Pennsylvania farms, from Allegheny County to Allentown, harvesting delicious, gorgeous winter squash throughout the fall and winter. But because these hearty beauties keep so well, you see them piled high with their heavy, smooth jackets, in markets all year long. Perhaps it’s the elegant waist of a golden butternut squash that catches your eye, or the green seams running through the yellow skin of torpedo-shaped delicata that draw you in. Whether you tote home a giant Turban or a couple of teeny honeynut squashes, the sweet flesh of winter squash is the perfect antidote to evenings when you’re asking the all-too-familiar question: What are we making for dinner tonight?
Check out these easy, nutrient-rich recipes starring Pennsylvania winter squash: Creamy Parmesan Butternut Squash Gratin and Herbed Quinoa-Stuffed Acorn Squash with Tahini Dressing. Both recipes have been given a healthy stamp of approval by our friends at Main Line Health, a forward-thinking local healthcare company that looks at wellness from a holistic, whole-body perspective. Case in point: Main Line Health’s beautiful Deaver Wellness Farm at Lankenau Medical Center. This working produce farm, a collaboration between Lankenau and Greener Partners, offers farm-based education programs for local kids, and, since its opening in April of 2016, has grown over 13,000 pounds of produce and educated over 1,500 school children.
Now, you might not have winter squash growing in your backyard, like Lankenau does, but pick up a few at the farmers market and take these recipes for a spin! Neither one requires special tools, obscure ingredients, or too much time in the kitchen. In other words: You’ll turn to these weeknight classics, again and again, as the fall and winter months pass by.
Find these delectable squash recipes here!
- Video and photo: Main Line Health
