A Sweet Spicy Dish for the New Year

September 26, 12:21 PMFood ExaminerEric Burkett

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Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begins Monday at sundown. While I’m not Jewish, I am a goy with a great love for traditional Jewish cooking. Looking through various cookbooks for recipes appropriate for the holiday and the season, I found a Jewish-Italian recipe for sweet and sour squash, but I wanted something a little spicier, a little warmer. This is what I came up with; it’s appropriate for dairy or meat meals. Baking the squash at a high temperature caramelizes the honey and the squash’s natural sugars.

2 butternut squashes, peeled and cut into 1” dice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp olive oil
½  tbsp red wine vinegar
½  tsp cumin
½ tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup almonds, sliced and toasted
2 tbsp mint, cut into chiffonade

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

• In a small sauce pan, mix the honey, vinegar and spices together, and then whisk in the olive oil so that it emulsifies. Bring to a boil, and then remove from the heat and allow to cool until the mixture is comfortable to the touch.
• In a large mixing bowl, pour the liquid over the cubes of squash, and then add salt and pepper to taste, tossing the squash cubes until they’re thoroughly coated with the liquid.
• Spread on a baking sheet large enough - or two sheets - to accommodate the squash in a single layer and then bake for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until browned at the edges.
• When the squash is done, sprinkle the almonds and mint over the vegetable and toss until all the ingredients are well distributed. Serve at room temperature.

Leshana tova tekatev v'etachetem!