AUTUMN HEALTHY EATING

Hooray! It's fall, which means it is the eating season. Take advantage of the season's offerings by visiting your local farmer's market or grocery store to pick up delicious and nutritious root veggies and harder-skinned members of the squash family, like butternut squash, pumpkin, acorn squash, and other vitamin-a-packed veggie treats!

So many good-for-you fruits and veggies are abundant all over the country. These include: Beets, celery root, turnips, carrots, Brussels sprouts, apples, broccoli, artichokes, butternut squash, fennel, figs, persimmons, leeks, pomegranates, and sweet potatoes.

These fruits and veggies tend to be richer and more complex in taste than other fruits and veggies, because they have a longer growing season, and absorb more nutrients. They will help ward off viruses and keep you and your family healthy throughout the cold months. To find great recipes, try epicurious.com, or foodnetwork.com.

Try this easy recipe for weekday side dish from Simplyrecipes.com. Perhaps serve it with a side of quinoa, and some grilled chicken breasts!

Classic Baked Acorn Squash Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 Acorn squash
* 1 Tbsp Butter
* 2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
* 2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
* Dash of Salt

1) Preheat oven to 400°F.

2) Using a strong chef's knife, and perhaps a rubber mallet to help, cut the acorn squash in half, lengthwise, from stem to end. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and stringy stuff in the center of each half. Score the insides of each half several times with a sharp knife. Place each half in a baking pan, cut side up. Add about a 1/4 inch of water to the bottom of the baking pan so that the skins don't burn and the squash doesn't get dried out.

3) Coat the inside of each half with 1/2 a Tbsp of butter. Add a dash of salt if you are using unsalted butter. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to the cavity of each half. Dribble on a teaspoon of maple syrup to each half.

4) Bake in the oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, until the squash is very soft and the tops are browned. Do not undercook. When finished, remove from oven and let cool a little before serving. Spoon any buttery sugar sauce that has not already been absorbed by the squash over the exposed areas.

Serves 2 to 4, depending on how much squash you like to eat!