A colorful, vegetarian take on the bacon-y classic holiday treat. The trick is to lightly “cure” the ribbons of butternut squash. Salt pulls water from the squash, giving it a more pliable texture that’s easier to roll up and more pleasant to eat. I haven’t given quantities below because that seemed silly—y’all can count! Make as many as you need for your guests, budgeting 2-4 per person. One date will make 4 roll-ups.
1 Butternut Squash, quartered lengthwise and peeled (you’ll only need one of these quarters unless you’re making massive quantities of roll-ups)
Dates, pitted & quartered
Extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cut into ¼” slices, then cut again into ½” pieces
Pecan halves
Sumac
Salt
Toothpicks
Using a mandolin (and minding your fingers!), slice the squash lengthwise into ribbons that are between 1/16” and ⅛” thick. Lay the ribbons out side by side on a plate or cutting board, and sprinkle generously with kosher salt. Flip ribbons over, and repeat. Let sit for 5 minutes or so, until the slices are shiny from water being pulled to the surface, and the texture of the squash has visibly changed. Rinse slices to remove salt. Next, create the roll-ups: working one at a time, sprinkle each ribbon with a bit of sumac, stack a date quarter, a piece of cheese, and a pecan together, and roll them up in the squash ribbon. Secure with a toothpick. Repeat until you have as many as you need. Sprinkle with a little more sumac just before serving.
These will hold in a tupperware in the fridge for several hours, but are best when consumed within 8-10 hours of making them.
Butternut wrapped dates, a colorful, vegetarian appetizer for your holiday grazing boards.