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Stuffed Squash

filling for 2 moderately sized Carnival or Acorn squash; adapted from Whole & Nourished

Ingredients
  • 2 Carnival squash or any other moderately sized winter squash (acorn, sweet dumpling, delicata, honeynut, or one large butternut; Carnival is a hybrid of acorn and sweet dumpling)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • salt
filling
  • 1 cup cooked rice, brown or white
  • 1 pound ground pork or pork sausage Amaltheia, John Smith Ranch, Olive Branch or other locally-sourced pork
  • 1 apple, diced and core discarded
  • ½ yellow onion, diced optional
  • 3 fresh sage leaves, sliced thinly or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled; omit sage if using sausage because it's usually seasoned with sage
  • 2 or 3 kale leaves, stem removed, thinly sliced and chopped
  • 1 carrot, diced optional
  • 1 celery stalk, diced optional
  • ½ cup dry white wine optional use apple juice or broth as a substitute
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • several twists of freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 egg
Instructions
Par-Bake Squash

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Cut squash in half crosswise, then scoop and discard seeds. Rub the olive oil onto the flesh of the halved squash, sprinkle with salt, and place cut-side down in a glass baking dish or on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 minutes, until slightly tender.

Make the Filling

  1. Place cooked rice in a large bowl and set aside.

  2. Brown the pork in a frying pan over moderate heat, crumbling it with a spoon as you go until it is completely cooked. Transfer pork to the bowl of rice and keep the drippings in the pan.

  3. Add the onions to the pan and cook a few minutes until softened but not browned. Add sage, kale, apple, carrot, celery, cook a couple more minutes then pour in the wine and deglaze pan (scrape bottom with a wooden spoon). Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl with the rice and pork, stir to cool a touch, then add the egg and stir to combine.

  4. Using a large spoon, divide the filling among the squash halves, cover baking dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes at 400°F, removing the foil in the last half of cooking.