Winter Squash and Greens

By Erin Hall

A few years ago my parents’ garden produced a bumper crop of butternut squash, and my mother and I explored lots of new ways to prepare it.  This recipe combines butternut squash with turnip greens and leeks that were also available in the late fall from the same garden and became a new favorite dinner.  The presentation is great – the bottom half of the squash creates a perfect little bowl.

Stuffed Butternut Squash Bottoms

Adapted slightly from Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard

Serves: 4

Notes:  You will end up with a bit of extra squash that you can use for something else.  Depending on how you plan to use it, it may make sense to go ahead and roast it when you roast the parts you will use.    The original recipe called for sprinkling a bit of brown sugar in the squash bottoms and adding 2 teaspoons to the filling; if you like things sweeter, you may want to do so.

Ingredients

• 2 butternut squash
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• ½ pound sausage
• 1 cup leeks, sliced into ¼ inch half moons
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 5 cups turnip greens, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
• ¼ cup apple cider
• ½ cup grated Fontina
• ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
• 2 tablespoons bread crumbs

Steps

1. Preheat your oven to 375° F and line a baking dish with foil.
2. Cut the necks off the squash and then split each piece down the middle, creating four “bowls” and then four neck pieces.  Scoop the seeds out of the bottoms.  
3. Place the four bottoms and one of the neck pieces on the baking sheet and rub each with a pinch of salt and a grind of pepper.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the pieces. 
4. Roast squash for 50 minutes.  The squash should develop some color but not be mushy.
5. Remove from oven and scoop the flesh out of the neck.  Chop it up and set it aside.  Increase the oven to 400° F.
6. In a large skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat and add the sausage, working it into small pieces.  Remove the sausage from the pan and set it aside.
7. Lower the heat and cook the leeks with a large pinch of salt until they begin to soften.  Add the garlic and stir to combine.  
8. Stir in the greens, another large pinch of salt and the chili flakes and cook until the greens have all started to wilt.
9. Add the apple cider and cook until the pan is dry.
10. Remove from the heat and stir in the reserved butternut flesh and Fontina.  Taste the mixture and add salt and pepper to taste.
11. In a small bowl, stir together the Parm, bread crumbs, and remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil.
12. Place the squash bottoms in a baking dish.  Stuff with the sausage and greens, filling into the bottoms, and then top with the bread crumb mixture.
13. Bake for 15-20 minutes and serve warm.