The other day I was having a conversation with an editor about “trendy vegetables,” which is a two-word phrase I’m sorry to put out in the universe. Alas, like other popular items to eat and drink – Neapolitan pizza, bourbon cocktails – vegetables do seem to fall in and out of favor.
They’re kind of like baby girl names that way. It’s not that snow peas have gone anywhere, but they’re very Kimberly if you know what I mean. Fennel is more of a Rachel, still around if you look but starting to fall back from prominence. Kale? That’s Emma, a dark-eyed beauty with curly-hair, ensconced in an expensive stroller next to a reusable Whole Foods tote. Brussels sprouts are Zoë, one stroller over, with her corkscrew ringlets and a button nose that needs constant wiping. They’re both hanging around for a while.
Which brings us to butternut squash, which I’m afraid to say has veered into Madison territory. She was so sturdy, classy and sweet, but her ubiquity turned her annoying. Have you seen butternut squash soup on a menu lately?
Inasmuch as I have any ability to affect vegetable trends, I’d like to propose kabocha squash as a replacement. This Japanese variety of winter squash has a lot going for it – a vibrant orange flesh, a perfectly edible rind, a sweet-earthy flavor with a citrus-like brightness, and an incomparable texture. Cooked, this squash develops a soft creaminess that makes butternut seem dull and tacky in comparison.
Here are two recipes – the Japanese classic for simmered squash in sweet soy as well as a quick Thai curry I threw together the other night, and a dish I’ll repeat often.
Just watch. The age of kabocha is coming. It’s Imogen.
Kabocha no Nimono
From Japanese Cooking 101
Hands on: 15 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 4-6
Ingredients
• 3 cups dashi (Japanese fish bouillon, prepared from granules)
• 2 ½ pound kabocha
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tablespoon sake or dry vermouth
Instructions
1. Remove seeds and cut kabocha into 3” square pieces. Cut off sharp edges of the pieces.
2. Boil dashi in a pot and put kabocha in it. Cook kabocha covered until tender at medium heat, about 20-30 minutes depending on how hard your kabocha is.
3. Add sugar, soy sauce, salt and sake. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook another 15 -20 minutes to reduce the broth a little.
4. Remove from heat and let it sit covered until cool. As it cools, kabocha will absorb more of the flavor from the broth. If you like it warm, reheat before serving.
Per serving, based on 4: 183 calories (percent of calories from fat, 25), 4 grams protein, 28 grams carbohydrates, 2 grams fiber, 5 grams fat (3 grams saturated), 12 milligrams cholesterol, 832 milligrams sodium.
Thai Curry with Pork and Kabocha
Hands on: 10 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
Servings: 6
• 1 pork tenderloin, cubed
• 1 medium onion, diced
• Vegetable oil, for sautéing
• 2 tablespoons yellow Thai curry paste
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1 can coconut milk
• 3 cups kabocha, partly peeled, seeded and cut into 1 12-inch cubes
• Other vegetables, as available, such as red bell pepper and green beans
• Fish sauce to taste
• Lime juice to taste
Prep the pork and onion and sauté in oil in the bottom of a heavy-bottomed pot over a medium-high flame until lightly browned. Add the curry paste and stir, until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes, until pork is tender. Stir in the coconut milk and vegetables and continue cooking another 10 minutes, until squash is tender. Adjust flavor with fish sauce and lime juice, and serve with steamed jasmine rice.
Per serving: 310 calories (percent of calories from fat, 55), 22 grams protein, 15 grams carbohydrates, 5 grams fiber, 20 grams fat (10 grams saturated), 50 milligrams cholesterol, 212 milligrams sodium.
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