Roasted Corn Pudding In Acorn Squash

Each week I receive an email from Heidi Swanson and her blog "101 Cookbooks". Heidi does an incredible job with her recipes. This recipe came from a cookbook, "The Vegetarian Compass" by Karen Hubert Allison, published in 1998.

Heidi will take a recipe and often does a take on it to improvise with something very available or give it a twist to the likes of her family. Heidi found this recipe very interesting and again used the spices that her family enjoys.

While I am here in Ohio with an abundance of fresh vegetables so available and my appetite for squash, I will incorporate squash daily in my diet for the next couple of weeks. Squash is not as available in California as it is not grown in the state.

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Roasted Corn Pudding In Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 small (2lb.) acorn squash, cut in half lengthwise and seeded

1 Tablespoon clarified butter or olive oil

1 cup milk

1 egg plus 2 egg whites

1/2 cup fresh corn kernels (or more if you like)

1/4 teaspoon anise seed, chopped

1/2 cup chopped scallions

a tiny pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt

1/3 cup freshly grated white cheddar cheese

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Directions:

Preheat oven to 375F degrees with a rack in the middle.

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Rub the orange flesh of the squash with the butter/oil. Place cut side up on a baking sheet. You will want it to set flat (and not tip). If you are having trouble, just level out the bottom using a knife. If the squash is tilting on the pan, the filling will run out-bad news. Add water to the baking pan about 1/2 inch in the bottom. Cover the squash with foil and bake for 40 to 60 minutes or until the squash starts to get tender.

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In a bowl combine the milk, eggs, corn, anise seed, half of the scallions, nutmeg, and salt. Fill each of the squash bowls 3/4 full. A tip here is to fill the squash in the baking pan on the oven rack. It might prevent spilling while carrying. Continue baking uncovered for another 30 to 50 minutes, or until the squash is fully cooked through, and the pudding has set. The amount of time it takes can vary widely depending on the squash and the oven. At the last minute sprinkle with cheese and finish with a flash under the broiler to brown the cheese. Keep an eye on things, you can go from melted cheese to burnt in a flash. Serve hot sprinkled with remaining scallions. Serves 4 to 6

Bake any left over filling in a ramekin for a nice corn pudding.