My first book was published by Acorn Publishing Company.

Hello acorn squash my old friend.

I was six, and the book was called What Drives Me Crazy. It was written and hand-illustrated by yours truly, and the front and back covers were pieces of cardboard covered with floral contact paper, bound with forest green duck tape. (For the record, the things that drove me crazy included: (a) when I went to get a glass of milk and there was only a little bit left (b) when I wanted to go trick-or-treating at every house but my dad wouldn’t let me, and (c) when I wanted to go play at my friend Brittney’s house but I couldn’t because I had a babysitter in an hour. Being six was rough.)

I now have a bit of a soft spot for acorns, coming as I did from Gwin Oaks Elementary, home of Acorn Publishing, where our mascot was the mighty oak tree. So I was excited to cook my first acorn squash this week from my CSA bag.

Acorn squash belong to the winter squash group, are deeply ridged with smooth skin, and look like, well, a large acorn. The skin shade varies from black to dark green to orange, with the orange ones containing the sweetest flesh. The Joy of Cooking describes the flesh of acorn squashes as “moderately sweet, but relatively bland.” I agree with this assessment – I baked our acorn squash with butter and brown sugar, and it was slightly sweet; the consistency was thinner than I cared for. I had hoped for the texture of mashed sweet potatoes, but this had more moisture, more pulpiness. My roommates, however, had lovely things to say, one of them declaring that the taste was one that didn’t immediately overwhelm you with its presence, and the other stating plainly that the squash was “sunny.” I’d say, overall, it was a success.

Halfies.

Acorn Squash with Butter and Brown Sugar

1 acorn squash

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Pour about ¾ cup water into the bottom of an 8×8” baking dish. (Test the size of the dish first—if the two halves of the squash will not fit comfortably side by side in the dish, use a bigger one. As you’ll see, I actually used a cookie sheet, and then switched to the 8×8” dish later.)

Thoroughly wash the acorn squash then cut it in half. Using a spoon, scrape out the seeds and pulp. This process is much the same as removing the seeds from a pumpkin. Seeds can be soaked, cleaned, and roasted if you like; I merely discarded my seeds.

Place the two halves of the squash face down in the baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the skin pierces easily with a fork.

Mmmm.

(Side note: I once watched a cooking show where the host suggested doing jumping jacks while the food bakes. I’m not so much into the idea of working out while I wait for my buttery-sugary squash to cook, so instead I had a snack. To each her own.)

Remove the squash from the oven and discard any remaining water in the baking dish. In one half of the squash, place the butter and brown sugar, then cover with the other half of the squash, forming a whole squash again. Place back in baking dish, making sure to be careful and steady so the squash doesn’t jostle around too much.

Bake the squash for another 30 minutes and then remove from oven. At this point, the skin will be very soft, so use caution when you serve it. If you are only serving two people, you can serve the two halves as they are, making sure to spoon some of the brown sugar-butter sauce into the top half of the squash. If you are serving more than two people, scrape out the flesh of the squash, again being careful not to burn yourself.

I didn’t try this, but I think it might be a nice idea to serve the squash with some extra butter, brown sugar, and/or cinnamon. I paired our acorn squash with beef stew and warm bread.

Eat well, and take care.