Sauteed Squash Medley

The leaves turned this week. It happens fast in Iowa — one day the trees are green and the next day the whole state is on fire, orange and red and gold, and the drive to work becomes the kind of thing that makes you roll down the window even though it's forty-eight degrees because you need to feel the air that goes with that color. Fall in central Iowa is two weeks of perfection bookended by mud and ice, and I intend to experience every minute of it.

I made a butternut squash soup Thursday that changed my outlook on the entire week. I'd never made squash soup before — it's not a Marlene recipe, it's something I found in a magazine at the dentist's office and tore out because it sounded warm and the waiting room was cold. Roasted butternut squash, sautéed onion and garlic, chicken broth, a splash of cream, nutmeg, salt, pepper. Blended smooth. Served in bowls with a crusty roll. It's the kind of soup that makes you understand why soup exists as a concept.

Noah liked it. This is significant because Noah has entered a phase where he dislikes everything I cook on principle, not because the food is bad but because he's ten and contrarianism is a developmental stage. Emma said it looked like baby food but tasted good, which I'll take. Jack ate two bowls because Jack eats anything that comes from vegetables. Kevin had three bowls and asked me to make it again, which is Kevin's version of a five-star Yelp review.

I drove to Grinnell Sunday. Dad's garden is mostly put to bed — the beds are turned and covered with straw for winter, the sunflower stalks are cut and the seed heads are drying in the garage. He saved seeds for Jack, which he presented in a paper lunch sack labeled "Sunflower — 2017" in his careful block print. He didn't say it was for Jack. He just handed me the bag and said, "For the garden." That's how Roger Weber gives a gift. He makes it sound like a chore.

The old farm is harvested. I could see it from Dad's porch — the corn stubble in the fields, the bare rows, the emptiness that comes after. Harvest is supposed to feel like completion. It felt like absence. I drank my coffee on Dad's porch and watched the empty fields and thought about next year, because that's what you do when the harvest is in. You think about planting again.

That butternut squash soup started something in me—a willingness to let squash do the heavy lifting this time of year. When Kevin asked me to make the soup again and I found myself with extra squash on the counter and a skillet already out, I didn’t want to wait for a whole blending production. This sauteed squash medley is what happened instead: fast, colorful, and tasting exactly like two weeks of Iowa perfection in a pan.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 15 min | Total Time: 25 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced into 1/4-inch half-moons
1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Instructions

Prep the squash. Slice the zucchini and yellow squash into 1/4-inch half-moons. Peel and cube the butternut squash into 1/2-inch pieces for even cooking.
Start the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the butternut squash first. Add the butternut squash cubes to the skillet and cook for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften and take on a little color at the edges.
Add zucchini and yellow squash. Stir in the zucchini and yellow squash. Season with thyme, salt, and pepper. Cook for another 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all squash is tender but not mushy.
Finish with butter. Add the butter to the pan and toss everything together until the butter melts and coats the vegetables. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Serve. Transfer to a serving dish and top with freshly grated Parmesan if desired. Serve immediately alongside crusty bread or as a side to any fall main dish.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sauteed Squash Medley — When the Season Tells You What to Cook