I'll Squash You

Squash. The beautiful FRUIT (that's right, they are a fruit) that adorn us all over the place during fall. Cuz, you know, it's fall you guys!

ohmygoodness.

How did fall even happen? I feel like I was just coming back from Chicago after New Years Eve and here we are heading right back into that season again. Funny how times soars past us the older we get, when we are trying to hold onto it the tightest?

In the spirit of fall, we will be discussing squash today. Squash are called Cucurbita to the non-lame man, but I am a lame man... lame woman. Wait, did I just call myself lame? Hmm... Anyway, you know what I mean!

Real Talk. Why do we use squash to decorate our houses, porches, and so much more? When did we stop seeing them as food and start seeing them as decorations? If the winter squash weren't so hearty, this would be a huge waste. As long as you are keeping the winter squash (think pumpkins, acorn squash, patty pan, etc.) out of direct sunlight, you should still be able to eat them!

Check it out: Acorn Squash lasts up to 4 weeks. Spaghetti Squash lasts 4-5 weeks. Buttercup Squash lasts up to 13 weeks. THAT IS 3 MONTHS! What? That is crazy. And Blue Hubbard Squash can last up to seven months. That's over half a year. What the crap? These winter squash and their tough coats sure are serious about sticking around.

So, to be clear, Summer Squash and Winter Squash are really available year round, for the most part. They are just labeled as such due to their skins. Summer Squash are more smooth and squishy while Winter Squash are firmer and harder on the outside. But no matter what their outsides may look like, their insides are all amazing.

Just like humans.

Anywho... Here is the recipe for the Acorn & Pumpkin Squash Soup I spoke about on the Fork You podcast today!

1 - Acorn Squash (halved)

1 - Small Pumpkin Squash (halved)

1/4 cup diced Red Onions

3 - Carrots

1 - Yellow Bell Pepper

2 tbsp Brown Sugar

4 oz Fat Free Cream Cheese

1 tsp Allspice

1 tsp parsley

salt & pepper to taste

1 qt - Vegetable Broth

1 Chicken Bouillon

Halve the squash, remove any seeds and lightly drizzle the exposed side with EVOO and place face down on a cookie sheet. Place in preheated over at 350 for 40-45 minutes until tender on the inside.

While the squash are roasting, cut up the onions, carrots and bell peppers. Place cut up veggies, spices, brown sugar, cream cheese, chicken bouillon cube and a cup of the broth into a food processor and turn it into mush! LOL

One the squash are done, scrape them out of the skin and add to mushy mixture and blend up again. After, place remaining broth and blended up mixture on the stove and simmer on low for 20-25 minutes until warm. For a thinner consistency, add more broth as you see fit. Scoop come out and eat it! I like to dip saltines into my soup, but you do whatever you like!

I did not use that cute orange pumpkin, I just used the green and white one. This middle picture is what the mush looked like after I blended it all up in my Ninja. And the last picture is the yummy soup before I devoured it. Have a great forkin' week y'all!