By They came. Sarah, Jim, Teddy, Finn — a car pulling up the drive on Saturday afternoon with four people who've been nothing but voices and faces on a screen since March. I stood on the porch and watched them get out of the car and I did not trust myself to say anything clever so I just said: good, you're here.
The week was everything I'd been planning toward and also completely different from any plan, the way family visits always are. Finn is five years old and has discovered the concept of chickens in a dramatic way — we don't have chickens but the neighbors do and he wanted to look at them every day. Teddy made bread with me on Sunday morning, in person, his hands in the dough the way I'd described over the video calls. He has an instinct for it. Helen would have said so.
I made the big farm dinner on Wednesday evening, the long table on the porch, everything from the garden: grilled corn, roasted tomatoes, green beans with almonds, summer squash with herbs, a cold cucumber salad, crusty bread. No meat. We just ate vegetables until we were too full to move and then sat there in the late summer light while the fireflies came on. It was exactly right.
Jim and I talked more in this week than in the previous three years combined. He's a good man. He works hard and he takes care of my daughter and he is raising two boys who are growing into people worth knowing. I told him so, in less direct terms, because that's the way men communicate these things. I think he understood.
That Wednesday porch dinner is the one I’ll carry with me longest — the table full, the garden giving everything it had, the fireflies coming on while no one moved because no one wanted to. When people ask me what I made, I give them the whole list, but if I’m being honest, the squash is the one that got the most attention. There’s something about the combination of honey and a proper crunch that turns a humble vegetable into something people reach for twice. I’ve made it enough times now that I can say with confidence: put this on the table and it won’t come back inside.
Crunchy Honey-Glazed Butternut Squash
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1 large butternut squash (about 3 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (for serving)
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat and prep. Heat your oven to 425°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Season the squash. In a large bowl, toss the cubed butternut squash with olive oil, honey, brown sugar, kosher salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne if using. Make sure every piece is well coated.
- Arrange for roasting. Spread the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, leaving space between pieces so they roast rather than steam. Crowding is the enemy of a good caramelized edge.
- First roast. Roast for 20 minutes, until the squash is beginning to caramelize at the edges and is just tender when pierced with a fork.
- Make the crunch topping. While the squash roasts, combine the panko breadcrumbs with the melted butter in a small bowl and toss until the crumbs are evenly coated.
- Add the topping. Remove the pan from the oven and scatter the buttered panko evenly over the squash pieces. Return to the oven for another 12–15 minutes, until the breadcrumbs are deep golden and the glaze is sticky and caramelized.
- Finish and serve. Transfer to a serving platter. Scatter fresh parsley over the top and finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Serve immediately while the crunch is at its best.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 195 | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 30g | Fiber: 3g | Sodium: 310mg