More about winter squash and pumpkins

Assorted mini winter squash

There’s more than one way to cook a winter squash…but I still find baking the easiest and most reliable method. This advice is to folks just gearing up with their winter squash exploits: carefully (yes, I know they are all hard, so be aware of where your fingers are) cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds. If you are cutting a butternut in half, you need to do it lengthwise because the seeds are only in the bottom bulbous part. Place cut side down on a lightly greased baking sheet and bake at 350 until easily pierced with a fork (20-45 minutes, depending on size and variety). You can bake a winter squash whole, but pierce the skin all over, as once in a rare while the squash will explode all over your oven. Once cooked, you can scoop out the squash and use in any recipe calling for mashed squash. I have been known to microwave the small squashes, like Delicata or Sweet Dumpling, for a few minutes, until they feel like a baked potato, then cut open, scoop out seeds (HOT) and eat out of the shell/skin. Again, be sure to pierce the skin before cooking.

When I bake squash, I tend to do more than I need, freezing the leftovers. I generally measure the mashed squash into containers or bags, mark the amount on the bag, toss in the freezer, and then it is ready to go for muffins, cheesecake, leftovers…

If you are feeling very industrious,  pick through the seeds, removing strings and bits, spread out on a greased baking sheet, lightly salt, and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes (until golden brown) You can even do this in your toaster oven. These are a great snack and are also perfect for garnishing your squash soup!

Week 16, 2011

Week 16—this is the last promised week! But, it is still week 15 for Monday folks. Glenn says we’ll go another week and then it is week by week after that, so stay tuned. The week or so after the first 16 weeks should be looked at as bonus and or makeup time, in case you  missed a week.

This is the season for beautiful greens, winter squash, roots, and apples. The best part about winter squash is there is no pressure to do anything with it. Most of them will keep past December without much trouble. The Fall is always an inspiring time to make soup and casseroles. If you are busy running around after your children (me too:-) ) it is great to make extra when you do have the time and freeze it or pull it out as leftover later in the week.

The first of our wonderful help from Jamaica will be leaving in a few weeks. I hope and pray the labor situation is worked out by then. There are a couple bills that address the situation by moving the process into the hands of Department of Labor. That is our only hope right now. I will be sending out an email encouraging you to contact your Representative and Senator to vote for one of these bills. It’s real, our farm depends on it. As always, my thanks to our help, American and Jamaican, for being an indispensable part of our farm family.

This week is bustling with picking up winter squashes and getting the harvest in. The first Wednesday of October looks like a real cold one. I’d love to sneak by without frost so we can pick some more beans or peppers. The cole crops and lettuces will be ok, so that’s always good. This is why it is hard to pin down the last delivery date, when the frost comes, the harvest comes to a grinding halt.

Overall, it was another great year!

Don’t forget our main means of communication off season is through emails. If you have changed your email, or you were not on my online newsletter list last winter, please take a minute and update your email address online and with me. Please check in on facebook and the blog from time to time.

Subscribe to the Stillman’s newsletter I’ll keep you posted about what’s happening on the farm and signing up for next season. As always, feel free to drop me a line if you feel like you were dropped from the list or just to touch base. Hopefully, re-subscribing with the online database should be a breeze

Curtis will be in touch if you have signed up for the winter CSA. I wouldn’t be surprised if the first pickup was October 29th..so keep your eyes peeled for that email.

Eat well,            Geneviève Stillman

Apple-Filled Acorn Squash Rings with Curry Butter

Apple-Filled Acorn Squash Rings with Curry Butter Bon Appétit | November 2001

Yield: Makes 8 servings

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons curry powder
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, diced (about 2 1/3 cups)
2/3 cup apple juice
1/2 cup dried currants
8 1-inch-thick unpeeled acorn squash rings (from 2 medium), seeded

Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon curry powder; stir 1 minute. Add apples, apple juice, and currants. Sauté until liquid evaporates, about 6 minutes. Season filling to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt 5 tablespoons butter in small skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 tablespoon curry powder; stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Transfer curry butter to bowl. Brush 2 large rimmed baking sheets with some curry butter. Arrange squash in single layer on sheets. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scoop filling into center of rings. Drizzle remaining curry butter over squash and filling (mostly on squash). Cover with foil. Bake squash rings until squash is tender when pierced with skewer, about 40 minutes. Using spatula, transfer squash rings with filling to plates.

