Courtney Storer keeps adding to her list of accolades. Serving as culinary producer and co-executive producer on the Emmy-winning show The Bear keeps her busy as does her Substack, Coco's Kitchen, and her culinary platform, Coco's to Go-Go. Her recipe for pumpkin bucatini caught the eye of market correspondent Gillian Ferguson, who joins Courtney at the Santa Monica Farmers Market to talk about winter squash.
On a trip to Pecorino (it's a small, hilltop town in Tuscany, not just a cheese) last year, Courtney ate a roasted pumpkin dish served with walnuts and wanted to add pasta to complete the trinity. Schaner Farms currently offers seven varieties of squash and Courtney is reaching for kabocha squash. When cooked, it becomes tender and its density stands up against the pasta.
Cutting squashes open can be intimidating. Courtney recommends using a long, serrated knife to avoid injury. For her pumpkin bucatini, she cuts the squash in half, removes the seeds, adds aromatics, and covers it with foil to roast. Once it's out of the oven, she throws the warm squash into an enamel pot with a roasted onion and garlic, adds some dairy, like crème fraîche, and brings everything together with an immersion blender. Keep it vegan with cashew or almond milk. Taste as you go. You'll know when the sauce is done when you taste the savory heat of the aromatics and the sweetness of the pumpkin. It can be eaten as a soup or added to a pasta. Garnish with toasted pumpkin seed or walnuts, chili flakes, or lemon zest.
Adina Rimmon is behind the table of Schaner Farms, educating shoppers about the varieties of squash she brings to market. Tahitian and butternut squash are ideal for soups. Seeds can be found in the bulb of a Tahitian squash but the neck is all flesh. It self-seals when cut so can be left on the counter. The farm is in its second year of growing the honeynut squash which is perfect for roasting. The Black Futsu is an heirloom Japanese variety of squash. With all of its ridges, it makes for a pretty tablescape. When ready to eat, Adina cuts it along its grooves, removes the seeds, drizzles with olive oil, sprinkles with salt and pepper, and adds a bit of fresh thyme.