8 Top Winter Squash Varieties, 8 Recipes

Winter squash is harvested very late into the fall, eaten in its mature fruit stage, and has a longer storage potential--all unlike its summer equivalent. In addition, all varieties of winter squash provide an irresistible variety of conventional nutrients. Winter squashes usually grow as vines and are designated as "weak-stemmed tender annual vines" with large cucumber-like leaves.

They also come in a dazzling array of sizes, shapes, and hues. Those of you seeking to vary your meals while maintaining good nutrition and honoring organic and local traditions (that just might be all of us) would be well-served to do some experimenting with these robust vegetables. So, the next time you feel a craving for something new, squash it.