One of my goals has always been to have fabulously tasty food.  Diets and deprivation are not for me!  Still, I don’t always eat enough vegetables.  Nutritionists and the USDA recommend 5 cups of vegetables daily.  That’s a lot more than most Americans eat.  Increase your health by including a wider variety of vegetables.  Kabocha squash, originally a Japanese variety of winter squash, can be a delicious addition to your menu.  Kabocha are available year round in grocery stores, gourmet shops, and health food stores.  Usually 2-3 pounds, they can grow as large as 8 pounds.  You’ll need a big, sharp knife and a good vegetable peeler to get to the orange flesh inside, but it’s well worth the effort.   Try the recipe below.

Whole kabochas keep well without refrigeration.  Uncooked portions can be wrapped in plastic and kept for a few days on the counter, or up to a week in the refrigerator.  Keep the seeds in if you plan to store them.

Baked Kabocha Squash (also works with Butternut Squash*)

Wash the squash and cut it in half vertically.  Scoop out the seeds.  Cut into wedges along the pale green stripes for easier peeling.  Peel and cut into cubes about 1-2 inches.

In a large bowl combine the following, stirring the garlic to meld the other ingredients, creating a vinaigrette:

1/8 c olive oil

2 t kosher salt

1-2 garlic clove(s), smashed

2 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 dutch oven, or heavy casserole dish, with a lid

Toss the squash cubes in the vinaigrette.  Place the marinated cubes in a dutch oven (or a heavy casserole dish), pour remaining vinaigrette over the squash, cover and bake at 350 until tender (about 45-55 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices).  Let it rest covered for 5 minutes before serving.

*For Butternut Squash, place cubes or slices on a cookie tray and bake uncovered for 30-45 minutes.