Squash just as pleasing as pumpkins this time of year

When it comes to fall produce promotion pumpkin sure pulled the long straw. That stuff is everywhere. You can eat it, drink it, smell it. Even late-night television comedians are dedicating entire (hilarious) segments to how much we love it.

We are so pumpkin brainwashed that even small children who would otherwise avoid vegetables at all costs are embracing, nay, demanding pumpkin flavored treats. (From a botanical perspective squash are considered fruits, but from a culinary perspective and for the purposes of this article I am calling squash a vegetable.)

On Monday evening we were in the middle of our weekly visit to Menchie’s for frozen yogurt. I was distracted from sprinkling almonds and Heath bar bits over my pumpkin and graham cracker fro-yo by a small boy that looked about 4. His mother read him the flavors and let him choose what would go into his bowl.

“This one is cake batter,” the mom said to an emphatic no.

“This one is pumpkin,” she said.

The boy threw up his hands and leapt in the air as he yelled “YES!”

I couldn’t help giggling at the scene. The kid knew what he wanted and he was owning his choice. My 4-year-old son made a similar selection just a few minutes earlier.

So what’s the deal? Why do we love pumpkin so darn much? Does the population at large realize it has gone ga-ga for a vegetable?!? Why aren’t we embracing beets with the same gusto?

I don’t really have answers. I do know that if you add enough sugar to anything people will embrace it as food — case in point: Slurpees.

But what about all the other squash? Why haven’t they achieved super star status? There are so many things to love about squash. Right off the bat they have really fun names: Golden Nugget, Acorn, Delicata, Stripetti, Spaghetti, and my personal favorite, Buttercup. Heck just saying “squash” is fun.

Squash are easily the coolest looking vegetables. They come in a wide variety of sizes, lumpy-bumpy shapes, and vibrant colors. When cooked they have a range of flavors from sweet to nutty and their textures range from crisp vegetable to silky smooth.

If you are ready to jump from the pumpkin cart and take a gander at some of the other wonderful fruits of fall I have a great place to get your started.

Try spaghetti squash. Spaghetti squash has a really cool quality in that it naturally shreds into noodles. I don’t think it tastes like pasta but it can be used in place of some or all of the pasta in some dishes, like spaghetti with sauce.

Here’s how to make the noodles. Select a squash that feels heavy for its size. (For the recipe below choose a squash that weighs two or more pounds.) Use a sharp knife (or pumpkin carving saw) to split your spaghetti squash from stem to tail. Place the halves face down on a microwave safe plate and cook on high for about 8-10 minutes. Remove the squash with a towel or hot pads, then use a fork to gently pull the meat from the shell — go with the grain. It should shred into noodles very easily. The noodles can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator and used hot or cold.

This casserole is simple to throw together and bakes up into an Italian-inspired side dish. We like it with an Italian sausage link and a piece of crusty bread.

I want to say this casserole is kid friendly, but it did not go over big with my 4-year-old. At first he was excited by the look of the pile of yellow noodley stuff on his plate and gave me a big “thank you” for dinner. But when it came time to eat, while the baby gobbled it by the handful, the big kid just pushed it around his plate. My husband and I loved the combination of herbs, garlic, and fresh tomatoes paired with the salty Asiago cheese. We each had seconds.

Go ahead and drink your lattes, eat your scones, and light those candles. I will too. Just remember to give some love to the other wonderful squash available this time of year.

Spaghetti squash casserole

6-7 cups spaghetti squash noodles (see note above)

1 pound fresh tomatoes, diced (about 3 cups)

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon crushed garlic

½ teaspoon chili flakes

2 teaspoon Italian herbs

3 ounces Asiago Cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

Set the oven rack to the vertical center and preheat the oven to 450.

In a large bowl, toss together the squash and tomato.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, garlic, chili flakes, and herbs. Drizzle the oil mixture over the vegetables and toss again until they are evenly coated with oil.

Turn the vegetables into a 13-by-9 casserole dish and bake for 30 minutes then sprinkle the cheese over the top and bake for an additional 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Prep time: 15 min. Cook time: 35 min. Serves: 8

Serving size: ¾ cup. Calories: 110; Fat: 5.7; Saturated fat: 2.6; Carbohydrates: 12; Sugar: 3.4; Sodium: 300; Fiber: 2.7; Protein: 4.6; Cholesterol: 7.5.

Rose McAvoy blogs at Light for Life at www.heraldnet.com/lightforlife and also ourladyofsecondhelpings.com. Email her at rose@ourladyofsecondhelpings.com or find her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halfhersize.