Feta & Almond stuffed delicata squash

It’s fall in San Francisco, which really means we are experiencing amazing 80 degree weather and enjoying the sunshine. Yes, I do intentionally try to make all of you suffering through any sort of cold jealous. No shame. This week, my CSA (community supported agriculture) farm brought me a wide array of fall fruits and veggies including Delicata Squash. I am a huge fan of squash in general, especially butternut squash and small summer squashes. Delicata is an interesting variety though because unlike butternut squash, the rind is pretty thin and easy to cut. It also is thin enough that you can bake it and eat it without peeling! Here’s a yummy recipe for stuffed delicate squash. The tangy salty texture of the feta is a great contrast to the sweetness of the baked squash.

Ingredients:

• 1 delicata squash
• 1/8 C olive oil
• 2 T garlic
• 1 t. salt
• 1 t. pepper
• 1 t. paprika
• 2 t. oregano (I used dried, but you can use fresh!)
• 1 t. cumin
• 2-3 ounces crumbled feta
• 1/4 c slivered almonds

Recipe:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Cut delicata squash in half and remove the seeds

3. Combine olive oil, salt, pepper, paprika, cumin, oregano and garlic in a bowl.

4. Coat the inside of the squash with the oil mixture and bake for 20 minutes.

5. Remove from oven and fill with a mixture of feta and almonds

6. Bake for 10 more minutes in the oven. It should be fork tender when you remove it from the oven.

7. Serve hot with your favorite hot sauce (yes, I did eat it with Sriracha!)

Helpful hint: I ate half my stuffed squash for dinner and then took the other half to work for lunch as a salad.

8. For a salad, cut up the squash into smaller bite sized portions.

9. Combine  1 C cooked quinoa with the half squash cut up and one sliced bell pepper. You can add spinach too to be even more healthy!

10. Dress the salad with a combination of 2 T olive oil, 1 T aged balsamic vinegar, and 1 T honey.

ENJOY!