Squash, two ways

In October and November, I am thankful for squash. I'm not ashamed to say that squash can be the highlight of my day sometimes; I love cutting into one to find a beautiful shade of orange or yellow - Lord knows these are the days when I need color like that to combat the gray.

Squash looks great on any color of plate and it makes you feel kind of healthy (nevermind the many things you could add to it to enhance the flavor by a million). I love it. Here are two of my favorite ways to eat it.

Autumn Minestrone with a key addition: bacon

Autumn minestrone: I'd say that 4 out of 5 times, I'll just puree some butternut squash in broth, add some coconut milk and curry, and dip a big crusty slice of bread in it. But if I have time and/or a partner in the kitchen to deal with all the peeling and chopping (potatoes, butternut squash, carrots, celery, onion, garlic and kale), this recipe is a real gem that will last you for days. In its original version on Epicurious, it's fit to serve to both vegans and vegetarians. But when it's just us at home, you better believe I add bacon. I cook it up first (and save to sprinkle on top later) and use a tablespoon of the bacon fat to cook the onions and garlic in the beginning, and then I use chicken broth rather than water. This year we discovered that it's extra yummy with a couple splashes of hot sauce as well. It's a soup that's ready for your own adaptation, really.

Dinner for one: Treat yo'self

Sliced and roasted and slightly sweet and spicy: I recently discovered that you can eat the skin of most squash. It's just as tender as the insides. I learned this the other night when, miracle of miracles, I had maple syrup in my fridge and a delicata on the counter, and a recipe from Melissa Clark for baked delicata squash with maple syrup and chili powder. I made this just for me with some braised cod and warm cabbage slaw. The real star was the squash, I must say. It tasted great the next day for lunch, too.

Indoor nighttime photography is rough. But squash is worth the effort.