I thought I’d become pretty thoughtful and creative about substituting ingredients and devising ASD-friendly versions of foods Martin used to eat. Having a real chef in the house has opened my eyes to how much more I still can do. Martin has always loved catsup. Most catsup recipes call for tomatoes, brown sugar, molasses, onion, and garlic—none of which appears on Martin’s acceptable-ingredients list right now. Must that stop Martin from enjoying catsup? Not while his “Aunt Coleen” is visiting. For the last several days Martin has been happily dipping his squash or sweet-potato “French fries” into “catsup.” Here is the recipe Coleen created and prepared for him:

1 cup butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1/2 cup sweet potato, peeled and cubed
2 tsp fresh ginger, peeled
1 tbsp bee pollen
1/4 tsp grated cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp mild curry powder
1/8 tsp ground oregano
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsps raw agave nectar
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Boil squash, sweet potato, ginger, and bee pollen in just enough filtered water to cover, until tender. Do not drain. Add the remaining ingredients and purée with an immersion blender. Adjust cider vinegar as necessary.