Butternut Squash with Grapes

The holiday season is a wonderful time of the year. Celebrating with family and friends is always special and having a delicious table set with a turkey and all of the trimmings makes it even better. There is no place like California to find the perfect mix of fruits, nuts, vegetables and dairy products to compliment the main course. It’s why we always say “Keep the State on Your Plate!”

This gourmet butternut squash recipe is a simple, yet elegant, addition to any meal. Some people refer to butternut squash as the King of Winter Squash. Finding some at your local farmer’s market or grocery store is a snap this time of year.

Butternut squash gets its name from its sweet and nutty flavor, not unlike a pumpkin, and has a similar deep, orange-colored flesh with a tan outer skin. It is high in vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium, and is a good source of Vitamin A.

Surprisingly, winter squash is a fruit, not a vegetable and California produces over 100 million lbs. of it each year on about 7,000 acres.

Squash are typically roasted in small, seasoned pieces and consumed as a side dish or pureed, once roasted, into soup. Its rich, flavorful qualities make butternut squash an excellent choice for a holiday meal and is a great way to “Keep the State on Your Plate.”

This squash recipe includes a twist: California grapes that add a delightful sweetness to the fragrant, roasted squash and onion that are the basis of this recipe.

(Recipe serves eight)

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 1 (2 lb.) butternut squash – peeled, seeded, and cut into 10inch cubes
• ½ lb. California seedless red grapes
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin California olive oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 6 fresh sage leaves, chopped

Directions:

1. Heat skillet over medium heat; cook and stir pine nuts until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes.

2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

3. Mix squash, grapes, onion, olive oil, salt, and sage leaves together in a large baking dish to coat the squash, onion, and grapes in oil and seasoning.

4. Roast in the preheated oven until squash and onion are golden and slightly caramelized, about 50 minutes; sprinkle pine nuts over the dish and serve.