Now that we’ve turned the calendar to November and tomorrow (already!) turn our clocks back, we’re moving away from harvest mode around here and very much looking forward to Thanksgiving.

Technically, our harvest ended about 10 days ago when we brought in our last fruit. All of our harvest guests (lovely folks who come to visit for a few days or a couple of weeks from all around the country to help out and learn a bit more about wine by really getting their hands dirty)have gone home now, back to their real jobs. There’s still a lot of work to be done in the winery, but all the fruit is in off the vines and instead of working all day every day, the regular cellar crew is only working all day most days now.

As is our winery tradition, we did a month of harvest dinners here at our house in October. Those hard-working folks need to be fed and so I cook hearty, nourishing meals for them and they all gather around our big table each night. I’ve written about this tradition here and here.

There are dishes I make every year during harvest because I know they work and there’s a lot of popular demand for them – meatloaf, Chicken Dijon, and moussaka spring to mind. However, I can’t resist sprinkling in some new dishes too, to keep things interesting, not least for the cook.

For instance, at our final dinner of the season last week (or perhaps the week before, the days get away from me) I made this beautiful and delicious Roasted Squash with Spicy Onions and Goat Cheese side dish. It was so good and with the striking colors, really beautiful too. I want to share it with you because, in addition to those already compelling qualities, it’s also a great dish for fall entertaining. Because guess what, it’s best served at room temperature! Hello Thanksgiving!

Print Recipe

Roasted Squash with Spicy Onions and Goat Cheese

A beautiful, healthy and delicious fall side dish that is highly adaptable. Use any kind of winter squash you like, or even a combination, vary the nuts from pecans to hazelnuts, to pepitas, and if you prefer feta to the goat cheese, by all means use that. You can make the onions up to a day in advance, but add the lime zest right before you assemble everything. Toast the nuts and make the onions early in the day, then gently combine with the squash and herbs when the squash is still warm. This is best served warm the day it's made. Reheat leftovers in the microwave.

Course: Side Dish

Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the Onions

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large red onion sliced
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons honey

And the rest

1 cup roasted and skinned pecans
2 - 3 large delicata squash about 4 lb., peeled, seeded, sliced into rings about 1/2” thick, then cut those into half moons
¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 oz. fresh goat cheese crumbled

Instructions

For the onions

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the onion, stirring often, until a bit charred and softened but not falling apart, 5–7 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and toss it all to combine. Remove the pan from heat and mix in the lime juice and honey. Let cool, then mix in the lime zest.
Do ahead: Spicy onions can be made 1 day ahead. But leave out the lime zest and add it just before the final assembly. Cover and chill.

For the rest

Preheat the oven to 350°. Toast the nuts on a small rimmed baking sheet, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 8 - 10 minutes. Let them cool a bit and then coarsely chop them.
Increase the oven temperature to 400°.
Toss the squash and ¼ cup oil in a medium bowl, and season generously with salt and pepper. Divide the squash between 2 rimmed baking sheets so that it's in a single layer. Don't clean the bowl yet, you'll use it again. Roast the squash, undisturbed, until tender and starting to brown a bit, 15–20 minutes.
Once the squash is done, scrape it and the olive oil on the sheet pan back into the bowl. Add the spicy onions and the parsley and gently toss to combine.
Add the nuts and gently toss again. Then transfer the whole mixture to a large serving platter, scatter the crumbled goat cheese over all, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil.

Notes

Adapted from from Bon Appetit

November already? Roasted Squash with Spicy Onions {Recipe}