As a big fan of squash, I’ve often wondered – why is summer squash available all winter and winter squash available all summer?

It turns out that these designations are not related to seasonal availability at all. Summer squash is harvested before the rind hardens, while winter squash is left to mature before harvesting. Either way, I love their varieties of flavour, texture and colour. Here’s a collection of commonly found winter and summer squash for Squash Feast (back to front): spaghetti, buttercup, acorn, butternut, green zucchini, yellow zucchini and vegetable marrow.

Chicken Spaghetti Sandwich (serves 4)

1 spaghetti squash
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
1 clove garlic, finely sliced
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup white wine
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons EVOO

Marinate the chicken breasts in the EVOO, garlic, thyme, white wine, salt and black pepper for about two hours.

Cut the spaghetti squash lengthwise, brush with EVOO and season with salt and black pepper. Roast at 375˚F for 45 minutes. Allow to cool. Using a fork, gently pull apart the “noodles”.

Lay down one of the chicken breasts on a baking sheet, and cover with the spaghetti squash.

Cover with the second chicken breast and a few sprigs of thyme. Bake in a 375˚F oven for 30 minutes. All the flavours from the chicken will bake into the squash, making for one kickass sandwich.

Zucchini & Prosciutto (serves 4)

2 green zucchinis, quartered lengthwise
2 yellow zucchinis, quartered lengthwise
2 vegetable marrows, quartered lengthwise
4 slices prosciutto
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons EVOO

Season the zucchini and vegetable marrow with black pepper and drizzle with EVOO. Roast at 375˚F for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, wrap a slice of prosciutto around 3-4 pieces of zucchini/marrow, and put back into the oven for another 10 minutes.

Now onto the risotto:

Butternut Cup of Risotto (serves 4)

1 butternut squash
1 acorn squash
2 tablespoons EVOO
2 cups Arborio rice
6 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1 cup white wine
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 chorizo sausages, sliced into 1″ pieces
1 stalk celery, chopped
2-3 slices pancetta, sliced into 1″ strips
salt and black pepper to taste
chiffonade of basil for garnish

First, create the cups. Cut the butternut squash at the point where the neck meets the bulb. Cut the bulb in half, remove the seeds, and then carefully slice off the round portion of the bulb, parallel to the cut you just made. Not too much, just enough to create a flat edge for the cup to sit on. Repeat for the acorn squash – you should have two butternut and two acorn cups. Cut half of the remaining butternut neck into 1″ slices, reserve the other half for butternut chips.

Season all the squash with salt and pepper and drizzle with EVOO. Roast for 30 minutes.

Heat the EVOO in a large shallow pan and add the chorizo. Cook under medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden brown, then remove and set aside. In the same pan, add the onions, garlic, pancetta and celery. Cook until the onions are caramelized. Add the Arborio rice and stir well until every grain is coated with the fat from the pan. Let the rice toast for a few minutes, then add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Continue stirring until the wine has evaporated, then add a ladle of chicken stock. Stir until evaporated and add more stock. Repeat for 10 minutes. Cut the 1″ slices of roasted butternut squash into cubes and add to the risotto, along with the chorizo. Continue stirring and adding stock as needed, until the rice is al denté (about another 10-15 minutes). Season with salt and pepper to taste. Fill the four squash cups with risotto and garnish with basil.

Once the spaghetti squash sandwich has finished cooking, discard the thyme and carefully cut the sandwich into four pieces.

Slice the last remaining butternut neck into thin slices. Heat your frying oil of choice (I used canola) and fry the chips until golden brown. Garnish the Chicken Spaghetti Sandwich with the finished chip.

Squash Feast, featuring a Chicken Spaghetti Sandwich, Butternut Cup of Risotto and Zucchini & Prosciutto.