Roasted Pumpkin Fries

Sometimes, the perfect recipe creates itself.

By Khalil Hymore

Truth be told, it was Scott's idea to call these "fries", and frankly, this dish was an accident. I started out to make my Curried Butternut Squash Soup with the kabocha squash that arrived with our CSA shipment this week. But as I was roasting the squash, a funny thing happened, they started to resemble French fries...and they were delicious! Just ask Scott, they never became soup! The only question that remains is, do I serve them with ketchup or mayonnaise?

Makes 4 servings

• 1 large kabocha squash or other winter squash, peeled and seeded
• 4 large cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• kosher or sea salt
• chopped fresh cilantro

Heat oven to 425° Fahrenheit. Slice the squash into wedges 1/2-inch thick and about 2-inches long and place on a large rimmed baking sheet with the sliced garlic. Sprinkle the curry powder and pepper over the squash and drizzle with olive oil. Toss until well coated and roast until the squash is crisp on the outside and tender on the inside, about 45 minutes. Enjoy!