Honeynut Butternut Squash
When Chef Robert Tobin heard about our Honeynut butternut squash, he knew he had to create a dish for it at TAMO Boston. He hunted down a local farm growing it, Siena Farms, and in no time at all it was on the menu in a recipe using honey from Seaport Hotel Boston’s own rooftop hives. We are delighted that he shared his ingenious recipe with us, just in time for the holidays! Robert also shared the sweet story detailing how this little squash ended up on his big-city menu. "I used [the Honeynuts] as a market vegetable side for a few weeks and it went really well. I think I was more excited about them than anybody else on the property because I was able to complete the circle from hearing about it, tracing it back to High Mowing, then (through a fluke conversation I had with a farmer I had befriended through my personal CSA this summer) finding the product, and tasting it.
Chef Tobin's photo of Honeynuts from Siena Farms at Copley Market (in foreground)
The farmer, Taylor from Silverbrook Farm, had filled in one day at Copley Farmers' Market with Siena Farms, and he noticed the smaller squash and recognized the name as I had asked him about it before...I was pretty excited and had to wait a few days until the Copley market opened [again]. That was when I took this picture...they are FANTASTIC!" Chef Robert’s Roasted Honeynut Squash Ingredients: 2 Honeynut butternut squashes (or other small butternut) ¼ cup Mirin rice wine
Chef Robert's Roasted Honeynut Squash
¼ cup rice wine vinegar 1 T garlic, chopped 1 T ginger, chopped 1.5 T honey 1 T scallions, chopped 1 t crushed red pepper 1/4 cup soy sauce 8 T vegetable oil 4 T butter Salt and pepper, to taste Preheat oven to 375. Roast whole squash for 30-40 minutes or until tender. Cool to handle, then cut in half and remove seeds and stem. While squash is roasting, make the sauce: Add Mirin and rice wine vinegar to a pot over medium-low heat and simmer until volume is reduced by half. While simmering, add chopped garlic and ginger to a pan with 4 T canola oil and sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add the crushed red peppers and scallions and cook for a few more minutes until softened. Remove from heat, add soy sauce, and then return to heat and simmer until reduced by a quarter. Combine with Mirin/vinegar reduction and strain. Add honey and blend in food processor or whisk for 30 seconds. Place 4 T canola oil in a pan over medium-high heat and place the cut squash face down in the pan to sear. Add butter and baste the squash with it, then add 2 T sauce for each squash half and continue to baste. When squashes are seared, turn over and place under broiler on low for 1-2 minutes to caramelize. Serves 4 Hungry for more? We love the story of how Honeynut came into being, and we think you will too - so we made a printable infographic telling it's story, from pollination to your place.