Perfect for days that are still cold and often blustery.  We often are able to get peeled, diced organic butternut squash on organic produce day, which makes this dish a five-minute snap to prepare for the oven!  Of course you can halve, peel and cube your own squash, or substitute diced yams.

Vegetarian?  Substitute any one of the fake sausages we carry.  Jim’s favorite is the Beer Brats.

The savory herbs used here provide complex tones and flavors to dishes, but also have medicinal properties valued since the beginning of time!  The word “sage” is derived from the Latin meaning health or healing powers.  The ancient Greeks and Romans administered sage for everything from snakebite to promoting longevity.  In Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Ophelia says, “There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance”, but some of rosemary’s constituents have been shown to inhibit the growth of skin tumors and to provide a natural antioxidant protection against skin cancer.

Thyme is generally used in combination with other remedies as an antiseptic.  It’s said to destroy fungal infections such as athlete’s foot, and skin parasites like crabs and lice. It’s effective for colic, flatulence, and particularly for sore throats and colds. Since thyme is effective in relaxing smooth muscles, it’s useful in asthma and hypertension, as well as relaxing the gastrointestinal tract.  In wartime, thyme was used as a dressing.  We’ve lost so much intuitive knowing, haven’t we?

Serves 4

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Toss everything together in a large bowl or mix carefully right in the oven-proof serving platter or shallow roasting pan.  Place platter or roasting pan in oven and roast until squash is tender, about 30 minutes.  Your sausage will be nicely browned too.  Amazing how something so simple can taste so good!

This is very nice served alongside steamed spinach, kale, collards, or broccoli.  Think color!