This is absolutely my favorite way to eat acorn squash. The recipe dates back to my college days at Wells (not to be confused with Wellsley) , a small formerly- women’s college on Cayuga Lake in Upstate NY. When I say small….there were only 4 other biology majors besides myself. Needless to say, we got a great education and developed wonderful relationships with each other and with our professors. One such beloved biology professor, Tea Mendelsson, kept her small sailboat in the lake during the spring and summer. As fall rolled in the deal was this: we help her get her boat out of the water, she would cook dinner. She made this squash for us one year and I have made it every year since.
I had never eaten an acorn squash. I had seen them in the supermarket and just assumed it was “one of those gourds that you decorate with.” It certainly didn’t look edible. Was I ever wrong. This recipe is very simple; 5 ingredients, all recognizable. I really hope you try this sometime. I don’t think you’ll regret it.
INGREDIENTS:
1 acorn squash, cut in half and seeds scooped out
1 pat butter (yes, I eat butter)
1/4 C blueberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 Granny Smith apple, diced
1 T honey or 1/2 T brown sugar (yes, I also eat brown sugar) *
*(IMPORTANT NOTE: If feeding this recipe to children 12 months old and younger use brown sugar. Honey often contains dormant endospores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum which can be dangerous and sometimes lethal for children this age.)
Place all ingredients into the acorn squash “bowl”. Cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 425 degrees.
If you cut it in half it will serve 2 people. If you don’t want to share, then cut the “lid’ off and eat the whole thing. Up to you. It won’t kill you. The orange squash will boost your immune system, help prevent macular degeneration, and fight cancer. The blueberries will help your memory. The green apple will fight colds, prevent cancer and help your liver clear itself of the toxins in your system. The local honey (shout out to my friend Shari and her fabulous bees!) will expose you to local pollens and keep your seasonal allergies at bay. And all the fiber will give the muscles lining your GI tract a fabulous workout and keep things “moving”, if you know what I mean (wink!)
