Acorn Squash

The sap of maple trees was being used by Native Americans when the very earliest European immigrants arrived. Then it was an all-purpose seasoning, like salt, enlivening the austere diet. Now, with the refinement achieved by boiling and concentrating the flavor of the sap, maple syrup is a uniquely American sweetener. Here it adds just the right subtle note to a colorful puree of butternut squash.

Sephardic Jews from Turkey, Greece, Morocco, and other countries of the Mediterranean region say seven special blessings over seven different symbolic foods at their Rosh Hashanah dinner. Five of these blessings are over vegetables — apples (candied or dipped in sugar or honey), leeks, beet greens or spinach, dates, and zucchini or squash. These blessings symbolize their hopes for the New Year. Many of these Jews trace their ancestors back to Spain, which is called Sepharad in the Bible. Over the centuries, the Sephardic Jews took advantage of the abundance of vegetables available in the Mediterranean countries, often throughout the year. Among these vegetables are sweet potatoes and squash, great favorites of my family. The special blessing you can say over your sweet potatoes and squash at the beginning of your Rosh Hashanah dinner goes like this: Yehi ratzon mi-le-faneha Adonai Eloheinu ve-lo-hei avoteinu she-tik-rah ro-a gezar dinenu ve-yi-karehu lefa-neha za-hee-yo-teinu. May it be thy will, Lord our God and God of our fathers, that you should tear up any evil decree and let only our merits be read before You.

Though not a traditional Thanksgiving spice, curry powder lends a wonderful and subtle flavor to this lovely side dish.

The ideal sick-day soup, with a cozy broth and tiny pasta.

You can make this recipe with nearly any winter squash, but delicata or acorn don’t need peeling and will save you prep time and maybe even a little sanity.

For this vegetarian main, crispy-sweet red onions roast alongside the squash for a finishing dose of flavor and texture.

Make this smoky-spicy braise when it’s Sunday and you’ve got big plans to never leave the house.

Sweet-spicy chipotle chicken, zippy roasted tomatillo salsa, and spice-rubbed squash all on one sheet pan.

Bone-in pork shoulder is one of the least expensive, party-friendly animal proteins you can buy. This recipe will feed 10—with leftovers!

Make a double batch of the tahini-honey sauce at the beginning of the week to use on salads, as a dip for crunchy vegetables, or drizzled over seared salmon.

Sauerkraut is our new secret flavoring weapon. It adds a little bit of acid and funk, and this chicken pot pie recipe proves there are so many other uses for it than a hot dog topping. Check out step-by-step photos here.

If you don’t happen to have or particularly enjoy pastrami, bacon or pancetta would be a delicious substitute for this minestrone recipe. Check out step-by-step photos here.

Kabocha squash is a tempura classic, but acorn squash works well too. The honey and crushed red pepper flakes, albeit untraditional, add a spicy-sweet dimension to the dish. 

A great way to use up different winter vegetables that you might have around. Feel free to increase the amount of some and eliminate others, depending on your preference, but make sure to cut them into similar sizes so they'll cook in roughly the same amount of time.

With grains for heft, many colors of vegetables, and a little bit of tangy cheese, this vegetarian dinner has all the bases covered.