Day 4 - Fall is for Lovers

It feels like fall (at least for a while) and I have fully submerged myself in it.

Instead of debating local food and where to get it, I'm going to relish in a traditional fall meal with an easily local-grown vegetable.

Two butternut squash have come in the past few CSA boxes.  Butternut squash is great because it's delicious and it can keep for a looooooooooooong time unrefrigerated and uncooked.  It also makes me feel like so many things fall.  Endearingly (or not) termed 'butt nut' squash by a friend, I took the two I have saved over the past weeks and cooked 'em up.

Starting the love affair can be hard (it involves time and patience and excitement), but like all good affairs, it is worth the effort.  The first portion of my butternut squash affair involves the cutting and peeling.

1.  Cut the butternut squash at the top and bottom so it sits on it's end, then slice in half the long way.  Take out the yucky sticky insides with a spoon, much like coring out a jack-o-lantern, and then peel.  I have used very little words here to describe a VERY long and tedious process.  You can really spare your neighbors some curse words by using a quality peeler.  At this point you can preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Here's what they should look like:


Naked Butt Nut

2.  Once your butt nut is naked, chop into 1/2" pieces and toss in a bowl with olive oil, salt, and pepper - enough to coat.  Your concoction should look like this:

One important thing to note here is the glass of wine.  It is important because it not only keeps you a happy locavore and your food tasting good, but also aids the stinging pain on  your hand. 

Excitement about the finished product can sometimes leave you too excited to remember general safety.  I, in a squash-crazed love transe, grabbed a cookie sheet that was sitting in the broiler drawer of my oven (which was preheating at 450) with bare hands.  Yowza.

Sometimes love hurts.  Here is a song dedicated to my favorite gourd.  Enjoy while cooking.

3.  Bake in the oven for 45 minutes at 450 degrees.  I personally like it a little crispy on the outside so I leaved it a little longer.  Even burnt, the squash can come out sweet and savory - just like a well cooked lover.

4.  While the squash is baking, chop up some sage (I happened to be growing some) and toss in a bowl with more salt and olive oil.

5.  Pull out the finished squash and spatula into the bowl, toss, and viola!

Apart from the peeling and cutting, this dish is hands-down one of my favorites of all time. 

Another little tip for cooking - listen to a great Patsy Cline mix.  She always makes my food taste more delicious.

What I ate today:

• Squash from CSA (10)
• Backyard Sage (0)
• Olive Oil from FM (counted in previous days)
• Salad greens and tomato from CSA (10)
• Backyard avocado (0)
• Leftover reheated omlette from the day before (0)

Today's total: 10
Grand Total: 493