It’s Pumpkin Season…And Winter Squash Too!
October is here and it is officially fall. That means the iconic pumpkin is now front and center in decor and kitchens everywhere. So in honor of the season, here’s a few fun facts about our favorite fall treat.
- There are over 45 varieties of pumpkins, and they come in red, yellow, green, and white as well as orange.
- The United States produces over 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins every year.
- So far the World record for largest pumpkin stands at 2,600 pounds; it was grown in Germany in 2016. (The largest pumpkin pie outweighed it at 3699 pounds! It was 20 feet in diameter.)
- Pumpkin pie originated in the American colonies, just not as we know it today. Colonists would cut the tops of pumpkins off, remove the seeds, fill the pumpkins with milk, spices, and honey, then bake them in hot ashes. (See below for a similar recipie, do it the original way for a fun historical twist!)
- Every part of the pumpkin is edible. Yep, you can eat the skin, leaves, flowers, pulp, seeds, and even the stem!
- Pumpkins are 90% water, which makes them a low-calorie food. They also have more fiber than kale, more potassium than bananas, and are full of heart-healthy magnesium and iron.
This also the season for another delicious fall treat: Winter Squash. Winter Squash come in even more variety than Pumpkins and can be cooked in so many ways. From rich soups to sweet or savory baked sides to endless deserts, Winter Squash have an amazing versitality. They also store well for those long winter months when we’re all longing for some fresh food.
Join us at the market on Saturday and add Pumpkin or Winter Squash to your menu!
Wednesday market is now finished for this season, we look forward to seeing you Saturdays through October 31st.
On Stage:
Saturday: Bill Bozly
| Fresh this Week: Corn, celery, salad mix, cilantro, Italian prune plums, apples, cranberries, potatoes, leeks, radishes, broccoli, cabbage, rutabagas, parsnips, cucumbers, tomatoes, arugula, red onions, yellow onions, sweet onions, green onions, kale, swiss chard, large pumpkins, mini pumpkins, pie pumpkins, winter squash, lettuce, spinach, carrots, beets, bags of storage onions, garlic |
Not exactly the Pilgrim's version, but a delicious historical twist on an American favorite!
- 3 small squash or pumpkins about 3/4 to 1 lb each, Sugar Dumplings used in this recipie
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tbsp blackstrap molassass
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp cardamon
- 1/4 tsp cloves
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cream
- crumbled ginger snap cookies for topping
- whipped cream for topping
-
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-
Cut the tops off the squash and scoop out the seeds. Place the tops back on the squash. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 50 minutes or until the squash are fork tender.
-
Carefully scoop out the flesh, leaving about 1/4 inch thickness of flesh intact around the sides and bottom. Scoop out the flesh in the tops as well. You should have about 1 1/2 cups flesh from the three squash combined. (Make sure you don't puncture the skins or your pie filling will all run out!)
-
Place the scooped out squash, along with the sugar, maple syrup, molasses, spices, eggs, and cream in a blender. Blend until very smooth. Place the squash shells on the baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shells so that it’s evenly distributed amongst the three shells (you should have enough filling to completely fill all three shells).
-
Bake with the tops off (place the tops on the baking sheet as well) for 45-50 minutes until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and let cool.
-
Top with crumbled gingersnaps and whipped cream.
This hearty stuffed squash is super low maintenance and extremely filling. F
- 2 acorn squash, halved crosswise and seeded
- 1 1/2 tbsp oil, plus more for the skillet
- 1 large leek (white and light green parts only), halved and sliced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 cup breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 3 tbsp pine nuts
- 2 oz feta cheese, crumbled (about 1/2 cup)
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
-
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 12-inch cast-iron skillet. Place squash, cut side down, in prepared skillet. Cover with foil and bake until tender, 34 to 36 minutes. Remove to a plate; reserve skillet.
-
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and cook, stirring occasionally until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in chard and garlic and cook, stirring, until wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in breadcrumbs, raisins, pine nuts, and Feta. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Fill squash with chard mixture, dividing evenly. Place squash, cut side up, in skillet and bake until tops are golden brown 15 to 20 minutes.
Leave a Reply