This easy and beautiful holiday side dish reminds me of my grandfather, an avid gardener who loved growing all manner of squash. I use Delicata squash because it’s pretty and its skin is edible and doesn’t require peeling.
Buy squash and the smallest and freshest sprouts you can find. Some markets, like Crosby’s, Market Basket, and the Common Crow, offer them cleaned and trimmed. Start by mixing together the following:
Divide these into two bowls.
Then, choose a good-sized squash, about eight to ten inches would be perfect, or two smaller ones if you have difficulty finding them. Wash and wipe dry.
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Use upper and lower racks of oven.
Whisk ingredients in both bowls.
In one bowl place the brussels sprouts and stir to coat evenly. Pour onto a baking sheet and arrange in one layer. Position the sheet on the lower rack.
In another bowl, whisk together ingredients and with a pastry brush coat the squash and place on another roasting pan and place in the upper rack.
Roast veggies for 15 minutes and then rotate the pans and roast another 15 minutes, or until squash is easily pierced with a fork. Remove racks from oven and set aside. The brussels sprouts should have a golden look to them.
On a cutting board slice three-quarter-inch slices of squash. You should have about 10 to 12 rings. Arrange on a stainless or Pyrex pan sprinkled with a small amount of the maple syrup glaze.
Brush rings with the extra glaze. Place a brussels sprout in the center of each ring. Any extra sprouts can be placed in a small dish at serving time. In the photo, I have roasted almonds which I tossed with the extra glaze. They took about five minutes in the hot oven. Store covered in the fridge until ready to serve. You can prepare this dish a day or two ahead. At serving time, heat until hot in a 325 oven. It will only take about five minutes. Remove from oven when you are getting ready to serve.
