Letting Them Off with a Warning

We had our first Winter CSA pickup at Drumlin Farm the other day.  It was dark and rainy, and people were ducking in and out of one of the farm outbuildings like there was something illegal going on.  As if the best crack in the world was the butternut-squash-shaped crack being dispensed by the good folks at Mass Audubon.  (God, I hope they never find out about this blog.)

Frankly, the amount of food we had access to was obscene.  Celery root and beets and spinach and garlic and Brussels sprouts and turnips and collard greens and potatoes and 6 lbs. of carrots and shallots and parsnips and that’s not even getting into the squash.  My god.  Come to think of it, something illegal WAS going on.  Indecent exposure to squash.

Delicata Squash with Spiced Pecans and Dried Cranberries

You don’t have to peel delicata squash.  No kidding.  Which means it’s now my favorite squash.

2 delicata squash (cut in half lengthwise, seeds scooped out, then sliced crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-rings, then cut those in half the other way so you get these cute little arcs ‘cause that’s the way I like them.  Shut up.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup pecan halves
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. ground cumin
Shake of cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
½ cup dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375°F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toss squash with olive oil, and salt and pepper to your liking.  Roast about 40 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until tender and fragrant.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together nuts, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce (pronounced “WUSS-ter-sheer,” people), spices, salt, and pepper until well coated.  Bake on a parchment-lined pan about 10 minutes until toasty yet not burned (can be tricky to keep track of when your timer is working on the squash; PAY ATTENTION).  Let cool.

When squash is done, toss with whatever spiced nuts you haven’t eaten along with the dried cranberries.

Source: Nuts adapted from Cooking Light.

Comments

[Sally]

So *that's* what those things look like! I ran across a recipe on All Recipes that had them in it and it looked good, but I'd never heard of them before. Cool - you don't have to peel them? I can go with that. Looks yummy Tammy.

[Alecto]

That really is obscenely beautiful. I am now officially starving!

[Sophie]

That squash is so pretty (and doesn't need peeling - surely the perfect squash!). I'm not sure if we get these ones in the UK, though I guess it is possible that they just go under a different name over here!
The spicy, sticky sweet nuts sound great too. Can I be nosey and ask what you served anything with it (if anything)?

[cookiecrumb]

Doesn't need peeling? And I'm taking a delicata squash dish to a T-giving party?
I love you.

[Jana]

So can you use other types of need-to-be-peeled squash in this recipe. I sure hope so, because my squash is in the oven roasting even as I type this...

[Jana]

Ok, the non-delicata squash worked just fine. I did discover that I liked this dish hot better than at room temp (my husband was home late so we ate it not-hot). For richer flavor next time I might consider tossing a bit if butter in with the oil when roasting the squash.

[Tammy]

Jana: Agreed, hot is better. It improves the next day, too, as you've no doubt already discovered.

CC: I don't mind scooping soft, roasted squash out of its shell, but peeling hard, raw squash leads to swearing. Lots of it.

Sophie: It also goes by Bohemian Squash and Sweet Potato Squash. I just made it for lunch one day, but it would go well with a simple roast chicken.

Alecto: Come back anytime!

Sally: I've never had them before this year. Not sure I'd ever seen them before. They're good, though. Chestnut-y (if I can even remember what chestnuts taste like).