Well, acorn squash it is then! Thanks all. I have two more of the same plant besides that one. I like acorn squash, so I guess it is cool to learn how to grow them but I'm kinda disappointed I won't be up to my ears in yellow squash like I thought I would be. :-/ You only harvest them once in September, right? I just leave them on the vine as is until then?

Well I tried a couple of acorn squash cooking techniques this week and the results were just OK, but I think it had more to do with the quality of the squash than the cooking method. I got inspired to make cornbread Thursday night so I baked the squash along with it, for 20 min. in a 350 oven and then left in the oven as it cooled off. Then I put the squash in the fridge and made it the rest of the way on Friday night. I cut it in half and scooped out the seeds. The flesh was almost white--NOT a good sign. The acorn squash I remember liking was yellow. Then I nuked the halves, cut side down, for five minutes. Meanwhile I was preheating the oven and making the stuffing. I stuffed the squash with a rice and kidney bean stuffing, including also corn and salsa and lowfat cheddar cheese. I put the stuffed squash in the oven for another 20 minutes, at 375. I forgot to salt them before stuffing them which was a bit of a negative point. The squash was done and soft, but not as much as I would have liked, and one squash was not cooked up at the top, but I had more than enough for dinner. It didn't have the best taste. If I had to make a guess, I would say it didn't get enough water while growing. I've had bitter eggplants come out of my garden in a drought, even when watered. Also, soil plays a HUGE role in how good vegetables taste. Anyway, I guess that's why most people bake acorn squash with lots of butter and brown sugar. I'm definately going to try more acorn squash recipes, now that I know the trick about parbaking or cooking them whole to make them easier to cut, seed and peel.

I made this the other day and we thought it was pretty good. Hamburger Potato Casserole a.. 1 tablespoon olive oil b.. 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced c.. 1 pound ground beef d.. 1/4 cup butter e.. 1/4 cup all-purpose flour f.. 3 cups milk g.. 1 pint heavy cream h.. salt and pepper to taste i.. 5 potatoes, sliced j.. 2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese k.. 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese l.. 1 cup milk DIRECTIONS 1.. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 2.. Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir onions until translucent; set aside. Cook ground beef until evenly brown. Drain excess fat, and set beef aside. Melt butter in the skillet. Add flour, and stir with a whisk for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk in 3 cups milk, then the cream. Simmer, stirring frequently, over medium-low heat for 10 minutes until the sauce has thickened and is smooth. Season with salt and pepper, and remove from heat. 3.. Spread a small amount of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 inch casserole dish. Alternate layers of potatoes, onions, ground beef, cheese and sauce, with 2 to 3 layers of each. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top. If you run short of sauce, press down on all layers, and add milk as needed. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. 4.. Bake in preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.

My mother made acorn squash the entree by baking it cut side down in about a quarter inch of water for about 25-30 minutes, turning it over, and stuffing it with a favorite traditional bread stuffing. At this point, she baked it another 30 minutes or so. Before serving the squash she topped each half with 3 browned link sausages. It was such a delicious fall meal! I haven't made it in years but plan to do so again soon.