Once it is all stewed up, remove from heat, scoop into a bowl or bowls, and top with the cabbage slaw that was made early.

Eat.

Butternut and Beet Tacos

There come a point every year, about this time actually, when all of a sudden I am not exactly sick of, but maybe a little bored with the same roasted root situation. Don’t get me wrong, I love root veggies. I deeply love them all and will gladly keep on eating them for a few more months (it is only March after all so I am looking at at least 2 more good months of roots) but again, a little bored. So instead of just the usually roasted situation, we still roast but then, THEN, we taco them!. And we are not mad about it.

These tacos. Super easy and they bring out the best in roasted beets and butternut squash. Pilled in a tortilla (corn or flour, or not tortilla at all. Your choice) with some almond cream and topped with a crispy, crunchy, cabbage and onion slaw. A meal worth making any night or saving for a fun mid winter taco party. Or both because let face it, if you have a fridge like mine, it is packed with beets (and rutabagas, and turnips, and parsnips). And you probably have 4 butternut squash in your pantry too right? (Again, not mad about it.)

Now to the tacos!

The stuff. Some butternut squash, a few beets, shredded cabbage, half an onion, red wine vinegar, blanched and soaked almonds, a couple cloves of garlic, a little water, a lemon, salt and pepper, taco seasoning, an avocado, and tortillas.

Thinly slice the onion and toss it into a bowl along with the shredded cabbage, a pinch of salt, and the red wine vinegar. Really mix it up and then set aside.

Cut up the squash and the beets. 1/2 inch cubes are a good size.

Place the cut up squash and beets on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a touch of oil then really toss around with all the tacos seasoning.

Now into the oven to roast.

Almonds, garlic, salt and pepper, a little water, and juice of lemon, go into blender and blended until nice and smooth.

Oh almond cream. I could eat this entire bowl just like this, but don’t do that. You need it for the tacos.

Roasted and ready.

Now it’s taco time. You have your roasted squash and beets, almond cream, quick pickled crispy cabbage and onion slaw, tortillas (store bought or hand made), and avocado. Lemon or lime wedges are also a plus.

And then you make a taco. Roosts first, almond cream next, slaw on top of that, finished off with avocado. Squeeze on the lemon and into you mouth it goes.

-C

---

Butternut and Beet Tacos

makes 6-8 tacos

• 2 1/2 cups diced beets (2-3 large beets should do it)

• 2 1/2 cups diced butternut squash (peeled or not, up to you)

• 3 tablespoons taco seasoning or (1 tablespoon each cumin and chili power plus 1 teaspoon each paprika, garlic powder, and onion powder. And a pinch or red pepper flakes)

• 1/2 cup blanched almonds (soaked in hot water for an hour or so)

• a lemon

• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup warm water

• 2 cloves garlic

• salt and pepper

• Splash of oil

• 3 cups shredded cabbage (red, green, or a mixture of both)

• 1/2 an onion

• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

• avocado for serving

• at least 6 small or medium sized flour or corn tortillas

Preheat oven to 450

Grab cabbage and onion. Thinly slice the onion and toss into a bowl with the shredded cabbage. Add a good sprinkle of salt and toss along with the red wine vinegar. Set aside but give it a good toss again before serving.

Dice up butternut squash and beets into 1/2 inch cube pieces. Place on baking sheet with a drizzle of oil and toss around along with the spice blend. Place into oven to bake for about 30 minutes.

While that’s roasting, strain almonds of soaking water and place into blender along with the 2 cloves garlic, the juice of the lemon, and 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Add in a pinch of salt and pepper and blend. If the mixture is to thick, add in more water to thin it out. You want it to be like a sour cream consistency.

And when the squash and beets are nice and tender, remove from oven.

To assemble tacos.

Scoop some of the roasted beet and squash mixture onto a tortilla, add a good dollop or two of the almond cream, then top with some of the cabbage and onion slaw. Top it of with some sliced avocado and serve with a wedge of lemon or lime.

