Simple Pickled Butternut Squash 涼拌冬南瓜絲

In Taiwan, I grew up eating a lot of pickles as condiments or as appetizers, especially in the summer, since most pickles are refreshing and cooling. Unlike the western style of pickle, they're not always pickled in vinegar, nor are they always made over a long period of time. In fact, most of my mom's pickles were made within just thirty minutes to an hour. The pickles that you see most often in Taiwan are cucumbers, cabbages and radishes. My mom loves making different types of pickled cucumbers; sometimes she makes them with sea salt, sometimes with salted plums, both of which I love!

Though one of my favourite pickled vegetables is cucumber, it's impossible for me to find Asian cucumbers this time of the year. Today, I'll show you how to use butternut squash to make the kind of pickles I grew up with. It's a very simple pickle in terms of taste and how it's made, while providing valuable nutrients and anti-oxidants. It has a crunchy texture (like a lot of traditional Taiwanese pickles)and a refreshing, mildly sweet squash flavour. It will certainly make for a nice accompaniment to any of your Asian dishes (click here to see my Taiwanese chicken dish)!

Simple Pickled Butternut Squash (6 servings)

 

about 12 oz/350 g butternut squash, skinned

A: 1/2 - 3/4 t  sea salt

    1/2 t         light brown sugar

2 t toasted sesame oil

1. Grate the butternut squash and transfer it to a glass container.

2. Add ingredients A and mix well with your hand or a tong. Cover the container and place it in the refrigerator for 30 mins to 1 hour. 

3. Take it out of the fridge and drizzle with the sesame oil. Serve it with your favourite Asian dish. 

*T = tablespoon, t = teaspoon, C = cup

 

                                                                                               - Yvonne

在台灣的時候，經常會吃一些醃製的涼拌小菜來配飯，由其是在炎熱的夏季，這些涼拌的小菜既開味又下飯。與西式醃製蔬菜不同的方式是我們不一定都會用醋浸泡醃製，而醃的時間也不一定很長。想到老媽大部分做的涼拌小菜，都只醃約半個小時到一個小時的時間。我們在台灣常見的涼拌蔬菜有小黃瓜、大白菜、大頭菜等等，而老媽最常做的是涼拌小黃瓜。她的涼拌小黃瓜有時後是以簡單的海鹽醃製；有時候是以鹹話梅醃製，兩種我都非常喜愛。

雖然我最喜歡的是小黃瓜，但現在這季節，在魁北克是絕對買不到的！今天，我想要分享給大家的是以這個季節裡最常看到的冬南瓜來做涼拌，並且使用最簡易也最快速的方式去醃製。吃起來不但爽口、有淡淡的冬南瓜甜味、也可以隨意搭配任何的小吃(請參考雞肉飯)、更富有大量的維生素與抗氧化劑喔！

涼拌冬南瓜絲 (6人份)

已去皮的冬南瓜 350 g/12 oz (在台灣的朋友們，可以使用一般的南瓜)

A: 海鹽  1/2 - 3/4 小匙

    紅糖  1/2 小匙

香麻油    2 小匙

1. 將冬南瓜削成絲，放入玻璃容器中。

2. 加入A料用手或夾子拌勻，蓋上蓋子放置冰箱約30分鐘至1小時。

3. 將醃好的冬南瓜從冰箱取出，淋上香麻油即可與你喜歡的小吃或菜餚搭配食用。

                                                                                               - Yonnve