Lighter than yams, easily done ahead and good hot or tepid, roasted sweet squash turns almost candy-like in the oven.
Serve each half squash filled with a generous scoop of bean soup.
The very simple stuffing for this butternut squash is made primarily of the flesh of the squash itself. Garlic, a bit of ginger, and chopped scallions are added for flavor. If you are not fond of ginger, which gives this combination its unusual taste, you may want to use less of it, or eliminate it altogether. Bread crumbs, tossed with a little oil and sprinkled on top of the filling, become brown and crisp in the oven, and their crunchy texture contrasts nicely with the creaminess of the filling.
Boiling turns apple cider into a delicious sweet-tart syrup that's great over desserts as well as sweet potatoes and sweet squash. New Englanders have used this trick for several hundred years and they know you have to start with good-tasting cider. Check out organic ciders and ones produced on farms in your area.