Orange-Red With Envy

The Musquée de Provence has chefs loving winter squash

Butternut, kabocha, delicata: Winter squash is a kitchen fixture in autumn.

It's rare, though, for a new breed of squash to join the fray. Enter the Musquée de Provence.

A member of the Cucurbita moschata family, Musquée de Provence has fluted edges, a dense texture and deep orange-red flesh that sweetens after it's picked--a delicious boon for cooks.

At Greens in Fort Mason, the squash is roasted, then used in a range of soups, stuffed into a poblano pepper, or turned into one of the bases of Zuni stew, a braise of parsnips, peppers and tomato spiced with marjoram and chipotle.

Serpentine's chef, Deepak Kaul, takes a meaty tack, roasting Musquée de Provence that has been slathered with rendered chorizo fat. He then purees the squash, using it as a sweet, earthy foil for roast chicken with kale.

Brett Emerson of Contigo may have created the ideal salad for showcasing the squash, serving it warm with wild mushrooms, pomegranate seeds, frisée and shaved Ombra, a Spanish sheep's-milk cheese (click here to download the recipe).

Mariquita Farm is partly responsible for the breed's popularity, thanks to farmer Andy Griffin's deep connection to local chefs. For us regular folk, the squash is available at Bi-Rite Market and at Allstar Organics stand on Saturdays at the Ferry Building farmers' market and on Sundays at the Marin farmers' market.

Bi-Rite Market, 3639 18th St. (at Guerrero St.); 415-241-9760 or biritemarket.com

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