Native Baked Butternut Squash

Here's proof that you don't need the classic pumpkin to carve something spooky for Halloween!!  Carved Butternuts from around the web!!

BAKED BUTTERNUT SQUASH

This is the real deal form the northeast!  With the exception of the nutmeg and the butter (which originally would have been nut oil), the recipe is an intact pre-contact recipe, well that is if you bake it next to a fire or in an underground oven...  I've baked butternuts in the fireplace before, but, what the heck, we'll use a modern oven anyway.  This comes from The Art Of American Indian Cooking by Jean Anderson and Yeffe Kimball.  The use of real maple sugar is very traditional.  This is a great dish for holidays, and makes an easy and tasty addition to the Thanksgiving table!

2 butternut squashes, washed and dried

4 tbsp. butter

4 tbsp. wild honey (or your favorite)

4 tbsp. maple sugar

Salt, pepper and nutmeg to season

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees and bake the butternut squashes whole for 1 hour.  Remove and let stand a bit if you do not want to get burned, then cut them in half.  Remove the seeds, which can be eaten as is, since they are cooked and are a "chef's choice" treat in native kitchens (or compost them).

2.  Fill each cavity with 1 tbsp. each of the butter, honey and maple sugar.  Then season each to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg.  Return to oven and bake for a further 1 hour and 20 minutes, basting every 15 or 20 minutes are so.  Remove and serve.  If the squashes are not too tall, slices of them lengthwise can be served to each diner, or the flesh can be scooped out and some of the liquid served over the top.

Heirloom Watham Butternuts