The Final Squash!
Posted by Natalie on February 01, 2010 - Posted in Recipes There are 2 comments, Add yours!
I have finally gotten around to cooking the last squash from my original post. My Kabocha squash didn’t quite hold up for the duration--but luckily client Mike S. happened to have a Kabocha variety growing in his garden and brought it in for me!
This variety looks more like a pumpkin--and the Kabocha is sometimes referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. It is chalk full of beta carotene, iron, vitamin C, and potassium and has a mild flavor--which means it can be used in a variety of recipes. I found soup, roasted, and mashed recipes--and chose to go with a whipped pumpkin with a few mix-ins!
Whipped Kabocha
1 Kabocha squash, peeled and cubed
Olive Oil
8 slices fried bacon, crumbled
1/2 cup toasted crushed walnuts
2 tbsp butter
salt and cinnamon to taste
Drizzle of honey
small handful of dried cranberries
Cut the top off of the squash and cut in half. Scoop out the seeds and cut in quarters. Using a vegetable peeler, take the peel off of the quarters and then cube. Toss the cubed squash into a glass roasting pan and drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 400 for 30-45 minutes or until very tender. Let cool, and then place cooked squash in blender, add juices from pan, butter, honey, and seasonings. Blend/whip the squash and place in serving bowl. Mix in crumbled bacon, crushed walnuts, and dried cranberries. Serve with a little more butter and honey to taste!
I served this with green beans and pork loin.
Comments
I wish you could tell us which hand to hold the squash in when perfoming these cuts/procedures.... I mean a little more detail in the prep work would be handy. 
That looks great! It almost looks like a little pumpkin. I would have never thought about putting dried cranberries in it. I bet it adds a nice zangy flavor every couple of bites.