From: Rosalind Creasy

Serves 4 to 6

Winter squashes are Mexico’s gift to the cooking world. These nutritional powerhouses are not only lusciously delicious and sweet; in the kitchen they are extremely versatile. Over the years I have studied this vegetable and cooked dozens of different types. Today, I would say, my favorites are the sweet butternut, I find it the easiest to peel and the cubes are great for roasting; Kabocha (Japanese chestnut squashes) that have such dense flesh and meatiness that are perfect for baking and pureeing; and, I love the acorn types for their rich mellow flavor that pairs so well with all type of nuts and brown sugar.

In Mexico winter squashes are made into a puree and baked inside empanadas, or bathed in a sugar syrup, then dried, and eaten as a favorite children’s snack. The seeds are roasted and salted or added to candies, even ground into their famous mole sauces.

Early on the explorers introduced this giant vegetable to Europe and soon the Italians were adding winter squash cubes to risotto and soups, and they mashed and seasoned the pulp with herbs and spices to fill raviolis. In gay Paris they use the heirloom pumpkin Rouge Vif d’Etampes to bake a rich leek and cheese soup and create a rich gratin by layering the squash and baking it with cream and hazelnuts.

In this country, for centuries the Native Americans have roasted whole squash in the coals or added the cubes to stews along with venison or turkey and flavored them with chilies. The colonists grew and cooked winter squash as well. They mashed the flesh and sweetened the pulp with sugar or molasses, and sometimes apples were added. This mixture was then made into pies and puddings, which were served as a side dish to the meal with other vegetables and starches. Not until the twentieth century were pies and puddings accepted as dessert items.

This recipe based on one given to me by Maheena Drees and Gary Nabham of Native Seed Search years ago. It’s one of my favorite recipes and I make lots of variations.

Ingredients

1 pound organic ground turkey meat
2 tablespoons oil
2 large onions, chopped
4 to 6 cups or organic winter squash, peeled and cubed (Butternut is ideal)
6 to 8 fresh mild green chilies roasted, peeled, and chopped or 2 - 4 ounce cans of diced mild chilies
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 ears of organic sweet corn, kernels removed or 1 large can niblet corn
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional: 2 peeled tomatoes chopped

Directions

In a large cast iron stew pot or skillet, brown the turkey meat in oil with the onions. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer covered over a low heat for 30 to 45 minutes or until the squash is tender.