By Nina Andres

The cooler evenings and clear, bright days feel like Fall! Summer is coming to an end and fall crops, planted months (or, in the case of almonds, years) ago, are now becoming part of the daily harvest. Fall in the Capay Valley is a time with the most crop diversity, and the most enjoyment for someone who likes to eat in season! The summer crops, such as tomatoes, melons, corn, beans, will continue until frost hits, usually at least through mid-to-late October and sometimes even until Thanksgiving. The fall crops are harvested starting in early September and continue for 2-6 months.

Winter Squash is one of these autumn crops, and I am always glad to see all of the different, delicious varieties when they come in season — butternut, delicata, acorn, buttercup, kuri, kabocha…and many more. We enjoy them steamed or baked with butter and salt, and rice on the side, or we bake squash and garlic, and make a creamy soup.

Selection and Storage
The hard protective skin on the winter squash is what helps it last in storage. Squash should be firm all over, with no soft spots. Store it away from direct light and extreme heat or cold (50-60 F is best), and it will likely keep for 1-5 months. If you cut it and don’t use all of it, cover the unused portion in plastic and keep it in the refrigerator for 1-2 days.

Butternut Preparation
The skin on the butternut squash is fairly tough, and you don’t want to eat it. You can either peel the squash before cooking, or after. To use butternut cubes in a soup or roasting, you will want to peel the squash first. Lay the squash on its side and slice off the stem. Next, you can peel the entire squash with a potato peeler (some folks recommend peeling twice). Or, cut the long, skinny part off of the bulb end and stand it up. I use a sharp knife and cut strips of skin off towards the cutting board. Next I cut the bulb end in half and place them face down, also cutting the skin in strips toward the cutting board. Scoop out the seeds and you are ready to go!

To bake butternut squash whole, cut off the stem, then carefully slice the squash in half lengthwise. If that is too difficult, cut the squash into two pieces first, then cut those lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds, place the squash face down on a cookie sheet or glass baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes at 400 F. When the squash is easily pierced with a fork it is ready. Turn the squash over and add butter and salt, or scoop out the insides for use in soups or to mash. We roast a little garlic along with the squash. Once the baking is done we scoop out the squash into a blender, add a little roasted garlic and blend with water. This goes into a soup pot onto the stove and is heated. Add salt and pepper to taste and you have creamy butternut soup!

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