This is such a superb and original New England side dish, many of your family and friends won’t want to share, but each half is plenty for two people. Native Americans had a name for the three important vegetables they lived on and showed the new colonists how to grow. Squash, beans and corn were known as the Three Sisters and when cooked together, this dish was known as Succotash. I have tweaked the succotash a bit here, especially when you see prepared beans below. This was a perfect addition because of the sweet, molasses-based sauce they are canned with. But use your favorite, canned baked beans. A perfect compliment not only to your holiday table but to our ancestors.

Gingerbread Roasted Squash Seeds

1/2 cup apple jelly 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

2 acorn squashes

2 strips bacon, chopped

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic in oil

1/4 cup diced apple

1/2 cup whole kernel corn

1/4 cup lima beans

1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup prepared baked beans

Heat over to 400 degrees. Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scoop out seeds and membrane with a spoon, leaving at least an 11/2 inches of the flesh all around. Place the seeds and membrane in a bowl with cold water and set aside. Cut a sliver off the rounded side of each half so that it stands erect on a baking pan. Whisk together apple jelly and butter in a small bowl and drizzle, or brush, the inside of each squash.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until desired doneness. Add onion, bell pepper and garlic. Toss to combine and cook until vegetables are softened, but still firm. Remove from heat and add corn, apple, lima beans, baked beans and cheese, mixing well. Evenly divide among prepared squash and loosely cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes, this will be the halfway point. Remove from oven, remove foil and top each with equal amounts of prepared seeds. Return to the oven and continue baking an additional 30 minutes. (Until the squash is tender, but not too soft). Remove from oven to serve immediately.

To make Gingerbread Roasted Squash Seeds, agitate the seeds in the water, pulling the membrane off the seeds and dry in paper towels. Add to a small bowl with one teaspoon oil, and onequarter teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger, mixing to evenly coat.

Note: Many people will not first peel their squash for fear it will soften to the point where everything will seep or fall, out. This will not happen if not overcooked. A vegetable peeler works good on acorn squash except when you come to the crevices in the skin. For that, use a paring knife or simply peel the entire squash with a paring knife, making sure you only take off the green rind and don’t pierce the flesh into the cavity where all the seeds are.

— Chef Jim Bailey is The Yankee Chef and an authority on New England food and its history. He is a respected food columnist from Maine. You can email questions or comments to [email protected] and visit theyankeechef. blogspot.com.