Ginger Orange Squash

Elijah turns four. March 28th. FOUR. The orange baby is four. He's at Little Hands five days a week, reading (early reader — the Mitchell reading gene is dominant), talking in full paragraphs ("Mama, I want to tell you about my day. First, I played in the sandbox. Then, Miles and I built a tower. Then, Ms. Rivera said it was snack time and I had orange crackers and they were the best crackers." A PARAGRAPH. About sand and crackers. The boy is a narrator. The Mitchell narrative gene: also dominant).

The birthday party: orange-themed. Year three of the orange birthday. The cake: Chloe's orange creation (this year: an orange-flavored layer cake with orange cream cheese frosting and fondant orange slices on top that look so realistic Jayden tried to eat one before realizing it was sugar). The decorations: orange. The balloons: orange. The napkins: orange. Elijah wore an orange shirt and orange socks and would have worn orange shoes if they made them in his size (they don't; he wore his regular shoes and expressed displeasure). The boy is committed. The boy is brand-loyal. The boy's commitment to orange makes Jayden's commitment to fire trucks look like a passing fancy.

Terrence came. The annual birthday visit. Elijah ran to him: "DA! DA! I'M FOUR!" The announcement. The proclamation. The four-year-old broadcasting his age to the man who made him with the volume of a person who believes that being four is the most important thing that has ever happened to anyone. He's not wrong. Being four is enormous when you've only been three things before (one, two, three, and now: FOUR). Each number is a revolution. Each birthday is a nation declaring independence.

Terrence's gift: a toy kitchen. A PLAY KITCHEN. With plastic pots and pans and a fake stove and a pretend oven. For the boy who dressed as a chef for Halloween. For the boy who said "like Mama, like Coco." The play kitchen is the beginning of Elijah's relationship with cooking — the same way Jayden's fire truck at two was the beginning of Jayden's relationship with firefighting. The toy becomes the identity. The identity becomes the vocation. Elijah stood at his play kitchen and "cooked" orange plastic food and served it to Blaze (who declined) and the cooking was pretend and the love was real and the beginning is always like this: small, orange, and served to a cat who doesn't eat plastic.

Birthday mac and cheese. The Elijah constant. "Mo nana cheese." Year three. The tradition that was born at one and is now at four and will be at thirty-four because some traditions don't expire. The mac and cheese was three-cheese with nutmeg (Chloe's amendment, permanent). Elijah ate two bowls. The boy's capacity for mac and cheese is: institutional.

The mac and cheese is its own religion at this point — three-cheese, nutmeg-amended, non-negotiable — but a birthday table needs something to sit alongside the sacred, and this year I wanted everything on that table to honor the orange. Ginger orange squash does exactly that: it’s warm and glossy and the color of Elijah’s socks, and it tastes like a celebration that knows what it’s doing. He served pretend orange food from his new play kitchen; I served this from the real one — and honestly, his presentation was pretty competitive.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 medium butternut squash (about 2 lbs), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Fresh parsley or chives, chopped, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven. Heat oven to 400°F. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and set aside.
Make the glaze. In a large bowl, whisk together the orange juice, orange zest, grated ginger, melted butter, honey, salt, pepper, and cinnamon until well combined.
Coat the squash. Add the cubed squash to the bowl and toss thoroughly until every piece is evenly coated in the ginger-orange glaze.
Arrange and roast. Spread the squash in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet, making sure the pieces aren’t crowded. Roast for 25–30 minutes, flipping once halfway through, until the squash is tender and the edges are caramelized and golden.
Finish and serve. Remove from oven and taste for seasoning. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh parsley or chives if desired. Serve warm.

Nutrition (per serving)

Ginger Orange Squash — The Color of Every Candle We’ve Ever Lit for Him