Six Seasons

by Joshua McFadden

  Heat the oven to 450°F.

  Trim off any dried ends of the mushrooms (if you’re using shiitakes, discard or compost the stems) and brush off any soil or pine needles. Cut any large mushrooms in half. Toss them with a glug of olive oil, season generously with salt and black pepper, and spread in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet.

  Roast the mushrooms until they are crisp around the edges and slightly dried out, 15 to 25 minutes depending on the moisture content of your mushrooms. You might want to stir them around once or twice during cooking. Set them aside to cool.

  Put the turnip slices into a bowl of ice water to soak for at least 20 minutes, so they get crisp and a bit of the spiciness is tamed. Drain well and blot dry with paper towels.

  To assemble the dish, put the freekeh in a big bowl. Add the mushrooms, pickled onions, scallions, and turnips. Add the vinegar and ¼ teaspoon chile flakes, season generously with salt and black pepper, and toss well.

  Add ¼ cup olive oil and toss again. Taste and adjust with more salt, black pepper, vinegar, or olive oil until the salad is nicely balanced and very savory. Add the almonds and toss again. Serve at room temperature.

  Winter Squash

  The world of winter squash is wide, from sweet dumplings to big blue Hubbards. But they all have two things in common: Their flesh is orange and sweet. This means you can use them interchangeably (stringy spaghetti squash is one exception), although each variety has its nuances. Some, like kabocha, are more savory, while others, like delicata, have starchier flesh. Now’s the time to cook your way through the market to see which varieties you like best.

  Sugar or spice? One of the beauties of winter squash is its ability to move effortlessly between sweet and savory dishes. You can match its natural sweetness with ingredients like honey, browned butter, nuts, and sweet baking spices, or you can use it as a contrast to set off things like spicy chiles, grassy herbs, and tangy yogurt. Roast it, fry it, steam it, puree it, or, yes, finely slice it and eat it raw.

  Peeling is (sometimes) optional. Winter squashes can be a challenge for two reasons: first because they are dense and firm and require a steady hand to trim or slice them, and second because many have shapes that don’t make it easy to peel or portion. The most obliging squash is also one of the tastiest, I think, and that’s the butternut. The skin is smooth and, while tough, can be easily sliced away with a paring knife or good vegetable peeler. Other varieties are lobed or ridged and are therefore difficult to peel before cooking. For something like an acorn squash, which has deep crenellations, you’re better off roasting or steaming it first and then doing the cutting or scraping of flesh later.

  If you don’t like hacking away at your vegetables to get the peel off, you’ll likely find the smaller varieties better suited to your temperament. Delicata and sweet dumpling are both pint-size with edible skins, which makes prep simple. Just scoop out the seeds and slice. The skins on other common varieties, like butternut, acorn, and kabocha, aren’t really tender enough to be pleasant to eat. To make cutting into them easier, put the whole squash in the microwave to warm up for a minute or two.

  To cut a winter squash, cut a thin slice off one side to create a flat surface and set the squash on the cutting board, flat surface down for stability. For very tough squash, you may need to push your knife point into the squash first and then pull the blade down to slice across it. In any case, keep your fingers out of the way of the knife, and hold the squash steady so it doesn’t skitter away as you apply pressure.

  Whether you peel before or after cooking, you’ll want to remove the seeds before cooking. Use a sturdy soup spoon to scrape out the seeds and the fibers that hold them together. If you need something slightly sharper to make a clean surface, try a melon baller.

  They don’t keep forever. Although they can seem indestructible, winter squash do eventually rot, and they can certainly get dried out with age. Be sure to choose squash that have no bruises or brown spots, and they should feel heavy for their size.

  Raw Winter Squash with Brown Butter, Pecans, and Currants

  That’s right—raw. Once you try this salad, you’ll wonder why you haven’t been eating raw squash all along. Serve it as soon as it’s assembled so the brown butter doesn’t cool and set up.

  » Serves 4

  ½ cup dried currants

  ¼ cup red wine vinegar

  1 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, peeled and seeded

  3 scallions, trimmed (including ½ inch off the green tops), thinly sliced on an angle, soaked in ice water for 20 minutes, and drained well

  ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  ¼ cup Brown Butter

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  Butternut squash oil or pumpkin seed oil (optional)

  ½ cup lightly packed mint leaves

  ½ cup pecans, lightly toasted, some roughly chopped, some crushed

  Put the currants in a small bowl and pour over the vinegar. Soak for 30 minutes.

  Use a vegetable peeler to shave the squash into very thin ribbons. If you have pieces of squash that are too hard to shave, just cut them into very thin julienne with a sharp knife. It doesn’t matter if everything is the same shape; you just want the squash as thin and delicate as possible.

  Pile the squash into a large bowl and add the currants and soaking vinegar, scallions, chile flakes, and a generous amount of salt and black pepper. Toss to combine. Taste and adjust the seasoning so it is balanced and vibrant.

  Pour in the warm brown butter and toss again. Add the olive oil (and a drizzle of the squash oil, if using), toss again, and taste. Add the mint and pecans, toss, and serve right away.

