Treasure in the Garden - Butternut Squash Spoon Bread

Each afternoon when I get home, I grab a bucket and go looking through the garden for the freshest, most delectable treat that I can come inside and turn into a meal. Especially at this time I'm picking a lot of cucumbers.  I like the crispness and flavor of a Boston Pickling Cucumber, but for cutting up and eating raw, there's nothing that comes close (in my humble opinion) than a Suyo Long Cucumber. They originated in Northern China and have small seeds.  Long is their middle name for a reason!  They mostly get to be 18 inches long and are quite hard to keep in the bucket.  It actually looks like a bucket of snakes.  I'll take them inside and cut them, adding apple cider vinegar and some kosher salt and black pepper and a splash of olive oil.  It makes for a nice lunch tomorrow.

But hold on just a minute, there's something else in that bucket...  A couple of butternut squash.  Butternut squash is so sweet and delicious.  How can we prepare these?

Well, we're all about trying new things and the October 2011 Southern Living Magazine had a recipe for Butternut Squash Spoon Bread that looked very interesting.  I don't think I've ever eaten spoon bread.  Corn bread?  Absolutely.  But not spoon bread.  Let's give it a try...

2 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups pureed butternut squash (doesn't get much fresher than this!)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 cup cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter melted

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Cook buttermilk over medium high heat, stirring often, 4 to 6 minutes, but do not boil.  Remove from heat.

Lightly beat egg yolks and stir in squash and cheese.  Combine cornmeal and the next 4 ingredients and another bowl. Pour warm buttermilk over squash mixture and whisk until smooth.  Let stand for 15 minutes until lukewarm.

Brush a 2 1/2 to 3 quart baking dish or 12 inch cast iron skillet with melted butter. Stir the remaining butter into squash mixture.

Beat egg whites at high speed until stiff peaks form.  Fold into squash mixture and then pour mixture into dish.

Bake at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes or until top is golden and a toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean.

Well, how did it turn out, you ask?  Well, take a look below...

Spoon bread is different than corn bread in that it is more of a pudding than a bread.  It is light and airy.  Actually, it is more like a souffle than anything, so Tricia served it in our souffle cups.  It was still warm - right out of the oven.

The taste?  Well, it was heavenly.  I told Tricia that each bite kept getting better and better. This recipe is a keeper and we will keep it in the rotation.  The pics don't really do it justice, but butternut squash spoon bread is a hit!

In researching spoon bread, I learned that this dish originated with the Native Americans.  They called it "awandaw."  It was common during the Revolutionary War times and George Washington loved it and served it often at Mount Vernon.

I'm glad that Southern Living Magazine gave us an opportunity to discover this old dish in a new way, by incorporating sweet butternut squash into it.  We have some leftovers, so I'll grab by spoon and eat more spoon bread tomorrow night.