Warm Balsamic Delicata, onion, and Kale Salad

Let us talk about how winter squash is like one of the best foods ever. Seriously. Hardy, creamy, rich, and full of the nutty, sweet flavors of all the good things. How anyone says they don’t like winter squash is beyond me. I sometimes even feel like I put myself in danger of exploding when I am around enough cooked squash. I can eat and eat it until it’s gone, which is fine if it’s a serving or two, but when you roast up a 10 pound butternut, well, that is when the danger is real. I am getting better at holding back, but man, sometimes I just can't (or don’t want to?) help myself. ( You might also wonder why I cook 10 pounds of squash at a time. It’s because I will eat it all in a few days and I might as well cook a bunch at once, for efficiency sake.)

Now the delicata squah. If you haven’t had it before, stop what you are doing and go get one. You need to try it because it is amazing. Sweet, nutty, creamy. So good! And another good thing is that they are not giant, so you can buy one and eat the whole thing and not worry about overeating until you can’t move, unless that is the goal. In that case, just buy a bunch. HA.

Anyway, it’s getting to that time of year where salad is still great, it is just great warm. And with winter squash. Don’t you agree? So we cook up the squash, grab the kale and make one heck of a salad to eat all to your face. Because that is what will happen. You will make it , taste it, and not want to share it. It is too good to share. (Yes salads can be too good to share, so if you are planning on feeding others, plan accordingly)

To the salad!

The stuff. Kale, a delicata squash, red onion, some balsamic vinegar, a touch of maple, spicy brown mustard, a handful of toasted seeds, and salt and pepper.

Start with the squash. Cut it in half and scoop seeds from booth sides (these seeds are great roasted). After deseeded, cut both pieces into 1/4-1/2 inch thick rounds. And NO!!!!, do not peel the skin.

Grab the onion and cut into 1/4 inch rounds too.

Place the squash on a very lightly oiled baking sheet so the pieces are not overlapping each other. Then toss on the onion which is fine if it overlaps. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and lots of cracked pepper and pop into a hot oven.

In the meantime, mix the dressing situation together. Mustard, maple, and balsamic in a jar, mix and done.

Chop the kale too. Into mouth sized pieces.

Once squash is cooked all nice and tender, remove pan from oven. Take all the kale and toss on top then take the dressing and drizzle it all over the kale. Pop the pan back into the oven for a minutes or two, just until the kale starts to ever so slightly wilt.

Pull the pan back out and give it a good toss.

Dump it all into a big bowl, toss in the toasted seeds, and call it. Now grab a fork and start eating.

-C

---

Warm Balsamic Delicata, Onion, and Kale Salad

Can be a main dish for 1 or a side for a few

• 1 delicata squash

• 1 bunch of kale (around 3/4 pound)

• 1 smallish red onion

• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

• 1 -2 teaspoons maple syrup (more for a slightly sweeter, maple-y flavor)

• 2 tablespoons brown or dijon mustard

• 1/4 cup toasted seeds of choice (I used pumpkin and sunflower)

Preheat oven to 400

Cut delicata squash in half and scoop out all the seeds (you can save seeds to toast up later if you want), then slice the squash into 1/4 - 1/2 inch thick rounds. Grab onion and cut into thin slices. Take onion and squash and place them onto a very lightly oiled baking sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Don’t let the squash overlap, but it is fine for the onion to overlap the squash and itself. Pop the pan into the oven and bake until the squash starts to brown and is fork tender, which should take about 10-15 minutes.

In the meantime, chop kale into small mouth sized pieces and set aside. And mix the balsamic, mustard, and maple together to create the dressing.

Once the squash and onions are cooked, toss the kale onto the pan and drizzle the whole thing with the balsamic mixture. Toss it all around and pop pan back into oven for another minute or two, just to let kale get a touch wilted.

Remove pan from oven, dump everything from pan onto a plate, and toss in the toasted seeds.

Grab a fork. Eat.