Pumpkins and Squash. How do they taste?

Before Halloween we had a great thread going on the pumpkins and winter squash growing in our gardens. At that time, I hadn't tasted mine but promised to report back when I did. See thread at:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/655561/

Now I am starting to cook the Winter Squash I stored in the fall and so are the friends I have shared them with. I promised to report back on flavor. So here goes.

Butternut -- Always wonderful, rich and dense. This year is no different. I just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, cut them into serving size pieces and steam them, though I know there are many other ways to cook them. I have learned to let them sit in the garage ( cool ) for a while before eating them, maybe only until Nov. 1. This gives them time to truly ripen. Here in New Mexico, they can be under ripe it not allowed to sit for a while.

Galeux d' Eysiennes
A beautiful squash with warts on its salmon colored flesh. Great for Halloween decoration, but just put them out for decoration, don't carve them into jack-o-lanterns. Galeux is too good to waste on jack-o-lanterns. They are better than most pumpkins for eating, so use the pumpkins for jack-o-lanterns and save Galeux for dinner! Galeux is a very meaty squash, brilliantly orange inside. The flavor is outstanding and the flesh is very tender, more so than Butternut. My husband's words about Galeux vs. Butternut is that Galeux is not as "stringy". Not that I have ever heard him turn up his nose at Butternut.
I gave a Galeux to my hairdresser and told her they were edible, but I wasn't sure she would use them for anything more than a Halloween decoration. When I returned one month later, she couldn't quit talking about the wonderful soup her boyfriend had made with the Galeux.
I would say this is a hands down winner.

And that is all we have eaten so far. I promise to report on more varieties later. I hope the rest of you will as well!

I've wondered about the Galeux....and have seeds to plant next spring....I love winter squash, so this lovely thing that does double duty should be a treat....Thanks!

I think you will really enjoy Galeux. I will be testing others as the winter goes.

I'm looking forward to the rest of your squash reviews!

Stay tuned. It will take a while to eat the very large Galeux I cooked last night, but I hope to get to the others before too long.

My kids will be home shortly so I'm going to cook mine then (I know I said I'd do it earlier but it just didn't seem right to cut it just for two). I'm so happy to read how impressed you are with the taste of it pajaritomt (and like Melody I'm very pleased I have newly purchased seeds so I can plant it again this spring).

p.s. I too am looking forward to seeing your next review. I know we all have different tastes but I trust a gardener's review here more than the write-ups in the seed supplier's catalogs.

Sometimes I am not sure the seed catalog writers have tasted the squash they are writing about. How could they? They do what they are told, but do they even know the people who made the decision to offer the seeds and why that person decided to offer them? Somewhere along the line we have to taste them. Lots of us and share our views! It is hard to imagine that you wouldn't like Galeux.
Their only drawback, and I don't take it seriously, is that they are generally rather large compared to say, a butternut or acorn squash. I don't think that will be a big problem for us. We will eat some just steamed and make soup of the rest. Just think, all that vitamin A from a totally natural source. Believe me, Galeux is a keeper!

Well, if it's a really big squash, you'll need more ways to cook it. Try this method. It's originally designed for a butternut squash, but I use it for all orange, sweet fleshed winter squashes. This recipe was supposed to serve four. I accidently ate the whole thing the first time I made it. LOL!

1 butternut squash (~1 pound), freshly baked or steamed
4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon cardamom seeds, crushed
1-2 teaspoons minced, seeded hot green chilies (start with a jalapeno type)
2-3 Tablespoons maple sugar or syrup or jaggery or succanat
3 Tablespoons cream
1 teaspoon real salt or sea salt
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut and /or chopped hazelnuts, toaed until golden
2 Tablespoons lime juice

Mash the cooked squash with potato masher or in a food processor.
Heat 3 Tablespoons of the butter in a frying pan over moderate heat. When it begins to froth, add the fennel seeds, cardamom seeds and green chiles. Stir for a few seconds until fragrant, then add the squash puree, sweetener, cream and if desired, salt. Cook until thickened and stir frequently, about 5 minutes. Before serving, garnish with the coconut or hazelnuts, remaining Tbsp of butter and sprinkle with lime juice.

OMG *drooooooooooooooooool* My beautiful Galeux is looking pretty on borrowed time for sure now (due to your recipe garden_mermaid and the ones GrammysGarden posted....I'm pretty sure the three of them will take care of it ;).

This message was edited Dec 12, 2006 11:30 PM

lime juice (wipe keyboard) & Maple syrup (wipe keyboard) & jalapeno (wipe keyboard) & coconut and hazelnuts!!!!! Ü Oh heck I'll just buy a new keyboard.


And will rent another plot just for growing Galeux!

Thanks GM for your recipe. It sounds wonderful. The friend I gave one to cooked hers with chile and said it was really delicious. The other spices sound terrific as well. Can you tell me where you found GrammysGarden's recipe, Lilypon. I have several of these beauties to cook.
Yes, GM, try growing one. You won't regret it. But yes, Lilypon, it is heard to cut into such a lovely vegetable. They look beautiful in the center of a table.

Uh huh.....re lovely (and ever so unique :).

Grammy's recipes are in the 13th post down in this thread: http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/655561/

GM,
Thanks for the above recipe for Squash. I made it for dinner and both my husband and I loved it. It definitely has the taste of India.

Glad you liked it. I'm definitely hooked on cardamoms, all three varieties.
Fennel is another of my favourites. I often substitute fennel seed for caraway seeds in my recipes.