Today is National Acorn Squash Day, celebrating the small, ridged squash named for its acorn-like shape.
It’s considered a winter squash not because it grows in winter, but because its hard rind helps it keep after the fall harvest. When roasted, the orange flesh turns soft, slightly sweet and almost buttery, and even the skin is edible too. Acorn squash also packs useful nutrients, including fiber, vitamin C, potassium and vitamin A. Part of the Cucurbita pepo species, it has roots in the Americas stretching back thousands of years. Unlike some winter squashes, it’s best enjoyed relatively soon after harvest.
To celebrate with a simple side, Allrecipes roasts halved acorn squash until tender, then adds butter and brown sugar to the center and bakes it again until soft, sweet and caramelized.