The temperatures have rapidly dropped here in Montana. From in the mid-50s one day to icy roads and single-digit temperatures the next. Brr! To warm up around here I wanted to make some real fall/winter recipes. I bought an acorn squash from a local farm stand when I was buying pumpkins for Halloween and had not done anything with it as of yet. I found this recipe and swapped out the cheese they originally recommended (ricotta salata) for one I could find at the town’s NEW market, feta. Our little ski/mountain town finally got a real market with deli, fresh produce, and meat counter that opened this week, Roxy’s, and I am one happy rural resident!

It does take a little practice and a little prep time to cut through a hard-skinned squash and to seed a pomegranate so one of us took on each of the two “tougher” tasks to divide and conquer. The results of sweet, pop open in your mouth pomegranate seeds, salty cheese, and earthy, tender squash were a masterpiece! I think this recipe would be fantastic for the holidays too like Thanksgiving or Christmas (red and green!). Winner!

Roasted Squash with Feta and Pomegranate Seeds

Recipe adapted from: What’s Gaby Cooking, 2012

Serves:

Ingredients

• 1 squash, any variety will do
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup feta cheese
• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
• 2 Tbsp. unsalted buter

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Split the squash in half and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. For two people, wrap one half in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe, resealable bag and keep in refrigerator (use within 1 week). With the other half, slice in half again top to bottom. Cut each half into half-circles about 1/4″ thick. Place in a single-layer on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper and toss gently so both sides of the squash are moistened and seasoned.

2. Bake until tender on middle oven rack, 30 to 35 minutes. During this time work on seeding the pomegranate. Refer to Martha Stewart’s “How-To” video for help with this. Dry the seeds gently with a paper towel. Save extras in a resalable plastic bag or storage container and keep in the refrigerator.

3. Just before the squash is ready to be taken out of the oven, place the butter in a small skillet. Let it melt over medium heat and cook until the butter foams and then subsides. Brown flecks will appear on top. Remove the squash from the oven and transfer to a serving platter. Top with the crumbled feta and pomegranate seeds and season with salt and pepper as needed. Pour the browned butter on top of the entire dish and serve immediately.