Pumpkin – the symbol of fall bounty, the pride and joy of farmers, the squash with magical powers (known to turn into carriages under special circumstances). Just the thought of a pumpkin makes me want to get wrapped up in a warm sweater and drink hot cider by crackling fire. For many years I thought that this queen of fall harvest must taste good. I tried everything. I roasted it, I braised it, I boiled it, and I mashed it. No matter what I did, it still didn't taste as sweet and tender as butternut squash. I finally realized that the pumpkin is famous for its size, not its taste. No other fall vegetable grows to such huge proportions, or looks as impressive, bright, and plump as a pumpkin. But size is not a guarantee of culinary merit. It would be a shame to overlook pumpkin's smaller cousins, such as butternut, delicata, and sweet dumpling squash. When cooked, their soft orange flesh looks very much like pumpkin, but has sweeter flavor and more supple texture. As Julia Child said, "many's the bride who has tried to duplicate her French mother-in-law's famous [pumpkin soup] and finds that the secret ingredient which gave that wonderful flavor was squash rather than pumpkin."

The variety of winter squash available in New England during the fall is outstanding. Here are some of the squash I found at my local produce market.

	Butternut squash - sweet and very flavorful. Great for roasting, braising, mashing, and making a pureed soup. A big sharp knife comes in handy when cutting butternut squash because it tends to be hard.
	Delicata squash - similar to Butternut squash, but lighter in flavor and texture. Great for roasting. Delicata squash is smaller and softer than Butternut squash, so it's easier to cut.
	Sweet dumpling squash - tastes the same as Delicata squash, but it's a bit harder to cut and scoop out the seeds because of it's small round shape.
	Buttercup squash - very sweet and starchy.
	Acorn squash - not as sweet in flavor or rich in texture, but good roasted.

An easy and tasty way to prepare any winter squash is to serve it roasted as a side dish or on top of a salad. Here is the recipe:

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Cut the squash into 1" cubes, and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer, and roast in the lower third of a 375F oven for 30-40 minutes stirring half way through. The squash is done when a knife pierces it effortlessly. When winter squash is roasted, its skin becomes tender and delicious. This saves you a lot of prep time since many winter squash are bumpy and hard to peel.

My two favorite winter squash are butternut and delicata. There are many great recipes that use them, but here are the two that are big crowd pleasers: butternut squash lasagna, and roasted delicata squash salad. Lasagna is particularly good for a casual dinner with friends since it can be prepared ahead of time and reheated before serving. The salad is great for lunch or weekday dinner. It is easy to make and one of the healthiest dinners you can possibly serve.

Butternut Squash Lasagna Recipe

Roasted Delicata Squash Salad Recipe

There is however, one great quality of pumpkin that is unmatched by any other squash. Since it grows so big, and has such a large seed cavity, it's great for carving on Halloween.