Stuffed Squash

This is a recipe that takes a lot of improvisation. What follows is simply tonight's version.

Bake a halved, scooped butternut squash, rubbed with a little oil and placed open-side down, in a 350º F oven for about 45 minutes or until mostly soft. Meanwhile, cook a cup or more of rice--just about any kind will do, but I like a medium grain brown rice.

Chop a 1/4 cup of almonds and toast them lightly in a small (cast-iron?) pan. When done, remove from pan, and saute a small chopped onion and half a chopped apple, until soft. A little coriander and salt are good here.

Today I added some dried cranberries and about a 1/4 cup of crumbled Wensleydale with Cranberry cheese. A sharp cheddar is also very good.

When the squash is cooked most of the way through, take out of and carefully scoop most of the soft flesh to mix with the other ingredients. (Leave some flesh in so the skin holds form.) Then spoon the mixed mix back into each squash half. Sprinkle extra cheese over the top, and return to the oven for ten minutes or so. The filling is just as good served alongside something else, however.