Herby Roasted Winter Squash
What kind of vegetable do you get when an elephant walks through your garden? Squash! Please don't block me, thanks! Fall recipes are here, enjoy the recipes!
The best part about being a Michigander is experiencing Fall. No matter if it only lasts two weeks or it’s 80F in October. I love attending harvest events, drinking Pumpkin Spice Lattes from anywhere but Starbies, and visiting the farmers markets. Recently, I visited the Saturday market at the Eastern Market and picked up a butternut and honeynut squash.
Another great thing about Michigan is that our squash season is always great whether you’re growing and harvesting winter or summer squash. Summer squash requires hot and humid temps to grow and includes varieties such as zucchini, yellow crookneck, patty pan, and chayote. Because of their softer rind, you also have to utilize them quickly.
With winter squash, there’s a thicker outer rind making them heartier and long-lasting. Hence, we leave pumpkins and gourds on the front porch as decorations. Winter squash varieties include acord, buttercup, butternut, honeynut, spaghetti, and pumpkins.
One of my favorite winter squash varieties is honeynut squash. It’s a petite version of the butternut squash but a little more sweeter. It resembles a sweet potato when it’s roasted because of the similar creamy texture. There are plenty of ways to eat the squash but the simplest way, especially for a newbie, is to roast. Next would be roasting and turning it into a mash or puree.
Elle’s Pairings Ideas:
Roasted + mashed with baked salmon
Cubed + roasted for meal preps
Roasted + pureed with scallops
Pairs great with roasted chicken
Stuff with couscous or quinoa
Puree for pies and baking
Squash soups
Steam or puree and add to risotto (one of my favorites)
What You Need:
2 to 3 Honeynut Squash
3 tbsp of Olive Oil, or any neutral oil like grapeseed or avocado.
4 tbsp of Maple Syrup
¼ tsp of Paprika
¼ tsp of Sea Salt
â…“ tsp of Ground Cinnamon
¼ tsp of Nutmeg
a dash of Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
⅓ of Raw Walnuts, don’t use roasted because they’ll toast too much.
Handful of Hearty Herbs, I picked fresh thyme and rosemary from my patio garden.
What To Do:
Preheat oven to 450F and prepare a baking sheet with nontick spray or parchment paper.
Wash off your squash and cut in half, legnthwise. It should split perfectly down the middle if you cut a slice from the bottom end and stand the squash standing up on a cutting board. That’s usually how I cut mine.
Use a small spoon to scoop the pulp and seeds from the tummy of the squash.
Lay the squash on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle with oil and massage into the squash using a pastry or silicone brush.
Repeat the drizle and massage with the maple syrup. This will help the seasonings stick better as well.
Sprinkle with sea salt, paprika, cinnamon, and nutmeg generously on the inside of the squash.
Crush raw walnuts in your hand and spread them on the squash.
Place the squash in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until fork tender.
Drizzle with more maple syrup if you’d like, serve warm, and tag @elle.thefoodie.
