In my house, a delicious kabocha squash usually gets stuffed and served as a main dish, but this time it got sidetracked as a receptable for roasted vegetables.  Here’s how it happened:  

When I make a stuffed kabocha, I partially roast it before stuffing it with a grain or bread-based stuffing and then finish it in the oven.  So the other day when I was roasting a pan of vegetables to accompany my Almost One-Dish Thanksgiving Dinner, I put a kabocha in the oven, too.  I guess I don’t need to tell you what happened next — I was compelled to pile the vegetables into the squash “bowl.” 

The combination of vibrant vegetables and squash together looks so gorgeous on the table, it’s guaranteed to steal the show on Thanksgiving (or anytime).   It’s kind of like a vegetable cornucopia, but with a kabocha squash standing in for the cornucopia.   

In case you’re wondering what some of those roasted veggies are, here’s the run-down:  purple yam, Brussels sprouts, chestnuts, baby white potatoes, carrots, scallions, and pitted Chinese dates.  (Note to self:  Next time, skip the Chinese dates — they don’t have much flavor and they’re kinda hard.)

Looking for more great ideas for Thanksgiving?  Tips and recipes from Party Vegan are popping up all over! Check out my Thanksgiving tips in this VegNews article.   And visit the Daily Meal for some of my Thanksgiving recipes including Chestnut Bisque, Porcini Stuffed Seitan with Wild Mushroom Sauce and Pecan Pumpkin Pie.

Now it’s time to announce the winner of my special Weekly Vegan Mofo Cookbook Giveaway. This week, Random.org smiled upon: Monique aka Mo! Congratulations! You’re the winner of a copy of Vegan Unplugged: A Pantry Cuisine Cookbook and Emergency Preparedness Guide. Mo: send me an e-mail with your address and I’ll get it right out to you! (Everyone else: A new giveaway starts tomorrow!)

Unscientific Poll Results: A quick glance through all 115 comments from this last contest reveals that chickpeas win by a landslide as the favorite pantry ingredient!