This is a little bit different from my normal reviews. This time, I’m reviewing the Carnival Squash that I didn’t try alone and instead used primarily as a large ingredient in a recipe.
The Carnival Squash is basically a colorful Acorn Squash with some sweeter notes. The colorful aspect makes it a frequent sight at grocery stores during the fall seasons as people want to use them as decorative set pieces or for use in cooking some festive meal. I used it for the latter, specifically, as the ‘shell’ to stuff something into. I had never tried Carnival Squash until I used it for my stuffed-squash Thanksgiving entree. But everything I read about it said it performed the same as acorn squash, which I do have experience in. So I didn’t have any concern using it. My expectations were simple and the results were phenomenal.
The stuffing I used was primarily quinoa (already made the day before). It had some mushrooms, celery, and caramelized onions mixed in—along with seasoning, of course, in the form oregano and other basics.
The squash itself was kind of a pain to hollow out, with the seeds and all, but that’s par for the course. I mean, if they had seedless squash, that’d be kind of cool, but on the other hand, where would we be as a society? I don’t know.
In the end, I stuffed them. Before stuffing, however, I par-cooked the shells for about half an hour (at 350ºF).
And then I shoved them into the oven for over an hour and they came out brilliantly!
I threw some of the stuffing into the cracks of the pan with some water to get some nice crispy bits.
Since I cooked it to death, the squash skin was of the correct texture to be properly edible with no problem. It actually had a sort of nutty-savory flavor to it that outshined the rest of the flesh. I topped the stuffing and the squash with some cran-apple chutney and the flavors worked so well together. My biggest surprise was the skin, probably. I don’t usually eat squash skin, but the Carnival Squash skin, in addition to being pretty, was scrumptious. A very practical bonus.
So, if you’re looking for a good looking squash for a special meal, the Carnival Squash is an excellent choice. Put it in the middle of the table for decoration or on a plate to eat, it works.