How to Make Roasted Squash with Chile Vinaigrette

This is going to be the first post in a series called “Husband Alone with the CSA.” Lindsay has been away for work for two weeks. I’ve been travelling 3 days a week as well. Although I’ve been trying to share our bounty with friends and neighbors, I still have had to cook my way out from under a big pile of produce each week. The biggest challenge has been the menu planning. I’m a great soldier in the kitchen. I will chope, puree, brown, sear, mince, whatever. But Lindsay is usually the one giving the marching orders, or at least picking out the recipe. I had some Skype help, but a lot of the meals have been entirely my own doing .

On a side note, please forgive the relative lack of pictures in these posts. It’s difficult to keep up with this much produce on my own. It’s VERY difficult to do so and take pictures at the same time. I did my best. So, on to recipe #1…

Roasted Delicata Squash with Chile Vinaigrette

Makes 3-4 servings as a side or 2 as a main

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (optional).
2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Cut off the top (stem end) and bottom of each half. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the cavity to clean out the “guts”.

   As you can see in the pictures, I waited too long to make this. Acorn squash can last for weeks on the counter, but with Delicata you need to move fast; you have no longer than a week to ten days. The bad news is that it’s thin-skinned compared to Acorn or Butternut. The flip side is that the skin is edible.

   By the time I cut out the pieces that were rotting, I lost a full third of the squash. But I was cooking it as a side for one, so all I lost was leftovers. I soldiered through!

   

3. Cut the squash lengthwise into 3/4 inch wedges.
4. In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the pepper, 3/4 of the salt, and 2 TBsp of olive oil. Place them on the sheet pan, flesh side (not skin side) down. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes. You want the wedges to be thoroughly roasted, but if it roasts too long the skin will become crunchy and inedible. If that does happen, simply remove the skin as you are eating it. It should peel away easily. If you are using Acorn squash, the skin will not be edible.
5. In the meantime, mince the garlic and mash it with the remaining salt into a paste. Finely chop the hot peppers, including the seeds (be careful to wash your hands thoroughly and don’t touch your eyes in the meantime!). Transfer the garlic paste and chopped peppers to a small bowl. Whisk in the lime juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the cilantro to the mix. Depending on your taste, you may want to adjust the amount of oil vs. lime juice vs. hot peppers. This version is on the bright side (more lime and less oil) and hot side.
6. Plate the squash and drizzle with the vinaigrette.