Tök Főzelék

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From Culinaria Hungary (2008):

 Vegetable dishes are a central feature of the plain, homely fare of Hungary. They consist of one or any number of vegetables, usually sautéed in fat, and cooked in a small amount of liquid.... Depending on the particular recipe, the dish is seasoned, and thickened with flour, a roux, or soured cream. Althought the preparation looks easy, and not particularly refined, a certain degree of instinctive flair is required for the dish to be a success...so that the particular flavour of each vegetable is allowed to develop.

Ever since DIYASUB's post showing how easy this dish is, I've been wanting to try it. Finally, having a good-sized crookneck squash on hand today, I was able to make this Hungarian specialty as a lunch for the beautiful Mrs. Tas and myself. 

You can click the link above for detailed instructions; suffice to say it was simple! I followed DIYASUB's method exactly and achieved very good results:

The one squash made about two-and-a half servings, and tasted very good:

Once I served Mrs. Tas her portion, I topped mine with a little bit of dill, as is traditional...

...and enjoyed a wonderful Hungarian lunch!

The flavour was a great balance that brought out the subtle squash and married it to the sweet onion that had been cooked into the dish. There was just a hint of tartness from the vinegar and a nice, savory accent from the salt and dill. the sour cream provided a smooth, silky texture for the sauce, contrasting well with the al-dente squash shreds. 

The only thing i might have added to the dish would be a shake or three of black pepper, possibly some paprika, as I have seen is some recipes. The addition of a little spice is absolutely not necessary, but can add a nice note for those who enjoy a little kick.

This dish is proof once again that the rustic peasant foods that can be found close to the land across the world will always provide some of the best eating imaginable. As with other peasant foods, tök főzelék takes the most humble ingredients and easily transforms them into culinary treasues!

I would urge all to try this, as it is suited for any time of year, but is especially good now, while squashes are showing up all over! Any squash can be used; in fact the recipe in Culinaria Hungary featured pumpkin - so give it a try!