CSA Basket #21

NT Half-runner beans Lothar raised for seed

We had an eventful morning preparing your baskets! Heavy rain with lots of lightning while washing produce and packing boxes. Fortunately, we had made it in from the gardens when the rains came. Bryce, Lothar, Steve, and Ariel were out late last night and up early this morning as we were sending chickens and turkeys for processing at Marksbury today.

Today’s basket has
tomatoes
cherry tomatoes
NT 1/2 runner string beans
beets
parsley
basil
acorn squash
peppers – all are sweet with the exception of the smallest ones which are mildly hot, mostly spicy
okra
lettuce mix
arugula

Most of the lettuce mixes include endive. As you probably know, endive tends to have a bit of a bite to it which makes it especially good if you pair it with sliced apples or raisins along with a citrusy salad dressing.

Below is a recipe from Williams-Sonoma for the acorn squash. Note – the quantities of ingredients can be paired down as this recipe is intended to serve 12-16 people. Of course, you can never go wrong if you simply bake the squash and use it later in soups, breads, even salads.

Roasted Acorn Squash with Quinoa and Red Rice
Heirloom quinoa and red rice add nutty, whole-grain goodness to autumn’s golden acorn squash. Serve alongside roast turkey or pork, or as a vegetarian main dish

Ingredients:

  • 4 acorn squashes, each about 1 1/2 lb.
  • 2 Tbs. olive oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 box (12.5 oz.) herbed quinoa and red rice stuffing mix
  • 3 1/4 cups water
  • 3 Tbs. unsalted butter
  • 1 large yellow onion, diced
  • 2 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 cup chicken stock, warmed
  • 1/2 cup almonds, toasted and chopped
  • 2 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:
Position 1 rack in the upper third and 1 rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with aluminum foil.

Cut the acorn squashes in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Coat the squash cavities with the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Place the squash halves, cut side down, on the prepared baking sheets and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the squash halves over and rotate the pans from top to bottom. Continue roasting until the squashes are just tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more. Remove from the oven and set aside.

Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F.

Using the stuffing mix, water, salt, butter, onion, celery and stock, prepare the stuffing according to the package instructions, adding the almonds along with the dried cranberries (included with mix). Instead of transferring the stuffing to a baking dish, spoon about 1 cup into each squash cavity. Bake the squash for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the parsley and cut the squash halves into wedges. Serves 12 to 16.

See you at the market – if rain forces us indoors, come to Berea College Ag Building. Call me at 859.200.4831 if you are not sure how to get there.

Thank you for supporting your local farmers!