I love winter squash.  When a friend offered me some mystery squash, I gladly took three.  She explained that a large harvest of volunteer squash had come up in her garden.  She had no idea what kind of cross-pollinated squash they might be.

While she warned me that what type of flesh lay inside was a mystery, I felt inspired by Ma in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s The Long Winter:

“Hurry and get the work done,” said Ma. “And then, Laura, you go to the corn-patch and bring me a green pumpkin. I’m going to make a pie!”

“A pie! But how…” Mary said, and Laura said, “A green pumpkin pie? I never heard of such a thing, Ma.”

“Neither did I,” said Ma. “But we wouldn’t do much if we didn’t do things that nobody ever heard of before.”

If Ma Ingalls could take a green pumpkin and turn it into a pie (you can find the recipe HERE), surely I could make something from three mystery squash.

I roasted the biggest one like THIS.  I wasn’t sure what I would find when I cut it open.  If it was pumpkin-ish, I planned to make it into either Paleo Pumpkin Custard (recipe HERE) or Paleo Maple Pumpkin Custard (recipe HERE).

However, when I cut into the squash, I saw that it was a cross between something, likely a pumpkin, and a spaghetti squash.  The flesh shredded easily into noodle-like strands with a fork, but had a richer flavor than a typical spaghetti squash.  So instead of turning it into a pie, I seasoned it simply with some butter, salt, and pepper, and served it alongside a roast chicken for dinner.

I’ll probably cook up another squash in the next day or two.  I’m not sure what the next squash will hold, but I look forward to finding out.

Life gives us many opportunities, both physically and metaphorically, to respond to an unknown surprise.  In these instances, we have to do our best to make what lies before us into something wonderful and nourishing.  Or, at least make it into something survivable and — perhaps — teachable.

For me, the mystery squash provide this week’s opportunities to do this in a very concrete way.  I can only hope my heart and mind will be as ready to make the best of things when far tougher challenges come my way.

Would you accept the gift of a mystery food?  How do you try to make the best of what life brings your way?