It’s hard to imagine a more perfect food plant than the beautiful delicata squash. If we were to pack up and evacuate, the delicata seeds would also come out. Named for their thin and edible skin, delicatas are as delicious as they are nutritious, especially the Honey Boat variety, one of the sweetest varieties of squash available. One might think that, with a name like delicata, these vegetables (fruits, technically) would be a hassle to grow. Not so much. Delicatas are categorized as summer squashes, along with softies like Romanesco, but they store really well if they’re clean and unblemished, so they’re winter keepers in my books. Delicata plants are seemingly smart and certainly hardy. The large and beautiful leaves naturally repel insects with tiny nettle fibers and beautifully self-shade the soil and root zone. Delicata can be grown in a bed with most other vegetables, without extra watering and require very little maintenance. Inevitably, some time after the bountiful fruit set, we see some variant of downy mildew, which, contrary to what we imagine, crisps the leaves in a manner similar to freeze drying. I cut off and bury the affected leaves in a remote corner of the back garden, a practice that opens up the vines to more air and sunshine. I love the way the ripening squash, bare to the elements, looks like it’s enjoying the late summer sun. We trellis our pumpkin, which looks very stylish but also helps with yield and space management. Delicatas aren’t considered a particularly nutrient-dense pumpkin, compared to a butter, for example, but they’re complex and well-rounded, providing a variety of beneficial macro- and micronutrients and an impressive amount of fiber. Compared to spaghetti, which we also grow, delicata contains more protein, vitamins A and C and provides more (but less) calories and carbohydrates. According to Nutritionix, the ultra-sweet and meaty delicatas offer just 76 calories, 0.7 g fat and 18 g carbs per cup serving, with 5.7 g fiber (23 percent daily value), 1.8 g protein, 214 percent DV vitamin A, 33 percent DV vitamin C, 3.5 percent DV calcium, 14 percent DV potassium and 5 percent DV iron. Based on taste alone, honey boat delicata wins hands down over other squashes, with a texture and flavor very similar to sweet potato. I cut the honey boat crosswise, remove the seeds, drizzle with garlic oil and salt and bake for about 20 minutes at 175 C. The lovely delicata rings can be served with the skin on, hot or cold as a vegetable, enjoy them on a grilled vegetable sandwich or salad or with a Vitamix in a high-fiber soup base or pasta sauce to thin with little more than vegetable stock and/or nut milk. During this past week of atmospheric rivers, I stuffed crabs with a mix of wild and brown rice, lentils (red, black, kidney beans), black-eyed beans, peas, blueberries, apple chips, diced cherry tomatoes, pistachios, seeds pomegranate and fresh dill. I cooked the rice mixture and blueberries in organic chicken stock, flavored with sea salt and a homemade Thai spice blend, and folded the fresh ingredients in just before serving, making sure their bright reds, greens and golds shone through with their gorgeous bronze color. flesh and skin of the pre-cooked pumpkin. To pre-cook the boats, cut the delicata squash lengthwise with a very sharp knife, then scrape out the seeds and pulp with a spoon. Rub the exposed flesh with garlic or olive oil and the cut end of a clove of garlic and season with sea salt and pepper. Bake cut side up in an oven at 175 C for about 30 minutes, until fork tender. A super-easy and super-stylish trick is to roast some clean, garlic-oil-coated pumpkin seeds along with the empty pots, then use the tiny toasted seeds as a garnish. The insanely delicious stuffing mix is pretty enough for the most discreet holiday table, but more importantly, it’s nutrient-dense with tons of beneficial macro- and micronutrients, antioxidants, fiber and more Not so delicata — the warrior princess of our urban permaculture garden. Laura Marie Neubert is an urban permaculture designer based in West Vancouver. Follow her on Instagram @upfrontandbeautiful, learn more about permaculture by visiting her website Upfront & Beautiful or email her your questions here. For a taste of permaculture, click on the YouTube link below: (Video – Courtesy of West Vancouver Memorial Library)
