Butternut Squash

Apple-butternut squash soup

1 medium onion, diced
1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped (cut in half and bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees for easier peeling and chopping) or equivalent amount of pumpkin
3 red or golden apples, cored and chopped
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
2½ cups water, plus more if needed

1. Put onion and squash in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add chicken stock, cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Add apples, cumin, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes



Halved butternut squash

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

2. On a cutting board, carefully cut the squash in half lengthwise. Make sure to trim off any hard stem parts.

*Update – A Twitter follower asks, "It is cutting it that is always the tricky part.....ideas?"

Yes. Slice off the top and the bottom so it sits flat on a secured cutting board. Rest it on the widest end, and using a heavy knife, slice down vertically. If you face resistance, use a mallet - ideally rubber - to tap gently on the tops of both sides of the blade. Work as slowly as you need to.

3. Use a spoon to scrape out innards. Guts and seeds can be composted or discarded, but butternut and acorn squash seeds are delicious roasted on a cooking sheet with a little oil and salt.

4. Prick the flesh with a fork, brush or spray all surfaces lightly with oil, sprinkle the cut side with a little salt and place face-down on a cookie sheet.

5. Roast for 40-50 minutes until you can easily pierce the squash with a fork.

6. Once it's cook enough to handle, peel off the skin, then chop, cube or mash and serve.

Hint: We like ours with a little bit of melted butter, Kosher salt, brown sugar and coriander. We also add grated Parmesan if we're feeling wacky.

Cubed butternut squash

1. Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

2. Peel the squash using a vegetable peeler. For stubborn spots, stabilize the squash on a cutting board and carefully remove with a paring knife.

3. Cut the squash into 1" thick rounds, remove guts and seeds with a spoon, and then stack slices to cut into cubes of even thickness.

4. Brush or spray cubes with oil, or toss in a bag with oil to evenly coat all sides.

5. Place cubes on a cookie sheet, sprinkle lightly with salt and roast 20-25 minutes until fork-tender and the edges are brown, then serve immediately.