The leaves are turning into the deep earth tones of orange, yellow, and faded green. While the acorns are falling randomly by the hundreds and the squirrels are rounding them up diligently before the cold of the cold sets in, the days are becoming a little bit shorter since we passed the Harvest Moon. It’s mid-November and summer has whisked us on our way to a new season of colors and flavors.
In true ayurvedic fashion, I decided to get into step with the season’s harvest. I picked up a few varieties of fall/winter squash while shopping at Whole Foods the other day and I’m super excited to share my new squash loves. We probably have noticed these sweet nectar fruits on beautiful table displays, but perhaps we haven’t yet ventured into their delicious insides. Maybe we are even wondering, “Wow, I didn’t know you could eat those?!”
No worries, I’m about to share a super easy way to enjoy these beautiful fall squash. I love simple goodness and this is a simple and good recipe.
Here are the varieties I picked up – Red Kuri, Sweet Dumpling, and Delicata.
Recipe
Extra virgin olive oil
Fresh Himalayan sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
Roasted Saigon Cinnamon, to taste (sprinkled on top)
Sliced Red Kuri, Sweet Dumpling, and Delicata (cut squash in half like and scoop out the seeds and the stringy middle part)
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Coat the sliced squash varieties with extra virgin olive oil, fresh sea salt and pepper and sprinkle roast Saigon cinnamon on top. Put in oven and turn the squash over within 10 minutes. The red kuri and sweet dumpling will cook a little more quickly, though the cooking time depends on the thinness/thickness of your slices. Check squash at 20-30 minutes. Once you can poke with a fork easily and the sides begin to brown, you can pull the squash out of the oven.
Enjoy roasted as is, as a side, or make part of a more elaborate meal. I put my roasted fall squash varieties on top of some fresh sprouted organic brown rice, served with a side of sautéed arugula and pumpkin seeds.
Om Shanti Om ~ Athea
