September Sifting

Hello from the farm,

We are still here, and not much worse for the wear.  A nice locust tree which hosted our Great Northern Owl box is now leaning at a 30 degree angle, so we'll relocate the nesting box.  It did have a nest inside but we don't know if it belonged to an owl, squirrel, or other bird.  Our Indian corn, the nicest looking corn we've had in twelve years of growing here, is now plastered flat to the ground, as are the sunflowers and the sunflower house.  What's the upside?  The sunflowers and corn are more difficult to harvest, but probably not much is lost.

Seeing Triple: An Impromptu Farm Manager Reunion



On Friday, we had an unexpected reunion as Paul Martin and Peter Emerson both dropped in without knowing the other was stopping by.It was great to catch up and reminisce.  Much has changed over the twelve seasons that we have been farming, but the concept and vision is the same.  Pictured above:
From right:
 Paul Martin, 2000 pioneering farm manager
Peter Emerson 2001-2005 farm manager
Scott Breneman 2006-present farm manager


 Serving Suggestions for the Harvest as we transition into Fall Crops: 

butternut squash:  these are great roasted, combined with apple, maple syrup, brown sugar. See instructions and recipe below--it really is simple to roast squash whole.
potatoes: these potatoes have great flavor: bake, boil, olive oil and parsley potato salad and much more.
sweet peppers:  these are fading away, enjoy.  so many shapes and colors when ripe.  They are easy to freeze, halve, core and freeze on a baking tray, then put into freezer bags.
eggplant: Italian or Asian type, they are the same in use and taste and come in stunning colors.  great on the grill with soy sauce and oil brushed on.
sweet onions: mild, yummy--salads, burgers, cuke and tomato salad, carmelize
tomatoes: definitely slowing down.   tomato cucumber salad, anything and everything
carrots:  we are nearing the end of the carrots, it's been a good harvest. eat fresh, roast in oven, boil and add maple syrup and butter.
garlic: great in everything--except cake and ice cream, and even then.... ;-)
scallions: use in salad, or anywhere onions are appreciated.
cilantro: excellent on a ham sandwich, salsa, salad, liverwurst sandwich and on and on...
 

HOW TO ROAST A WHOLE BUTTERNUT SQUASH from
--http://kitchen-parade-veggieventure.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-roast-whole-butternut-squash-you.html 

Hands-on time: 5 minutes
Time to table: about 90 minutes

1 butternut squash, washed under running water

Turn the oven to 425F. There's no need to wait for the oven to preheat, put the squash on a baking sheet or in an oven-safe pan of some sort and put it straight in. Wait awhile, the house is going to start smelling really really good. (You might want to rustle up some snacks because the cowboy and cowkids are gonna be hungry.) A medium-size squash, less than two pounds, took an even 90 minutes, a larger one might take longer.

That's it. Really! That is IT! Well, okay, so you also need to slice it open and scoop out the seeds and peel off the skin. Then that's it!

YIELDS (MY OWN EXPERIENCE, YOURS MAY VARY)
18oz butternut squash yields 9oz roasted squash
34oz butternut squash yields 19oz
44oz butternut squash yields 24oz
7oz = 1 cup packed cooked squash

This means that, roughly, a two-pound squash will yield one pound of cooked squash. Good to know!

ALANNA's TIPS & KITCHEN NOTES
 Do use a baking sheet or something to protect your oven, some times the squash oozes a bit of sugary juice.
 Nope, I didn't prick the squash before roasting. And I've done it twice six times now, once in 2006 and again in 2011 and not a single squash blew up. So given that, I'm sticking with the no-prick roasting. Breaking the skin will let moisture out and some of the sugars will seep out and burn, like they often do when you roast the squash cut-side down.
 While you're roasting one, roast two or three. The Recipe Box for winter squash recipes is filled with squash recipes that call for cooked squash. They're marked with this little icon, , cool, eh?
 I haven't figured out why (and wonder if it's just the difference between one squash and another) but some times the squash comes out just like we want and think of as perfect: cooked through, smooth and sweet, meaty and moist. But some times the squash comes out almost wet and watery, some times it comes out dry and fibrous. I've had this happen with three different squash cooked the same length of time at the same time. Ideas, anyone?

