This large orchard did not disappoint me. They had quite an assortment of squash available. I immediately knew I would pass on the blue hubbard, as that would produce many more side dishes than I needed. Among the different varieties, I found two that I decided to try, sunshine and delicata squash.
The sunshine squash looked almost exactly like a pumpkin. I asked the clerk if she had cooked with this squash. Unfortunately, she had not, but she recommended cooking it in a similar fashion to any other winter squash. Being at the orchard, I had apples on my mind, so I purchased some cider to use in my cooking.
When I create new recipes, I quite often try to include a variety of tastes and textures. For this squash dish, I wanted some sweetness from the cider, but I didn’t want it to taste like a dessert. To balance the sweetness, I added sage and onions for savoriness. Sauteed and then simmered, the squash would be tender yet firm.
This was a wonderful dish to make. While it cooked the kitchen was filled with an incredible ranges of aromas. The individual ingredients each held their own and created a delightful assortment of tastes in each bite.
- 1 Tb. butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 sunshine squash, peeled, seeded, & cubed
- 2 tsp. fresh sage leaves, chopped
- 3/4 cup cider
- 2 Tb. brown sugar
- Heat a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Melt butter in pan, and add onion and squash.
- Saute for 5 minutes. Add sage, and saute for another 5 minutes.
- Warm cider in a microwave-safe measuring cup. Add brown sugar to cider, and stir until sugar dissolves.
- Add cider mixture to squash.
- Cook for 20-30 minutes, or until cider has reduced and squash is tender but firm.
