Cooking Lessons: Let the (Thanksgiving) games begin: roasted squash two ways

It took a while, but now I’m in full thrall of the charm of winter vegetables. It started with beautiful carnival squash snagging my attention at the market. But they would be lonely without their buddy, the butternut, which is what I was after in the first place, since everyone knows how easy it is to cut up and roast a butternut squash. What everyone doesn’t know, especially you folks who buy it already peeled and diced (cheaters!) is that the skin of the butternut squash is not all that tough and can be eaten. Also, you cheaters should know, it lasts a much longer time in your fridge in its natural state, in case you do not get around to using it right away.

I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those shoppers who becomes overly inspired at the market by all the good stuff I imagine I can make when I get home, but find I am just a little less enthused when I actually get there. Shopping is debilitating, isn’t it? Anyway, produce often languishes in my refrigerator. I KNOW this is not an uncommon problem, so ‘fess up. And buy squash that hasn’t been meddled with. (Organic if you can find it, and well scrubbed.)

Now I admit, I learned that squash skin is edible by watching a Jamie Oliver cooking show (I’m keeping up so you don’t have to). An unscientific survey, conducted by me, revealed that many British cooks do not bother to peel their butternut squash. If you are going to mash or puree it, you might want to peel it first —I bet Jamie doesn’t—but otherwise, it’s quite good in its natural state, and it adds a little more (unmentionable) fiber to the dish. But it’s a losing battle. By all accounts, most Thanksgiving menus are completely fiber-free, unless you count that lonely overcooked green bean on your plate from Great Aunt Margaret’s casserole.

When it came time to roast the squash, I had to make a vegan version first. Full disclosure: I am not a vegan, but there are people who want vegan recipes, and I aim to please. This consisted of squash sweetened with a little maple syrup, and dressed with some bread crumbs, olive oil, almonds and lots of sage. It was lovely. But what I really craved was some strong, knock-me-down cheesy flavors. Gorgonzola, for example.

By the time I got to the second version, I had used all the butternut squash and the almonds in my cupboard, so I needed to move on to the lovely carnival squash, perhaps made all the more alluring by its practically impenetrable outer covering. Hacking it into pieces requires Ninja-like skills, not to mention equipment, so I experimented by softening it a bit in the microwave first (talk about a cheater). It worked reasonably well, but you must still be prepared for a bit of a fight and some bravado. Once you open it and scoop out the seeds, you still need the same brute force and a heavy knife, but with the squash firmly anchored with the flat side down on a cutting board, images of injured digits recede. For all but the intrepid, the peel of this squash is not so pleasant to eat, but it is much too pretty, and let’s face it, too tricky, to peel, so diners will have to eat their way around it. A worthwhile endeavor.

Butternut squash with almonds and sage

Serves 6 as a side dish

1 butternut squash (2 to 3 pounds)

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup coarsely chopped sage leaves

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the squash but don’t peel it. Halve it lengthwise, and scoop out the seeds. With the flat side down on the cutting board, cut it into 1/2-inch thick half-moons.

2. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the oil on a large baking sheet. Spread the squash on the baking sheet in one layer and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Press it into the oil and turn it over. Sprinkle the second side with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

3. Mix the breadcrumbs, sage leaves, almonds, maple syrup and remaining tablespoon of oil together in a bowl.

4. Remove the squash from the oven and sprinkle it with the breadcrumb mixture. Return to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the topping is golden brown.

Carnival (or acorn) squash with walnuts and Gorgonzola

Serves 6 as a side dish

1 to 2 carnival or acorn squash

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

1/4 cup fresh bread crumbs

1 1/2 ounces (1/3 cup) crumbled Gorgonzola or blue cheese, more if you like

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

2. Pierce the squash in 3 places with the tip of a sharp knife. Microwave for about 2 minutes to soften slightly. Cut in half from stem to stern and scoop out the seeds. With the flat side down on a cutting board, cut it into 1/2-inch thick half moons.

3. Spread 2 to 3 tablespoons of the olive oil on a large baking sheet. Spread the squash on the baking sheet in one layer and sprinkle it with salt and pepper. Press it into the oil and turn it over. Sprinkle the second side with salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

4. Mix the walnuts, breadcrumbs, Gorgonzola and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil together in a bowl.

5. Remove the squash from the oven and sprinkle it with the breadcrumb mixture. Return to the oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the squash is tender and the topping is golden brown.

Cooking Lesson: How to make fresh breadcrumbs:

For one cup breadcrumbs:

Trim the crusts from 2 to 3 (1/4-inch thick) slices of sturdy white bread. Cut the bread into 1-inch pieces. If the bread is very fresh and soft, spread it on wire rack in one layer and let it sit out for about half an hour. It should not be at all squishy. Toss the bread into a food processor and pulse the machine several times until the bread is in small pieces. The exact size of the crumbs depends on their use, but in general they should not be too finely pulverized. Use immediately or store in a heavy-duty plastic bag in the freezer until needed. (They will keep for about 2 weeks, but eventually will dry out and suffer from freezer burn, so wrap them well.)