I love Bittman, but I'm cooking my squash. Roasted, in a pie, soup...too many good things to do to eat it raw.

I haven't tried the recipe, but raw butternut squash is good! If you're going to be eating it raw, a small, fresh butternut is the way to go. The bigger or older ones are more woody.

cheese1127 has a recipe for a raw butternut squash salad, that i think sounds better than the Bittman one. (i'm not a huge raisin fan, so i'm definitely biased.) i say go for it! http://www.food52.com/recipes/7345_julienned_butternut_and_shaved_fennel_salad