"squash" news and stories

Bring a weirdly wonderful pumpkin patch to the table. All you need are four ingredients and a melon baller for this simple and wildly colorful side dish. Steamed pumpkin or squash rests on a bed of pesto and a pumpernickel-bread round, and sprigs of watercress make the squash's stem and leaves. Get contributor Shelley Wiseman's recipe for pumpkin bites at Kitchen Daily.

Happy National Acorn Squash Day!

We wonder how many of you are as eager as we are for summer to draw to a close, so that we can replace sweating and sorbets with sweaters, soups, stews and squash dishes of all sorts. Although squash encompasses a large variety of sizes, shapes and colors, it is primarily divided into two categories: summer squash (zucchini, crookneck, etc.), which have soft seeds and edible skins, and winter squash, with hard skin and firmer flesh and seeds.

As its name implies, acorn squash falls under the latter category, and is most frequently roasted. To make your own acorn squash, simply cut the squash in half, remove the seeds, drizzle with some oil, salt and pepper and roast until tender. As for seasonings, the sky's the limit -- sprinkle with dried spices, fresh herbs, flavored oils, or even sweeteners like honey or maple syrup for extra flavor.

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It's our old pal summer squash again, but this time it's simply grilled and dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, chile and garlic, and scattered with fresh basil leaves. You could make green and yellow squash more complicated (as we did in last week's posts about southwestern zucchini boats, and zucchini with peas and pasta), but when you're putting together a quick grilled dinner, this is the recipe of choice.

Feta and mint also make a good match with the squash, as in this recipe from Curtis Stone.

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This is a beautiful example of less being more. Rough-shaped pizza dough brushed with a bit of oil and topped with squash, goat cheese and herbs -- simple yet delicious. What more could you want?

Create something similar in your own home, tonight: Pizza dough (fresh or frozen) is available at most supermarkets or at your local pizza place, and, if squash and goat cheese aren't your thing, choose a topping combination that is, such as tomato and mozzarella, mushrooms and fontina or roasted red peppers and ricotta. Go crazy . . . no one needs to know.

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• Shrimp cocktail is an effortless holiday dish -- and is made even easier with a variety of reviewed and rated premade sauces.
• "Squash explorations lead to a delectable journey," writes Tara Duggan, who delves into the different types available and supplies a recipe for Winter Squash Soup with Kale, and a Cilantro-Almond Pesto for topping.
• Grazalema Payoyo is a "cheese worth remembering," combining tangy goat's milk with sweeter sheep's milk.
• As Champagne imports to the U.S. plummet in the face of recession, stateside drinkers may get the opportunity to appreciate lower prices.
• Suspecting a "proven correlation between the holidays and the onset of cold and flu season," Chronicle staff writer Amanda Gold recommends "Christmas feasts that won't wear out the cook."