WINTER SQUASH

Cooking Method
Cut in half and place face down in a baking dish sitting in a half inch of water. Bake at 350º for the time indicated below or until tender.  Or, halfway through cooking time, turn squash halves over and brush with following squash topper of your choice. Store all squash in a cool dry location.
Pie Pumpkin
Storage: 3 to 4 months. Flavor profile: Slightly sweet, deep orange, dense and smooth flesh. Cooking: Bake halves for 20 to 30 minutes.
Blue Hubbard
Storage: 6 to 8 months. Flavor profile: Slightly sweet, dense, deep orange flesh. Cooking: Bake halves for 50 to 60 minutes. Use as a side dish or in breads, muffins and pies.
Butternut Squash
Storage: 4 to 6 months. Flavor profile: Finely textured, fairly sweet, with a high carotene content giving a deep orange color. Cooking: Bake halves for 30 to 40 minutes. Use as a side dish or in pies.
Spaghetti Squash
Storage: 4 to 6 months. Flavor profile: The nut like, slightly sweet flesh (resembling spaghetti) is superb for full-flavored sauces. Cooking: Bake halves for 30 to 40 minutes.
Acorn
Storage: 3 to 4 months Flavor profile: The finely textured orange yellow flesh is tender with accents of hazelnut and pepper. Cooking: Bake halves for 20 to 30 minutes. Superb right out of the skin.
Sugar Loaf Delicata
Storage: 3 to 4 months. Flavor profile: The finely textured orange yellow flesh is very sweet and tender. Cooking: Bake halves for 20 to 30 minutes. A favorite with cinnamon apples.

Squash Toppers
Classic Maple: Brush 1/4 cup melted butter and 3 Tbsp. maple over top of cut squash and continue baking.
Lemon Spiced Walnut: 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey, 2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/8 tsp. ground anise, 2 Tbsp. walnut oil, 1 Tbsp. corn oil, 3 Tbsp. finely chopped walnuts, salt and pepper to taste.
Lemon Rosemary: Mix together 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, 1 Tbsp. honey and 1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or rosemary flavored olive oil).

Squash Pie
1 unbaked 9 inch pie pastry
2 cups cooked squash (pie pumpkin, hubbard or butternut) mashed or pureed
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs, slightly beaten
11/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
Additional whipping cream for topping
Preheat oven to 425º. Mix all ingredients. Pour mixture into unbaked pie crust. Bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350º and bake additional 45 minutes until pie is set. Cool on wire rack. Top with whipping cream.