Angel Food: Maple Autumn Vegetable Bake

In time ;), I intend to publish my second cookbook, which is titled Angel Food 2nd Edition: Love Made Visible on the Plate. Until then, I’ll be sharing some recipes – with excerpts of their love stories - for La Vie en Magenta. I hope you enjoy my Angel Food series!

If I’m not mistaken, my sister Suz originally made this well-received vegetable side dish for us one Thanksgiving with butternut squash (see my note at the end of the recipe). I have made something like it ever since and I love how comforting it is, especially on early dark evenings when I make a habit of pajama meals for dinner.

One long Halloween weekend I was hosting my precious little Renata. She had a cold and was very unhappy for most of those four days. We went trick-or-treating in the village event down the street, and that was some of the only time she wasn’t crying.

Sensing that we could both use some comfort, it felt like the angels nodded and hinted at how many great fresh ingredients I had on hand with which to cook. While she took a rare nap, I made this vegetable bake along with my Nana’s Rice Dressing, and some sausage with creamy white beans.

Renata sat on my lap and we ate from the same plate that night for dinner. She seemed to love the mushiness of everything mixed together as much as I did. Gratefully she felt well enough to eat this healing meal that was infused with so much love. We quite possibly we went to bed early, since we were both full with happy tummies.

This dish has always equaled love and comfort for me, and it also feels like a poster child for the stellar gifts of autumn. Come September, so many varieties of squash call our names. Partnered with apple and maple especially, they are divine. You may also use pears in this dish, or both apples and pears – very divine options.

At the Autumn Equinox in the Spanish Bar, I opened the season with a variation of this dish – pureed into a soup. I only served it fall and winter; the last day of winter in March was the last day it was on the menu.

Enjoy it as a soup on your own table by simply transferring the entire roasted lot into a large stockpot, add a quart of vegetable stock, and let it simmer for an hour. Puree in batches in the blender and return to heat through in the pot. Finish it with desired amount of maple syrup and if you’d like, add some zing with chipotle or other favorite hot sauce.

As a casserole or as a soup, you and yours will surely taste the love. I can absolutely promise you that.

Maple Autumn Vegetable Bake

Oil for coating baking dish

1 large delicata squash, halved, seeded, cut in 1-inch pieces*

1 large red onion, peeled, chopped in 1-inch pieces

2 large carrots, peeled, cut in 1-inch pieces

4 Fuji apples, peeled, cored, quartered

1 cube butter, melted

½ cup apple juice, room temperature

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp freshly ground nutmeg

½ tsp ground cardamom

½ tsp sea salt

¾ cup pure maple syrup

Preheat oven to 400F, and lightly oil a large shallow baking dish.

Place prepared squash, onion, carrot, and apple pieces in a large bowl. Toss with melted butter, then apple juice, spices, and salt.

Transfer mixture to baking dish, spread in single layer as best you can, and cover tightly with foil. Roast for 33 minutes.

Remove foil and pour maple syrup over mixture, toss gently and roast for an additional 11 minutes.

Serve from baking dish or transfer to serving bowl for the table.

Yields about 6-8 side servings. 

*Other favorite squash may be used, peeled, seeded, and cut in cubes. Trader Joe’s sells butternut squash cubes already prepped; excellent for this!