Stuffed Delicata Squash

Lynne Wilson
Wilson Farm, Lexington, Mass.

Editor's Note: This is a beautiful and delicious combination of vegetables that can serve as a side dish – perfect for Thanksgiving! – or even as a main course. Although this could be made with the more common acorn squash, it is worth a trip to a farm stand to get the more unusual looking delicata squash – yellow with green lines and oval in shape. The squash is sweet and comforting and a nice counterpoint to the chewy, tangy, and nutty rice filling. I imagine this could be cooked and assembled in advance and just heated in the oven before serving (probably covered, to keep the filling from drying out). And here's an idea to make this recipe even more versatile – skip the squash altogether and serve the rice mixture alone. With the apple cider-flavored onions, the pecans, and the cranberries, this dish is loaded with colors and textures.

Ingredients

2 whole delicata squash, cut in half, seeds scooped out
3 cups cooked wild and long grain rice mix, prepared
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tablespoons + more olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat flesh of the squash with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet plan and roast until squash are tender, about 25-35 minutes.

Meanwhile, put 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, about 10-12 minutes. Add apple cider and cook for 30 seconds. Set aside. Mix the onions with the cooked rice, pecans, cranberries, and sage. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Evenly stuff the squash halves with the mixture. Bake until filling is hot, about 10-15 minutes. Serve as an entrée or use as a side dish.

Wilson Farm in Lexington is a family-owned and operated farm and farm stand that is dedicated to providing the highest quality products and service. Wilson Farm is a new advertiser on ShalomBoston.com and has contributed several recipes that we are pleased to make available on our web site. Special thanks to Lynne, who has more recipes available on the Wilson Farm web site and in The Wilson Farm Country Cookbook.

Stuffed Delicata Squash
ShalomBoston.com