Baked acorn squash with butter, maple syrup and thyme

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Wash the squash and cut it in half lengthwise (through the tip and stem). Also, slice off a tiny slice of the bottom of each half so they don’t wobble on your baking sheet, but don’t cut through to the inside of the squash.
3. Scoop out the seeds and any loose fibers (save those seeds-you can roast them with canola oil and salt just like pumpkin seeds).
4. Pour 1 teaspoon of canola oil in the cavity of each squash half. Fold a paper towel in half and rub the oil all over the inside and outside of the squash half. This helps to keep the moisture in the squash.
5. Place the squash halves (cavity up) on a baking sheet and roast for 1 hour, or until a fork goes into the middle and comes out easily. Remove from the oven and place 1 Tablespoon of butter in the center of each half. Use a fork to run that butter knob all over the cut surfaces. Drizzle the syrup evenly over the squash, sprinkle with thyme leaves and sea salt.
6. I like to tell people that haven’t eaten squash this way that the skin is edible, but it tastes much more creamy and luscious if they use a spoon to just scoop out the flesh.