Friday, September 4, 2009

The taste of fall

We grew acorn squash this year. We grew it last year, too. And we're going to grow it again next year. That's because it's so good. We like to make it into a sweet puree and serve it as a side dish. It would be fabulous for Thanksgiving. If you don't want a sweetened version, make a savory one by seasoning it with salt and pepper. Or use your puree to thicken a soup. It's up to you. Below are the directions for making brown sugar acorn squash puree.

THE RECIPE:

2 whole acorn squashes*
2 Tbsp. butter
1/4 c. brown sugar
Ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place whole acorn squashes on baking sheet. (This is the way to go. In the past I've cut them in half before baking, but they are a lot easier to cut when they're soft.) Bake for about an hour, turning over once after 30 minutes. Squash is done when it is easily pierced through with the tip of a paring knife. Let cool for a few minutes, then slice in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Scoop out flesh and place in mixing bowl or food processor. Add butter and brown sugar, then mix thoroughly. Sprinkle ground cinnamon on top of individual servings.

*This recipe works well with butternut squash, too. Adjust ingredient amounts according to squash size.

1 comment:

Freebairn Family said...

I absolutely love squash, and acorn is at the top of the list. If you need it a little faster, my mom cooks it in the microwave. She cuts it in half, scrapes seeds, fills it with butter, brown sugar and a few dashes of adobo seasoning (the perfect vegetable seasoning, if you haven't tried it). Then she covers each half tightly with saran wrap so it won't dry and just nukes it about 5 minutes until it's soft. Anyway - my mother does it perfectly and it's delicious.