Fun with pattypans!

Last weekend we made a stop at Lynd Fruit Farm to pick up a few autumn essentials. The prices were crazy good- I swear almost everything was less than $1 per pound. I wanted to stock up on squash but wasn't pleased with the butternuts they had so after grabbing more than a few acorn squash I decided to branch out and try something new. Enter the pattypan! I had never even HEARD of a pattypan prior to this moment (does that make me a bad semi-foodie??)!

After a bit of googling (for inspiration and basic cooking suggestions) I decided I wanted to stuff these little guys, as they were the perfect size. I preheated the oven to 350 and started boiling the squash (and set a timer for 8 minutes) while I got to work on a filling.

For the filling:
1/2 c. dry quinoa 
1 c. water
1 clove garlic, diced
1/2 large onion, diced
3-4 green onions
1 c. chickpeas, cooked
cumin
salt
pepper
parmesan cheese

I combined the quinoa, water and diced garlic in a small saucepan and brought it to a boil. I then turned the flame down, covered the pan and let it simmer for ~10 minutes. Meanwhile I sauteed the onions and seasoned to taste with cumin, salt & pepper. Once the squash we done I sliced off the tops and scooped out their insides. I added the insides to the onions and let them cook for a few moments. I finally tossed in the chickpeas and cooked quinoa and stirred to combine.

I stuffed the little pattypans to the brim with this filling, topped it off with a sprinkle of parmesan and put the tops (or their hats, as I began calling them).

I let them bake for ~25 minutes or so, turning the oven up to 375 towards the end, and then served them with some steamed fresh green beans (seasoned with lemon juice, salt and red pepper flakes).

We really enjoyed the pattypans! They are perfect for stuffing because you can eat the skin too. I think I'd rank them as my 4th favorite squash (below butternut, acorn and spaghetti) and I would recommend that everyone give them a try.

Can't wait to dive into the pounds of peppers we bought for even more kitchen experiments!