  In the field While most vegetables are best just-plucked from the ground, winter squash need time to cure outdoors in the field. The sunshine and airflow allows the flesh to grow sweeter and the skin to harden up. It’s the smooth, hard skin that makes these such long-keepers.

  Winter Squash and Leek Risotto

  Butternut squash is perfect for this dish, as the big bulb of solid flesh is easy to grate. Adding the scraps to the broth doubles down on the lovely squash flavor.

  » Serves 4

  About 8 cups vegetable or chicken stock

  2 pounds winter squash

  2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  ½ teaspoon dried chile flakes

  Kosher salt

  2 cups carnaroli or other risotto-appropriate rice

  1 pound leeks, trimmed, split lengthwise into quarters, cleaned, and thinly sliced crosswise

  1 cup dry white wine

  2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

  ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

  1 tablespoon chopped sage

  Put the stock in a soup pot. Peel the squash with a vegetable peeler or a sharp paring knife and split it lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and fibers and add to the stock. Grate about 2 cups of the flesh using the large holes of a box grater and set aside. Roughly chop the rest of the squash and add it to the stock. Let the stock simmer slowly for at least 30 minutes so it takes on the squash flavor.

  Melt the butter in a small glug of olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add half the grated squash, the chile flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, so that the rice becomes glossy and slightly darker golden, about 5 minutes. Add the leeks and 1 teaspoon salt and cook over medium-low heat until they are soft and fragrant, another 10 minutes or so.

  Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine, stirring and scraping to deglaze the pan. Simmer until all the wine has evaporated.

  Start ladling in enough of the hot stock (don’t let the solids get into the risotto pan) so that it just barely covers the rice. Adjust the h
eat so the liquid bubbles nicely but isn’t boiling hard. Stir the rice occasionally, scraping the bottom of the pan. When most of the liquid has reduced, add more stock. Continue this process, stirring to encourage creaminess, until the rice is getting tender but still has a chalky center when you bite into a grain, about 10 minutes.

  Add the remaining grated squash and a bit more stock and cook just until the squash is tender. The consistency of the risotto should be quite moist, because it will stiffen up as you add the cheese and as it cools.

  Fold in 1½ cups of the Parmigiano, the parsley, and the sage and serve right away, passing the rest of the cheese at the table.

  In the kitchen We’re familiar with oils from many nuts—such as walnuts and peanuts—and seeds, such as rapeseed (canola oil) and sesame seed. But I recently discovered a new seed oil—pressed from toasted butternut squash seed, made by Stony Brook Wholehearted Foods (www.wholeheartedfoods.com). Similar to pumpkin seed oil, which is popular in Austrian cuisine, it’s exquisitely nutty and intense, and I love to drizzle it over vegetables and onto soups.

  Fontina-Stuffed Arancini

  Typically, these fried risotto balls are made with leftover risotto, but they’re such a fun party food that I approve of making the risotto just to make these. Serve them as is, or surrounded by a ribbon of tomato sauce or one of my Salsa Verde.

  » Makes 32 arancini

  Winter Squash and Leek Risotto

  ½ pound Fontina or other mild melting cheese, cut into 32 pieces

  2 cups Dried Breadcrumbs or panko

  Vegetable oil, for frying

  Make the risotto. Oil a baking sheet and spread the risotto out in a ½-inch layer to cool. When it’s completely cool, use a ¼-cup ice cream scoop or two tablespoons to scoop and shape into 32 balls.

  Push a piece of the Fontina into the center of each ball (don’t worry if it’s sticking out a bit at this stage). Now pull some risotto around the hole the cheese made and then roll the ball between your palms until the cheese is sealed inside. Set onto another baking sheet.

  Heat the oven to 375°F.

  Put the breadcrumbs in a wide shallow bowl. Roll each risotto ball in the crumbs to coat thoroughly, patting lightly so the crumbs stick.

  Pour ½ inch of vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat to about 375°F. Working in small batches, fry each risotto ball for about 2 minutes, so it’s nicely browned all over, and then transfer to a baking sheet. Once you have a panful, transfer to the oven and finish cooking the arancini until they are hot all the way through and the cheese has melted, 7 to 10 minutes (or up to 15 minutes if the arancini have been fried and sitting at room temperature for a while). Serve as soon as possible.

  Delicata Squash “Donuts” with Pumpkin Seeds and Honey

  This dish is one of the biggest hits at the restaurant—it’s hard not to smile when served little rings of fried squash. Be sure to use good frying technique: Don’t fill your pot with too much oil; you need room for it to bubble up.

  » Makes about 20 two-bite appetizers

  2 pounds delicata squash (2 medium)

  Vegetable oil or olive oil, for deep-frying

  ½ cup cornstarch

  ½ cup all-purpose flour

  1 cup sparkling water

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Pecorino Romano cheese, for grating

  Dried chile flakes

  Toasted pumpkin seeds

  2 tablespoons honey

  Flaky sea salt, for serving

  Lemon wedges (optional)

  Heat the oven to 400°F.

