Oneforthetable.com

The other day at the market, a woman approached me and said, "Excuse me, but may I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"What do you do with that?" she asked, and pointed to the huge pile of squash in my carriage.

"You mean the butternut squash?" I asked, incredulous.

"Yeah. I never know what to do with them," she said.

I was shocked. To me, butternut squash is like your best friend. It's always there when you need it; it's dependable and rarely disappoints; it gets along well with others and is happy to try new things.

Unfortunately not everyone has a long-standing relationship with butternut squash. The woman wanted easy ideas. Well, it doesn't get much easier (or tastier) than roasting butternut squash with some olive oil and herbs. She agreed. And it's a wonderful addition to fall salads, soups, pastas and pizza. I had her until I said, "pizza." That's when her eyes widened in disbelief. I got carried away in the moment.

I didn't tell her I was going to use mine to bake a batch of muffins. After the pizza comment, I was afraid she'd ditch the squash and run screaming from the store.

So, I'll share my savory butternut squash muffins with you. I have made several different versions of these muffins, but this one is my favorite. Caramelizing the onion and roasting the butternut squash give these muffins pleasant depth of flavor. Since they're laced with fresh herbs and sharp cheddar cheese, they're also enticingly fragrant. They get along really well with hearty soups and chilis as well as salads. I plan on making another batch for Thanksgiving dinner because savory muffins just seem so much more festive than plain old sliced bread.

Savory Butternut Squash Muffins with Apples, Caramelized Onions and Cheddar Cheese

Makes 12 regular size muffins

Muffins:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup milk

1/3 cup honey

2 large eggs

1/3 cup canola oil, plus 2 teaspoons, divided

1 small yellow onion, diced

Pinch of sugar

1 medium mildly sweet apple (such as Fuji), peeled and shredded

1 cup cooked, mashed butternut squash

1- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh herbs, such as rosemary and sage

3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted walnuts

1. Place rack in center of oven, and preheat to 375 degrees F. Spray a 12 mold regular size muffin pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine flours, baking soda, salt and black pepper in a large bowl and stir well.

3. In a separate bowl, combine milk, honey, eggs and 1/3 cup oil and whisk well.

4. In a small skillet over medium-low heat, warm 2 teaspoons oil. Add onions and sprinkle with a pinch of sugar. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until tender and lightly caramelized. Remove from heat.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk until combined. Fold in onions, apples, squash, herbs, Cheddar and walnuts.

6. Spoon the batter evenly into the into 12 muffin cups. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a cake tester inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for 5 minutes before removing each muffin and placing on a wire rack to cool.

(Susan Russo is a freelance food writer in San Diego, Calif. One for the Table is Amy Ephron's online magazine that specializes in food, politics and love. www.oneforthetable.com.)