Carnival Squash with Apples and Thyme ~ This Iranian or Celebration squash was the main part of dinner last night. The corn and watermelon added even more hand sown goodies that were lovingly nurtured all summer. Carnival squash is a sweet squash, so it is best mixed with sour or salty additions to bring out all the natural flavors. Now you all know what a carb and sugar loving gal I am, but this squash just seemed to hit the right chord with me. This recipe would also go well with acorn and butternut squash also, but I hope you are able to find this at a farmers market or local store. Mind you, this squash got as big as a seedless watermelon so one will go a long way. Don’t you just want to give it a try?
- Fun Facts About Carnival Squash
The carnival squash is actually a hybrid of the sweet dumpling and acorn squash. It usually has a cream-colored background covered with stripes and speckles of green and orange. Warm temperatures tend to yield greener squash. After the squash is picked, the green on the surface will eventually fade with time to leave only cream and orange colors. - What Carnival Squash Tastes Like
After simply roasting a halved carnival squash seasoned with a little butter and brown sugar, I dug in. It was nutty and sweeter than butternut squash but not as dry in texture as kabocha squash. And my favorite thing about it was that it had a buttery, almost maple syrup-like flavor to it. - Buying and Storing Carnival Squash
Carnival squash are about the size of an acorn squash, and like most winter squash, are best from early fall through winter. Choose carnival squash that are heavy for their size and free of blemishes or soft spots. They can be stored in a cool, dark place for up to a month. - Cooking Carnival Squash
Carnival squash is at its best when roasted to concentrate and bring out its flavors, but it can also be steamed or pureed. The seeds can be roasted and eaten just like with other winter squashes. I like its small compact size, which makes it easy to cut through and is great for serving one or two people.
These inexpensive and cute squashes are great to throw into stews, curries, soups, or even veggie chilis — use them in any recipe calling for butternut or acorn squash. I love the fact that they are so beautiful and unique-looking on my counter and that they have such a long shelf life I don’t have to be in a rush to eat them!
Have too many apples? Try Apple Streusel French Toast Bake Carnival Squash With Apples and Thyme or Caramel Apple Lasagna. For more apple recipes see An Apple A day.
Carnival Squash with Apples and Thyme
Ingredients
- 2 carnival or acorn squash
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 Small apples 2 large, tart
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Place on a cookie sheet and brush with a little of the butter and season with a little salt. Place a thyme sprig in each half and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, mix together the apples, the remaining melted butter, the sugar and the cinnamon. Remove the squash from the oven.
- Fill each squash with the apple mixture. Put them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes more, or until the squash and the apples are soft and caramelized.
Notes
- This squash makes a lot of juices so be careful to adapt for that.
- Watch cook times as mine was larger sized and took a bit longer to cook. I stuck a fork in it to make sure it was done enough. I gauged that by the way I like my acorn squash.
- Don't forget to save the seeds for planting next year.
Jodie Fitz
October 2, 2018 at 2:22 PMYummy fall stuff! Thanks for sharing at Reader Tip Tuesday – love seeing you at the party every week. xo
Marilyn
October 3, 2018 at 11:55 AMGlad you like the recipe Jodie. Have a good day.
Colleen - Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck
September 30, 2018 at 9:47 AMThis looks so simple and I bet it tastes amazing! Thanks for sharing on Friday Frenzy!
Marilyn
September 30, 2018 at 7:21 PMThank you Colleen. I hope you get to make it. Have a lovely week!
Jann Olson
September 28, 2018 at 5:24 PMThis sounds very tasty! Thanks for sharing with SYC.
hugs,
Jann
Marilyn
September 28, 2018 at 8:49 PMWe just loved this squash. It made the whole main course. Enjoy your week!
Karen, the next best thing to mummy
September 28, 2018 at 4:23 AMThis looks rather good, Marilyn, will have to give it a try #,inspiration [email protected]_karendennis
Marilyn
September 28, 2018 at 2:20 PMThank you Karent for the nice review. Have a lovely week.
Claire Justine
September 26, 2018 at 10:00 AMThese sound tasty Marilyn. I’ve never tried anything like these before. Thanks for sharing at Creative Mondays 🙂 Hope you can join us today.
Marilyn
September 26, 2018 at 6:57 PMThank you Claire. I wouldn’t miss Monday with you. Have a lovely evening!
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
September 23, 2018 at 7:49 PMThe first time you posted this I had never heard of carnival squash – and yet I still have not tried it! I put it on my to do list for this week, “Find some carnival squash”! Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party!
Marilyn
September 23, 2018 at 8:38 PMWe have been friends too long Helen. You are remembering too many of my posts! LOL. But you need to try this. It really is a meal for the entire family. That was a cookoe sheet I made this on. Have a lovely week!
Pamela Buckshon
November 30, 2017 at 11:32 PMFantastic! I received a Carnival squash as part of my CSA box program a few weeks ago and had no idea what it was. After Thanksgiving and Halloween, where it was on display for its sheer beauty, I started investigating to find out what type of squash it was and how to cook it. Coincidentally, I had two bags of apples which I had picked up cheap from the Abbotsford Farm Market to make applesauce.
