Is there some sort of cheap plastic switch nestled deep inside my brain that gets reset each time the season’s change? I swear my friends, I become some automated eating robot that’s completely incapable of making my own choices when it comes to food. Take Autumn. It wasn’t some gradual ease into the season at my house but a very! drastic! change! of! the! seasons! I began snubbing the grill and light summer veggies almost immediately in favor of the tastes that currently rule my existence: caramelly, sticky, roasted, savory, smoky, braisey, deep, and dark. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier.
When I think about it, it may be my body’s way of overcompensating for
the fact that where I live we don’t really have seasons at all. I mean,
other than Santa Ana Winds Season, Awards Season, TV Sweeps Season,
Summer’s-Almost-Here-Get-To-The-Tanning-Bed-And-A-Little-Extra-Restylane-While-We’re-At-It-Season.
You see what I’m sayin’, right?
High on my list of fall foods are my beloved winter squashes. I kid you
not by saying I’d eat them every single day if Adam let me. I’m content with them being main dishes and not just sides. I will concede that they aren’t always the most versatile things ever (hey, they’re no tomatoes and garlic, for example) but that’s ok. They don’t have to be an everyday thing. And that’s probably what makes them so special to me.
Last year I wrote about a very delicious Winter Squash Puree with Shaved Parmesan. Yep, I’m still enjoying that delightful recipe from the lovely Amelia Saltsman and her book stays with me at all times. But I’ve already told you that. This year my dearest friend Grace-Marie shared her recipe for glazed acorn squash with me and I was bowled over in its simplicity. I’d say it’d be a perfect side to a roast chicken or pork loin but I haven’t gotten there yet. I’m still stuck on repeat.
Grace Marie’s Molasses Glazed Acorn Squash
Yea, this would be pretty much at home on any Thanksgiving table this year and it’d also be home on a fork making its way into my mouth right about now. Buy a few extra acorn squashes to use as centerpieces because they are so gosh darn pretty, ain’t they?
- 4 medium acorn squash, skin on (slice in half lengthwise, remove the seeds, then slice into 2-inch thick wedges
- 1/4 cup molasses (as mild as you have, nothing too strong n powerful)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted melted butter
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, a really good one!
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 400˚F. Cover a baking sheet with foil and top with parchment paper. Combine and mix the molasses, butter, vinegar, oil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Add squash and toss to coat well. Arrange the squash onto the baking sheet and drizzle any remaining glaze over the top. Roast the squash, turning once, until tender. You can poke it with a fork to check for doneness, this will take about 30 minutes.
Grace-Marie says any yellow- or orange-fleshed squash works just as well in this recipe. And there you have it.
