It's the first Monday of a new month, which means one thing: another Small Measure Can-Do Giveaway. For those of you new to the contest, or to this blog, I'm staging a giveaway each month from now until the release of my book, Homemade Living: Canning & Preserving with Ashley English. Each month one lucky person will win an artfully crafted canned item featured in the book and made by yours truly.
From my pantry to yours, this month I'll be giving away a jar of Curried Winter Squash Chutney. Though winter squashes aren't technically "in season" this time of year, they are available in abundance, as these dense beauties keep quite well, curing and aging to perfection once they're harvested before the first autumn frost. I love making a Ploughman's (Plough Person's?) lunch out of this chutney, partnering it up with a wedge of sharp cheddar, some puckery pickles, several apple slices, a hunk of hearty bread, and a hard cider. And, even though I don't eat chicken, I could see it marrying well with some roasted poultry.
This chutney is the perfect foil to drab, blustery winter days-packed with spice (cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, fenugreek, coriander, mustard seed, and cumin seed!) and sweetness (raisins, currants, and apples, oh my!), it imparts warmth and inspiration, hinting at the thaw on the horizon. O-kay, maybe that's stretching it, but, it's good and hearty and robust and all of the other adjectives used to describe things that feel substantive and satisfying.
To enter: Simply leave a comment to THIS specific post by telling me your favorite way of cooking or serving or simply eating winter squash. Your comment MUST link to your particular blog or web site (and therefore to your contact information) or include your e-mail address. Otherwise, I won't be able to get in touch with you if you win! Any entries that do not include some way of getting in touch will be disqualified.
Deadline: Comments must be received by midnight EST February 15th, 2010. Odds of winning will depend on the number of eligible entries received.
Other rules:
1. You must have a mailing address in the United States of America (sorry international folks!).
2. Only one entry comment per person.
How it works: Each comment will be assigned a sequential number. The winning number will be selected from a random number generator, so there'll be no favorites, simply a game of chance.
Keep coming back each month to see what new tasty item is up for grabs!
42 comments:
Every month I'm drooling over the can-do giveaway.... Fingers crossed for this month!
that looks yummy! My favorite way to eat winter squash is just microwaved and mixed with brown sugar & butter.
I like soup with squash and coconut milk, so creamy and velvety!
Depends on the squash! Spaghetti gets sauteed, acorn gets a brown sugar glaze, butternut gets stuffed...aaahhh, the possibilities. Thanks for the opportunity!
Two favorite way to eat squash - both usually with acorn squash. Either plain baked with brown sugar and butter, or in a cream soup with a little pumpkin. I make this every year at Halloween for a sort of harvest meal, and it's the thing i look forward to the most!
Mine favorite is butternut squash soup, with lots of fresh pepper and warm buttery homemade bread.
My favorite way to eat squash is slicing it in half and drizzling it with melted butter and brown sugar, and then baking it until the sugar gets nice and crisp. Of course, the bad stuff (butter, sugar) is always the tastiest!!
Butternut squash - cut up in cubes about 1-1/2 inches, a little bit of oil, a lot of rosemary, salt and pepper and roasted like Roasted potatoes....Delicious!
i'm a simple girl who prefers to toss with olive oil, roast and enjoy.
love your blog.
sara kate
skateplate@gmail.com
Roasted Butternut and Apple Soup with lots of curry. I love squash. Your chutney sounds divine. ; )
mmm delicata squash, roasted and pureed with stock to make a creamy soup. With homemade bread... delicious!
Squash and apple soup, with a side of homemade bread.
Using winter squashes in soups is my favorite way to cook them. The recipes last some time and can be paired with other homemade goodies, like biscuits or a loaf of bread.
carlinreagan@gmail.com
Butternut squash baked and then topped with a lil butter and some brown sugar or maple syrup. My mom use to make this as often as she could. It brings back childhood memories!
Thanks for your contests!
Kiwihippie@yahoo.com
Butternut squash soup with roasted cashew (instead of cream) It is so good and hearty. Simply make a soup then roast and crush cashews into a mush and mix together.
Thank you for the giveaway. dianasamour@gmail.com
i love winter squash! i made a 'pumpkin' marmalade in the fall and we gobbled it all up. i am looking forward to making it again. the chutney sounds amazing! i think i love eating winter squash so much because i love growing it. they are the most weird and wonderful creatures in my garden!
thank god for your give-aways! they are softening the wait for your book! (which i really just can't wait for!) :)
Me,me, me. I want to win it.
roasted in some herbs, as fancy as my pants get. (thanks!)
I love to bake them with a little brown sugar and butter or to make soup out of them!
most definitely butternut squash soup with a warm crusty roll... so good
Winter squash with butter, brown sugar, apples, onions, and smoked sausage!
we recently made mashed squash, with butter, maple syrup and cinnamon...delish!