Well I didn’t use the butter or sugar, completely forgot to add thyme, but it turned out wonderful.. like a pumpkin pie without the work or the calories ?
Thank you for your imaginative recipe and beautifully written article, it was definitely inspiring and now I’m hooked!
Marilyn
December 1, 2017 at 8:45 AMI am so excited by your story! This squash is not very common in the states and I hesitated posting this. I thought the information was interesting so I went ahead anyway. Your recipe changes sounds delicious. I will try them when I have the chance to get a carnival squash again! Enjoy and have a great week!
Leanna`
October 17, 2017 at 3:09 AMI have never heard of carnivale squash before and squash is one of my favorite veggies year around. I love the stuff. Thanks for another variation to try.
Marilyn
October 17, 2017 at 3:55 PMThis squash is more of an entree than a side dish. It is so delicious! Thanks Leanna.
Jelica
October 16, 2017 at 6:22 PMI’d never heard of carnival squash before. Love this recipe idea. Thanks for the inspiration 🙂
Marilyn
October 16, 2017 at 7:32 PMI am glad to have inspired you Jelica! Enjoy and have a great week!
Lianne
October 16, 2017 at 6:58 AMI love trying all types of squash! The flavours in this sound delicious!
Lianne | Makes, Bakes and Decor
Marilyn
October 16, 2017 at 1:54 PMI love how just one squash fed our entire family. Have a great week Lianne.
Amber Harrop
October 15, 2017 at 6:11 PMI was just reading about growing these next year so I will have to know so I can try this recipe Marilyn
Marilyn
October 15, 2017 at 6:35 PMThese arre so great. I didn’t know how big they get when we planted them. I hope you do plant them!
Ginger
October 15, 2017 at 6:40 AMSounds delish! We very rarely get these type of squash here but I better start looking!
Happy FF!
Marilyn
October 15, 2017 at 5:06 PMThis is so yummy and healthy. It is one of my favorite ways to eat veggies!
Roseann Hampton
October 13, 2017 at 8:53 PMI’ve never seen carnival squash in my area. I’ll have to try this with acorn squash! Thanks for sharing at The Blogger’s Pit Stop! Roseann from http://www.thisautoimmunelife.com
Marilyn
October 13, 2017 at 9:43 PMMy son got the seeds from a friend and we planted them. We got two of these squash. But they got as big a seedless watermelon! Acorn squash would be good also. I would use a trat apple though. Have a great week.
Clearissa Coward
October 4, 2017 at 4:07 PMThis sounds great. Thyme and apple…Gonna have to try that.
Marilyn
October 4, 2017 at 5:29 PMIt is so good Clearissa! I hope you can find this squash in your area. We got the seeds from a friend. I hope you get a chance to enjoy it! Have a great day.
Nikki
November 16, 2016 at 3:05 PMI’ve never even heard of a carnival squash. The flavors sound delightful, especially mixed with the apples and thyme. I’m definitely going to have to look for the squash in my grocery store. Yum.
Miz Helen
November 16, 2016 at 12:20 PMHi Marilyn,
I just love the apple-thyme combination for your Carnival Squash, this is a great recipe. Hope you are having a fantastic day and thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Kimm at Reinvented
November 15, 2016 at 9:17 PMThat looks really yummy and full of Fall flavor. Thank you for linking up to Funtastic Friday!
Marilyn
November 15, 2016 at 9:20 PMThank you so much! I am glad you liked it.
Jess Powell (Babi a Fi)
November 14, 2016 at 4:07 PMI’ve never tried carnival squash – it sounds really good though!
Marilyn
November 14, 2016 at 4:22 PMIt really is Jess. I hope you can find it to try it! Enjoy a peaceful week.
Lisa/Syncopated Mama
November 14, 2016 at 1:15 AMYay! You made it to the party this week! I’m so glad! #FridayFrivolity
Marilyn
November 14, 2016 at 3:00 PMYou bet! I have been going to bed early so I miss some and don’t remember to go back the next day. I need to adjust my schedule in my directory. I never miss on purpose! Thx Lisa.
CJ @ Morsels of Life
November 13, 2016 at 8:18 PMLoving this simple and delicious sounding recipe! The flavors of apple and squash just go together so well. 🙂
Marilyn
November 13, 2016 at 8:23 PMThank you CJ. I really enjoyed it.
Dean @Mrs. AOK, A Work In Progress
November 13, 2016 at 12:53 PMI love squash, which is crazy because 10 year-old me would say ewe! But the mature vegetable loving me cannot get enough of butternut squash or acorn squash all fall long. 🙂
Marilyn
November 13, 2016 at 1:02 PMI am the same way. I raised my kids as babies to love squash but never really ate it myself until I was 50. Too busy making cheesecake! ????
Carla a.k.a Mrs. R
November 13, 2016 at 12:13 PMWe eat a lot of acorn and butternut squash during the fall and winter. I;ve never heard of carnival squash but I believe I’ve seen them. Next time I’m going to pick a few up and give this recipe a go! xo
Marilyn
November 13, 2016 at 1:00 PMYou will love it! They can get huge which makes a great bowl for your dinner. Let me know if you find them. This is another Jim creation. ????
