Stuffed Orange Kombucha Squash

At the last farmers market I was drawn to this little known small round winter squash. I learned it was a kombucha squash.

Thinking it was like a North Georgia Candy Roaster type of squash with a tough exterior I readied my handy garage saw. I made quick work of slicing it apart and realized a kitchen knife would have done the job.

After slicing the top off I scooped out the seeds and discarded them. Should I have saved those seeds? probably so, too late now. After brushing the exterior of the squash with olive oil, I prebaked the squash for 20 minutes in a 350 F oven placing it on a parchment lined baking pan.

Meanwhile I sautéed half an onion, one red pepper from my garden, one small can of black beans drained and rinsed, one small can of diced tomatoes, one cup of frozen corn kernels, salt, pepper, cumin, and chili powder. Last I sprinkled some shredded smoked gouda cheese over the top and baked the squash for another 30 minutes on the same parchment lined pan.

Next time instead of removing the top, I'll slice the squash in half lengthwise which will make for a better presentation and an easier task of stuffing the ingredients inside. Slice off sections of the stuffed squash to serve, the thin skin is edible or easily avoided while eating the sliced stuffed kombucha.

If you see an unusual vegetable give it a try, stuffing a kombucha squash is worth the effort. A vegetarian meal anyone would be proud to serve and particularly to eat. Yummy.