Thanksgiving is only weeks away and you may find yourself spending Thanksgiving in Lake Oswego instead of traveling to family and friends. If you are looking for a nutritious and delicious side dish for your Thanksgiving dinner at your Westlake Meadows apartment, why not consider winter squash. 

Here is a guide to everything you need to know about winter squash.

Butternut Squash

Butternut Squash is probably the most common winter squash, it is great roasted, pureed, or in a soup.  The most common variety is bell-shaped with a light butterscotch colored skin, bright orange flesh that is sweet and nutty.   It is a good choice for butternut ravioli because of the firmness of the flesh.

Cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and either roast the halves in the oven (with a bit of brown sugar and butter) or cut it into even-sized shapes and steam.  It is a good-for-you vegetable that is high in Vitamins A and C.

Delicata

This sweet potato squash is loved for its creamy flavor and texture.   Delicata squash typically weighs from 1 to 2 pounds and has pale yellow skin with dark green pinstripes.   It is delicious light orange flesh is creamy and is a combination of butternut and sweet potatoes.   It is perfect for roasting and the skin is edible, so no peeling is needed.

Acorn Squash

Named for its shape, this small dark green and orange skin has a ribbed rind and a yellow/orange flesh.  It is perfect for roasting and/or stuffing with apples, figs, currants, and chestnuts.  It is tough to peel so it is the best cut in half and roasted. It is a great source of fiber, vitamins A, and C.

Kabocha Squash

Kabocha squash is a squat little round squash is nutty and flavorful.  It looks a bit like a short green pumpkin and sometimes has bumps, but don’t let its exterior sway you from trying it.  The yellow-orange flesh is mild and nutty.  It is rich in beta carotene, vitamin C, and potassium.

It can be roasted, steamed, or used in a pie!

Turban Squash or Turk’s Turban

Turban squash is a colorful squash with a nutty, deep flavor.  It derives its name from its bright color and fat base with a thinner top half that looks like a head turban.  It is good for roasting, mashing, and boiling, but be careful the flesh turns soft when overcooked and goes mushy and wet.  

Enjoy celebrating Thanksgiving in your Lake Oswego apartment this year.