South African Grilled and Stuffed Butternut Squash

1 Butternut squash, halved and seeded
1 c. Cooked chopped spinach
2-4 Shallots, minced
8oz Feta cheese
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
Olive Oil
Rosemary

Heat the grill - either light the charcoal or turn on the gas.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté until softened. Add the spinach, feta, and garlic. Cook until heated through. Remove from the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Scoop the spinach/feta mixture into the hollowed out halves of the butternut. Sprinkle with chopped rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Wrap the individual halves in aluminum foil. 

Place on the grill, or better yet nestled directly in the coals. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until soft, testing for doneness with a knife.  

Coconut Sage Delicata Squash

Our new favorite way to serve delicata - simple and delicious.

2 T Coconut Oil
1 Delicata Squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeded, and then sliced
1 T Sage, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat the coconut oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Once heated but not smoking, add the sliced delicata. Cook until browned on one side and then flip the squash. Add the sage, and salt and pepper. Cook until browned on the other side and the sage begins to crisp. Serve immediately.
C

Kale Squash Soup

Feel free to beef up the ingredients. Just about any fall vegetable would be good in this soup.

Squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
Onion, chopped
Some sort of grain – barley, rice, pasta, etc
Stock – enough to cover all ingredients and cook grains
Kale, destemmed and coarsely chopped Thyme
Sage

Toss squash with olive oil and salt. Roast in a hot oven until just tender. Cook onions in a stock pot until just translucent, add broth and grains. Boil until grains are cooked. Add remaining ingredients, season to taste, simmer for 15 -20 minutes. Serve! 

Miso Curry Delicata Squash

from Super Natural Everyday

1 delicata squash
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white miso
1 tbs red Thai curry paste
8 ounces tofu (cut in to small cubes)
4 medium new potatoes, unpeeled, cut into chunks
2 tbs lemon juice
1.5 cups chopped kale
1/3 cup toasted pepitas
2/3 cup chopped cilantro

Heat oven to 400. Cut squash in half lengthwise, clear out the seeds, and cut into 1/2 inch thick half-moons. In a medium bowl, whish together olive oil, miso, and curry paste. Combine tofu, potatoes, and squash in a large bowl with 1/3 cup of the miso-curry mixture. Use your hands to toss well then turn the vegetables out onto a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer. Roast for 25-30 minutes, until everything is tender and browned. Toss once or twice along the way, keep a close watch. While the vegetables are roasting, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining miso-curry paste, then stir in the kale until coated. Toss the roasted vegetables gently with the kale, pepitas, and cilantro. Serve.

Roasted Vegetable Pasta

1 medium delicata squash, seeded & sliced 1/3-inch thick
3 shallots, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil or melted clarified butter
fine grain sea salt
4 medium cloves garlic, peel on
12 kale leaves, washed & dried well, de-stemmed & cut into 3-inch strips
1 1/2 cups / 9 ounces uncooked orzo pasta, or other pasta
1/2 cup /  plain yogurt
For serving: slivered scallions, fresh oregano, toasted nuts or seeds

Preheat the oven to 400F / 205C with racks arranged in the top and bottom thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment. You're going to roast the squash, shallots, and garlic on one sheet, and the kale on another.

Prep the delicata squash, and toss it in a large bowl with the shallots, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and a big pinch of salt. Arrange in a single layer on one of the baking sheets, add the garlic and place on the bottom rack, for about 30 minutes. Spin once or twice along the way to get even roasting - let it all get deeply golden.

After the squash is in the oven, use the same bowl to toss the kale with another splash of olive, and pinch of salt. Arrange the leaves on the other baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, or until you get a touch of browning, but the leaves are primarily still green. Set aside.

Get the pasta water boiling, salt well, and cook the orzo pasta. Drain and use quickly (warm) OR (if you won't be serving for a while) run under cold water, and toss with a tiny splash of olive oil.

For the dressing, extract the roasted garlic from its peel, and mash it with a bit of the yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon sea salt. Work in the rest of the yogurt, taste, and add more salt if needed.

When you're ready to serve, toss the orzo, and roasted vegetables with about half of the yogurt. Turn out onto a platter and sprinkle with scallions, oregano, and seeds/nuts. Serve the remaining yogurt to the side.

Serves 4-6.

Prep time: 10 min - Cook time: 30 min