Fall home cooking highlight: Butternut Squash with Pecans and Blue Cheese

We've been on the road for a couple weeks, but before I get to the travel posts, I must share a fall recipe I've fallen in love with.

Now that I've gotten over my stupid fear of butternut squash -- it's so easy to peel with a vegetable peeler, duh! -- I've made it a lot this season.  In all forms: sautéed, pureed for the baby, you name it.  Nothing hits the fall food spot better.  And when mixed with blue cheese and pecans, it also perfectly gets the sweet/savory groove. 

We have everyone's favorite Sultry British Jewess to thank for this combo.  (Well, maybe Nigella and Rachel Weisz are tied for that title.)  It comes from my signed copy of  Nigella Express, which my kind friends Andy and Jennifer waited TWO hours with The Pasadena Housewives and The Gays at Williams-Sonoma to get.

So far, pork chops with mustard sauce and butternut squash have been easy-to-make hits from the book.

One large buttnernut squash (approx. 3-4 pounds)
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup blue cheese for crumbling
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Recipe says not to peel, but I peel the squash (who likes tough squash skin anyway?), remove seeds, and cube into roughly one-inch pieces.  Toss with olive oil, pinch of salt and pepper, and thyme.  Roast at 425 for at least 30 minutes, or until soft but not mushy.  Combine with the cheese and pecans, and let it all melt and meld together.  I used Point Reyes blue; I advise nothing too sharp, i.e. no Roaring 40's Blue.