  Trim the ends of the squashes and peel the skin in alternating strips using a sharp vegetable peeler. This will make the rings easier to eat (less skin) and will help them stay intact.

  Cut the squash crosswise into ½-inch-thick slices (you should get about 10 per squash). With a spoon or a sharp paring knife, cut around the inside of each ring to remove the seeds and fibers. Arrange the squash rings on baking sheets and roast (with no oil) until they are tender but not mushy, about 20 minutes, depending on the density of the flesh. Let them cool. You can do this a few hours ahead of serving.

  Arrange a double layer of paper towels on a tray or baking sheet and set it near your stove. Pour 2 inches of oil (vegetable oil or a mix of olive and vegetable) into a saucepan, making sure there are at least 3 inches of headroom (the oil may bubble up a bit during cooking, and you don’t want any spillovers—dangerous!). Slowly bring the oil up to 375°F on a thermometer. (Or fry a small piece of bread: When it takes 60 seconds to get nicely crisp and brown, but not burnt, your oil is just about right.)

  As the oil is heating, whisk together the corn-starch and flour. Whisk in enough sparkling water to make a thin batter. Season with some salt and black pepper.

  When the oil is ready, dip a squash ring into the batter, let the excess drip off, and carefully immerse it in the hot oil. You can use tongs for this or, if you’re handy with them, use wooden chopsticks. Fry the ring until the coating is puffed and very light golden. Transfer to the paper towels to drain. Continue frying, a few at a time now, but don’t add too many at once because that will cause the oil temperature to drop and the rings will get greasy.

  Once all the squash rings are fried, turn off the heat under the oil and arrange the rings on a serving platter. Shower with pecorino, a pinch of chile flakes, and pumpkin seeds. Drizzle with a delicate thread of honey and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve right away while the rings are hot and crisp.

  If you like, serve with a squeeze of lemon.

  Roasted Squash with Yogurt, Walnuts, and Spiced Green Sauce

  Such a stunning dish, and with so little work. I look for a mix of squash that will have differently shaped slices so that you get some drama on the platter.

  » Serves 4

  1½ cups plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt

  1 small garlic clove, minced

  ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  About 2 pounds winter squash (one kind or a mix)

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoons slightly sweet white wine vinegar, such as Katz Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar

  ½ recipe Spiced Green Sauce

  ¼ cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped

  Butternut squash oil or pumpkin seed oil (optional)

  Line a sieve with some dampened cheesecloth and set over a bowl. (If you don’t have cheese-cloth, you can use paper coffee filters, but the draining time will be slightly longer.) Put the yogurt in the cheesecloth and let it sit for at least 1 hour, so the whey drains out and the yogurt gets thick and creamy (save the whey to use in a smoothie or something; it’s nutritious!). You can set this up in the fridge and drain overnight, if you like.

  Mix the drained yogurt with the garlic, lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.

  Heat the oven to 400°F.

  Trim off the top and bottom of the squash, then peel away the skin with a paring knife or sturdy vegetable peeler. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and fibers with a stiff spoon, and cut the squash into ½-inch slices.

  Toss the squash, either in a large bowl or directly on a rimmed baking sheet, with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. Spread out on one or two rimmed baking sheets, and roast until tender and nicely browned on the underside, 20 to 40 minutes depending on the texture of the squash. Let the squash cool slightly on the baking sheet(s).

  Arrange the squash slices on a platter, spoon a ribbon of yogurt on top, and then sprinkle with the vinegar. Drizzle/spoon the green sauce over the squash so it looks pretty. Scatter the walnuts on the dish and finish with a few drops of the squash oil (if using) or some olive oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.

  In the kitchen To save time, instead of draining your
own yogurt, you can use store-bought labneh or Greek yogurt, though I like the slightly looser texture I get when I drain my own.

  Pumpkin Bolognese

  Here, pumpkin replaces the tomato of a typical Bolognese sauce. The flavors are more mellow and rounded, so make sure you’re generous with the black pepper.

  » Serves 4

  About 2 pounds pumpkin, unpeeled, cut into wide wedges, seeds scraped out

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1 pound ground beef chuck

  ½ pound ground pork (get ground shoulder, if you can)

  1 cup finely chopped onion

  ½ cup finely chopped celery

  ½ cup finely chopped carrot

  1 cup dry, unoaked white wine

  1 cup whole milk

  Cooked pasta of your choice (any short or long shape will be nice)

  Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, for serving

  Heat the oven to 400°F.

  Brush the pumpkin wedges with olive oil and season lightly with salt and pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet and roast, turning once, until fully tender, about 25 minutes.

  Let the pumpkin cool, then scrape the flesh into a food processor. Blend until you have a smooth puree. Transfer the puree to a saucepan or large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, scraping frequently with a spatula, until the puree has lost a lot of its water and the pumpkin is thick and concentrated in flavor—like tomato paste, but with pumpkin. This could take 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the moisture level of your pumpkin.