HOMECOOKINGCHRONICLES
Fall fl avor
BY BRIAN MEDFORD
The names of some foods sound enticing.
Croissant, fi let mignon, honey crisp.
Squash, however never made anyone’s heart fl utter.
Generally speaking, there are two kinds of squash. Sum-
mer squash with their thin, edible skins that are easy to prep
and quick to cook. And winter squash, with usually tougher,
inedible exterior skins that allow them to survive lower
temperatures.
I love all squash equally. Although I briefl y broke up
with acorn squash after preparing one resulted in a trip to the
Urgent Care and fi ve stitches.
While I don’t mind a long roast in the oven for a win-
ter squash, peeling them can feel onerous when I want an
unfussy dinner. Perhaps this is underlying trauma from the
acorn squash incident. I wonder if there are food-injury men-
tal health therapists out there; I should fi nd one.
Thinned skinned squash result in quick and simple meal prep,
so let me introduce the love of my winter squash life, delicata. I
almost want to sing its name out; it’s that kind of vegetable.
Delicata squash are cylindrical in shape, with a thin yel-
low and green striped skin. They can also come in a squat
(fl at-bottomed) and round shape, called a sweet dumpling
(I’m not making this up!). Delicata squash will keep for a few
weeks and the skins are edible.
Brian Medford
Author Brian Medford roasts and seasons delicata squash to
use in salads, side dishes or as a snack.
My go-to way to cook delicata is oven roasting, which car-
amelizes the sugars, and results in a sweet tasting squash with
a slightly burnished exterior and a creamy interior. You can
roast the seeds as well.
Delicata squash is gloriously versatile and pairs well with
sweet or savory spices.
I enjoy serving roasted delicata on top of a kale salad, as
a dinner side dish or as a crunchy snack. Being thin skinned
never tasted so good.
Roasted Delicata Squash
Serves 2 to 4.
This is my standard recipe that can be easily embellished
with your favorite aromatics and accompaniments
• 3 medium delicata squash (about 3 pounds), scrubbed
clean
• 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 heaping teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• Sprinkle of red pepper fl akes or Aleppo pepper
(optional)
• Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
Trim the ends of the squash. Cut in half lengthwise and
scoop the seeds out. Cut each half into 1/3-inch-thick half-
moons and transfer to a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil
or parchment paper.
Drizzle the squash with the olive oil. Add the kosher
salt, black pepper and red pepper fl akes (optional ) and toss
together so the squash is evenly coated.
Roast in the oven, tossing the squash on the baking sheet
about half way through, until the squash is tender and slightly
burnished on the outside, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Sprinkle with fl aky salt and serve.
Possible embellishments
Add 3 to 4 sprigs of rosemary or thyme to the sheet pan
and toss before roasting.
Omit the red pepper fl akes and add brown sugar and toss
before roasting.
Sprinkle the roasted squash with parmesan, roasted pump-
kin seeds or za’atar.
Drizzle the roasted squash with maple syrup or a fi nish-
ing oil.
Brian Medford is the owner of Idlewild Biscuits and Bakes
in Astoria. He teaches cooking classes at The Pantry in Seat-
tle. Contact him at blmedford@gmail.com.
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