Week 15, 2011

This is week 15 for everyone except Southboro/Framingham/Farm members. You’ll recall we promise 16 weeks of CSA boxes, BUT, it looks like we’ll continue—so stay tuned for the last week. ALSO, if you are someone who put yourself on vacation hold and haven’t made it up yet, be sure to pick up those last extra weeks

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess what’s in the box from day to day. There will probably be more cabbage, broccoli or cauliflower this week. I hope to see carrots, more beets and a few of the other odd-ball things Glenn grows. I always marvel about how fabulous everything tastes off the farm, right down to the lowly potato and cabbage. Of course we expect a tomato to taste different and better from its supermarket cousin, but I am generally disappointed with the absence of sweet freshness from cabbage, as well. The kids can always tell the difference once I start buying cabbages at the store.

The winter squash look fabulous this season…remember, we will only put edible crops in your box. Yes, of course you can use the kabocha as an ornament, but it is delicious too!

Farm Dirt

Wow week 15!!!! (yes, I know it is week 14 for Monday folks) We promise 16 weeks and we are going to make it. The tricky part is figuring out what happens after that. I will let folks know week by week so please be on the look out for the last pickup. A lot can happen between now and two weeks, so we never like to promise more than we can produce. If we escape frost and further damaging rains/hurricanes, etc, I would expect to go longer, but one just can’t predict the weather (or we wouldn’t be farming and we’d actually have a steady income ;~)

In spite of the challenging growing conditions, we produced an abundance of awesome food. I hope you feel the same. As always, we welcome you to the farm any time…several families have been out to pick pumpkins and apples already.

We are still hoping to squeeze in a gleaning day or two. Whatever it is, it will be short notice, like the day of an expected frost. I will post it on facebook.

Eat well,            Geneviève Stillman

White Bean, Butternut Squash, Kale and Olive Stew

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 3 large onions, chopped
• 6 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 3 1/4- to 3 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• 3 red bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 1/2 cups canned vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 large bunches kale, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
• 1 tablespoon dried rubbed sage
• 5 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney beans), rinsed, drained
• 1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
• Freshly grated Romano cheese

Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash; sauté Add bell peppers and stir to coat with onion mixture. Add broth. Cover and simmer until squash is just tender, about 10 minutes.

Mix kale and sage into stew. Cover and cook until kale wilts, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese.

*I just made this and it was interesting and very hearty…the olives seem counterintuitive, so if you forgo them, be sure to adjust the salt. BTW, the olives worked, in spite of my skepticism, but certain people in the house don’t like kalamata…so I served them on the side

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/White-Bean-Butternut-Squash-Kale-and-Olive-Stew-1195#ixzz1YVzLyA8U

Stillman’s CSA Week 14, 2011

The potential for almost anything to show up in your box is great this time of year. There are several types of cabbage: green, red, savoy, napa/Chinese Cabbage and pac choi. We love to steam cabbage and drizzle with butter and vinegar, but they all lend themselves beautifully to stir-fry and many salads. I just picked up some eggroll wrappers for moo shi

Stuffed winter squash

This is really yummy with butternut of any of the kabocha squash too!

• 3 acorn squash, halved and seeded        
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage (or fresh ground pork or beef)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Chinese Cabbage Salad

1/2 Chinese Cabbage shredded    

Eggplant Meatballs

from customer, Maureen, in Hardwick

Ingredients:
2 medium eggplants
3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sm. onion grated
2 garlic cloves grated
2 C. breadcrumbs, divided
1 C. Parmgiano Reggiano cheese, divided
3 eggs, divided

Toasted-Oat Shortcakes with Basil-Scented Peaches

from member Barbara

These toasted oat shortcakes are filled with basil-infused peaches and topped with vanilla frozen yogurt in this decadent summer dessert.  8 servings

 Peach Filling –

• 1 cup water
• ½ cup sugar
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 cup fresh basil springs
• 6 peaches or nectarines

 Combine water, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat, add basil and let steep for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and pit peaches or pit nectarines. Cut into ½ inch thick slices and place in a bowl. Discard basil springs and pour the syrup over peaches. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until syrup turns pink, 30 minutes to 1 hour.

 Shortcakes

• 1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ½ tsp. salt
• ¼ cup reduced-fat cream cheese
• ¾ cup plus 2 tbsp. buttermilk, divided
• 1 tbsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

 Preheat over to 350°F.

 Spread oats on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring twice, until light golden and fragrant, about 15 minutes.

Increase oven temperature to 425°. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Whisk 1 cup toasted oats, flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Cut cream cheese into dry ingredients with a pastry blender or your fingers until mixture resembles coarse meal.

 Combine 3/4 cup buttermilk, oil and vanilla in a glass measuring cup. Make a well in the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and stir with a fork until just combined. (Dough will be wet and sticky; do not overmix.)

 Spoon dough into 8 mounds on prepared baking sheet. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons buttermilk and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup toasted oats. Bake shortcakes until golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly

 To serve, split shortcakes in half with a serrated knife. Set bottoms on dessert plates. Spoon on peach filling and frozen yogurt (if desired). Set tops on at an angle. Serve immediately.