Dee
November 13, 2016 at 3:28 AMThis is perfect for fall, and I love the combo!Thanks for sharing at Merry Monday!
Marilyn
November 13, 2016 at 10:04 AMThank you Dee! It surprised me how much I liked it too. I need to broaden my choices and this is one example.
Mary-the boondocks blog
November 13, 2016 at 3:17 AMMarilyn I had a few butternut squash and I turned them into ghosts for Halloween. Had I known you would provide us with this great recipe I would not have painted them white. Haha. Ok I’m off to the supermarket to get some more squash. I really want to try this. Definitely pinning.
Marilyn
November 13, 2016 at 10:07 AMSorry so late to post. I am always on time and never ahead of the game. Let me know how it turns out! Glad you found it worthy!
Jess
November 11, 2016 at 12:14 PMThis sounds SO amazing! YUM!
I would love for you to share this with my Facebook Group for recipes, crafts, tips, and tricks:
Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!
Marilyn
November 11, 2016 at 5:03 PMThanks Jess!
Beverly
November 10, 2016 at 8:13 PMI have never had carnival squash. I need to look for it. I have had acorn squash though.
Thanks for sharing it at Over The Moon Party,
Hugs,
Bev
Marilyn
November 10, 2016 at 8:44 PMIt was good. My son got the seeds from a missionary at his church and planted them in the community garden. Acorn squash will work too. This was huge though. You can see it filled my cookie sheet! Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Sandra L Garth
November 10, 2016 at 2:45 PMI’ve never heard of carnival squash before thanks for the introduction.
Marilyn
November 10, 2016 at 3:52 PMI hadn’t either. My son got the seeds from a friend and planted them. This one was huge and took up my entire cookie sheet! Have a good week.
Audrey
November 9, 2016 at 1:16 PMSquash and apples are a great combination. Thanks for partying with us on #TastyTuesdays
Marilyn
November 9, 2016 at 1:30 PMI loved this combo. I am not a veggie eater unless they are raw or in salad dressing. This recipe started to change my mind! Thx Audrey.
Ilka
November 7, 2016 at 11:37 PMMarilyn – this is such a great fall treat! Love the combo of squash and apples! Pinning and stumbling!
Marilyn
November 8, 2016 at 10:29 AMThank you Ilka. It is one of my recipes for healthy, good and veggie eating! I need more.
Helen at the Lazy Gastronome
November 7, 2016 at 8:11 AMI’ve never heard of carnival squash – I’ll have to check that out! Thanks for sharing on the What’s for Dinner link up!
Marilyn
November 7, 2016 at 2:15 PMJust in case you are interested, I borrowed from a previous post about Winter Squashes and added it here. Hope the info helps someone!
Charlene Asay
November 5, 2016 at 11:29 PMMMM I love squash recipes. Thanks for sharing. Hope to see you at Family Joy Blog Link Up Party this week
Marilyn
November 6, 2016 at 1:19 PMYou are welcome Charlene. I wouldn’t miss it.
Angela @marathonsandmotivation.com
November 5, 2016 at 11:00 PMHow fun! Love this idea!!!
Marilyn
November 6, 2016 at 1:18 PMThanks Angela. You use less dishes this way or sure!
Stacey Keeling
October 28, 2016 at 6:02 PMMarilyn, this looks delicious! We love acorn squash here at our house and it’s so easy to make. I think some people are intimidated because of the way it looks but there’s not much to it once you cut it. Apples are perfect in it.
Thank you so much for joining Thoughts of Home on Thursday this week. 🙂
Marilyn
October 28, 2016 at 10:17 PMI love the acorn squash. Baked ith butter and brown sugar is as easy as it gets! I have to have my husband cut it due to my arthritis, but it is wonderful.
Sherry Legan
October 28, 2016 at 5:11 PMOh this does look so yummy and Fall! The Fabulous Fall Party is finishing up this week over at my blog. I’d love you to link this.
Just in case you don’t know the party continues on the 1st with Fabulous Thanksgiving for all Thanksgiving/Fallish posts.
Here’s this weeks Fabulous Fall linky
Happy Fall Happy Thanksgiving
Marilyn
October 28, 2016 at 10:13 PMI will have to stop by Sherry. Thanks for the invite!
Carol
October 28, 2016 at 1:31 PMSounds delicious, Marilyn. Pinned and shared.
Marilyn
October 28, 2016 at 10:12 PMThank you for the pin and comment!
Maureen | Orgasmic Chef
October 16, 2015 at 9:05 AMI’ve never heard of carnival squash and we don’t have any type of small winter squashes in Australia. We have something similar to blue hubbard and butternut and that’s about it.
I would LOVE this!
Marilyn
October 16, 2015 at 11:12 AMThis squash is like a smaller pumpkin. You can see it halved on a cookie sheet. I think this recipe using a butternut squadh would also taste great. When you come up with your version be sur to let me know! I would love to try it. My son was lucky to get some seeds from a friend as I haven’t seen this in our market yet.