This evening the hubs and I went to a live taping of “Last Seen”, a podcast detailing the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum art heist.  The facts surrounding this case – the world’s largest art theft in history – are deep and astonishing.  While various detectives, journalists, and art lovers have dedicated their careers to digging into the case, not one of the 13 pieces of stolen art has been seen since the theft in 1990. All of this despite a $10 million reward and seemingly hundreds of leads followed.

Tonight the producers of the show hosted a live “bonus episode”in Boston, MA, to discuss their process, some of their favorite theories, and expand upon why they are so drawn to this mystery. I could listen to Kelly Horan share her knowledge and theories all day long. This evening she reminded us that Isabella Stewart Gardner was a woman who hand picked each piece of art and purposefully placed it within her home where it lies today. As Kelly noted, the art lies exactly where she wanted you to see it.  To the question “which of the stolen pieces of art is your favorite?” Kelly replied “how could I know, I’ve never seen them?” If you are a podcast lover this is a must listen!

As for this squash, I am beyond impressed with how easy and flavorful this side dish was to make. In many ways this is quickly going to become one of my favorite fall squashes, as the skin is edible and easy to slice! No more cirque du soleil moves necessary to remove skin prior to roasting – simply cut down the middle, remove the seeds, sprinkle with olive oil and salt, and roast for 30 minutes.

Once roasted the squash has a sweet caramelized crunchy layer on the outside with a tender inside that is a bit richer in flavor than a butternut squash. We paired this with green beans with an apple stuffed pork loin (recipe coming soon)- a perfect fall feast.  As I always do with posts characterized as ‘experiments’, I’ve listed below many modifications or ideas for preparation in the future. What suggestions or favorite methods do you have that I should add to this list?

Roasted Delicata Squash

• Servings: 3-4
• Time: 5 prep + 30 cook = 35 mins
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This roasted squash is easy to cut and can be consumed with the skin on! Perfect for a quick weeknight 'throw it in the oven sort of meal!

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized delicata squash
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Steps & Notes

1. Wash the squash well, removing any dirt, as you will be eating the skin.
2. Cut the squash into two long ‘boats’ and remove the seeds.
3. Turn upside down and cut into ‘C shaped’ strips.
4. In a bowl toss with olive oil and salt.
5. Roast at 425 for 30-35 minutes. Remove them from the oven halfway through cooking and flip to ensure even browning

Possible Modifications

• Grill them wrapped in bacon – inspired by  BonAppeteach
• Serve drizzled in an avocado cream sauce
• Drizzle with maple syrup prior to roasting
• Sprinkle with turmeric or cayenne
• Serve the squash over a kale salad with seeds and grains (I need to make something like this soon!)