Easy Grilled Squash

September arrives and with it the turn. The light goes golden. The air sharpens. The farmers market shifts from summer riot to autumn curation — squash replacing tomatoes, apples replacing berries, the great annual exchange of color for substance. I love this moment. The turn is the most honest season — neither the optimism of spring nor the abundance of summer, just the plain fact of change, which is neither good nor bad, just true.

I made kabocha nimono — simmered kabocha squash in dashi-soy broth — the first of the fall. The squash was from Carol's booth, dense and sweet, and I cut it into irregular pieces the way Fumiko's card instructs and simmered it slowly until the broth had been absorbed and each piece was glazed and tender. The apartment smelled like autumn, like dashi, like every September in Fumiko's kitchen. I ate it and tasted continuity. Not repetition — continuity. The distinction matters. Repetition is doing the same thing. Continuity is being the same thread. I am the same thread. I was the thread when Fumiko held it and I am the thread now that she has let go. The thread continues. The squash is cooked. The season turns.

Miya started her second year of preschool. She walked in with her backpack — a pink one she chose herself — and went straight to the play kitchen and began cooking. The teacher told me at pickup that Miya organized the play kitchen during free time, lining up the toy vegetables in order and telling the other children that the onion goes in first because "that is how you start." She is three and she is teaching mise en place to preschoolers. I am raising a tiny culinary instructor. Fumiko would be horrified by the informality. Fumiko would also be deeply, secretly proud.

I received a response from the food magazine about my Uwajimaya essay. Not an acceptance. A request for revision. "We like the voice," the editor wrote. "Can you expand the section about your grandmother?" The request was both flattering and painful — flattering because they liked the voice, painful because expanding the grandmother section means going deeper into the grief, and the grief, while manageable, is not shallow. The depth is where it lives. The expansion will require diving. I said yes. I will revise. I will go deeper. The deeper is where the book lives too.

The kabocha from Carol’s booth was more than I needed for the nimono, and I had thick slices left over that wanted fire instead of broth — something to honor the squash’s sweetness on its own terms, without the dashi to carry it. This is that recipe: the remainder, the b-side, the thing I made after the grief-cooking was done. It is simpler than nimono, less weighted with memory, and maybe that is exactly what a leftover autumn Tuesday deserves.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 12 minutes | Total Time: 22 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium squash (kabocha, zucchini, or yellow squash), about 1 1/2 lbs
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional, for garnish)

Instructions

Prepare the squash. Slice the squash into rounds or long planks about 1/2 inch thick. If using kabocha, leave the skin on — it softens on the grill and adds texture. Pat the slices dry with a paper towel so they char rather than steam.
Season. In a large bowl, toss the squash slices with olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika until every surface is evenly coated.
Heat the grill. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush the grates lightly with oil to prevent sticking.
Grill the squash. Lay slices in a single layer and grill for 5—6 minutes per side, undisturbed, until clear grill marks form and the flesh is tender when pierced with a fork. Resist the urge to move them early — the char is the point.
Rest and serve. Transfer to a serving platter and let rest for 2 minutes. Scatter parsley over the top if using. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Nutrition (per serving)

Easy Grilled Squash — The Season That Turns Without Asking