This is my favorite time of year. I like everything about it, especially these hard squashes. A few years ago I bought several different varieties and baked, baked, baked. Kabocha, sweet dumpling, and this one, a buttercup, are my favorites. Come Thanksgiving you can’t find them, or they’re a bit dry and moldy.

I bake them at 320 degrees. This one took about 2.5 hours and then a few hours to cool. The flesh is good in pumpkin pies and breads. I eat it plain as I’m scooping it out, it’s that good. I’m telling you, you’ll never go back to pumpkin.