Whoever decided that the pumpkin should be the figurehead gourd for autumn and Halloween did a great job scamming the entire world into forgetting that a better vegetable exists. Photo by Johannes Hofmann from Unsplash.com
Jordana Castelli, Campus Correspondent
When I think of fall food, my mind immediately fast forwards to the delicious feast my mother prepares every Thanksgiving. There’s nothing more beautiful than walking into the kitchen and seeing the massive buffet spread out across the counter. While I would never turn down any dish, I do have my favorite: Butternut squash drenched in butter and brown sugar.
I discovered my love for squash not too long ago. Like a three-year-old, I categorized squash under the “healthy foods I don’t like” category – despite never trying it.
My mother has magical hands that can transform a normal, subpar squash into the most savory and mouth-watering dish. First, cut the butternut squash and place it face down on a tray, covered in tinfoil. Roast in the oven at 250 degrees Fahrenheit for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and place slices of butter all over the inside of the butternut squash, along with heaps of brown sugar to taste. Place back in the oven, face side up with no tinfoil, for another 20 minutes. Viola! Get ready for your taste buds to explode.
Daniel Cohn, Staff Writer
Whoever decided that the pumpkin should be the figurehead gourd for autumn and Halloween did a great job scamming the entire world into forgetting that a better vegetable exists. Pumpkins are the annoying little brother in the gourd household, and the esteemed butternut squash is the cultured older sibling. The creamy, succulent texture of roasted butternut squash is as synonymous with the season as the crunching of leaves or “Hocus Pocus.” Nothing personal against pumpkins – you know your boy’s gonna be carving one up in a couple of weeks, but flavor-wise it’s got nothing on its gourd cousins.
Take a butternut squash. Rub some olive oil and garlic on it, maybe a tiny bit of brown sugar if you’re feeling frisky. Grind some salt and pepper on top. Put it in the oven on a baking sheet at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until tender, likely just under a half hour. That’s it. That’s the entire recipe. Go butter-nuts.
Julia Mancini, Life Editor
Apparently the whole world is in an unspoken agreement that butternut squash reigns supreme when it comes to fall foods. While I do love roasted squash as much as the next girl, I’m using my platform to educate everyone on one of the finest delicacies this season has to offer: Butternut squash soup. My mom makes her version of this seasonal soup every Thanksgiving. Mayhem ensued the one year she decided to change the menu. Her butternut squash soup is almost, dare I say, more important than the turkey on our table.
My mom’s recipe incorporates pumpkin filling, fresh squash, heavy cream, apples, sweet potato, various cheeses and spinach. Once everything is pureed, the soup is so creamy and inviting. I have to stop myself from seconds in order to save room for the rest of my Thanksgiving favorites, but this is one component I wish we could have every day of the year.
To change topics briefly, another of my fall favorites would have to be the pumpkin cranberry cookies offered at a local farm by my house. I’ve tried to make them myself but they never come out quite the same. It’s something about the cake-like combination of sweet and savory that makes it irreplicable. There’s always notes of cinnamon and nutmeg, and the cookies are good warm or cold. If I have one of these in hand, paired with a fresh apple cider, I know it’s officially fall.
Madison Appleby, Campus Correspondent
When I think of fall, I think of trips to the orchard with my family and picking apples and pumpkins for Halloween. My favorite thing about going to an orchard is the shop with homemade pies and fresh apple cider. My parents always buy at least one pumpkin pie and a gallon of apple cider from the orchard.
It’s hard to decide on one singular fall food that reigns my favorite, because fall is my favorite season, but my top two are apple cider donuts and pumpkin pie. Usually people either love apple cider or they love pumpkin flavored things, but I love them both.
Since I have a sweet tooth, I can’t resist picking up the cinnamon sugar topped donuts during this time of year. They are best when you get them from an apple orchard. I have so many memories with my brothers drinking apple cider and splitting a box of apple cider donuts in the car on the way home from apple picking.
While it seems that liking pumpkin is the unpopular opinion for once, it does remain my favorite pie. There’s nothing like a big slice of fresh pumpkin pie with a dollop of whipped cream on top after Thanksgiving dinner.
The Daily Campus Life Section – Can be reached at life@dailycampus.com
