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| Enthusiastic students shoveling manure. |
Cucurbits! You may have grown tired of the summer squash, zucchini and cucumbers that have been prevalent in your shares for the past couple of months, but their season is winding down and a new cucurbit has emerged to accompany the rest of the vegetables in your shares:Winter Squash. We grew a variety of winter squash and pumpkins this year including Acorn, Butternut, Delicata and Long Island Cheese, so come prepared to lug those down the hillside at our little farm.
High in beta carotene and fiber and characteristically sweet, these signs of the cooler months to come are native to the Americas and part of the commonly planted "Three Sisters" trio of beans, squash and corn. My favorite way to prepare them (not surprisingly) is to roast them with a dollop of butter, a sprinkling of salt and a good coating of maple syrup. But they would also make a great addition if they were added after being cooked to quesadillas, omelets or any hearty soup.
Also to expect this week:
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Sage
- Salad Greens
- Tomatoes
- Collards
- Potatoes
- Scallions
- Onions
- Garlic
- Peppers
- Summer Squash and Zucchini
- Cucumbers
- Tomatillos
- Leeks
- Kale
Planting is still in swing but we are also converting some of the land over to overwintering crops as well as cover crop for the winter therefore our fingernails will not be clean for a while.
The students just returned from a spike trip and we're teaching them all about soil health and composting this week, so it continues to be a bustling place at the farm.
Happy eating everyone!
Redundancy of recipe sources, but I love her so much.
Yet another winner from smittenkitchen.com
Acorn Squash Quesadilla
1 small/medium acorn squash (any fleshy orange winter squash will suffice I reckon)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
Salt and pepper to taste
10-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend of your choice (I used Muenster, not Mexican but worked great!)
Butter for frying quesadillas
Garnishes: Julienned radishes, crema or sour cream and/or salsa verde cruda (recipe below)
First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds (you can save them to toast later, if you wish) and cut each half into half-inch slices. Lay them on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until soft but not cooked to mush. (You’ll finish it in the pan.)
When cool enough to work with, use a paring knife or your hands to peel the skin off each slice. Lightly chop the squash and put it in a bowl.
Saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno in the oil until translucent. Add the poblano strips and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the squash and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.
Spread a few tablespoons of the cooked squash mixture onto one half of a 10-inch flour tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan with melted butter, and fry until crispy. Cut the finished quesadilla into four triangles and top with your choice of garnishes. Eat while warm.
Tomatilla Salsa
10 tomatillos, husked and well washed, quartered
1/2 bunch of scallions, roots and green ends trimmed, cut into big segements
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
Pinch of allspice
Salt to taste
Puree all ingredients together until very smooth either in a blender or food processor. Season with salt.
Redundancy of recipe sources, but I love her so much.
Yet another winner from smittenkitchen.com
Acorn Squash Quesadilla
1 small/medium acorn squash (any fleshy orange winter squash will suffice I reckon)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons diced white onion
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
1 clove garlic, minced
2 poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and cut into strips
Salt and pepper to taste
10-inch flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend of your choice (I used Muenster, not Mexican but worked great!)
Butter for frying quesadillas
Garnishes: Julienned radishes, crema or sour cream and/or salsa verde cruda (recipe below)
First, roast the acorn squash. Preheat the oven to 400° and lightly oil a baking sheet. Halve the squash, scoop out the seeds (you can save them to toast later, if you wish) and cut each half into half-inch slices. Lay them on the baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, until soft but not cooked to mush. (You’ll finish it in the pan.)
When cool enough to work with, use a paring knife or your hands to peel the skin off each slice. Lightly chop the squash and put it in a bowl.
Saute the onions, garlic and jalapeno in the oil until translucent. Add the poblano strips and cook for a couple minutes more. Add the squash and cook for another 5 or 10 minutes, until the squash is tender and the flavors have melded. Season with salt and pepper and take off heat.
Spread a few tablespoons of the cooked squash mixture onto one half of a 10-inch flour tortilla. Sprinkle with a couple tablespoons of the cheese. Fold over and place in a hot pan with melted butter, and fry until crispy. Cut the finished quesadilla into four triangles and top with your choice of garnishes. Eat while warm.
Tomatilla Salsa
10 tomatillos, husked and well washed, quartered
1/2 bunch of scallions, roots and green ends trimmed, cut into big segements
5 garlic cloves, smashed
2 jalapenos, roughly chopped
Pinch of allspice
Salt to taste
Puree all ingredients together until very smooth either in a blender or food processor. Season with salt.
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