My most favorite winter squash dish is my most favorite dish, period. It's what I make when I need to nourish my body and soul, it's also what I make when I want to do the same for my family. Maybe they are a little tired of it - but, I'm not! Butternut squash soup - garlic, onion, jalapeno all sauteed in olive oil, then add in the peeled and chopped squash, followed by broth and/or spring water to the top, let it come to a boil, then simmer for 35 minutes. THE BEST EVER. Often, I'll make millet on the side, tossing in some fresh golden beet greens when done, then topping off with butternut squash soup!
I have an amazing recipe that combines butternut squash, onions and pear slices in a baking dish. When it's almost baked through, you add a topping of bread crumbs, romano cheese, walnuts and bacon! It's a Christmas must now, and I love it!
This chutney sounds fantastic too!
I simply bake the squash and serve it with butter. I guess I could use some new squash recipes.
My favorite thing to do lately is a cider baked butternut squash soup. Your chutney looks delicious.
My favorite way to eat winter squash is roasted whole in the oven....
Thanks!
kande513@yahoo.com
My favorite way to eat winter squash is in squash pie! My mother used to take our extra squash and make pies out of them. They tasted just like pumpkin pies, but did look a bit different. They were a gray color instead of orange. But they were realllllllllly good. Yummy!
Anita M
www.shantara.wordpress.com
ladyrings@aol.com
curried squash red lentil soup with fresh parsley and grated coconut or in Thai red curry with local cress
kdkelbel@yahoo.com
I'm all about brown sugar and butter on everything. Including squash.
I want to win because....I've never ate winter squash. I've looked at some recipes but not sure how to prepare it. But if I like this chutney - I just might can some this year. Thanks.
I like it roasted in a salad. Yum.
Simple, simple, simple.
Cut into equal-sized chunks, tossed with a lavish amount of olive oil and slightly less lavish amounts of sea salt, then roasted in a high oven until caramelized all over.
Incredible then and for later.
My winter squash -- small, round winter squash that are cut in half, baked with olive oil and salt...then stuffed with a sautee of mushrooms, prunes, a green vege of your choice...finally topped with lots of favorite spices and fresh cilantro. Can also add brown rice to the stuffing mixture if you wish.
I love winter squash simply roasted with salt and pepper. Delicious!
I love to cube and roast butternut squash with olive oil, salt and black pepper. I eat some of it fresh out of the oven with rice, sauteed onion and garlic, beans and kale and sometimes roasted chicken. The rest I put in the fridge and add to soups and other meals.
Eli
Mr. E's Mysterious Bees
Love the blog!
Although I will definitely be trying some of the other favorites mentioned so far ... for me simple is best. My favorite way to eat winter squash is baked with fresh butter and brown sugar (or maple syrup).
My favorite way to cook winter squash is to bake it and then indulge in some butter and brown sugar.
I'm super good at taking healthy food and then kind of ruining that!
-Katy Wolk-Stanley
Prior to this winter, I usually just baked winter squash but a friend introduced me to my new favorite, curried squash soup. My husband, who doesn't even like squash, went back for seconds!
ooooh yummy!
My favorite way to prepare winter squash (particularly butternut squash) is baked and stuffed with black beans and wild rice. Now I'm super hungry...
I love cubed and roasted winter squash tossed w/olive oil and salt and sprinkled cinnamon sprinkled on top.
yum!
jessica
jess.luna@gmail.com
I make butternut squash and apple soup. My recipe (stolen from epicurious) is here:
Ingredients:
* 2 slices bacon
* 1/2 medium onion, chopped fine (about 1/2 cup)
* white and pale green parts of 1 large leek, chopped fine and washed well (about 1 cup)
* 1 large garlic clove, minced
* 1/2 bay leaf
* 1 1/4 pounds butternut squash, seeded, peeled, and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 3 cups)
* 1 medium Granny Smith or other tart apple
* 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
* 1/2 cup water plus additional for thinning soup
* 2 tablespoons sour cream or crème fraîche
In a skillet cook bacon until crisp and drain, reserving 1 1/2 tablespoons fat. Crumble bacon.
In a heavy saucepan cook onion, leek, garlic, and bay leaf with salt and pepper to taste in reserved fat over moderate heat, stirring, until softened.
Add squash, apple, peeled and chopped, broth, and 1/2 cup water. Simmer mixture, covered, until squash is very tender, about 15 minutes, and discard bay leaf.
In a blender purée mixture in batches, transferring as puréed to a clean saucepan, and add enough additional water to thin soup to desired consistency.
Whisk in sour cream or crème fraîche and salt and pepper to taste and heat soup over moderately low heat until hot (do not boil).
Serve soup topped with crumbled bacon and accompaniments.
I've also made a vegetarian version. I use vegetable instead of chicken broth and I soften the onions, leeks, garlic, & bay leaf in olive oil instead of bacon fat and serve the soup with crumbled bleu cheese instead of bacon.
Whatever version I make, I serve it with a simple bread - I use the bread recipe in the little booklet that came with my kitchenaide but I mix in chopped onions, fresh rosemary and chopped kalamata olives and braid the loaf like it was challah.
-Sarah Bloom
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