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it's time for fall food and this is one of my favorites!
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Food for Thought Friday: delicata squash with surprise crunchy insides 🍂
 

Hello there, friend! I hope you are well!

I could have sworn I'd written about this (delicata squash) before but apparently I haven't yet dedicated a full email to it, so had to rectify that today!

Delicata squash is my favorite and most-often-cooked squash because it is by far the easiest to cut and cook! I get so excited when I buy my first delicata squash of the season, ushering in a new season of warming, comforting foods. I bought some delicatas a couple weeks ago, but they are still sitting on my kitchen shelf waiting to be cooked!

I only ever make them one way nowadays - the laziest and BEST way - which is the way I'm going to tell you about today!

Just in case you're not sure what a delicata squash IS, here's what they look like (although they can be more orange or green as well):

I love these babies because:
  1. They are easy to cut for a hard-squash, and there's no peeling - you eat the skins!!
  2. They roast pretty fast when you slice them thin - about 25 mins at 400 degrees F.
  3. They're super delicious and addictively good! (similar to last week's cabbage - I often eat all of these straight off the pan!)

Here are two tricks that I combined into my favorite way to roast/prepare delicata squash...

Trick #1: JUST LEAVE THE SEEDS IN AND ROAST THOSE TOO!!!

Learned this in an Alison Roman cookbook - SO GENIUS! The seeds are delicious and crunchy (and small) so this works amazingly well! You get the soft, tender squash plus a crunchy, toasty seeds, ALL IN ONE BITE!!

Trick #2: Season the PAN, put the veg on it, then season the tops = no tossing!

Learned this one from Dorie Greenspan (I think) - who suggests drizzling the sheet pan with oil and sprinkling with salt first. Then I add the delicata slices and swish them around a bit so they get nice and glisteny on the bottom side. That bottom side with the oil is where you're gonna get the nice browning! Then you'll season the top with a little more salt/oil too.

Full instructions below, plus photos, and there's quick video here on my instagram stories - oldie but still relevant as ever!

Happy delicata season, friend!

Love,
Jess

PS. My wedding is 3 weeks away 😱 hence the late nature of this email and my extended absence from social media. But emails will still be comin' out! Thanks for sticking with me through all the seasons of life :).

Simple Roasted Delicata Squash with Crunchy Seeds!
takes about 40 minutes (15 active, 25 roasting)

Ingredients:
  • 2-4 delicata squash (about 2 per baking sheet)
  • oil, salt (pepper/spices optional)
  • equipment: large baking sheet or two

Notes:
  • You can cook this between 400-425. As always, higher heat will cook it faster, but comes with more risk of burning so if you do it hotter, check more often! These can burn easily, especially if you slice them very thin, so keep a close eye on them!
  • Sometimes I flip them after about 15 minutes, sometimes I don't - depends how well they are browning (or not). Make sure to check the undersides as that's where the browning will happen first.

Instructions:
  1. Preheat oven to 400/425.
  2. Remove any stickers, then wash+dry squashes or wipe with a damp towel. Cut off the bottom end, then slice thinly as pictured (about ~1/4inch thick), leaving seeds intact as you can. Repeat for all the squashes.
  3. Get out baking sheets. Drizzle pan(s) with oil and sprinkle with salt.
  4. Place slices flat on the seasoned baking sheet(s) and before the whole sheet is full, swish them around a little to coat evenly with the oil and salt.
  5. Drizzle the tops with a little more oil and sprinkle with a bit more salt. Rub the tops quickly/gently with your hands to even out the oil coating. (Add pepper or spices here if you like.)
  6. Place tray(s) in the oven. Set timer for 15 mins.
  7. At 15-20 minutes, check the undersides. If super brown, flip as needed.
  8. Keep roasting until cooked through - tender and nicely golden-browned. It should take about 25-30 minutes, depending on your oven and how thin or thick you sliced them. Undercooked, these are underwhelming so make sure you cook them through/till golden brown!
  9. Enjoy straight off the pan, or dipped in a sauce! Also great as leftovers!
All photos are taken by me and recipes written by me, unless otherwise noted.

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Hi, I'm Jess! I help health-conscious, busy people transform their cooking from chore to lifestyle through intuitive cooking, which I teach through online classes, free content, coaching and more. This is my newsletter, Food for Thought Fridays, where I share highly actionable tips and inspiration to help you cook more intuitively (which makes cooking feel easier and SO much more fun!). Once a month, I share a recipe that's really worth making, and I only share those with my email subscribers. Sometimes the text above may include affiliate links, meaning (at no additional cost to you) I get a commission if you click through and make a purchase. This helps me to continue to share free content, so I would love it if you buy through my link! Thank you for supporting Garlic Press Jess!

    I currently work + live on land that is the unceded territory of the Ramaytush Ohlone. And I can't wait to eat at Cafe Ohlone! Check out this article about them.


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