Roasted Delicata Squash
I love this time of year… Crisp weather with a hint of promises to come.
The holidays are here soon. We made it through months of high heat and the air is now clear; full of apples and beautiful yellows, reds, and orange. Hot colors, cool breaths.
Last weekend I wandered into my local, organic market. It was a riot of color, and I couldn’t resist buying bags of new and different squash. I began to crave their sweet, hearty flavor and I realized that I hadn’t ever really gotten into cooking squash and exploring creative ways to enjoy them. It seemed like something new to explore.. You know?
So… let’s begin with something simple. And my favorite.
Preparation
1. WASH THE SQUASH WELL. Skin on. You can eat the skin of Delicata squash, so give it a good scrub with a brush and make sure it’s clean.
2. Cut off both ends so you have flat surfaces. Cut down the center of your squash, lengthwise.
3. Scoop out the seeds – I use a grapefruit spoon and it works really well.
4. Cut the squash into 1/2 inch wide slices. Try to be consistent with how you cut them so they cook evenly.
5. Put all squash slices in a large mixing bowl and toss with a few squirts of extra virgin olive oil, enough to lightly coat the squash. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss again to cover.
6. Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.
7. Lay squash slices on a baking sheet and put the pan into the oven. Bake until almost burnt, (depending on your oven, for about 30 min) for a crispy outside and tender inside.
These squash bites are addictive! Honestly, they disappeared in one sitting with two of us.