NUTRITION ESTIMATE Per 1/4 pound (roughly a half cup): 45 Calories; 0g Tot Fat; 0g Sat Fat; 0mg Cholesterol; 4mg Sodium; 12g Carb; 0g Fiber; 2g Sugar; 1g Protein; Weight Watchers Old Points 1, PointsPlus 2


Here's a Recipe Using Butternut Squash:

 http://www.kitchenparade.com/2009/11/roasted-butternut-squash-apple.php

 

Recipe for Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple

Such familiar ingredients (butternut squash, apples, maple syrup and warm fall spices) somehow create unexpected layers of flavor and color. One of the prettiest dishes to ever hit a table, yes?! so festive for special occasions like Thanksgiving but simple enough for weekend suppers too.

When I was first learning to cook, I had three church cookbooks, a 3x5 box for recipes clipped from newspapers and, over time, a stack of Pillsbury cookbooks, the ones from the grocery store check-out lane.
Then, as my cooking style veered toward ‘whole’ and ‘real’ ingredients, the Pillsbury-product heavy recipes no longer appealed. So I hadn’t bought a Pillsbury cookbook in years until somehow, last year’s November issue grabbed my attention. And hey! it was a nice little recipe book, with short and seasonal recipes, good pictures, a focus on eating healthfully – all in all, my kind of recipe inspiration! If you find yourself with an extra minute waiting in a grocery line, you might scan the current issue, just to see.
This squash and apple dish is the first recipe from the Pillsbury cookbook. And honestly, it caught me by surprise – the layers of flavor are just so good, that brightness of cinnamon, that smokiness of curry, the familiar bites of winter squash and apple.
It would be a hit, I think, at Thanksgiving, especially in a buffet since it’s good served both hot and at room temperature. Later, I’d serve it with ham, perhaps pork, perhaps lamb. It has a festive feel that makes it perfect for holiday tables but a Saturday night supper, too.

  

HOW TO CUT, PEEL & CUBE A BUTTERNUT SQUASH AND KEEP ALL TEN FINGERS — Consider this a public service announcement for it turns out, I'm not alone in approaching a butternut squash with wary eyes. They're dense and unwieldy, perhaps better left alone. No more. Just this week I posted astep-by-step photo guide to cutting up a butternut squash at A Veggie Venture. Learning the right technique is a revelation, I've been squash-crazy ever since learning, finally, how to tackle one of these guys.

  

Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences.  In 2009, Kitchen Parade celebrates its 50th anniversary with a special collection of my mother's recipes.  Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail viarecipes@kitchen-parade.com.  How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe.  If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture.  Become a Kitchen Parade fan on Facebook!

RECIPE for ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH & APPLE

Hands-on time: 20 minutes
Time to table: 1-1/4 hours
Makes 4 cups

SQUASH
• 1 butternut squash, about 1-1/2 pounds, washed well
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

APPLES
• 2 apples, cored, chopped into half-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (don’t skip)

Set oven to 375F. Place a glass or ceramic baking dish in the oven to preheat.
SQUASH Place the squash in the microwave for 3 minutes to soften (see TIPS). Remove the skin, seeds and membrane, then into half-inch cubes (see How to Cut, Peel & Cube a Butternut Squash). In a large bowl (see TIPS), toss the squash with remaining squash ingredients, coating the cubes well with butter and spices. Transfer to baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes.
APPLES Combine apples, maple syrup and balsamic vinegar. Arrange apples over the squash. Re-cover with foil, bake for another 10 minutes.
Uncover the dish, stir and bake for about another 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until the squash is fully cooked and the liquid is absorbed. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately.

 Thank You:
 Thanks to farm managers past, Paul Martin and Peter Emerson, for teaching, toil, vision, and inspiration --making the farm program what it is today

Enjoy!

Scott and farm crew