chronicles of my recent kitchen obsession with squash and squash-shaped vegetables

(is eggplant a squash? looked this up. no: in the nightshade family, related to tomatoes and potatos!) 1. butternut: cubed and drizzled with olive oil and rosemary, baked--> couscous with mint, red onion, carrots, peppers etc

2. eggplant- drizzled with olive oil and baked--> pasta with tomatoes and basil

3. summer squash- and zuchini, sauteed w onions--> tomato sauce over pasta

4. butternut- baked with skin on, then scooped out and pureed, with eggs and a couple kinds of cheese--->shells, baked!

5. some other kind of squash, with beets, sauteed with onions and carrots--> couscous that turned a beautiful ruby color from the beet juice (had beet greens with brown sugar and onions on the side)

6. eggplant- sliced into circles, drizzled with olive oil and salt, baked, with fresh mozzarella and polenta

7. butternut squash- sliced and boiled with potatoes, layered with caramelized onions, shredded parmesan and cream sauce (butter, flour, milk and white wine, cooked on the stove), baked (au gratin)

...and then i realized why i keep thinking that the inside of a butternut smells like cantaloupe. (internet says that cantaloupe is indeed related to squash and has a nutrient value in between that of winter and summer squash)