Splendid Squash Dishes

“Autumn, the year's last, loveliest smile.”

William Cullen Bryant

As the air gets crisp and the leaves start to change, I love warm, comfort food like squash.  Nothin' like soup to warm you up and make you feel good.  Here's an awesome Butternut Squash Soup:

Butternut Squash Soup

Butternut Squash Soup

My favorite recipe of all time is Squash Risotto.  It's one of those "lick the bowl and mourn because it's done" kind of a dish.  This time I tried Ino Burton's (Food Network) Squash Risotto (thanks Kerry). 

Squash Risotto

Squash Risotto

Well, it may not look very appetizing in this picture, I can assure you that it is DIVINE heaven in your mouth:)

Then I made Stuffed Squash, recipe courtesy of the Berlage's:

Stuffed Squash

The New Moosewood Cookbook

Stuffed Winter Squash

From

2 medium-sized winter squash, baked as directed below

2 Tablespoons butter

1 cup minced onions

1/2 pound mushrooms, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

Lots of black pepper

1/2 teaspoon sage

1/2 teaspoon thyme

2 Tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup minced walnuts

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup raisings (optional)

2 cups good bread crumbs (from good bread)

6 to 8 dried apricots

1 cup (packed) grated cheddar cheese (optional)

Cut squashes in half, scooping out seeds. Invert into a

glass baking pan with 1/2 inch of water and bake in a

350 degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain. Melt

butter in large skillet. Add onions and sauté over medium

heat for 5 minutes, or until onion is translucent.

Add mushrooms, garlic, celery, and seasonings, and

sauté 10 minutes until tender. Stir in remaining ingredients

and mix well. Bake at 350, covered, 20-30 minutes.

Last but not least, I steamed up some squash (350 in the oven in 1/2 inch of water for one hour).  After it was cooked I scooped it up and added a little brown sugar, butter, and salt and pepper.  Simple, yet delicious. 

Steamed Squash

The Boys Bird Hunting

My boys are out hunting for birds this morning and Greta and I are cooking up a few things for a barn dance potluck we are attending.  I've had a vegetable strata in the crock pot since 8 a.m., but I can't take it out until 2.  Oh, it smells so good,...I can't wait.   Greta and I are also making zucchini brownies and pumpkin zucchini bread to bring to the family barn dance. 


And finally, I found this quote that I can totally relate to:

You know, when you get your first asparagus, or your first acorn squash, or your first really good tomato of the season, those are the moments that define the cook's year. I get more excited by that than anything else.
Mario Batali
Happy Fall Cooking,

Kristin

My Birthday Meal: In Season Delights

I had a really great birthday!!  Thanks to everyone for the well wishes, cards, and presents.   I was able to be the guest coach at Ski and Tea, and we had a great morning workout on the Makwa trail.  My friend Stacey brought me cupcakes and also a free entry into the Birkie Trail 1/2 Marathon (I have been training but have been slow to sign up).  I had a few minutes at home for lunch before the next "mom taxi pick-up service", so I whipped up some kale chips, heated up some leftover corn-on-the-cob, and made a grilled cheese sandwich with a tomato on top.  PERFECT!!

My Refreshing Birthday Lunch

Everyone knows how to make grilled cheese and corn, but to make the kale chips, you de-stem, cut in small pieces, drizzle with olive oil and sea salt and bake for 30 minutes until crisp.  This is a good and easy way to use up your kale from the garden.

I've worked with Tom Sweeney for about 10 years, and he and his wife always give me yummy treats for my birthday.  This year, he gave me his home-made maple syrup (that's like gold in our house), wine (yummo), and pickled garlic.  Chad and I ate up the garlic almost immediately, so I dug some garlic out of my garden and made some more....delish!!!




Pickled Garlic

 For supper, I made one of my all-time favorite meals with my patty pan squash.  This risotto is so good that I usually want to lick the bowl. 




Patty Pan Squash Risotto
Ingredients: 
4 T Parmesan Cheese
4 cups of vegetable broth
2 oz. wine
2 tsp. olive oil
.25 tsp nutmeg
1 cup of squash
.75 arborio rice

Heat 4 cups of veggie broth and keep on low heat.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss and peel cubed squash with olive oil, salt and pepper and garlic and roast at 400 for 20 minutes.

Add wine to dry rice until rice has absorbed it and add broth one cup at a time until absorbed.  Stir in the squash and mix in the nutmeg and Parmesan cheese.  Yummy!!



Thank goodness Stacey sent home leftover cupcakes!

Stacey's Birthday Cupcakes

The kids wanted to add LOTS of candles. It was late, and I was exhausted (can you tell?), but it was very sweet of them to want to remember mom.

I plan on having more of my birthday in-season favorites coming up in a few days.  On Monday the kids and I (along with my friend Debi) are going to pick our corn, process and freeze for the winter months. 

Here's a couple of nature photographs I took in the last 2 weeks that I think are pretty cool.

Duck on Lake Owen

Dragonfly on Alder Lake - landed on my mom's book



Happy Cooking,

Kristin