The conceit is that each recipe can be altered slightly to make it vegan or paleo or gluten-free, so the cook can feed a diverse group with minimal difficulty.
I browsed through it for inspiration before we took our weekly trip to the Hollywood Farmers Market.
There, at one of the organic farm stalls we frequent, I noticed the first spaghetti squash of the season. I told the farmer that I was going to barbecue it. He allowed as to how grilled banana squash is one of his favorites, so he wasn't taken aback at the idea of grilling spaghetti squash.
Larry was. He buys me a huge beautiful book on barbecuing vegetables and I find a spaghetti squash recipe! But I promised him corn and potato salad, and he agreed grilling squash would be an interesting experiment.
Well, I have to say, grilled spaghetti squash is awesome. We use charcoal briquettes — the regular kind from the grocery store — not gas. I don't know if that was the difference, but the squash was smoky and mellow and somehow rich - completely different to the oven-baked kind.
It was simple to cook. I washed the outside of the squash, cut it in half lengthwise and scooped out the seeds. I rubbed the cut part with olive oil and sprinkled on some hot paprika, salt and pepper. Then I placed it skin side down on the grill, put the lid on, and let it cook for 20-30 minutes until it was tender. (Fortunately Larry came home partway through and showed me how to adjust the air vents on the grill to increase the heat.)
While it was cooling enough to handle, I warmed some halved cherry tomatoes with olive oil and garlic in a skillet on the grill. Then I scraped the flesh from the squash into a bowl, tossed in the cherry tomatoes and sprinkled some basil on top.
Of course, food eaten outside always tastes better. But I think this spaghetti squash was the best I've ever eaten. Even Larry had second helpings.
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