Autumn Squash Like Mom Used to Make

Yesterday evening I was looking around my kitchen, mildly perturbed that I didn’t really have anything to eat, when I was reminded of a dish my mom made when I was a kid.  She would bake butternut squash until tender and then fill it with a delicious mixture of cottage cheese and apple slices.  Who knew you could make something similar in village, well, except for the apple.

Ingredients:

• Squash
• Milk powder
• Water
• Vinegar
• Lemon (optional)
• Salt
• 1 small apple, cut into chunks
• Spices (I used a premade blend of coriander, cumin seed,cardamom, cinnamon, pepper, cilantro, nutmeg and cloves)

Directions:

1.  Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.  Place it in the oven to bake.
2. Make the ricotta cheese:
1.  If you have good vinegar, like Soleil, mix milk powder, a few tablespoons of vinegar and water together.  Heat.  When the mixture is really hot (but not boiling!) add another tablespoon of vinegar.  The milk should separate into curds and whey.  Use a slotted spoon or tea strainer to extract the curds.  Mix in a pinch of salt.
2.  If you can only find the little bottles of mediocre vinegar, mix enough vinegar with the milk powder to make a paste.  Add water to dissolve the paste.  Heat.  When the mixture is really hot add another tablespoon of vinegar or squeeze in half a lemon.  I think the lemon juice helps the milk separate and I like the flavor.  Use a slotted spoon or tea strainer to extract the curds.  Mix in a pinch of salt. 
3. Pour off any remaining liquid from the cheese.  Don’t squeeze it in cheesecloth as this will make it too dry.  Peel and cut the apple into chunks.  Mix the apple in with the cheese.  Adjust spices as necessary.
4. When the squash is cooked through (after about 40 minutes), spoon the cheese-apple mixture into the squash halves.  Bake until mixture is warm.