Be Mine, HoneyNut!

I have a new love!

Last year a new farm stand showed up at our Saturday farmer's market, and they have the most amazing produce. They've got a huge variety of peppers (even in winter!), loads of greens, tomatoes (in February!), and so much more. It's all organic, and it's all beautiful, and the people who work at the stand are really friendly. They've recommended a lot of good picks to me.

Recently they suggested I try the Portuguese Kale, which looks like collards but is super tender and you can even eat the tender stems. Now I'm so in love with their Portuguese Kale that I don't even want to buy any other kale. But then, a couple of weeks ago, one of the fellas who works there was telling me that I ought to try these little squashes they have for sale...

you can't really tell, but they are little.

like the size of a delicata squash

The squashes are called Honeynut Squash, and they look like mini-sized dark-skinned Butternuts. The man advised me that these would be too sweet for soup or stew, but that they are amazing roasted. I am not a dumb-dumb, so I bought one to see for myself.

Needless to say, the next week I bought three of them.

I won't lie. These little buggers are no fun to peel! The peel is a bit tough, and I've tried using my Y-shaped peeler and a paring knife. Either way, it takes a while and is slightly annoying. But, then again, don't all meaningful relationships take a little work? I think of it as the little Honeynut just playing hard to get.

As you can see, even when they are still raw, the inside of the squash is a dark, rich orange color. Let me tell you - that intense color is indicative of some seriously intense flavor!

But look at this!! Can you believe that beautiful dark orange color? I roasted these little pieces at 400F for 40 minutes, with just a little spray of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. They lasted less than 10 minutes before Mr VE&T and I had completely devoured them. Mr. VE&T graciously offered to help me eat my portion, but I declined. Nice try, buddy.

Oh Honeynut, I love you.

So far, I've only seen these at that one farmer's stand, so you might not have the easiest time tracking down a Honeynut Valentine of your own. But, if you do spot one, don't hesitate! Set the date, and don't be late!