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PHOTOSBYNANCYLINDAHL Acorn squash with ricotta and sage is pretty to look at, and tasty as well. Squashyourdoubts ByNancyLindahl Thereitsat,onit'sridged back, GIGANTIC. It dwarfed the elementary school cafe- teria tray and the tiny card- board carton of orange sher- betwiththeattachedtongue- depressorwoodenspoonthat sat next to it. What the heck was it? This corrugated un- eatable upended on my tray? Itwasn'tdessert—wealready had the aforementioned or- ange sherbet. It couldn't be a vegeta- ble because it's brilliant or- ange cut side had a well shimmering with melted brown sugar and butter. It was huge and squashy and the only thing standing be- tween me and lunch recess on the playground at Si- erra View School where I was something of a legend (in my own mind) at four- square. The rule was, you had to finish your lunch before you could go out on the play- ground, and it was enforced by warden-like lunch ladies that patrolled the rows of long tables like extras in a prison movie. As one turned away, I frantically stuffed a couple of squash bites into my empty milk carton, a couple more into that sher- bet cup — it was hopeless. I would not be defending my four-square title on the playground today. I was de- feated by ... acorn squash. The other day, fast for- ward decades since fourth grade, I dog-eared a photo- graph of a beautiful acorn squash lying demurely on a dark plate next to a sprig of cobweb-gray sage and thought now was the time to reconcile with this inno- cent member of the squash family, and learn its re- deemable qualities. I had some help from Ro- chelle Bilow, who writes in "An Ode to Acorn Squash" for Bon Appetit magazine, "We're going to 'fess up: Acorn squash is the best squash there is. From its deep orange color to its un- fussy functionality, we can't get enough of the acorn. Here are four good reasons why." First is the edible skin, ever so much better than the highly touted delicata squash. "Acorn squash is actually the best choice for skin-on squash, because if you leave it intact before you slice it you end up with pretty ridged half-moons— the perfect addition to any fall-themed menu. Does delicata have ridged edges? Didn't think so." You can save and roast the seeds of an acorn squash, just like a pumpkin with half the gooey slime. Further you can eat the whole squash, "If you want to go really crazy, we sug- gest sprinkling a handful of toasted seeds over half- moons of roasted squash for a totally snout-to-tail dining experience." Tech- nically, you can do that with any squash, but read on to point number three, which is where she thinks the acorn really shines: It's better than a bread bowl. "Simply slice the squash in half lengthwise and chop off a tiny piece of the skin so that it sits flat. Then scoop out the seeds and any extra stringy bits. Roast it with plenty of but- ter, salt, and pepper. Once it's cooked through but not mushy, fill it as you would any normal bowl: with rice pilaf, a soup, a salad. Not only is it a tasty little serv- ing vessel, now you have fewer dishes to wash!" Bonus: fall decor! Those miniature lumpy, bumpy gourds available for pur- chase at farmstands and pumpkin patches sure are cute. But while they may look darling, they lack one important quality: They are not edible. "Acorn squash has the benefit of both tast- ing great and looking like the coffee table of a small woodland creature (in a good way). Let's face it: There's no squash as cute as an acorn squash. Kabocha is beautiful on the inside, but its exterior looks like it needs a chemical peel. Hub- bard is properly autumnal, but it's a clunker and far less easy to work with. "Spaghetti? Don't make me laugh. Butternut? We're not even going to get into what that thing looks like. If it's a functional, deeply sweet, gorgeous squash you're after, there can only be one: There can only be acorn squash." Searching for best of the best recipes for the won- drous acorn, I avoided all the butter-brown sugar- maple syrup ones (well ex- cept for one amazing one), and looked for savory ways to use the little squash. Easiest was to halve a medium squash lengthwise, cut half-inch slices across the ridges for a scalloped look, and toss the slices with olive oil, kosher salt, and fresh ground pepper, and lay them on a rimmed baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray then top with grated parmesan; roast in a 425-degree oven until golden brown, about 35-40 minutes. This was easy and pretty good, but a little on the "meh" side. A variation on this idea, recommended as a side for roast pork loin or meat- loaf, is to toss the squash slices with melted butter and lemon zest, then sea- son with salt and pepper and finely grated nutmeg. The lemon would brighten it a bit. Martha Stewart roasts wedges of acorn squash with shallots and rosemary which was the most flavor- fuloftherecipesItried. This would be good with lamb. SWEET BASIL AND THE BEE Acorn squash, the stuff of fourth-grade trauma, gets a second chance. Roastedacornsquash with shallots and rosemary Ingredients 2medium acorn squash, cleaned and cut lengthwise into 8wedges each 8shallots 6small sprigs fresh rosemary 3Tablespoons olive oil 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2teaspoons coarse salt 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper Directions Preheat oven to 450de- grees. Prepare acorn squash. Carefully cut each half into four wedges. Peel shallots, leaving root ends intact (separate into lobes, if large). Combine on a rimmed baking sheet with squash, fresh rosemary, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper; toss well to coat, and spread in a single layer. 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