Roasted Delicata Squash

I absolutely love fall. Hands down it’s my favorite time of year. Well not necessarily San Diego “fall”, mostly because we typically get an Indian Summer (which means our summer months are cold but the fall months are super HOT), but the traditional fall is my favorite.

I love the crispness in the air, the turning of the leaves, I even love the time change when everything gets dark earlier. There’s this general feeling of turning in, staying in, and slowing down. It gives me an excuse to have movie nights with fancy popcorn and hot chocolate, to sit by a fire with a good book and bundle up before I go outside. Speaking of bundling up, I am a huge fan of a good sweater, it’s like a constant warm hug.

All of those things aside, I’m also a huge fan of fall produce. Many years ago (I won’t be specific so I don’t date myself), I did an Ayurveda cleanse that taught me how to eat for the seasons. Ayurveda is a type medicine that’s native to India, and when it comes to the food portion of this more holistic approach to health, the focus is on eating what is plentiful around you because what’s available for that season will keep you healthy for that season.

This was so helpful for me because up until that point, I always felt lost when it came to produce that was available in the fall and winter. Learning how to incorporate all these squashes and winter fruits into my life, gave me a new appreciation for fall food beyond just a good chili in the crockpot.

One of the best squashes I learned how to cook during this time is the Delicate Squash. It’s actually relatively hard to find, so when it comes out in the stores I make sure to stock up (Trader Joe’s by the way always has it in the fall and it’s always reasonably priced) because not only is this one a crowd pleaser, it’s also really easy to cook and really versatile. It’s also really easy to prepare and specifically to cut, not like a butternut squash or acorn squash that takes a little finesse to cut into. The go to way for us to eat it is roasted, but you can have it with eggs, you can stuff it with ground turkey, and it’s also pretty amazing with cheese!

Roasted delicata squash

1 delicata squash

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees, line a cookie sheet with tin foil and spray with non-stick spray. Make sure you’ve washed off your squash, cut the ends off of your squash, cut it down the middle and remove the seeds with a spoon. Placing the cut side down, cut the squash into 1/4 to 1/2 inch slices and arrange in a single layer on your cookie sheet. Drizzle the olive oil, and sprinkle the seasonings on top, toss it all together so the squash is evenly coated, and cook for 20-25 minutes or until tender. Enjoy! (Yes you can eat the peel too!)