Glazed Delicata Squash

It seems that this month is the one to eat copious quantities of squash. I have some kind of squash pretty much everyday, sometimes more. Yum. Last night I went to my friend and neighbor's Harvest Dinner, which is a lovely gathering to celebrate the harvest, friends, and gratitude. This year I used some of the delicata and herbs from the garden, and also some cider from apples I helped pick and press last year. It turned out pretty delicious - sweet and tangy, with some savory herb bites.

I stayed fairly true to the original recipe, but did not peel the squash. I find it so novel that you can eat delicata peel that I just can't imagine why I would go to the trouble. I also baked it all in the oven instead of cooking it on the stove top, which worked nicely for a larger batch (I made extra), and it turns out I needed less cider that way.

Serves 6-8

2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds total)
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/4 cups apple cider
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
 
1. Cut squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece in half lengthwise again, and then crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Heat oven to 375.
2.  Melt butter in a heavy large skillet over low heat (or in the oven in a large baking pan). Add the herbs. Cook, stirring, until the butter just starts to turn golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes (don’t brown the herbs). Add the squash to the skillet/pan. Toss to coat. Add cider, vinegar and salt to taste. Bake in the oven, stirring occasionally, at 375, until the liquid has boiled down to a glaze and the sauce is tender, about 20 to 30 minutes, adding a few tablespoons of water if the glaze gets too thick (I did not need to do this, and this happens quickly. The pan goes from cider-y to glazed in a few minutes!)
3. Season with pepper and additional salt, if necessary.

Delicata squash with tahini dressing

Well, it seems that I like those single ingredient veggie sides lately...in the form of veggie tossed in oil and then roasted in the oven and sprinkled with salt. Yep - simple and tasty. And good as leftovers for lunch the next day.

In browsing Heidi Swanson's blog, I came across a really delicious looking delicata squash recipe - but it was complicated and required miso and harissa, neither of which I had, so instead I just stole her idea and simplified it. Did you know you can eat the skin of delicata squash? I didn't. But you can! And I think it looks so pretty to have these half moons of squash getting all roasted and brown in the oven. And geez, why peel a squash if you don't have to? Prep time for these is, like, 3 minutes.

Squash Prep
2 Delicata squash (totally not in season - these are from Mexico, alas)
2 T. coconut oil
smoky salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, and slice em up. Toss the slices in the melted coconut oil and spread them in one layer on a cookie sheet. Bake for 30 minutes*, flipping halfway through. Sprinkle with (smoky) salt.
*Note that I made some of these on one of those insulated baking sheets and they got not nearly so brown as the ones in my baking pan that was not insulated. So, go for the thin baking sheet/cake pan sort of idea here.

Tahini Dressing
Mix equal parts tahini, water, and lemon juice. Toss in some salt. You can also add in garlic if you can do the whole raw garlic thing. If it is too thick, add a bit more water. That is it! So good. (This dressing is really tasty on just about anything.)

Than just pour the dressing over the top and eat em up. I also had some as leftovers the next day, and ate them as a snack at work (plain and dipped in the tahini). YUM.