Monday, April 12, 2010

ROASTED BANANA SQUASH with TARRAGON

lately i think i have been at a loss for words, but for this post i think just the few ingredients shown speak for themselves. i've been doing quite a bit of roasted vegetable purees, soups and sauces in the past few weeks, but i think this combo of banana squash, garlic, baby onions and lovely fresh tarragon was so pretty and rustic looking that i just let it be. normally it would be headed for the stick blender and pureed to a silky smooth golden soup/sauce, but i took one bite right out of the oven and thought best to leave this one alone. the first night i had it with crispy Duck a l'Orange. the duck recipe called for fresh tarragon so i thought i would carry the flavor into the veg. now i'm stuck on tarragon. it seems like the forgotten herb. maybe it's not forgotten, but i certainly don't see it used much. i really like what it adds to a dish so i bought another packet yesterday and i can't wait to sneak it into more things. i think i'll try it in some soda bread or an orange tarragon muffin?..what about a sweet savory shortbread cookie?...hmmm


banana squash...i love this squash. i just discovered it this winter. maybe you all have had it before, but it's a new one to me. might be the fact that the name alone scared me off....i don't eat bananas. don't like 'em, never have. i'm glad i tried it because i think it's most similar to fresh pumpkin in texture and flavor. we ran out of fresh pumpkins around here just a little too soon. as a matter of fact, there was even a shortage of canned pumpkin in the stores. i spoke to the manager at Bristol Farms and he said that Libby's was thinking of going seasonal with their canned pumpkin puree until the economy picks up. now i don't know about you, but how will this help or hinder the economy? is this going to make or break Libby's? another market, Gelson's, said everyone was buying it like it was going out of style. they still have a supply on their shelves even after i wiped them out one day. what if they run out? October is a long way away. I NEED MY PUMPKIN !...i make a protein pumpkin pie every week that i eat every morning for breakfast so the shortage make me nervous. i'm lost without my pumpkin fix.

so for now i will substitute my roasted pumpkin with BANANA SQUASH. i know most would say just use butternut squash, but that's a whole different flavor and texture. don't get me wrong...i DO love butternut squash, but it is a bit more sweet than the banana.


SIMPLE ROASTED BANANA SQUASH w/GARLIC AND TARRAGON

preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 large 1/4 of a banana squash
peel and cube. i like fairly big chunks

peeled garlic. 10-20? your choice. i like plenty for the garlic lovers. the "haters" can just omit them from their plate. they are left whole, so it does not really effect the cooking flavor until you incorporate them as puree.

10 baby onions

2 Tbsp finely chopped tarragon

salt and pepper

i like a little garlic salt

throw this all in a big baggie and drizzle in some olive oil

toss this around to coat everything

lay out on foil covered (easy clean up) cookie sheet

bake for 20 minutes and stir around. make sure all pieces are getting roasted. you might need to add a bit more olive oil. the squash seems to absorb, but don't go over board.

continue baking, stirring and checking every 10-15 minutes until fork tender.

ready to serve.

i like to make alot. leftovers are yummy throughout the week. easy to change up and serve them again as a thick puree for a side dish or blend with a little stock and make a fabulous soup.

7 comments:

Sophie @ yumventures said...

I can't believe I've never had banana squash! On my list to look for this weekend :)

Federica Simoni said...

non conoscevo questa ricetta! complimenti รจ stupenda! ciao!

jules said...

Hi ladies...thanks for stopping by. I think banana squash is one of those things you always pass by in the market, but if you love pumpkin, you'll like this. Give it a go.

Tiffiny Felix said...

Looks so good! I love to roast things, especially squash. And I'm easing my way into likeing tarragon ;)

Cara said...

I need my pumpkin fix too! But I will easily substitute roasted butternut or buttercup squash. I agree, the canned pumpkin shortage has been frustrating.

By the way, here I thought I knew all the winter squashes... must go search for this one!

Heather said...

Hi. I have never tried banana squash, but I do love Kabocha squash. I could eat it every day. I love that it's drier than other sweet squash (sort of like a starchy vs. wet flesh). I wonder, how "wet" or "dry" is the banana squash? I am not a huge fan of buttercup simply because it's so wet. Any thoughts on this? Thank you!!!

Jules and Ruby said...

hi Heather...i think you would like this squash. it IS a bit more dry...and very meaty. i think it's most like pumpkin. i like butter"nut" squash, but sometimes it can be a bit sweet. this one is usually in the stores year-round so i hope you can give it a try. thanks for the comment...J

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