Sas...squash?

Out of season, but taste-bud-boggling stuffed acorn squash, inspired by a recipe on VegWeb.

1 large acorn squash

1 stalk celery, chopped

1/2 small yellow onion, chopped

1/2 granny smith apple, chopped

10 raw almonds, coarsely chopped

3 Tbls. jumbo raisins

1/4 cup wild rice

cinnamon

olive oil

agave nectar

rice vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Start the wild rice in the rice cooker with 3/4 cup of water. Cut squash in half lengthwise, scoop out seeds and rub the inside with olive oil.  Pour maybe a quarter cup water in the bottom of a pan and lay the squash cut-side down , then bake at 350 degrees for half an hour.

While rice and squash are cooking, saute onions in a few Tbls. olive oil until they just start to soften, then add raisins and celery.  Cook on low for 2-3 minutes, then add chopped apple, almonds, and a dash of cinnamon.  Give it 3 more minutes of frying, followed by a big swirl of agave nectar plus a tiny splash of rice vinegar for some extra tang.

I timed this dish badly, so I had to let the stir-fry portion hang out on the stove while the rice finished cooking.  Wild rice takes like fifty years to soften into something edible, so plan accordingly.  Combine rice with stir-fry and then pile the whole mixture into the squash.  Top with sea salt and black pepper to taste.

You can ask Scott- I wouldn't shut up about how good this came out. After we ate it all, I stood over the stove and shoveled the last remaining bit of filling into my mouth, and now all that's left is this photo.