Let's Squash it: Three(Way)'s a Crowd

Siiri Sampson 2011

Last weekend was the perfect chance to get outta Dodge and head for the hills, or the mountains. So head we did, right over to Leavenworth and Chelan for a weekend full of Oktoberfest shenanigans and farm trolling. After the copious amounts of spilled beers, soft pretzels, and brats came the walking through the rows of raspberry farms, apple orchards, and pumpkin farms. That's all it took to inspire this week's final Three-Way.

For the last whirl around the stove top, we've hand picked some of central Washington's finest squash to transform into three completely different renditions of heartwarming, perfect-for-sharing dishes you'll want to make over and over again. The big winners this week are (from left to right in the picture): Winter's Luxury Pie Pumpkin, Long Island Cheese Squash, and Sweet Dumpling Squash. Each has its own unique thumbprint of texture and therefore is best for a particular way of cooking. We hope you take these dishes, make them your own, and report back.

Decadent: Pie Pumpkin Nutmeg Quick Bread

Siiri Sampson 2011

Rather than go the boring, healthy, adult route for breakfast in the morning with some bland nonfat yogurt (that you choke down with silent tears while telling yourself it tastes like ice cream), have some sugary carbs instead. It's actually not even that bad, we swear:

• ¾Cup nonfat greek yogurt

• ¼Cup nonfat milk

• 1¾Cup granulated sugar

• 1Cup brown sugar

• 2½Cup roasted pie pumpkin

• 3½Cup flour

• ½Tsp baking powder

• 1Tsp baking soda

• 1Tsp each of ground cloves, nutmeg, all spice, cinnamon and cardamom

• 1Tsp salt

Cream together yogurt and sugar till absolutely creamed and incorporated (use egg beaters or a stand mixer with the whisk attachment until adding in dry ingredients, then switch to hand stirring or a bread hook attachment).
Add eggs one at a time, till well blended.
Add roasted pumpkin (ensure there aren't any big clumps; an easy way to do this is use a potato ricer or masher first, then add the pumpkin to the mix).
Add dry ingredients (spices first, mix well, then add flour in three increments, stir till just combined, don't over work).
Grease three loaf pans.
Bake at 325 for 60-65 minutes. (Do NOT open the oven door. Just trust this is the right amount of time.)
Leave in pan until completely cooled; the loaves will completely pull away from the edge.

This light, moist, and fluffy fall treat is great when still warm from the oven, but also great the next day, toasted with a little butter melted on top. Also, you can frost the top with a cream cheese frosting and add a few chopped macadamia nuts or almonds and turn it into dessert. This plus a bottomless cup of chai is enough to put you right into hibernation. With so many loaves, freeze one (good for two weeks frozen), eat one and give the other one away . . . or don't--we won't tell.