Stuffed Acorn Squash (Unlocked)

now with a versatile fruit crumble

Originally published for paying subscribers September 12, 2021. Unlocked now with the addition of a recipe for a versatile fruit crumble and a wine pairing!

When we lived in Cameron, North Carolina on our farm, my family would get what my mom referred to as “the farm and crime report.” Once a week, our local hay farmer, who was also a district attorney, would drive his son around the area in their old truck to deliver fresh eggs and talk about how the hay was sowing and crime was growing.

He told us once about his philosophy on color in court — he chose his suit color carefully depending on what emotion he was trying to evoke in the jury. I believe sadness and a sense of pity for the plaintiff was light blue. He wore red when trying to make the jury feel angry.

I would try to imagine him in these flamboyantly colored suits as I watched him sit in the beat-up farm truck wearing overalls and a broad straw hat.

There were a lot of small farms in Cameron, each dedicated to a few specific fruits or vegetables. Some of the restaurants in Southern Pines (see April’s Crepes newsletter for more on my time in Southern Pines) served exclusively local vegetables.

The farmers in the area banded together to form a co-op so that people could sign up for a local farmer box, something that is fairly common now. It was grower’s choice, so we always looked forward to seasonal surprises in the box. We’d pick up our box at the old corner store, a tall and narrow building with wooden siding and the original sign, which creaked as it swung in the wind.

We loved these boxes. They were packed to the brim and always filled our car on the way home with the smell of damp earth and fresh, green things. One of our favorite parts about them was the newsletter that came with the boxes. They included news about the farms in the area and recipes for some of the more obscure vegetables in the box.

Reading these recipes was like finding treasure to me.

Many of them had been passed down for generations on the farms that grew the vegetables. We found all sorts of wonderful recipes in these letters — chili, squash soup, salads and other dishes served by some of the fancier restaurants in Southern Pines.

But our favorite recipe that came out of those boxes was a recipe for Stuffed Acorn Squash.

Not only were they delicious, but something about them felt as much elegant and decadent as they did homey and comforting. They were warm and flavorful and filling. And best of all, I could make them all by myself (after a few tries).

All through the fall, when my mom and I were at the grocery store, I would ask her to buy acorn squash so that we could make them for dinner. She almost always obliged.

We get a local farmer box now in our small Colorado mountain town. I urge you to see if there is one in your area. I almost guarantee that there is, and I can say with as much certainty that it will not disappoint.

If you do sign up and find some dark green, acorn-shaped squash in your box (or pass the beauties in the produce aisle), I hope that you decide to make this recipe and that you and your family enjoy it as much as mine does. The recipe below makes one serving. If you are making it for more than one person, you can simply multiply as needed!

Stuffed Acorn Squash

You will need:

1 medium acorn squash

1/4 cup of peeled and chopped granny smith apples

1/4 cup Sweet Italian sausage, cooked

1/2 cup of cooked rice

What to do:

Cut squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash cut side up in a baking dish. Fill the center with the apple. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

Use this time to cook your rice and sausage according to package instructions.

Remove from the oven. Add the rice and Italian sausage to the centers and mix gently to combine. Bake, uncovered, for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash feels tender. Top with shredded parmesan cheese if desired.

If you want a vegetarian meal, omit the rice and sausage. Up the apples to 1 cup. Cook as above, but instead of adding rice and sausage in the interval, top with a teaspoon of butter, a sprinkle of cinnamon, and a drizzle of honey.

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Unlocked Additions

While this dish is a full meal in and of itself, every meal deserves a good dessert and wine pairing.

This dish goes well with a full-bodied Pinot Noir, like this one from Bread and Butter, which manages to be fruity and oaky at the same time with a just touch of vanilla.

For dessert, I recommend my incredibly versatile and easy formula for Crumble. I’ve written it for you with blueberries, but you can do it with any fruit, from cherries, to blueberries, to cranberries!

Blueberry Crumble

You will need:

1/4 cup flour

1 cup oats

2 Tablespoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

5 cups blueberries (I use frozen to I can make this whenever I like!)

1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes

What to do:

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients except the blueberries and butter. Cut in the cubes of butter. Spread the blueberries evenly along the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Top with the oat mixture, and bake for 45 minutes (or until the blueberries are bubbly and the crumble is lightly browned.

I realize there’s quite a few new folks here, so I want to say hi! and direct you to where you can find some of my other work. My book, “No Regrets,” which follows the children of two immigrant families in Chicago from the 1930s to the early 2000s, was published through an Independent Publishing House in NYC last year. It’s available through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Bookshop, and so many other places! If you’re like me and prefer audiobooks, you can find the audiobook version of “No Regrets” on Audible.

I’ve also had several short stories published, which you can find below.

That’s all for this week. Paying subscribers can come back this month for two more story-recipes featuring comfort foods and fall! And speaking of paying subscribers, if you’ve been thinking about becoming one, now is the time! I’m running a special deal from now until the beginning of November where you can get 20% off a monthly or yearly subscription for 12 months.

If getting money involved isn’t for you, I totally understand, and I’m so grateful to you for continuing your free subscription and for reading my work!

Thanks, as always, for reading,

Juliana

PS —

Have you guys heard about Bookshop?

If you love supporting smaller, brick-and-mortar bookstores but love shopping from the comfort of your home (or, like me, you live in a teeny tiny town with a lovely but sometimes limited book selection) you’ve got to check them out. 10% of their sales go to local book stores, and 10% goes to their affiliates (like me!) every time you buy a book. They’ve got all the selection of a big online bookstore, and they’ve donated $20 million and counting to bookstores!

I now have a little “storefront” on their site, so if you’re wanting to see or buy some of my favorite books, head on over to my Bookshop site! Right now, my Bookshop lists include my Cookbook Collection, My Work, My Top 10 (always changing), and My New Foray into Scary Books.

You can find a favorite cookbook of mine, “Half-Baked Harvest: Super Simple,” there!

If you’re looking for newsletter recommendations catered to your interests, I highly recommend The Sample. They send you a curated sample of newsletters once a day that you can subscribe to in one click! Plus, clicking on this link can help more people find “Food & Fodder!”