It's probably bad form to cross post between my two blogs, but this one deserves to be on both sites.  Follow my newest exploration with kabocha squash.

Kabocha Squash Spread with Homemade Crackers

I recently discovered the wonders of kabocha squash, so the next time I was at the market I picked one up. (Since it was at the HMART, I guess I can cross post to Asian Fling).   Last time the texture when roasted was like a sweet potato, so I had the idea to mash it into something spreadable.  After which I had the idea to make something to spread it on, like homemade crackers. 

This time, the squash was not as dry when roasted. It had the usual wettish feeling of any other squash (but still tasted just as good). Undeterred, I continued with my plan and made a simple spread anyway. This involved mashing the squash with a potato masher and mixing in some flavorings. I've tried it three ways now:

• Olive oil and pimenton (smoked paprika), for a Spanish theme
• Sesame oil and sesame seeds, for an Asian theme
• Plain.

All three were great.  The plain may have even been the best.  The squash has so much flavor, it doesn't need much help.  And you can leave the skins on, since their edible -- it gives the dish a little texture.  I found them good served at room temperature.

As for the crackers, there are many recipes out there, but I found this one from allrecipes.com to be easy and full of whole wheat.  And, it turns out, tasty.  I won't repeat the recipe here....go look at theirs.  But consider this advice.  The first time I made it, I didn't roll it thin enough.  It was fine at the edges, but it was thicker at the center.  They tasted good, but the texture was off.  I compromised by calling them "flat bread".

The second time, I was careful to roll them very thin.  The instructions say to roll them to 1/8".  What's 1/8"?  Can you even attempt to measure it with a ruler?  No.  Just roll it as thin as you think it should be, and make it thinner.  I found I had to do the full recipe in several batches to get them to fit on a baking sheet.  The second time I also added toasted flax seeds.  About a quarter cup of them, half ground and half left whole.  They gave the cracker a complex toasty taste that was a real winner.  I also found that they took more like 30-35 minutes to bake, rather than the 20 in the recipe.

You could easily do the squash with storebought crackers or the crackers with something else entirely.  Both are dishes I will turn to again.

Grab it and go -- what do I do with this Kabocha Squash?

I was in Whole Foods the other day, stocking up, and there was a large display of winter squash. Summer being a distant memory, I thought it was OK to be thinking about the longer indoor cooking times dictated by these. I usually get butternut, since it's easy to peel (and I'm not big on roasting the acorns and scooping out the insides. There, on sale, was a kabocha sqaush. Never heard of it. I looked at the description, and one thing caught my eye -- the skin is edible. Even better than something that's easy to peel. I grabbed one. It looks something like an acorn, but larger and with flattened poles. It sat in the fruit basket for a few days.

Susan asked, "what's for dinner?" I answered, "leftovers." She looked sad. I poked around a bit, and eyed the kabocha, sitting in the fruit basket.

I grabbed the squash (which conveniently had a little label so I could remember what the heck it was), come to the computer and asked The Google about it. First hit -- wikipedia. Of course. Confirmed that the skin is edible. Discovered that it's often used in tempura. Has a consistency that's like sweet potato. Hmmm.

Next. Tiny Urban Kitchen. Seems I'd heard of that blog, but had never read it. The first line of the post Oven Roasted Kabocha Squash said, "It's official. I love love love kabocha squash. It's like candy for me." Voila.

Although Susan was drawn to the idea of the kabocha squash gnocchi like a moth to flame, I was draw to the pictures of the crescent shaped slices of kabocha squash with oil and an little pepper. Slice em up. Brush with a little oil. Salt and pepper. Into a 400 degree oven. Come back 20 minutes later. Enjoy. You can read the official recipe on Jennifer's blog, but really, it's that simple. Oh, be careful about cutting those squash open. An accident waiting to happen. Really.

The skins really are edible. The texture is a little chalky. Like a potato, or sweet potato. The first bite is a puzzlement. Then the complex sweetness takes over. Not too sweet. The texture fills your mouth and stays there a bit. Smile.

I didn't have truffle oil on hand, as suggested by Jennifer. I did have some olive oil, which was ok. And some sesame oil which was also good. I liked the sesame oil on it.

I know that there are other suggestions for how to make kabocha squash on Jennifer's site -- in the comments. I'll read them soon. Until then, Susan and I were brainstorming up some ideas. Cut in half and fill with brown rice, sausage and tomatoes (or roasted tomatoes!) Unlike and acorn squash, you wouldn't have to do any scooping. Just eat the whole thing. And maybe those gnocchi someday.