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<\/a>\nAcorn squash is a reliable mainstay of supermarket produce aisles year-round. Sweet, as well as a good vehicle for stuffing, it\u2019s frequently seen sporting a British racing green exterior but it also comes in white and gold models; the plush interior is always yellow-orange. (Talk about your mixed metaphors.) I think of it as falling somewhere in the middle of the dry\/satiny-smooth <-> moist\/squishy-pulpy texture continuum.<\/p>\n
Using an extremely<\/em> sharp, heavy <\/em>knife, very carefully<\/em> slice it in half, pole to pole; remove the seeds and strings. In each half, place about 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of grade A dark amber maple syrup and bake in a hot oven until completely soft. Pour off and reserve the liquids, scoop out and mash the squash adding back the juices, a little freshly grated nutmeg, a pinch of dried rosemary (a little goes a long way) and more melted butter if you like. (I like.)<\/p>\n The topping involves pepitas saut\u00e9ed in hazelnut oil (with a few drops of sesame oil for good measure) dredged in a combination of sugar, salt, ground cumin, ginger and cinnamon, with a pinch of cayenne pepper. This dish, originally sans crunch, had always been a welcome addition to our Thanksgiving feast, but the topping turned out to be its sine qua non.<\/p>\n Next up, autumn frost squash.<\/a> Winter Squash: Quashing Questions – Acorn Squash. Read on…. Continue reading <\/a>
\nThis photo of Maple Sugar Acorn Squash with Spicy Roasted Pepitas was taken at last year\u2019s Thanksgiving extravaganza; if you\u2019re curious, here\u2019s very approximately what I did:<\/p>\n
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\n(For those who are just joining us, the saga begins here.<\/a>)<\/em>
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\nStay safe, be well, and eat whatever it takes. \u2764\ufe0f
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