Roasted Butternut Squash With Tahini Sauce Recipe

I moved to the united states more than 20 years ago to make my career in restaurants, but in many ways, when i think of home, i still think of israel. This dish reminds of there three times over. First, tahini is basically the national sauce of israelwe put it on everything Second, when i was growing up outside tel aviv, my mother cooked sweet vegetables (like butternut squash and pumpkin) a lot, usually with raisins and spices. She still lives there, and when i eat one of those foods, it takes me back to her kitchen. And then, about 10 years ago, i was visiting a chef friend in israel. She made a version of this tahini sauce for my toddler son. She drizzled it over cucumbers and radishes and served it to him in a bowl. Though liam was an adventurous eater, and i knew he liked cucumbers, i figured he would ignore the radishes. But liam finished the bowlevery last cucumber and radishand asked for more I credit it all to that sauce. Salty, sweet, creamy, and delicious, it makes the dish. Now, when i serve it on top of roasted butternut squash with plenty of crunchy toppings, it reminds me of where i come from, my mothers cooking, and when my son was a little boy discovering how good food can be. Einat admony (@chefeinat)chef, restaurant owner, and author ofshuk.