squashed

is this the dead of winter? 

i'm not even sure when that horribly morbid-sounding time of year is supposed to be, but since there isn't much happening in the way of a harvest right now, i figured this month's seasonal eats post could focus on a cold-weather veggie.

butternut squash is what's known as a winter squash. unlike its warm-weathered friends (e.g., zucchini), a winter squash will have a superthick skin. think acorn squash. or a pumpkin.

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when the arganica crate arrived, we found a sweet little butternut squash inside. i'd never cooked one before myself, but since roasting almost always guarantees a win in the kitchen, i went with that method.

here's how it turned out.

oh boy was it good. i sprinkled a little parsley on top for some freshness.

the picture above is from a couple days ago. but the boy and i liked it so much, we grabbed another one.

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but have you ever tried to cut one of these babies? 

it can get tricky. 

here's my simple and safe method.

carefully (and with a sharp knife) slice off the bottom.

this will give you a nice steady surface for slicing it in half, like this:

next, grab your spoon and get to scooping. you want to get everything outta there.

one side cleaned, one side to go

now, it's time to grab that trusty vegetable peeler and get to work.

just be sure to have a firm grasp; it can be a little slippery once the peel is removed.

(don't mind the canola oil containers in my sink; we were cleaning up after the previous night's fried tofu experiment)

once they're both peeled, it's time to slice!

i cut mine from top-to-bottom, then from side-to-side

this way, i ended up with roughly uniform pieces.

i dumped the cubed squash onto a tray, drizzled it with olive oil, sprinkled on some salt and pepper and popped it in a 425-degree oven for about 12 minutes. 

i also shook them around once to help with the even cooking. 

and since we were out of parsley, i just drizzled it with a little maple syrup and served it up.

see?

i liked it. i have to admit that the arganica squash had a bit more flavor, but this one was still yum.


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if you're not into roasting, try mac and cheese or a hearty pasta dish. butternut squash also makes for a mighty fine meat substitute in tacos. 

it all sounds good to me!

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what's your favorite veggie to eat in the winter?