Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Place acorn squashes on your baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of oil and a few pinches of salt. Place face side down. Transfer to the oven to roast for 30 to 40 minutes, until tender.

Remove the squash from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 to 15 minutes, until they’re cool enough to handle. Scoop the squash and add it to a food processor. Remove the skin from the sweet potato and add the sweet potato to the food processor, along with the butter, garlic, cheddar and a few pinches of salt. Process until mostly smooth (some texture is good!). Give it a taste and adjust the salt according to taste.

In a small pan, set over medium heat, add the walnuts and butter. Toast them until they’re fragrant and slightly darker in color, about 2 minutes, until the butter is fragrant and turning a brown color. Mix in the lemon juice, chives, a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a skillet, set over medium high heat, add the avocado oil. When the oil is hot and glistening and glides along the pan smoothly, you know it’s hot enough. Add the scallops and don’t move them until they begin to lift off the pan, about 2 minutes. Flip the scallops and cook on their opposite side for 1 minute.

Add the squash to a platter and make a few swoops if you like. You know, make it pretty! Top it with the scallops and spoon the brown butter walnuts on top. Serve immediately.