Sept. 18, 2008 Autumn = Squash and Pumpkin pie!
Hello folks!
This week is our last chicken processing for the season and you can pickup your preorders of Fresh Organic Pastured poultry Thursday at the Andrews Farm Store from 3-6. You can also let us know if you want us to bring you some to the Richmond, Middlebury or Shelburne Farmers Markets this week. Pass the word! Call us to order some…434-7257
CSA for the Huntington pickup members is back to Maple Wind Farm from 4:30-6pm. Let us know if you need us to pack a bag if you might be tardy. No problem!
Many of you are wondering when the last pickup is. We are aiming for the third week of October which would bring us to 19 weeks of the CSA program for 2008. PS. When the large carving pumpkin is delivered you’ll know its the last week.
Ill have 10 lb bags of extra tomatoes available if anyone is interested for canning and freezing.
ON THE FARM: If you are in the neighborhood of Camel’s Hump Rd, drive up just past Brewster Pierce School and check out our cows, they are enjoying the lush grass and will be moving across the road on Friday afternoon. Come for our short cattle drive! All is well on the home farm, we now have one less chore since the broilers have all been processed. As for poultry, we can now focus on our turkeys for Thanksgiving (still taking orders).
IN THE GARDEN: We have harvested all of the winter squash and the pumpkins and put them on pallets to cure for the upcoming weeks. You’ll see acorns, and delicatas and of course butternut too! We are looking at the garden as a big transition now as we take out the dying vines and brushhog back the overgrowth and make a cover crop plan for the fields until next summer. The tomato vines are still bursting with fruit so long as we stay ahead of the frost and cover or harvest before it comes.
THIS WEEKS HARVEST: Kabocha Squash, Pie pumpkins, Potatoes, Kale, Greens, Tomatoes, Beets with Greens, Garlic, Leeks, Eggplant and some ornamental gourds.
IN THE KITCHEN: Time for potato leek soup! yum! Pie time. We’ll include Lucy’s easy pie recipe next week!
WINTER SQUASH…..Most recipes out there for using winter squash seem to involve pureeing them, but I rather like them when they are in chunks or slices. This roasted squash has a sweet, spicy and salty glaze of sorts on them, which brings out the dense sweetness of the fruit. Cut into fairly thin slices like this, it makes interesting finger food. You can vary the sugar and spice to your taste, though too much of either may overwhelm it.
You do need to use kabocha-type squash for this ideally, though butternut should work too. You will need a dense, starchy and sweet squash. Don’t use regular pumpkin, which is too watery and lacks sweetness. (Rouge d’etampes pumpkin may work, but I’ve found their sweetness to vary quite a bit.)
Sweet and spicy roasted kabocha squash
- 1/2 small to medium sized kabocha squash
- 3 Tbs light brown, natural cane, or muscovado sugar, plus a bit more for sprinkling
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper or hot chili powder, more or less to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 Tbs soy sauce
- Oil for drizzling – pumpkin seed oil is preferred, or use toasted sesame oil, argan oil, or walnut oil (see notes)
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Line a baking sheet or two with silicon baking liner or parchment paper.
De-seed and cut the squash into slices about 1/2 cm or 1/4 inch thick. (Use a sturdy knife for cutting squash or pumpkin, on a stable surface, and be careful!)
Combine all the dry ingredients. Toss the squash slices in this until coated thoroughly. Add the soy sauce and toss well again.
Spread the slices in a singler layer on the baking sheet. Drizzle over them with the oil, and optionally sprinkle more sugar on them. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes, then turn over, drizzle with more oil and sprinkle more sugar, and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature.
Any other recipes, please send them my way. Have a great week!
Beth
