Worldwide Cookbooks

The Consumer Viewpoint

SIMPLE ITALIAN COOKERY

American Woman's Home

Art of Living in Australia

Cooking Eggs

Elegant Art of Dining

Guide to Marketing and Cooking

Italian Recipes

Meal Preparation

School and Home Cooking

Physiology of Taste

Tried and True Recipes

Library of Cookery

Hans Christian Andersen . American Fairy Tales . Grimm's Fairy Tales

Aesop's Fables - Tales with Morals . Mother Goose . Mother Goose in Prose

SQUASH AND ITS PREPARATION

SUMMER SQUASH

106. SUMMER SQUASH is a fruit vegetable belonging to the same class as
eggplant, peppers, etc. and occurring in many varieties. The different
kinds of this vegetable vary greatly in size, shape, and color, but all
of them may be prepared in practically the same way and used for the
same purposes. They get their name from the fact that they are grown and
used during the summer season; in fact, they must be used at this time,
for they do not permit of storage.

Summer squash contains a great deal of water, and for this reason its
food value is very low, being about equal to that of lettuce, celery,
etc. Because of the large percentage of water in its composition, as
little water as possible should be added in its cooking, or the result
will be a vegetable so watery as to be unattractive and unpalatable.
Another precaution that should be taken in its preparation is to remove
the seeds and the skins. Many housewives think it unnecessary to do
this, for both the skins and the seeds can be eaten after cooking; but
most persons prefer to have them removed, as the dish appears more
appetizing.  _Vegetable marrow_ is a type of summer squash and may be
prepared for the table by any of the recipes for summer squash.

107. STEWED SUMMER SQUASH.--The usual way in which to cook summer squash
is to stew it. If properly cooked and well seasoned, stewed squash makes
a very tasty dish.

Wash and peel the desired number of summer squashes, remove the seeds,
and cut into small pieces. Put over the flame in just enough water to
start the cooking and add sufficient salt to season well. Cook until
tender enough to be pierced with a fork and most of the water is boiled
away, being careful not to scorch. Remove from the fire, season with
pepper, and add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be
served. Mash until the squash is as fine as desired and serve at once.

108. SAUTED SUMMER SQUASH.--For variety, summer squash is sometimes
sliced, coated with egg and crumbs, and then sauted until well browned.

To prepare it in this way, wash and peel the squash and cut it into
slices about 1/4 inch thick. Roll first in beaten egg diluted with milk
or water and then in fine crumbs. Saute in a small amount of fat in a
frying pan until well browned, and then turn and brown on the other
side. Serve hot.


WINTER SQUASH

109. WINTER SQUASH is the kind of squash that may be removed from the
vine in the fall and stored for winter use. Although both summer and
winter squashes are closely related, they differ considerably in
appearance, flavor, texture, and composition. The different varieties of
winter squash are usually larger than summer squashes and have a very
hard outside covering; also, they contain less water and more
carbohydrate and, consequently, have a higher food value. Winter
squashes are usually taken from the vines in the fall before the frost
sets in, and before they are placed in storage they are allowed to lie
in the sunshine for a few days until the skin hardens and becomes
flinty. If the outside covering is unmarred when the squashes are
stored, they will remain in good condition almost the entire winter
season, provided the storage place is cool and dry.

110. To prepare winter squash for cooking, cut it open, remove the
seeds, and peel off the outside skin. Because of the hardness of the
covering, a cleaver or a hatchet is generally required to open the
squash and cut it into pieces. With this done, scrape out the seeds and,
with a very sharp large knife, peel off the skin. The squash may then be
cooked in any suitable manner.

111. MASHED SQUASH.--If winter squash is desired as a vegetable, it is
very often boiled and then mashed. Squash prepared in this way, with the
exception of the seasoning, is also used for pie that is similar to
pumpkin; in fact, many persons prefer the flavor of squash pie to that
of pumpkin pie.

Cut pieces of peeled winter squash into cubes about 1 inch in size. Put
these to cook in a small amount of boiling water, add enough salt to
season, and cook until tender and quite dry. Season the cooked squash
with pepper, add 1 tablespoonful of butter for each four persons to be
served, and, if desired to increase the sweet taste, add a small amount
of sugar. Mash until smooth and serve hot.

112. BAKED SQUASH.--Winter squash, because of its hard covering, is very
satisfactory when baked in the shell, as shown in Fig. 19. If it is not
desired to cook it in a whole piece, the squash may be cut into pieces
about 3 inches square or into triangular pieces.

[Illustration: FIG. 19]

Remove the seeds from the squash, sprinkle each with salt and pepper,
and dot with butter, as shown. Place in a hot oven directly on the grate
or in a shallow pan, and bake until the contents of the shells are
tender. Remove from the oven, and serve from the shells. If desired, the
squash may be scooped from the shells after baking, seasoned at that
time instead of when put in the oven, and then served in a
vegetable dish.