Since you're in Zone 2A, I'd suggest trying to grow these:

http://www.burpee.com/vegetables/squash/winter/butternut/squash-winter-burpee-s-butterbush-prod000932.html

Then, try making some of this next autumn with them:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/butternut-squash-and-sage-lasagna

Glad someone mentioned squash. I need recipes.

I don't like the taste of butternut squash, but I grew it mostly to give away, and out of one row I got over 100 big squash. Even after giving most away, I still have two big boxes of squash in storage (and a pumpkin)

So what can I mix squash with to hide the taste? You can mix it with potatoes, right? Can you mix it with rice or ham or beef or anything else? Chicken? The sugar and cinnamon is too sweet, is there a way to make squash salty and savory, like a beef stew or mashed potatoes?

I like acorn squash. I like it baked when it is young as well as when it is mature.

I love hamburger, rice, zucchini, onion all fried together, and then a little melted cheddar on top.

I just made pumpkin risotto, with part pumpkin and part acorn squash. Thumbs up on that one. Except, I just cook it like rice. I can't see the pay off in standing there for an hour stirring in the water a few drops at a time.

I thought I didn't like sweet potatoes and winter squash because my mother cooked it with brown sugar and marshmallows. Surprise! It is lovely, simply baked, mashed, and served with real butter.

My son refused to touch it until this year, because of the sugar and marshmallow thing. He was so surprised when he finally gave in and tasted. Hey, it's good!

Yes, you can put cubes of pumpkin into stew. Pumpkin with pork is a magic flavor combination.

If you want it salty and savory, add salt and herbs. There was sage and onion in the pumpkin risotto; excellent flavor combination with pumpkin.

Some one just posted a baked sweet potato and sausage recipe (I think it was on harvest forum) and I'm going to try that with winter squash.

Correction, the recipe is calico sweet potatoes, here on the veggie forum in the yams vs sweet potato thread, just a few threads down.

happyday, Google Butternut Andouille soup -- there are many recipes out there, but butternut substitutes for pumpkin just fine. The squash adds the creaminess but the real flavor comes from the sausage. Winter squash mixes well with the flavors of cured meat.

hi twylag. you should give butternut squash a try. i usually cube them and throw them in a pyrex pan, add a stick of butter and some maple syrup and cook them for about 45 minutes in a 400 degree oven. tastes like candy and everyone loves them.

I have a hard time with winter squash in my zone 5 garden. A few years ago I got many, but this last summer a big fat zero. I did get one big pumpkin though, go figure.

Here is a link to my winter squash recipes. They are all pretty simple.

Here is a link that might be useful: My squash recipes

Welcome Twylag; I think Butternut might grow up there, they seem to like our long days. Mine are done producing well before the first frost and I direct sow the seeds. You need a lot of room for the vines I let mine grow over the back yard and just mow around them. They get like 30 foot/10 meters long. Winter squash are better if harvested after the first frost. The frost will do in the plant. Try to store the ones with no green streaks on the neck They will keep the best. I like mine so many ways. add to a vegetable soup medley,peel a young green one cut into strips and dunk into sugar like a strawberry, it will taste like fruit. I like to bake in a 400 degree oven for one hour. I use a large covered pot with a cup of water. the squash is cut into wheels and placed around in layers for steaming. When done, butter and a sprinkle of brown sugar is all it needs. I had this for supper last night and as always I was surprised as to just how good it taste . BTW a cup is only about 88 calories. You might want to look up roasted seeds. I made a batch last night while the squash was baking. OK I will tell you how I make them? Scrape out the seeds lightly so most of the string is left behind .place the seeds in a pan of water with 2 cups of water with salt. I like 1/2 tsp. on stove bring water to boil and with a fork stir the seeds to break remaining strings. Fish out seeds and spread out on cookie sheet. bake at 350 F for 7 minutes. Eat as is or spray with oil and spice of your choice.

Curt

I love butternut squash! I cube it up, throw it in a casserole dish (9x13), pour some olive oil on it and some salt and pepper for 40-45 minutes at 425 F. Sometimes I sprinkle some cinnamon or a tiny bit of sugar on it.

For a savory use for winter squash, I suggest putting smushed up squash in chili. It thickens up the chili and the slight sweetness of the squash can kind of take the edge off a spicy chili.

You can also layer some winter squash puree into lasagne. It goes surprisingly well with the tomato sauce and cheese.

Another option is to stuff winter squashes with savory fillings instead of the usual brown sugar sweet fillings. A sausage stuffing like you might put in a turkey is also good in squash. I have a recipe here for pumpkin stuffed with a breadcrumb-bacon-cheese filling that I haven't tried yet but also sounds good. I'll put the link down at the bottom of my comment. Also look up "dinner in a pumpkin" recipes. Of course other winter squashes besides pumpkin are fine to stuff (and might be even better, since pumpkins are mainly ornamental).

I bet squash would also be good in a gratin, in place of or along with potatoes.

I had a bumper crop of winter squash this year, so I've been searching for things to do with them. I can only eat so much pumpkin pie, so I've been especially looking for ways to use it as a main dish. Hope these ideas help.

Here is a link that might be useful: stuffed pumpkin recipe

Why don't you buy a few different kinds of squash that are still in the grocery store and try a few of the recipes so you know what you like? Best to go to a store with an organic section where the produce guys/gals actually cook and use/taste all of their produce.
That way you'll know what you like and don't like!
My produce guy is a great cook and can tell you the best ways to cook most of his veges. NT

My DH, who has never liked zucchini, loves it sliced, breaded and fried(pan-fried or deep-fried). We now have it this way with our fried fish instead of potatoes.

Twyla, last night I had leftover buttercup squash.

I sauted a diced onion in a tiny dab of butter until it was done. Added a mashed and super finely minced garlic glove and cooked just until the garlic was done. Then added mashed cooked squash and a twist of black pepper,

Heat through and serve as a side dish.

It goes especially well if the starch with the dinner is rice. Happened to serve it with barbecued teriaki chicken, which sounds like an odd combo, but it was actually lovely.