"The 



W/oi/SEKEEPER, 



Making the Most of the Squash 



By Anna Barrows, New York 



IT IS worth while even this early in the 

 year to consider the end thereof. For 

 of all the vegetables that round out this 

 time of the year none equals the squash in 

 importance or real value. For the winter 

 table, however, we must plan beforehand. 



Once well started in the spring in a 

 deep moist soil, squashes require little 

 care, and a small patch will yield a 

 winter's supply for a family. Even in a 

 dry season they thrive and though the 

 squashes may not be as large or as numer- 

 ous they are drier and more mealy than 

 when there is plenty of rain. 



The illustration gives an idea of the 

 thickness of the shell in some varieties of 

 squash. The kind which furnished these 

 pictures has often been brought from the 

 home garden, kept in a city fiat through 

 the winter and until after the fourth of 

 July. Each squash that is used has a 

 somewhat thinner shell than its prede- 

 cessors and in the late spring or early 

 summer there is only a thin skin, the 

 remainder of the hard shell having softened 

 in pulp like the rest. 



It also shows two of the best utensils 

 for sifting squash or pumpkin or similar 

 vegetables — the usual potato ricer and an 

 inexpensive puree strainer. 



One of the most satisfactory ways to 

 serve the hard-shelled winter squashes is 

 cooked in its own shell. Split the squash 

 as regularly as possible that the shell may 

 be a shapely dish for the table. Some are 

 better split across, some lengthwise. Take 



out the seeds, but do not scrape the pulp 

 clean until the squash is steamed or baked. 

 The oven should be moderate or the sweet 

 juices of the squash will brown too fast — 

 an hour will be none too long to make the 

 pulp tender to the shell. Carefully scrape 

 out the pulp. Trim the shell into better 

 shape with scissors if needed, but be care- 

 ful not to break it. Mash the pulp fine, 

 perhaps press through a potato ricer. 

 Season with butter, or cream if the squash 

 is dry, salt and pepper. Refill the shell 

 and brown slightly in the oven. A border 

 may be forced through bag and tube. 

 The pulp of a whole squash thus may be 

 put in the half shell. 



Yet another way, suitable for a squash 

 with only medium hard shell, is to cut it 

 in pieces suitable for individual service 

 — brush over with melted butter — put 

 in a dripping pan or deep pie plate and 



turn another closely fitting over it. When 

 the squash begins to soften or in half an 

 hour remove cover and bake till soft and 

 slightly brown. 



But it is usually more satisfactory for 

 general use to steam the squash in its 

 shell, which requires about half an hour — 

 then scrape and put through a colander 

 or potato ricer and season as desired. 



An early writer on household affairs, 

 Miss Catherine E. Beecher, in some of her 

 recipes suggests that left over squash, if 

 not mashed is "excellent fried for next 

 day's breakfast." She also advised sav- 

 ing the water in which the squash was 

 cooked for yeast or for brown bread, thus 

 recognizing that much of the sweetness 

 of the squash is dissolved and lost if it is 

 cooked in water which is thrown away. 



The preparation needed for a squash 

 pie is that described above. If the squash 



As the season advances the rind of the sauash gets thinner. Two tools for preparing squash 



25 



Squash delicacies that help out the winter table. Note the thick meat -of the cut specimen 



was buttered and salted and only slightly 

 peppered any left from the table may be 

 used in a pie. The squash varies so in 

 texture that it is difficult to give propor- 

 tions for a pie. However, one cup of dry 

 squash is ample for an average pie plate. 

 Combine this with a custard made of 

 two eggs, one pint milk, one-half cup 

 sugar, flavor with nutmeg, cinnamon, 

 ginger. 



Line a deep plate with thin crust, pour 

 in the mixture and bake in an oven quickly 

 first, to cook the crust, then slowly till the 

 whole is firm, which is usually shown by a 

 puffing of the centre. 



On the other hand, if the squash is moist 

 and there is no time to let it dry away, 



