Spaghetti Squash

 I'm a fan of anything from the garden but I have a particular love for spaghetti squash. It's not something we have regularly - and it's not a squash I have ever grown - so it is a special meal we look forward to when we get one. Thanks to Dan Miller for this beautiful squash, homegrown just four miles north of Pinehaven.

Spaghetti Squash - simple and delicious

 I'll show you the finished product first. I prefer eating spaghetti squash as simply as possible. That means adding salt and pepper while baking and adding a pat of margarine when served. That's it. Why drown it in spices and sauces? This way the delicate taste of squash tickles the taste buds.

 The first step is to cut the squash lengthwise. I took it to the garage and laid it on a sheet of newspaper, carefully holding onto the stem as a sort of handle. It takes a large knife to do this right. I then scooped out the seeds and "guts" and brought the two halves back into the house.

 I think the lemon-yellow flesh is perfect. This might be the prettiest squash of all.

 Mom laid the halves in a shallow metal cake pan. Lining it with parchment paper means there's no clean-up afterwards. Here she's rubbing olive oil on the cut sides.

 We like to add a little salt and pepper before the squash is baked. Place this into a 375° oven for about 50 minutes. You'll know when it's done if you can pierce the flesh with a sharp fork. There should be little resistance.

 It's done. 50 minutes have passed and Mom's fork slides into the flesh easily.

 I took the finished squash and scraped the inside flesh with a fork. It comes off like pieces of string. It's ready to eat. The two halves produced two large servings.