Roasted Acorn Squash Salad + Speaking Honestly

I am going to be completely honest with you.

There are very few things I like about Fall.

I know, know.  Your shock and dismay are not lost on me.  I know I am supposed to be a lover of the seasons changing, of the leaves going from green to reds and golds, of the thought of scarves being tied around my neck.

And in a way, I do like those things. Honestly.  I mean, I have never seen the Northeast during this time of the year, but I bet it is fantastic.  And yes, I do appreciate getting to pull a pair of boots out of the closet. The smells, oh... even I must admit the smells are great.  Cinnamon and apples baking, pumpkin soup cooking.

So I guess it is not that I dislike Fall, it is just that I like Spring and Summer better.

And Winter?  Except for Christmas, I could totally do without it.  (Now before you get all "but-you-live-in-california-so-you-don't-know-what-winter-really-is..." -- and you are totally right -- let me share what Winter means to me: rain and shortened days. That pretty much is the sum total of Winter after Christmas has passed. So no, I do not like Winter.  I really, truly don't.)

But despite all that, there is something that Fall totally takes the cake on: the produce.

I adore Fall produce.

Pumpkins.  Apples.  Brussels sprouts (yes, even brussels sprouts).

Pears, cranberries, sweet potatoes... my list can go on and on.  I love 'em.  They are full of flavor and full of color.

My favorite of all the Fall produce, though?  Squash.  I mean, I know it is technically "winter squash", but those butternut and acorn squashes that come out around this time of year?  I cannot get enough.

Summer is fantastic, but summer squash will never be able to compete with these guys.  Need proof?  It's right here:

ROASTED ACORN SQUASH SALAD

Recipe adapted from Gourmande in the Kitchen

SERVES 2 •  PREP TIME: 15 MINUTES  •  TOTAL TIME: 50 MINUTES

ingredients

• ¼ cup sliced almonds
• small acorn squash
• tablespoon olive oil
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey
• 5 oz. fresh greens, washed and dried
• 2 oz. goat cheese

directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  While it is preheating, cut squash in half and scrape out seeds.  Cut the squash into quarters, leaving the skin on.
2. On a large baking sheet, place squash skin side down.  Drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast until tender, about 40 minutes.
3. While squash is roasting, make reduced apple cider vinegar: pour the vinegar in to a heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat.  Add honey and stir, allowing to come to a simmer.  Cook until the vinegar is reduced to about half of the original volume.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
4. Once cool, toss greens with about 1 tablespoon of the reduced vinegar.  Store the rest of the vinegar in a sealed container. 
5. When squash has finished roasting, remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Place on plate and top with greens, almonds, and goat cheese.  Drizzle more vinegar if desired.

COST: $3.49        COST PER SERVING (2): $1.75

Unprocessed    //    Gluten Free    //   Vegetarian

Do You Hear the People Sing? (Roasted Acorn Squash Pasta)

In T-minus two hours I will get to do something I have been waiting for since August: see Les Miserables!  (Actually by the time this post goes up I will have seen it, but bear with me, at this moment the excitement is flowing.)

//source//

Here is something about me you might not have known about me, but I am a major musical girl.  Love love LOVE them.  I first discovered this as a teenager, roaming the streets of London with my senior class.  Piccadilly Circus offered us any musical we could want, and I made the call: Les Mis.  I had never heard of it before, yet I was scared to watch Phantom (true then, not true anymore...), so I just went with it.  My friends did not argue.  From the moment I stepped into that theater and watched this beautiful and ugly story unfold before my eyes, I was hooked.  Anna and the King, Phantom of the Opera, Grease, Miss Saigon (which I have seen both in English and in Portuguese!)... I cannot get enough.  

But none has touched me like Les Miserables.  

Maybe it is because it was my 'first love', maybe it is because both London and San Francisco did it right.  I don't know, really.  But I do know this: I have been waiting for this moment (first chance to see it on the big screen since it came out two days ago) ever since I saw the preview in Aug.  I have been counting the days. And I no longer have to say, "One day more..."

But first we dine on our roasted acorn squash pasta with kale and toasted almonds.  Vegan and full of rich vegetables, not to mention quite tasty...  (Asked in my best Chandler voice) Could tonight be any better?!

How about you -- Yay or nay for musicals? Favorites?

Roasted Acorn Squash with Kale and Almonds

Recipe from Everyday Food, Dec. 2012

Prep: 10 Min    Total Time: 40 min    Servings: 4

ingredients

• 1 acorn squash (about 1 pound), cut into 1-inch wedges, then crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
• 5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• Salt and pepper
• 3/4 pound medium pasta shells
• 1 bunch curly kale, tough stems and ribs removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1/3 cup almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss together squash, garlic, and 1 tablespoon oil and arrange in a single layer; season with salt and pepper. Bake until squash is soft and lightly golden, 20 to 25 minutes, tossing halfway through. Remove garlic from skins and toss with squash.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 1 minute less than package instructions. Add kale and cook 1 minute. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain. Return pasta and kale to pot, add squash mixture and remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss to combine, adding enough pasta water to create a light sauce that coats pasta. Serve topped with almonds.

COST: $3.53   COST PER SERVING (4): $0.89