Winter Squash

This time of year there are a lot of different kinds of squash at the supermarket. My favorite is butternut because it has a slightly sweet nutty flavor and is very tender. I also like acorn squash but I've found that sometimes its texture is fibrous. I like to peel butternut squash and roast it at 400 degrees F. with a little olive oil and salt and pepper. Roasting concentrates the flavor and the sugar caramelizes adding sweetness. We don't eat a whole squash at one meal so for the second time around, I puree the squash and add a little honey and fresh or dried thyme.

Squash is high in vitamins A and C and has lots of fiber. Like all yellow vegetables it is also high in antioxidants that are part of a healthy diet.

I recently read a recipe for Roasted Acorn Squash in Chez Panisse Vegetables by Alice Waters. She places a clove of garlic and a spring of thyme under each half of squash before roasting and the flavors are infused into the meat of the squash.