I love this time of year minus some of the unseasonably cold weather. The leaves changing color, falling, autumn harvests, apples… what’s not to like?

So, I looked around for some squash recipes to maybe tantalize my kids into eating some of it. Growing up, my mom would cook up a stew with green beans, squash, onions, garlic and pork. Sometimes ground pork, but usually pork chops without bones and cut into strips. It’d be seasoned with patis (pronounced “pah-teece”), also known as Nam Pla (fish sauce also used in Thai cuisine), and we’d eat it with white, short grain, sticky rice. Mmm. I wonder now what that dish is named. Mom never called it by a name. But, I grew up eating and enjoying squash from an early age, but unfortunately, my family does not. I think my husband tolerates it now.

One time, I tried adding pureed squash into a grilled cheese sandwich as described in Jessica Seinfeld’s cookbook. Sorry, that was a big mistake. My kids looked at me like I was out of my mind. I tried it, and it was edible by my standards. Just not the buttery, melty grilled cheese that my kids know.  The other night, I peeled it, cut the squash into strips, tossed the strips in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and pepper, then baked them for some “squash fries”. Even at 425 degrees F, in an convection oven, I didn’t quite get the crispness I thought I would. It was still good, and all that was left was enough for one person the next day.

I’d love to hear from others about their squash recipes. I’ve done soup, roasted, pureed, etc. But, until I hear from others, I’ll just keep trolling the sites for more. I’m sure Martha Stewart has something cooking in her (test) kitchens!