Butternut Squash Is 100% More Delicious When Paired With This Delicate Floral Herb

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When you're roasting up a butternut squash, you likely think of pairing it with typical fall flavors like cinnamon, nutmeg, and maybe even a sprinkle of brown sugar. While these are certainly delicious ways to complement the earthy taste of butternut squash, there's also a lighter option you may not have considered: lavender. When you try butternut squash and the floral taste of lavender together, you'll understand why this pairing makes so much sense. Butternut squash takes on caramel notes as it's roasted, and its rich, velvety texture gets a touch of lightness from lavender (it's the same reason lavender and other fresh herbs pair so perfectly with chocolate dishes).

While you can certainly sprinkle some fresh lavender flowers directly onto your squash, it's not the only way to enjoy this flavor combination. You can try drizzling some homemade lavender syrup or mashing your squash with lavender-infused butter or cream (if you're making butternut squash soup, consider drizzling a little lavender-infused cream on top before serving). Another option: if you enjoy butternut squash on salads (if you haven't given it a try yet, you should), you can top your salad off with a lavender vinaigrette dressing for a surprising hit of fresh flavor.

There's no need to be intimidated if it's your first time cooking with lavender. Fresh lavender offers a milder taste than dried, so you may want to opt for fresh lavender flowers at the grocery store (or from your edible flower garden) if you're new to floral flavors. Be sure you're buying (or growing, if you've been blessed with a green thumb) culinary lavender, as the non-culinary versions can taste bitter. You'll want to look for brightly colored lavender — the flowers should be deep purple or blue, not gray. It should smell a bit sweet, but not overpowering.

If it's you're a beginner, you might also want to split your lavender butternut squash up into portions and try a few different presentation options to see which one you like best. For example, you could try one drizzled with lavender syrup, one mashed with lavender-infused butter, and one sprinkled with lavender sea salt. Experiment with different flavor combinations, too — you can even lean toward a sweeter version of butternut squash (similar to candied sweet potatoes), topping it off with McCormick Lavender Vanilla Finishing Sugar. No matter what version you decide to try, take your time enjoying each bite that perfectly juxtaposes the rich tastes of fall in the butternut squash with the light scent and taste of spring from the lavender.