Acorn Squash Recipe

From Mike O'Neil aka Boreegard -

Amigo mio or amiga mia, as the case may be--
At this time of year, November in New England, the markets are flooded with squash—praise be to Allah.
Why is it, I wonder, that the ubiquitous acorn squash is cooked one way, 99.9% of the time, and given few alternatives? By this I mean—the general recipe is to cut the little darling in half, scoop out the seedy goop, fill the cavities with nuts and honey (or some such combination) and bake.
That is all well and good, but this wonderful, well-behaved cucurbita (here I speak as a gardener who grows pumpkins and squash), deserves better. Here is one way to do her up right:

A FINE WAY TO TREAT A WINTER SQUASH
(OR STUFF IT)

INGREDIENTS
Two acorn squash, about a pound each.
½ cup finely chopped celery
1/3 cup finely chopped onion
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp chopped fresh basil (dill or thyme will do, too)
4 tbsp snipped chives
½ cup diced cooked ham
2/3 cup sour cream ( or plain yogurt)

TO DO
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
Cover the bottom of a baking pan with about a quarter to a half inch of water,
And place the squash halves in the pan, cut side down.
Bake in a preheated 350 F. oven for about 35 minutes, or until squash is cooked to softness.
A short time before the squash has finished baking, sauté the celery and onion in the butter until limp and opaque. (Have you, darling, ever been limp and opaque?)
Turn heat down and add ham, sweet basil, 2 tsp chives, and the sour cream. Stir it together and set aside.
When the squash has finished baking, spoon out the meat carefully, so as not to damage the tender skins and add it to the stuffing. Mix together—keep the squash lumpy or mix it t a smoother consistency to suite your taste.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully fill the shells with the mixture and bake for another 20 minutes.
Garnish with the rest of the chives. It be good.