Winter Squash Wedges With Gorgonzola Butter and Hazelnuts

Life hasn’t been the same since Deborah Madison introduced me to Gorgonzola butter in her classic cookbook Vegetable Literacy. It’s a lovely condiment to jazz up any meat or vegetable dish, and it makes these winter squash wedges something special. Any winter squash variety will work—delicata, butternut, acorn, kabocha, etc.—and you don’t need to bother peeling it (unless you’re sensitive to the skin), because most squash varieties have edible skins that become quite tender once cooked. I like to smear a thin layer of the butter onto a plate and place the squash on top so that with each bite I get a little taste of the incredible cheesy, buttery spread.  

Localize it: You could sub in roasted carrots or roasted beets for the winter squash. Try using any local nut or seed in place of the hazelnuts. And a nice local blue cheese is a great substitute for the Gorgonzola.