I've been pining for fall specifically to eat this dish. I mean, you can't start eating squash at the beginning of September, because there are juicy tomatoes and corn and zucchini and sweet peppers and eggplant, and they aren't going to be around much longer.  So I held off...

It was hard, because this sweet-spiced couscous came into being at the end of last winter, not the beginning. I knew I had stumbled onto something good when it never lasted long enough to snap a picture, but before I knew it, it was time for asparagus and chard. So when the benevolent farm box turned out a butternut squash for the first time a few weeks ago, I was thrilled. Autumn food was officially sanctioned by the gods of the local harvest!

You can use regular Israeli-style couscous for this, but I am addicted to Trader Joe's Harvest Grains blend. It's a mixture of Israeli-style couscous, red quinoa, split chickpeas and orzo. A one-pound bag makes a massive bowl of prepared couscous with more natural flavor than straight semolina for about $2.50. It's ridiculously versatile.* I don't know about using standard couscous, though - the little tiny grains would probably coat all of the squash like pollen. I think bigger is better.
 
Moroccan-Spiced Butternut Couscous with Yogurt
A Burghilicious Original

One medium butternut squash, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 used-up vanilla bean pod (optional)**
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Two big handfuls of cilantro, finely chopped, divided
Several leaves of mint, finely chopped
One cup plain yogurt***
One medium onion, chopped
Two cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chicken stock (or water)
12 ounces Israeli-style couscous
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss diced squash, coriander, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and 2 tablespoons olive oil until squash cubes are uniformly coated. Spread the squash in a single layer on a baking sheet and add the vanilla bean pod. Roast squash for 40 minutes, tossing at least once along the way. When done, squash should be completely fork-tender with a pleasant crispiness to the outsides.

While the squash is in the oven, prepare the yogurt sauce by mixing together half the chopped cilantro, mint and yogurt. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

When the squash has about 10 minutes left to cook, start the couscous. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a medium saucepan, then add couscous and raisins. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer 10 minutes. Do not peek or you'll let the steam out.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes or until onion is almost translucent. Add garlic and lower the heat.

When the squash is finished, add it to the skillet with the onions and garlic. Ditto for the couscous. (This should all be happening at about the same time.) Finally, toss in the toasted pine nuts and stir to combine, taking care not to squish the squash. Serve as a main dish or side dish, topped with yogurt sauce.

Makes approximately one mountain of couscous.

*Late-summer variation: Add the couscous (unspiced) and tiny chunks of fresh mozzarella to this tomato salad.
**A note about the vanilla bean: I toss a bean husk into the oven with the squash because it imparts the most heavenly scent to the kitchen, and an earthier vanilla flavor to the squash than just the extract alone. But don't waste the vanilla seeds on this dish - since there are so many other flavors in this dish, you should save the vanilla bean for something else. I usually grab one of the pods from my vanilla sugar container.
***Since there's little fat in the rest of this dish, I like full-fat yogurt here. It's richer. And less wussy.