A Pared Down Thanksgiving - Perfect Roasted Delicata Squash

Thanksgiving is right around the corner. What a year it has been, and I feel like the holiday has snuck up on us. It will be undoubtedly different this year, just us and the kids. There are no thoughts of traveling or a lot of family and friends. Our celebration will be a small one and zoom with family. Things will change, and the situation is only temporary, a silver lining I am thankful for. We can still enjoy the holiday, just differently.

Growing up, my family's Thanksgiving tradition slowly evolved. My mother loved to tell the story of her first turkey. She bought a huge Butterball turkey for one of our first Thanksgiving. Little did she know how long it takes to thaw a frozen turkey. On Thanksgiving day, she took out this giant turkey to bake, only finding that it was frozen solid. She put it in the bathtub to try to thaw it and went at it with a hairdryer to no avail.

Our family tradition now includes roast chicken. We have done away with turkey, and everyone enjoys chicken—no more worries about what to do with leftover turkey or whether we should brine it or not. My mother and I would brine our turkey with a combination of fresh thyme, rosemary, and peppercorns. We would get out the largest pot we had and give the turkey a good soaking for a day or so. One year, we decided to leave the turkey outside for a few hours to make room in the kitchen to make all the sides. While we were busy cooking, G casually mentioned that it was raining. My mom and I rushed outside to find a little rain mixed in with our turkey.

There are a myriad of choices for Thanksgiving sides. My favorite is mashed potatoes made with leeks and heavy cream. G enjoys gravy. Poet and Flower are still figuring out what their Thanksgiving favorites are. I recently discovered delicata squash. There are so many types of squash to enjoy - butternut, acorn, and spaghetti squash are just a few. It's the perfect accompaniment to a pared-down Thanksgiving. The joy of delicata squash is that you don't have to peel it. Peeling a squash is hard work, and I love that you don't have to. You can enjoy the entire squash, just cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, slice and bake.

I love it because as you roast it, it becomes sweet, rich, and delicious. This year I will make it simply with a little olive oil and then roast it. I think it's fitting for the year we've had.

Perfect Roasted Delicata Squash

Roasted squash that is rich, sweet and easy. I love delicata squash because you don't have to peel it. A perfect, quick side for dinner.

2-3 servings

• 1 delicata squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Gently scoop out the seeds. Cut the ends off and leave aside. Slice the squash into 1/2 inch pieces.

3. Toss with olive oil and salt

4. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden and soft.

5. Serve drizzled with a little olive oil and another pinch of salt.