I sometimes write about meals I've made with week-old vegetables. It's time for me to come clean. Sometimes they're even older than that. I have a personal rule that I think of as the "Little House on the Prairie Rule." If I can remember (or imagine) Laura Ingalls Wilder or her sister Mary fetching a piece of food from the root cellar in the winter, I figure it's probably okay to let it age awhile before I cook it.
Earlier this week, it was time to break out the butternut squash I bought in early September. (I won't say how early in September. I have to preserve SOME dignity, folks!) I bought it to make soup, but I made a lot of soup in September. In October, I've just been tired, and I've been nuking spaghetti squash and eating Jack-in-the-Box salad instead. (More on nuking spaghetti squash later. It's great.) I was finally feeling better, and up to the challenge of cutting up squash. Maybe aging helps, because it actually wasn't all that hard to cut. Here's the squash before I prepared it. It has a little character from being on my counter for, um, awhile:
I cut it open, and it seemed a little dry but mostly okay.
To roast:
I cut it in 1" cubes, put them on foil on a baking sheet, sprayed with cooking spray, and roasted at 450 for 25 minutes.
Then I whisked up a quick mustard sauce:
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
And drizzled it over the top. I love mustard with anything sweet.
It was not dry or tough or rotten tasting. In fact, it was very good. So eat old squash without (too much) fear, faithful readers!
Happy are the families where the government of parents is the reign of affection, and obedience of the children the submission to love.Do you understand?
Posted by: True Religion Jeans | September 15, 2011 at 07:52 PM
You are so much braver than I am!
Posted by: susan | November 12, 2009 at 12:40 PM
Really a Mouth Watering Dish. Thanks for sharing such great recipes here in this site.
Posted by: green tea | November 03, 2009 at 09:43 PM