Have you ever been to a farm stand and fallen in love? That one perfect head of red leaf lettuce, the ripest pixie tangerine, or in this case – the biggest, juiciest butternut squash you’ve ever seen at Ventura’s Underwood Farms. So large and decorative that it’s almost its own objet d’art; sometimes the perfect farm stand pick-up deserves its own photoshoot.
When you’re finally ready to part with your favorite farm-grown veggies, try roasting them with a bit of olive oil and a hint of salt for the ultimate hearty side dish. Make sure to use local farmers markets or farm stands like Underwood Farms for the more intense, fresh flavors.
Inspired by our farm haul, we cooked up the artful squash:
Roasted Butternut Squash from Local Farm
Ingredients:
- 1 large locally grown butternut squash
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Kosher salt, freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Squash Prep – Carefully peel the outside and cut into cubes for 2 – 4 cups of squash. To peel, use vegetable peeler. Squash skin can be very hard, be careful!
- Cut and cube into consistent sizes, preferred smaller cubes.
- Put cubed squash into a bowl and add scant 1/4 cup olive oil, salt and pepper, or salt alternative like Mrs. Dash, combine until well coated.
- Place on cookie sheet, spread out evenly.
- Oven at 400 degrees, roast 45 minutes or until tender.
- Stir once during roasting.
- Remove from oven, enjoy while warm with protein or add to salads, or in other recipes that call for roasted veggies.
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Tags: butternut squash, farmer's market, recipe, shop local, squash, underwood family farms, ventura, Ventura County