Seeing is believing. This has become somewhat of a cliched expression. In most cases, I would agree with the sentiment. If I saw a pig fly, then I would believe that pigs fly. However, in the case of this recipe, the cliche does not hold true.
That roasted squash in the picture looks tasty. Warm, soft, sweet, buttery, and laced with cinnamon. Did it taste like that? No.
However, it is time that my blog lives up to its tag line: "A chronicle of the cooking and baking successes (and disasters) of a very, very amateur chef.
The other title I considered for this post was "Don't Eat Your Thanksgiving Centerpiece." Yet, when I returned from winter break and saw that little squash still sitting upon my dining table accumulating dust, I felt sorry for it, and decided I would give it new life by baking it to death in my oven.
I mean, really, how can something so intricate and colorful--beautiful, even--taste so bad?
Nevertheless, I have decided to share the recipe with you. Perhaps it is a matter of perception. I thought that this squash would taste better than it actually did. For example, if this squash were something disgusting to eat--say, a dirt clod, I wouldn't expect its flavor to be mind-blowing delicious, and so wouldn't be disappointed when it turned out to taste disgusting.
Give the sweet dumpling squash a chance if you dare. Maybe you will like it if you are fond of squash in general, and are used to the woody texture that turned me off of this autumn table decoration.
At any rate, squash for breakfast was somewhat better (although, that may have been because of the tastier adornments of yogurt, raisins, walnuts, and maple syrup).
Baked Sweet Dumpling Squash
Yields: 2 servings
Ingredients:
1 sweet dumpling squash
1 tsp butter
1 heaping TB brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 deg. F.
Rinse squash in water. Slice squash evenly in half. Prick skin of squash several times with a fork. Place squash halves flesh side up in a baking dish filled with 1 inch of water.
Dab flesh of squash with butter. Sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar.
Bake squash for about 45 minutes, or until flesh easily pulls away from squash skin with a fork.
I had those same ones, they came in a little bag with a tag that said "For decoration only, do not eat"
ReplyDeleteOops. Well, I bought these from a farm, and the sign said they were edible, and I actually found instructions online for how to bake them. Maybe yours were a different variety.
ReplyDeleteI love what you did with the squash! :)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if you really had a sweet dumpling squash or if you simply had a decorative gourd. I have been baking and cooking sweet dumpling squashes for years, and I would rather have a sweet dumpling squash than any other winter squash except the butternut.
ReplyDeleteAll the sweet dumpling squashes I have bought have had an individual sticker on them to distinguish them from other squashes and from the ornamental gourds.
Try using sweet dumpling squash instead of a sugar pie pumpkin as a vessel for a chicken pot pie. Cover with a thyme crust, bake, and you will have a squash as tasty as the filling. The recipe is on the Martha Stewart website.