roasted delicata squash with quinoa and cranberries

Our last farm share was a bonanza, with three delicata squashes, one of our favorite squashes lately.  One night I simply washed two of them, sliced them into 1 1/2 inch rounds (seeds and all), brushed them with melted butter, and roasted for 45 minutes.  Leaving the seeds intact lends a slightly richer flavor, but it was tedious to scrape away all the seeds after serving, especially for the children present.  They had no problem eating the soft peel, with a certain delight, though.

For lunch today I settled on a whole squash, split and deseeded, roasted again for 45 minutes, and filled with a quinoa and dried cranberry filling, then drizzled with a light citrus sauce, topped with fresh sage leaves. Really, really lovely  and light, and a pleasure to still see green plants here in Minneapolis, which has not yet had a frost.

Delicata squash with quinoa and dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 375F.

one medium Delicata squash, split lengthwise and deseeded

1 tablespoon melted unsalted butter 

Arrange the squash halves on a baking sheet, drizzle with butter, then roast for 45 minutes.

While the squash is roasting, make the quinoa:

Place in a heavy bottomed sauce pan:

1/2 cup white quinoa

1 1/2 cups water or chicken stock

2 pinches kosher salt

1 pinch dried thyme leaves

a few grindings of black pepper

1 cup dried cranberries (stirred in after cooking)

Bring the quinoa to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes, stirring every now and then.  I kept the pot covered for a half an hour, then uncovered it.  If there is still a lot of liquid, simmer until it is absorbed.  Remove pot from heat and add the cranberries.

Orange juice and olive oil dressing:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 tablespoons fresh orange juice

Slice off the ends of the squash (only if you want to, and I did), cut each squash in half, and place on 4 plates.  Drizzle with orange dressing , top with whole or slivered sage leaves, and serve. 

Wasn't that easy?

maple glazed acorn squash wedges

January weather!  Rain, snow, sleet and the foot or so of snow we have is frozen solid, but at least there is a snow cover so the garden plants are protected.  As long as you keep up with the freeze and thaw cycle, sanding sometimes twice a day, it is walkable, even with a 3 year old.  

With the bitter cold some days (-15), I lean more toward roasted chicken, roasted vegetables, and perhaps a fish chowder - sturdy winter food that warms me up more than a lighter soup.  One of my new favorites is this roasted acorn squash, tinged with just a very slight sweetness from our local maple syrup.  I make a marinade with ordinary olive oil and a little maple syrup to brush on the wedges that turns them a lovely golden brown, and adds a little more excitement to the somewhat plain but juicy squash;  acorn squash is my very favorite of all the squashes.

To make:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Scrub your squash under cold water - this will get rid of any residue or dirt on the surface.  No need to peel the squash, as it gets very tender during the roasting.

Carefully slice an acorn squash into wedges, then scoop the seeds out.  I like thinner wedges, rather than the larger quarters, and they roast more quickly.

Place the wedges one side down on a parchment covered baking sheet.

Mix equal parts plain olive oil (not virgin olive oil, which can be bitter) and pure maple syrup in a small bowl and mix with a fork.  I used 3 tablespoons olive oil and 3 tablespoons maple syrup for one small acorn squash.  The mixture will emulsify and thicken.

Spoon or brush a small amount of marinade over each wedge, flip, then do the other side.

Bake for 25 minutes, then, using a spatula, turn over the wedges, brush with marinade, and bake another 15 minutes.

Remove to a platter and serve immediately.  If you want a little more maple flavor, you can drizzle a teaspoon of pure maple syrup over the squash just before serving.

Hope you're enjoying winter, wherever you are!