I’m a sucker for sales.

Every year around this time, all manner of squash goes on sale for an insanely cheap price (because it’s in season, duh, although I didn’t realize it at the time). Last year, I picked up two acorn squash, having no clue what to do with them. The next week, the same sale was on, so I bought two more, still not knowing what to make.

Finally, the missus insisted we cook’em up. I consulted the paragon of culinary reference, The Joy of Cooking. It had an acorn squash recipe similar to this, without the sausage; I tried it: it was ho-hum.

But I still had two squash, what to do with them?

I know! Sausage without the casing and the fruit: genius! How did I think of that?

Well, sausage is in the recipe right below the one I had tried earlier in The Joy of Cooking. So is it my recipe? That’s a question to which I can’t find a good answer.

Serves 4

• 2 Acorn Squash, halved and seeded
• olive oil
• 4 Sausages, casings removed
• 2 Apples, peeled, cored and chopped
• 1 Pear, peeled, cored and chopped
• handful of raisins
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 cup orange juice

Heat your oven to 325F.

In a baking pan, lay the squash halves cut side down. Fill the pan with about 1cm of water. Bake the squash for approximately 1 hour.

About 15 minutes before the squash is ready, heat a sauté pan on medium-high heat. Brown the sausage, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, but not too occasionally. Add the apples, pear, raisins and the spices and cook until the fruit is soft. Right before the squash is ready to come out, add the orange juice, cook for about 30 seconds more. Take the sausage mixture off the heat.

Take the squash halves out of the oven, dump the water out of the pan. Place the squash cut side up in the pan. Season the squash with salt and pepper, before spooning the sausage mixture in each cavity.

Place back in the oven for approximately 10 minutes.

Serve in bowls.