October 6, 2005
as seen in "The Dinner Diva" syndicated column
by Leanne Ely

I can never go to the grocery store alone. I have to sneak out or say I am going somewhere else if I want to go alone. For some reason, my teenage children still think going to the market is a great adventure.

Anyway, I was in the produce section with my 15-year-old daughter, rounding up the usual suspects for the week's menu, when she spied butternut squash on sale. "Oh mom look! Butternut!" Sure enough, the butternuts were bountiful. We bought two and my daughter prattled on how she wanted them prepared.

Isn't that the coolest? Having a child who actually likes veggies and picks them out herself and then talks about them? Sure, she'd dive head first into a bag of Doritos like no one's business, but my kids were brought up going to the market, learning to pick out produce and having a say-so in what we brought home (after I trained them, of course). This is one of the keys to preventing picky eaters (more on that in a later Dinner Diva column).

Anyway, back to those mysterious winter squashes. I have actually had cashiers at the grocery store ask me what I planned to do with the ones I buy because they have no earthly idea that there is a vitamin-packed, delicious food in those hard casings!

Here's how to prepare any winter squash, plus a recipe I happen to love.

It's really not that hard to make delicious winter squash. First off, wash your winter squash and stab it a few times. (No Norman Bates imitations. Go easy.)

Next, put your stabbed darling into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size. Throw it right on the rack — no pan necessary.

When the time is up, pull the squash from the oven and set it aside. Now futz with your salad or whatever else you need to do to get dinner ready. When the squash is cool enough to handle, proceed with the peeling and deseeding and cubing of your gourd. Place in a baking dish and bake till tender. You can add a little orange juice, water, broth — anything to give it a little moisture. Top with some herbs, too. If you used orange juice, try some cinnamon or nutmeg. If you added water, go with just about anything. If you used broth, a little sage or thyme works well. When the squash is tender, it's done. Use a fork to smush it into a puree, add a little honey or maple syrup if you cooked it with cinnamon and nutmeg and enjoy — you've earned that delicious squash!

Butternut Ravioli Stew