Ginger-Miso Roasted Kabocha Squash

I bought a beautiful kabocha squash at the market on Sunday because as I stood looking at all of the various types of squash- not exactly knowing the difference between any of them, or even knowing if I wanted to buy one, a cute man walked by and said "Get a kabocha".

So I did. And was pleasantly surprised by how good it was. It has dense, delicious orange flesh.

I came across an article on winter squash in Sunset magazine and got excited to try their version of this recipe... needless to say, I changed a few things.

I bake the squash extra long so it gets a little crispy on the edges and almost caramelizes.

Recipe:

1/3 cup white miso
5-in. piece fresh ginger, grated
1/2 cup sherry or sake
6 tablespoons oil (I used a mix of red palm, ghee, and olive oil
4 tablespoons rice vinegar
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
1 kabocha squash, seeded and cut into 1/4-in. slices

toasted sesame oil

Oven to 375°. Whisk all the ingredients minus the squash and sesame oil together... then arrange the squash on a baking sheet- drizzle about half of the sauce over the slices and turn them so they are entirely covered.

Bake for about 15 minutes, then brush slices with remaining sauce (you will have some left over) and cook until tender when thick edges are pierced with a fork, about 10 to 15 more minutes.

Drizzle with the sesame oil (tahini might be good also)

enjoy!