A little while back, while driving on the South Fork of Long Island, I got stuck in a major traffic snarl just west of “Pumpkintown.”
Yes, there is indeed such a supernatural place in Water Mill, Long Island, and literally thousands of people had decided to explore it on that fine autumn day. The massive pumpkins were outer-worldly. One man was seen wheeling a 50-pound orange orb in a baby carriage. The baby was nowhere in sight.
Once I got over my traffic stress, I had to wonder why the pumpkin gets so much attention. Sure, there’s the Cinderella story, and a pumpkin was required gear for the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. But there are plenty of other deserving squash that exist on this planet, even if they don’t have a small Long Island community named after them.
Now, this might be heresy given the fact that Halloween is nearly upon us, but it was then and there that I decided I wasn’t going to be swayed by public pressure and allow a plump self-satisfied garish orange squash to hijack my autumnal celebrations. I would stand up for under-represented squash everywhere. Take acorn squash, for example. It may not be as famous as the pumpkin, but it is more surprising, with a dark green skin concealing a saucy golden flesh. It’s got plenty of fiber and potassium, and the acorn is a symbol of independence, so it’s quite appropriate to become the focal point of my pumpkin-free campaign.
If you’d like to join me in solidarity to support squash that deserve a fair shake, why not bake this delicious Acorn Squash with Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing? I clipped this vegetarian recipe from Bon Appetit in 1995 and have been making it every autumn since. It can be easily doubled, or provide a hearty meatless dinner for two. The sweet yellow flesh plays nicely with the earthy wild mushrooms and sage, and the cranberries offer a nice burst of tangy sweetness. Every bite says “autumn harvest.”
Acorn Squash – Anonymous No More!!!
©2007 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved
Yes, there is indeed such a supernatural place in Water Mill, Long Island, and literally thousands of people had decided to explore it on that fine autumn day. The massive pumpkins were outer-worldly. One man was seen wheeling a 50-pound orange orb in a baby carriage. The baby was nowhere in sight.
Once I got over my traffic stress, I had to wonder why the pumpkin gets so much attention. Sure, there’s the Cinderella story, and a pumpkin was required gear for the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. But there are plenty of other deserving squash that exist on this planet, even if they don’t have a small Long Island community named after them.
Now, this might be heresy given the fact that Halloween is nearly upon us, but it was then and there that I decided I wasn’t going to be swayed by public pressure and allow a plump self-satisfied garish orange squash to hijack my autumnal celebrations. I would stand up for under-represented squash everywhere. Take acorn squash, for example. It may not be as famous as the pumpkin, but it is more surprising, with a dark green skin concealing a saucy golden flesh. It’s got plenty of fiber and potassium, and the acorn is a symbol of independence, so it’s quite appropriate to become the focal point of my pumpkin-free campaign.
If you’d like to join me in solidarity to support squash that deserve a fair shake, why not bake this delicious Acorn Squash with Wild Mushroom Cranberry Stuffing? I clipped this vegetarian recipe from Bon Appetit in 1995 and have been making it every autumn since. It can be easily doubled, or provide a hearty meatless dinner for two. The sweet yellow flesh plays nicely with the earthy wild mushrooms and sage, and the cranberries offer a nice burst of tangy sweetness. Every bite says “autumn harvest.”
Acorn Squash – Anonymous No More!!!
©2007 T.W. Barritt All Rights Reserved
