First Kobocha Squash of the season

[Karen/NoCA]

Roasted with warm spices and walnut oil. Served with an elegant chicken noodle casserole. Very yummy!

[Frank Deis]

"warm spices" -- could you please be more specific?

Looks great -- I know I can find Kabocha around here, it seems to be popular in oriental markets.

[Karen/NoCA]

"warm spices" -- could you please be more specific?

Looks great -- I know I can find Kabocha around here, it seems to be popular in oriental markets.

Cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, or you could use a favorite chile powder such as ancho. I also used dark brown sugar. Mix together to your taste, then add 1 Tbs. soy sauce, mix again. I mixed all the spices first and tossed them with the squash in a plastic bag, added soy and tossed again. The nutmeg was freshly ground. Be sure to use a good toasted walnut oil such as La Tourangelle, made in California in the French way and all natural. The have the best oils, that I have found in our area.

[Jenise]

Anybody ever try a "baby blue Hubbard"? I just bought one, have never had this kind before.

[Mark Willstatter]

Anybody ever try a "baby blue Hubbard"? I just bought one, have never had this kind before.

I picked up one of these a couple of weeks ago, my own first sighting. I don't know if you've ever had the original Hubbard. Very orange flesh, fairly starchy. And huge, as in tens of pounds, I think as big as 50 pounds. You almost need to get neighbors together to share. From memory (which may well be faulty), I think Baby Blue Hubbard might be sweeter. It's certainly a much more practical size for most of us. The Sherman farm on Whidbey grows an heirloom variety they call Sugar Hubbard, sweeter than regular Hubbard and not quite as big but still big enough that most people would be happy with part of one - maybe 20 pounds?

[Jenise]

Mark, a looooong time ago, my friend Kriss and I got together and roasted one of every kind of winter squash available in my So Cal market, and then did a taste test (with lots of wine, of course). I am not sure if that's when I tried a Hubbard or if it was another time or if I'm dreaming that I've actually tried one--after visiting Australia where we had a DELICIOUS large squat blue-ish squash that was vaguely Hubbard-looking, I got interested in large blue-ish squashes. And I think I decided that the Australian was a lot better (and probably different from) what I got here--but again, my mind is so absent of specifics (with food, that's not typical of me) that I honestly have no idea.

But yeah the size thing on some of those squashes is really offputting. I wouldn't have bought a Hubbard unless the market I was at sold it off in pieces, the way they do (or used to, anyway, can't say I've seen one in awhile) banana squash.

Based on what you had, what would you say is the best way to cook a baby blue Hubbard?

[Mark Willstatter]

Based on what you had, what would you say is the best way to cook a baby blue Hubbard?

I'm probably not the right one to ask; I love roasting vegetables in general, so that's what I did with this one. It ended up a little bit dry, possibly because I over cooked it. I might try steaming next time.

Interesting factoid about Hubbards: I understand most canned "pumpkin" is actually Hubbard.

[Carl Eppig]

If it's as hard as the regular version you need to smash it with a sledge and then bake the pieces.

[Jenise]

What, no chain saw? I thought all you New Hampshire types kept one in the kitchen.

[Bill Spohn]

We always use kobocha to make a thick soup that we freeze to see us through the winter.

[Jenise]

Bill, do you use gorgonzola (or another blue cheese) as a garnish? Terrific in squash soups!

[Bill Spohn]

Bill, do you use gorgonzola (or another blue cheese) as a garnish? Terrific in squash soups!

More often sour cream swirl with chopped herbs or whipped cream swirl with cocoa dusted on it as a faux cappucino (I think you've had that at our place?) but also a tasty Gruyere or Pecorino makes a nice foil, I agree. Much as I love blue cheese, the soup the way I make it tends to be on the heavy side and I feel that the blue cheese would head it even more in that direction. I'll give it a try though.

[Jenise]

Bill, do you use gorgonzola (or another blue cheese) as a garnish? Terrific in squash soups!

More often sour cream swirl with chopped herbs or whipped cream swirl with cocoa dusted on it as a faux cappucino (I think you've had that at our place?) but also a tasty Gruyere or Pecorino makes a nice foil, I agree. Much as I love blue cheese, the soup the way I make it tends to be on the heavy side and I feel that the blue cheese would head it even more in that direction. I'll give it a try though.

The salt of the cheese is a great contrast with the natural sweetness of the squash, it punches the latter up even more. You might use more cream in the base of your dish than I tend to, though, which I agree could make the cheese superfluous. But yes I remember the faux cappucino--excellent, and very clever!