Squash

This, as far as I’m concerned, is the best time of year to cook. So much is still in season and these brisk, sunny fall days are made for browsing around the markets or driving out to the country in search of farm gate fare. The cool nights warrant warm, cosy, comfort food, which, I think, is my favourite kind.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, we took a drive down to Shantzholm Pumpkins on Bleams Road near Petersburg . We certainly weren’t the only ones. The cars were parked up and down the road in both directions, not surprising given the unbelievable weather we had.

Most people had come with their little ones in tow to play, check out the corn maze, and pick out pumpkins for the front porch. We went to have a look at the squash selection, which was abundant. I don’t know all the varieties, I’ll readily admit, but in that twisty, lumpy, wart-covered pile, I’m sure I saw acorn, hubbard and celebration squash. Suffice it to say, you’d find pretty much any kind you were looking for if you made the trip there or to any other pumpkin patch. I came away with only a little pie pumpkin, which is staying cool on my front porch while I decide what to make with it.

In the meantime, I’ve gone through several butternut and acorn squashes since they came into season, both of which I get weekly through my CSA farm share. I can’t seem to get enough of squash this year. Smoky butternut squash bisque with chipotle peppers in adobo is a lunch staple for me right now; I make at least one big batch every fall.

In the last week couple of weeks we’ve supped on roasted butternut squash and sage with pasta and baked acorn squash filled with sausage stuffing; breakfast has been pumpkin muffins (made with whatever squash is handy) or oatmeal with apple-pumpkin butter stirred in.

One of these days, when I find myself a quiet afternoon (or rather create one, because we never do find them, do we?), I’m going to make up a big batch of squash-filled ravioli. M hardier herbs are still thriving on the front porch and they’ll be put to good use for this recipe, which is, like all the best dishes, homey and simple.

We’ll have some for dinner one night and I’ll freeze the rest, because it not only makes for a great, basic supper some night down the road, it makes an elegant starter for something a little more eventful. Two or three ravioli are plenty in this case. You don’t want to stuff people full of pasta before the main event, whatever it may be.

The crispy sage leaves in this recipe are to die for. They’re earthy, buttery little chips, and they make a great garnish for soups and things, too.

This is adapted slightly from last fall’s Food & Drink magazine and serves six. It calls for hubbard squash, but you could use any kind you have handy. It also uses wonton wrappers, but I’ve done it with fresh lasagna sheets, which I cut into squares. Both are tasty.

If you do freeze these, you can cook them without thawing first, which is handy. But don’t lump all your uncooked raviolis into a baggie or container before you put them in the freezer; they’ll stick together and form one big mass, then fall apart when you try to cook them. (Trust me, I know).

Squash Ravioli with Sage Butter Sauce

1 small hubbard squash

vegetable oil

1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus some shavings to garnish

1 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

pinch ground nutmeg

1 egg white

1 double package (400 g) wonton wrappers (or equivalent weight in fresh lasagna sheets)

1/2 cup butter

36 fresh sage leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F).

2. Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and then cut into wedges, leaving the skin on. Place the wedges in a lightly oiled roasting pan. Roast the squash for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, or until the squash is soft. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

3. Discard the skin. Pass the squash through a food mill or purée in a food processor (you need one cup).

4. Add the cheese and rosemary to the squash purée and season with the salt, pepper and nutmeg.

5. Whisk the egg white with a teaspoon of water. Place one wonton wrapper on the counter and top with two teaspoons of the squash mixture. Brush the edges of the wonton wrapper with egg white then top with a second wrapper. Press to seal well. If desired, trim the edges with a fluted pastry wheel. Repeat with the remaining wrappers. Place the ravioli in a single layer on towel-lined baking sheets, and cover with another towel.

6. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and drop in the ravioli. Cook until the ravioli float and become slightly transparent, about three minutes. Drain well.

7. While the ravioli are cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan, over medium-low heat, add the sage leaves and cook, turning once, until the leaves are crisp and the butter begins to brown, about 7 minutes.

8. Serve ravioli on warm plates, drizzled with brown butter and topped with sage leaves and a few shavings of Parmesan.

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