Hiya! Back from a very family and activity filled holiday weekend. Thankfully I think we have a few quiet days ahead before all the craziness sets in again. Anyway, hope all is good with you from whatever part of the country or world you hail from. Here in the Northeast, it's been unusually warm and sticky, but we're not going to let a little thing like that stop us from celebrating the things that make autumn such a special time of year, are we? Hence, the acorn squash featured today. Can't get much more "Fall" in looks and taste! If you're looking for a way to seasonal-up an ordinary weeknight, this sweet and savory side will most definitely do the trick!!

When I walk into the market now, I'm bombarded by bright orange pumpkins, little knobby, warty gourds and squash--lots of squash! Some are fairly common like butternut and spaghetti. Others, like kabocha and delicata are a little more exotic and off the beaten path. But no matter what, all are of the Cucurbita species and except for some close African cousins, are native to the Americas, which explains why they are such a big part of traditional Thanksgiving Day celebrations. Ok, I think I've been enough of an encyclopedia for now!! Let's talk about the most important part of squash:  the taste!! Because what makes this veggie so beloved is its mellow sweetness and versatility. Baked, boiled, roasted, puréed into soup--it's all good when it comes to squash. This recipe for the acorn variety enhances the natural sweetness of the squash by roasting it along with sugar and cinnamon and  then balances it out by topping the caramelized squash with a garlicky yogurt sauce. It's a sweet and savory totally yin/yang experience!

And easy to make too! You don't even have to peel the squash since the rind is edible! Just be sure to use a sharp knife for slicing and be careful!

Once you've thrown together the yogurt sauce, which takes about a minute, you brown the sices in a bit of oil to help bring out the flavor.

Then all you do is sprinkle them with a cinnamon-sugar mixture and bake them in the same pot you browned them in. You don't even have to wash the pot in between! 

What emerges from the oven are luscious, tender, caramelized squash slices that taste great on their own-- 

And even better with the counterbalance of garlicky yogurt sauce to cut the sweetness. Heavenly!

You can make the most boring entree out there and dinner will still be memorable! Behold the power of the squash! 

Caramelized Acorn Squash with Cooling Garlic-Yogurt Sauce

Makes 3-4 servings  

Prep Time:  45 minutes (most of this is hands free): Cook Time:  35 minutes

Ingredients

For the sauce

• 3/4 cup plain yogurt (not Greek) 
• 1 large garlic clove, minced  
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

For the squash

• 1 large acorn squash
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon  
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt  
• 1-2 tablespoons vegetable oil  

The Recipe

1.  To make the garlic-yogurt sauce:  place all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix together well with a spoon. Set aside. You can even make this a day or two ahead and leave it covered in the fridge.

2.  To make the squash:  preheat oven to 350 F. Mix the sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a small bowl and set aside. Using a sharp knife, slice off the ends of the squash and discard. Then lay it flat side down and slice through the middle. Scoop out and discard all the seeds and stringy stuff and cut the halves into 1-inch strips.

3.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven or other large heavy-bottom oven proof pot with a tight-fitting lid. Use tongs to add a few slices of the squash at a time to the pot to brown on both sides. You will definitely have to do this in batches. Transfer the browned slices to a plate and add more oil to the pot if necessary to finish browning all of the squash. 

5.  Remove the pot from the heat and return all the squash to it, layering them. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over it, cover the pot and place in the oven to bake for 30 minutes. 

6.  Remove the pot from the oven. The squash will be incredibly tender and delicate. Carefully remove it to a platter and spoon the sweet glaze at the bottom of the pot over it if you like. Then, drizzle the yogurt sauce over the squash and serve with additional sauce in the side for dipping purposes. 

Enjoy! 

Note:  Recipe adapted from The Gourmet Kitchen by Jennifer Farley. I left the ¼ teaspoon coriander out of the spice mixture.