Candy Roaster Squash with Sorghum, Black Walnuts, and Cranberries
The unique candy roaster squash may be a regional North Georgia specialty, but the heirloom gourd can be found across the Southeast. It’s known for its signature banana-like shape and light pink color. This heirloom winter squash certainly deserves a spot on your holiday table—luckily, this recipe is sure to be a hit. Like many of its cousin squash varieties, the candy roaster doesn’t need much dressing up—it’s best served simply, deeply roasted with a few pops of texture and contrasting flavor. Squash is beloved for its sweet-meets-savory flavor, and we play on both palates in this recipe, drizzling the squash in syrupy sorghum to help it achieve caramelization and draw out those sweeter notes. This recipe also accentuates the squash with cranberry jewels and crunchy black walnuts to create a naturally irresistible vegetable side. Although we recommend using a candy roaster squash, this recipe is just as successful with the more widely-known butternut squash.