Squash is pretty much synonymous with fall in my house. Typically, during September we are up to our eyeballs in a bounty of harvest from our garden. Every countertop is stacked with squash, onions, potatoes, carrots, and beets. It’s a wonderful and busy time of year. To save time, I stick to simple but tasty recipes.
Image courtesy of Mean Miss Mustard
One of my favorite squashes is the butternut. Butternut squash is a yellow-orange fleshed fruit that has a slightly sweet, nutty flavor. This beautiful fall/winter squash offers a nutrient punch that is just what we need at the season’s change. Butternut squash is a great source of vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, and B-6.
One of the easiest ways to prepare this winter squash is to roast it and here I bring you my super simplified recipe. Winter squashes of all sorts will burst with flavor when roasted and all follow a similar preparation.
For this recipe you will need:
- 1 butternut squash
- approx. 1 teaspoon olive oil
- salt and pepper
- optional: grass-fed butter
Simply:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- Cut off stem side, just about an inch or two into the top side of squash. Discard this piece.
- Next, cut the squash in half, lengthwise.
- Scrape out the seeds and set aside.
- Lightly brush the cut flesh with extra virgin olive oil.
- Place cut side down on a foil or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 35 minutes or until squash is tender.
Spoon out onto individual plates, season with salt and pepper and add a bit of grass-fed butter if you wish.
A large squash will serve 4 as a side dish.
Other winter squash you might try preparing this way are pumpkin, acorn, and delicata.
Tammi Hoerner
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