Butternut Squash Jumble

January 2032. The new year and a question I'd been holding for a few months came to the surface: there was an opening for a welding instructor at the Cherokee Nation vocational training center—the same center where I was running the traditional foods curriculum. They were looking for someone to teach basic and intermediate welding to young people in the vocational track. The position was part-time, aligned with the curriculum schedule, and would round out my work at the center in a way that felt complete rather than split.

I thought about whether I was the right person. I'd been a welder for fifteen years and a trainer for four. I'd taught the work the way Danny had taught me—through presence and demonstration and patient repetition. The content was different from the food work but the teaching method was identical. I'd been thinking of them as the same thing since 2025. Here was a chance to do them in the same building on the same days.

Applied in January. Was offered the position in February. Accepted without hesitation.

Told Caleb over dinner. He said: so you're going to be a teacher full time? I said: I already was. I just didn't have the title. He said: Danny would have found that funny. I said: why? He said: because you spent twenty years learning things from a man who never called himself a teacher. I said: that's the best kind. He said: yeah it is.

The night Caleb and I talked about Danny over dinner was one of those evenings where nothing dramatic happened but everything felt settled — like a joint finally seated flush. I wanted to cook something that matched that feeling: winter ingredients, one pan, nothing trying too hard. This Butternut Squash Jumble is exactly that. It’s the kind of dish that comes together without a lot of ceremony, lets each element do its work, and ends up being more than the sum of its parts — which, thinking about it, is a pretty good description of what that job offer actually was.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4–6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
1 can (15 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into 3/4-inch pieces
1 medium red onion, cut into wedges
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Optional: 3 oz crumbled feta cheese for serving

Instructions

Preheat. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or give it a light coat of oil.
Season the squash and vegetables. In a large bowl, combine the butternut squash cubes, chickpeas, bell pepper, and red onion. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat. Add the garlic, cumin, smoked paprika, cinnamon, salt, and pepper, and toss again until everything is evenly coated.
Roast. Spread the mixture in a single layer across the prepared baking sheet — use two sheets if needed to avoid crowding. Roast for 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the squash is tender and the edges are beginning to caramelize.
Add tomatoes. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the pan and return to the oven for another 8–10 minutes, until the tomatoes are softened and just beginning to burst.
Finish and serve. Transfer everything to a serving bowl or platter. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the red wine vinegar. Taste and adjust salt. Scatter parsley over the top and add crumbled feta if using. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Butternut Squash Jumble — Two Roles, One Building, One Pan