Spaghetti Squash Ole....

When I wake up each morning I have to make a decision about what to wear to get myself ready for work. Will it be short sleeve weather or will it be sweater worthy? It is too early in the morning to make decisions certainly, but decisions must be made nevertheless. I guess the thing to do this time of year is to dress in layers so that you can peel off as the day gets warmer. One day I will be dreaming of sitting by a cozy fire and taking long walks through the rustling leaves and the next day I am clinging onto the last remnants of summer (with my heels dug in) by going to the beach with my book in hand. It is inevitable of course that cooler days are upon us.


For those of you who know me, fall is my favourite season with its cool crisp days. The perfect day for me would be to go for a walk along the Greenway and rustle through the leaves, stopping at the bridges to view the Kokanee during spawning season, having a wonderful lunch of seasonal foods (or better yet visiting a local winery for lunch) and sitting cosy by the fire and finishing that great novel.

I had a friend visiting from Arizona for the past few days, so, our days were spent doing just that. Therefore I had 5 perfect days in a row! The leaves have not dropped yet of course , so, their was no rustling to be had, but, we walked each day with amazing views of the valley. The fireplace is also missing since I gave up the house, but, the memories and the great novels are there. We visited Davison's Orchards where the first of the apples are ready to be picked. They were laden with the last of the pears, squash and tomatoes as well. My friend had a great recipe for spaghetti squash that she wanted to share so we picked up two for a future date.

I loved the squash dish she made so have featured it here. It lends itself to many variations. She uses salsa for ease of preparation and the piquancy of the spices but you could add your own peppers, tomatoes and spice combinations. The key is to not overcook the squash so that it still has a bone to it. To make it photoworthy we added tomato slices with cheese on top and broiled it in the oven for a few moments. She knows about my blogging fixation so we had to make it look "perty".

**Pam's Spaghetti Squash Ole**

2 tablespoons oil or butter
1 medium to large spaghetti squash
2 small onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup medium salsa
1 - 1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese
1 - 2 cups plain yogurt
Tabasco (optional)

Pierce squash with a fork in several places. Place on baking sheet and bake at 350F for 45 minutes. Turn and bake 45 minutes longer, or until shell yields to pressure. When cool enough to handle, cut squash in half. Scoop out and discard seeds. Remove spaghetti-like strings inside squash with fork and reserve.

Heat oil or butter in skillet. Saute onion until tender, Add garlic. Saute for a few more minutes. Add squash strands, salsa, cheese and yogurt to distribute evenly. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve

Variation:

**Spaghetti Squash with Cheese**

1 spaghetti squash (4 lb)
2 tablespoons butter
1/8 cup onion, minced
1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 cups Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese
2-1/4 oz canned sliced black olives
salt/pepper to taste

Cook squash as above.

Melt butter in skillet. Saute onion and green and red peppers until tender. Add squash strands, oregano, marjoram, basil, garlic, cheese and olives. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss until cheese is evenly distributed. Place in 1-1/2 quart casserole and return to oven until cheese is melted, 10 - 15 minutes