(Remember on 90210 when David learns about non-violence and then his friends almost get in a fight and he’s all “yo, seriously… squash it…” and he smacks his hand on his fist? Classic!)

Anyway…

I have a very love/hate relationship with the fall. Fall foods are just so darn good! But fall does mean that winter is right around the corner. Boy, I’d love to try some of that “squash it” stuff on winter. Fall foods do sort of make up for it. Apple pie. Pumpkin pie. Pumpkin beer. What were we talking about?

Walking through the farmers’ market this weekend I couldn’t resist picking up my first squash of the season. Winter squashes look like decoration, not food. You could shop for centerpieces in the produce department at your grocery store; lots of people do, in fact. I was in the mood to eat stuff, not decorate stuff so I grabbed a butternut squash (the king of the winter squashes), an acorn squash, and a cream of the crop squash (it is another type of acorn squash… I got it because it looked pretty…I admit it). Before I really knew how to cook, back when I had enough dishes in my repertoire to get us through a week, squashes were key. It isn’t very hard to make an acorn squash taste good. And it is even harder to make a butternut squash taste badly (although, I did once. Curried butternut squash soup without a recipe. No good.). Roast ‘em and you’re set. Throw in a few other delicious fall ingredients, and you’re better than set. You’re golden.

I also picked up some apples (ok, a gigantic bag of apples) at Heyser Farm on Saturday, so I have those to get through as well. If you were to ask a squash who its best friend is, it would definitely respond, “apples.” Squash and apples = BFF. 2getha 4eva.

I’m going to run through my favorite three squashes and my preferred method of week-night cooking. There are obviously a bazillion ways of making these squashes, but I like to stay pretty simple. They don’t need a whole lot of complicated techniques and ingredients to taste delicious. The most important thing that you need to prepare squash is a sharp knife.

Acorn Squash (and Cream of the Crop squash)

Acorn squash make great main dishes or side dishes. Once you cut through that tough rind, you’ll see that there is a cavity in the center perfect for stuffing. Scoop out the seeds and the stringy squash junk (I use my grapefruit spoon for this). Heat your oven to 400 degrees. While it heats, put your sqaush halves on a baking sheet and smear them with butter (you could use olive oil, but why when there is butter?). Smear. Don’t be shy. Smear all of the flesh. Pop these little fellas in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender. I would also baste them every 10 min or so with the butter that pools in the cavity. It will expedite the cooking process and keep them nice and moist.

For the stuffing… I always make a stuffing that includes apples and onions. This is a great combo as it makes for a sweet (but not too sweet) and savory dish. Core and chop the apples (I leave the skin on, you can peel if you want). Saute the apples in a pot with a little bit of water. Put the lid on for a few minutes to help them cook. I like to let them cook just enough so that some of them mush but some are still a little al dente. Chop the onions and saute until they are just translucent. I have made two different types of stuffing this way — one way is to buy dried stuffing at the grocery store. Make it as the package says and then fold in the apples and onions. I really like it this way. This week I made the stuffing with potatoes instead because I had them from my CSA box. Chop and boil the potatoes, mash and add just a little milk and butter until they are creamy, and stir in the apples/onions. After the squash are tender, fill the cavities with the mixture and bake for another 10 minutes or so. And there you go.

Butternut Squash

This guy requires less attention. Heat your oven to 425. Place the whole squash on a baking sheet and prick all over with a knife. (Once I was telling a friend how to do this and forgot the “prick all over with a knife” part. Yada yada yada… she was really tired at work the next day after being up late cleaning her oven.) It should take about an hour to roast depending on the size. You’ll know when it is done… the skin starts to collapse and look wrinkly. The whole thing should feel soft.

When it is done, cut it in half and remove the seeds. You can then scoop the roasted deliciousness out of the shell to use for whatever. I like to use it to make butternut squash apple sauce. It is a sweet, healthy, delicious treat.

Chop and core a few apples. I try to make it about half apples/ half squash. Put them in a sauce pan with a little water (like a tablespoon at a time). Let them cook down, stir and mash every couple minutes. Once they are cooked to your preferred consistency (I like a chunk applesauce), add them to the squash. I then like to add a little cinnamon and a little maple syrup… just a very little at a time! The squash and apples have great flavor alone, so be careful not to overdo it. Stir stir stir. Then enjoy the incredible treat you’ve just made for yourself… or share with guests. I prefer not to share, thank you very much.

Spaghetti Squash

(Not my photo, but a darn good one anyway.)

This is a very common dish in my house in the fall/winter. Spaghetti squash is appropriately named because it looks like spaghetti and is a great, healthy substitute for spaghetti.

Spaghetti squashes are very tough to cut, so you really need a very sharp knife and very strong arms (I often call in my husband for this). Be careful! Cut the squash in half length-wise. Usually my knife gets stuck about halfway through so I start banging the thing on the counter until it splits. Whatever works. Again, be really careful! Heat your oven to 400 degrees.

Once it is split, scoop out the seeds. Drizzle each squash-half with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place them cut-side-down on a baking sheet. Roast them for about 45 minutes to an hour.

When they are done, use a fork to scrape out the stringy flesh. This is where it obviously starts to look like spaghetti. You can toss the squash with butter, pesto, marinara sauce, whatever you like. I like to toss it with some sauteed peppers, onions, and feta. The squash has a naturally light buttery flavor, but you can definitely add a little more if you like. The saltiness of the feta is an excellent contrast to the squash’s butteriness. (Butteriness? Butterocity?) Aside from the time it takes to roast, this is a very simple dish for a week night.

So there you have it! As I mentioned, there are tons of ways to prepare these squashes. What are your preferred cooking methods? What are your favorite squash dishes?