Butternut Apple Crisp

This is a great Thanksgiving side dish. We used to sell loads of it when we catered. People who had never eaten squash had it sprung on them by people who knew they would like it if only they had no idea of what they were eating—a vegetable. Most thought it was some kind of sliced peaches and liked it very much. It is one of those sweet Thanksgiving side dishes that could also pass for dessert, like sweet potato casserole or cranberry sauce.

Sometimes for Sukkot I would find gigantic winter crookneck squashes in the farmers’ markets, use them to decorate the entrance to the sukkah, like lion statues, and then bake enough of these casseroles to put in the freezer to last all winter. Either I haven’t been to the right markets lately, or they are not being grown as commonly, because I haven't seen one for a few years now. These days, I am buying regular butternut squash and making the casseroles one at a time.

Butternut Apple Crisp

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 large lemon, juice and grated rind (a microplane works well on the rind)
• 1/4 cup apple juice
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 2 small butternut squashes, pared, quartered, seeded, and sliced thinly (6 cups)
• 4 granny smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 8 Tbsp. or 1 stick pareve margarine

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a very large bowl, combine the 1 cup brown sugar, lemon juice and rind, apple juice, cinnamon and salt. Add the sliced squash and apples, tossing gently to coat. Turn mixture into a lasagna-sized shallow baking dish. Bake, covered for 45 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine flour, oats and the remaining 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cut in margarine with two knives, a pastry blender, or the paddle beater of an electric mixer at slowest speed until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

Sprinkle evenly over squash-apple mixture. Bake, uncovered, 30 minutes longer until squash is tender and topping is browned. May be frozen and rewarmed, uncovered, before serving.

Makes about 12 servings.