Putting The Kibosh on Spaghetti Squash?

Who can honestly say that spaghetti squash is their favorite vegetable? Until today I couldn't weigh in on a spaghetti squash discussion, having never cooked or eaten this odd vegetable.

How did that come to be? I am not exactly sure but I never found it on my dinner plate as a child (probably because you couldn't find it in the frozen vegetable section). And then, later when I could and would eat nearly anything, recipes for spaghetti squash held little allure (stringy, watery textured vegetable..., uh,no thanks).

So how then did I find myself with two large spaghetti squashes in the fridge? Well I have Farmer Rich to thank for that. His harvest has forced me into experimentation. The squashes have been hiding in the back of the fridge, awaiting an uncertain fate. Cook or compost? That was the question. I hadn't planned on cooking them tonight but I was cleaning out my fridge and figured, now or never. So I googled and found a simple, straightforward recipe.

I cut the squash into halves roasted it drizzled with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar. When it emerged from the oven I took a fork to create the "spaghetti strands". This is something Izzy took great interest in watching.

As I fluffed up the strands I was reminded of E., a CSA member who told me of how she could not eat spaghetti squash because she had been scarred by her mother's childhood preparation of the vegetable. It had been served, "spaghetti style" with tomato sauce. Now, examining the texture, I could see why she doesn't go near the stuff.

I needed to add some other ingredients but before doing so, I wanted an unadulterated taste. Verdict? A bland, insipid vegetable to be sure, nothing like its more orangey, sweet butternut cousins. The addition of some butter, olive oil, and Parmesan cheese (I left out the rosemary and added butter) definitely helped to elevate its status to something palatable. But still I would not go out of my way to buy or order this anytime soon, except for Izzy.

He had an entirely different perspective on the matter. He could not get enough of the stuff. He couldn't keep his fork away from the stove, spooning up mouthfuls at every turn.

Maybe he lacks for certain vitamins present in this squash. Perhaps he gets the taste for it from the other side of the family. Whatever the case may be, he finished the entire batch. Lucky for him, I still have one more in the fridge. After that, he might just have to wait until next fall before I find myself making another.