Submitted by: agcomm,  Thu Dec 11 09:42:28 1997


Prairie Fare: Squashing the Idea that People Don't Care
 
Graphic accompanies this column in hard copy and is available on
the World Wide Web at
http://www.ext.nodak.edu/extnews/newsrelease/graphics/
 
     The holiday season gets a lot of credit for bringing out the
best in people, and it does. But I'm here to tell you good things
happen all year long. Here's a true story to chew on that proves
my point. 
     For much of the 1980s, my wife and I rented garden plots
from the city of Fargo, and for the most part, our gardening
experiences were pleasant. When we were gardening with the city,
we liked to raise squash--spaghetti squash especially. I love
substituting spaghetti squash for real spaghetti and eating it
mixed with olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, fresh oregano and
Parmesan cheese or with spaghetti sauce accompanied by black and
green olives, mushrooms and broccoli, or with pesto, that rich
combination of basil, olive oil, ground pine nuts and Parmesan
cheese.
     Anyway, we were, and are, pretty fond of spaghetti squash.
But it seems others were fond of it too back then. One year
somebody who left man-sized footprints in our city garden plot
took every spaghetti squash we'd raised. 
     Of course I was angry. And after I had a couple of days to
reflect, I thought I'd make myself feel better by engaging in one
of the oldest ploys. Revenge? No, even better. Guilt. Actually,
guilt larded with insult. I wrote a letter to the editor in which
I described in detail the length of the oaf's feet. I also
implied that this buffoon was too opaque to recognize good food
when he pilfered it, so I provided a recipe. 
     My including the recipe was based on a less-than-altruistic
hope that someone else would enjoy the fruits of our labor. But
despite my bleakness, altruism was bountiful in others that year.
Shortly after my letter appeared, I received three telephone
calls from people offering me spaghetti squash. I accepted the
first two offers, which put us even with what we'd grown. Then
this kindly soul from Casselton called, said she was already in
Fargo and that she had brought spaghetti squash for us. She
insisted we take her offering, even though it meant that we'd
have more squash than we'd raised. 
     I thought momentarily about donating some of the squash to
others more needy but decided finally that it would be ungracious
to give a gift away. I have to admit that for the briefest of
moments, I also considered not planting any squash the following
year and instead trying my hand at another letter in the fall. I
didn't. 
     In the spirit of the holiday season, here's a recipe for
buttercup squash that just might have those fussy kids coming
back for seconds. By the way, did you know that North Dakota
State University released the buttercup squash variety "Discus"
in the early '90s? 
     Banana Split Buttercup Squash
     Yield: 12 Servings
     Ingredients:
     4 cups cooked buttercup squash, mashed
     1 20-ounce can crushed pineapple (in its own juice),    
          undrained 
     2 ripe bananas, mashed
     2 10-ounce bottles of red maraschino cherries 
     1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
     2 eggs, well beaten
     toasted coconut marshmallows
     Procedure:
     Mix squash and pineapple; mash bananas and immediately
combine with squash mixture so acid from pineapple prevents
bananas from discoloring. Drain, rinse and halve the cherries.
Add cherry halves, milk and eggs to mixture, combine and spoon
into baking dish (9 X 13 inches) that has been sprayed with
cooking oil. Bake at 350 F for 45 minutes; remove from oven and
top generously with marshmallows. Return to oven and bake 15
minutes longer or until marshmallows have "puffed" and cover the
top.
     What's Your Take on This, Julie?  
     Any recipe that encourages children (and vegetable-shy
adults) to try nutritious food gets my vote of approval. This
novel dish contains about 280 calories and less than 4 grams of
fat per serving. With its sweet taste and colorful appearance,
this recipe could double as a side dish or dessert. You can
reduce the calorie and fat content further by using low-fat
sweetened condensed milk.
     Botanically a fruit, squash is one of the most nutritious
members of the gourd family. It's usually treated as a vegetable
in menu planning. At 60 calories per half cup, squash is low in
calories and a good source of fiber. It also contains
carotenoids, which provide the distinctive coloring of its flesh.
Carotenoids are converted to vitamin A by the body. Vitamin A 
helps keep skin and eyes healthy. Squash also contains a fair
amount of vitamin C. 
     Squash is part of the cultural heritage of Native Americans.
The first squash varieties were raised primarily for the edible
seeds each contained. In fact, you may want to save the seeds
when making this recipe and roast them for snacks. You'll have to
hide them if you want a taste, because they'll disappear quickly.
Unlike peanuts and sunflower seeds, squash seeds are low in fat.
Squash also is more versatile than you may think. It can be
baked, cooked in water, stir-fried or eaten raw. By cutting a
squash in half and filling it with a savory stuffing, it can
serve a dual role as a side dish and a serving bowl. Some people
like to marinate uncooked slices in salad dressing for a crunchy
snack.
     On a good year, squash can be plentiful in gardens. Like its
cousin, the zucchini, it's great for sharing with friends. It's
even better served as a creative side dish for the holidays.      
                         ###
NDSU Agriculture Communication
Sources: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136
Julie Garden-Robinson (701) 231-7187