ROASTED HOISIN SQUASH OR PUMPKIN
6 servings

3 ½ to 4 pounds acorn, butternut, pumpkin, or other type of fall/winter squash
Spicy Hoisin Sauce, mixed together:
6 tablespoons hoisin or sweet bean sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 ½ tablespoons rice wine or sake
2 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon hot chili paste or crushed dried chilies
2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons minced scallion greens for garnish (optional )

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Rinse the squash and drain. Cut in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon. Arrange in a roasting pan with the cut edge up. Spoon some of the hoisin sauce over the squash and fill the crevice.
2. Pour about ½ inch of boiling water in the pan and place the squash in the middle shelf of the oven. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes until the squash is tender. A knife pierced through the center should come out easily. Remove and sprinkle the top with scallions, if using. Cut the squash into serving portions if necessary or serve in the middle of the table. Diners can scoop out squash with the sauce themselves. Serve with steamed rice.

SOURCES
Other urban agriculture projects, some inspired by the Boston-area Food Project have sprung up around the country in the last few years. Check them out in your area. Here are a few sources. Heifer International (www.heifer.org) lists urban agricultural projects all over the United States and Canada, from Added Value and Herban Solutions in Brooklyn, NY, to From Growers to Leaders in Caledonia, Ill., to Dunbar Garden Project in Little Rock, Ark. Other sources are www.southsideclt.org, Providence, RI, www.janusyouth.org/what-we-do/urban-agriculture-services, Portland, Ore. www.thevolunteercenter2.net/org/1270530, St. Mary’s Urban Gardens, San Francisco and San Mateo County, California.