Are you growing squash? Why not?
This spaghetti squash has been sitting in our cold room for six months as was just as tasty as it would have been if we'd eaten it the day we picked it. The scars and discolouration on the rind occurred while it was growing, so they can be disregarded. As long as the skin is firm and uncut when you put it away, and you check on them regularly (like monthly) to ensure they haven't started to spoil, a squash will last months in a cold room with no effort from you. A single vine can easily produce two to five squashes (2-5 meals), making it a productive garden option.
This spaghetti squash was about 5 pounds, more than enough to form the base for a large meal for four people. Scoop out the pulp and the seeds, rub some cooking oil, salt, and pepper into the flesh, turn upside-down on a baking tray, and bake for 1 hour at 350F. Then scrape out the flesh top to bottom with a fork to achieve the long "spaghetti" strands. You can also separate the seeds from the pulp, dry some for next year's planting, and bake the rest for 15 minutes at 400F. (Lightly spray with oil, sprinkle with salt and other spices - a little paprika and chilli powder is my favourite. Eat the whole thing, shells included, like you would pumplkin seeds.
Butternut squash is another personal favourite. With average-sized ones coming in at about 3 lbs, it is a solid vegetable. Treat the minimal pulp and seeds the same way. Because it does not have the fibrous strands of the spaghetti squash, you can easily peel it, then slice into 1/4" (1cm) slices, brush lightly with oil and bake on a flat pan at 350F for about 35 minutes. Butternut is a sweeter squash, so some people like to sprinkle it with cinnamon and brown sugar. I prefer salt, pepper, and a little oregano and basil. If you cook it plain, you can also turn it into butternut squash soup.
Squashes are full of vitamins, fibre, and are good for hydration. It's also a hot and filling meal to put in your stomach. But like most vegetables, it has a very low caloric value (45 cal per 100 gr) so it will fill you up in a healthy way, but it won't give you much energy if you are eating it as part of a survival diet.