Cooking TipsSquash Abounds!
Autumn is in full swing; the trees are bursting with color. Fields are decorated in a lovely fall palette of orange, red and gold squash and pumpkins, as well as other fall produce.
For a lovely fall weekend, take a drive to your local farm stand or visit the farm itself. Take along a nice basket to bring your selections home in. Invite some friends or family along, pick out your favorite fall fruits and vegetables, and have a cook off. See how many dishes you can incorporate your new bounty into or make up a few new ones!
Pumpkins for instance, capture the flavor and color of autumn. The array of possibilities for cooking with pumpkin and squash seems almost endless. The seeds can be roasted and eaten as a healthful snack or as a garnish for other dishes. Choose small pumpkins and use them as individual casserole dishes in which to bake a mix of fresh pumpkin, sausage and herbs. Add some brown rice and you have an entrÓ©e. For a sweeter approach, fill your mini pumpkin with chopped apples, dates, and walnuts.
For larger squashes and pumpkins, split in half and roast in a 350F oven until tender. Scoop out the flesh and freeze it to use later.
Toss green veggies like zucchini with some sweet red pepper strips and sautÓ©ed shallots & garlic. Pop into a 350 F oven for about 10 minutes, or until tender crisp.
If you do not want to roast seeds, dry them out and use them next year for your own colorful fall garden!