Kabocha is a variety of winter squash, often referred to as a Japanese pumpkin. It’s sometimes described as a cross between sweet potato and pumpkin in flavor and texture. It’s sweet taste, velvety texture, massive offering of nutritional benefit and versatility, make it a prized staple vegetable in Japan. You can substitute it within recipes that call for acorn and butternut squash or pumpkin. Most forward nutritients are beta carotene, vitamin C, iron, and potassium with smaller amounts of B vitamins, folic acid and calcium.

How to select a Kabocha:

The two things to look for are weight and color. Skin should be a rich, deep green and it should feel heavier than expected. Ripeness is indicated by golden speckling and stripes on the exterior.

How to prepare Kabocha:

Carefully slice the entire squash in half, keeping in mind that it’s dense and might be difficult to cut. Like other squashes, you’ll want to scoop out the pulp and seeds, leaving the meat behind. From here you can slice it into wedges for roasting, simmering, pureing, or baking. You can also grate it to add texture to breads or other baked dishes and desserts. The skin is ok to leave on.

Romaine lettuce is type of lettuce that grows long sturdy leaves with strong ribs. It is more nutritious than iceberg lettuce, and unlike other types, can hold it’s own to heat, so it’s an easier lettuce to serve warm, braised or in soup. It’s most common use is in the classic Ceasar Salad, which might be inspired by it’s history in the Italian city Rome, from which it is said to have spread into the West. It’s also commonly used in Middle Eastern cuisine. It contains antioxidants considered protective against cancer.

Preparation

Always wash fresh produce thoroughly using cold water. For lettuce, it is best to wash each individual leaf. Discard any bruised or discolored leaves. FOr use in salad, dry leafs and chop leaves into medium size pieces as desired, discarding the core and leafless part of the stem. To prevent browning on edges of leaves, you can also tear it rather than cut it. Wait to toss with dressing until ready to serve.