Acorn Squash Stuffed with Apples and Walnuts

Here's a great recipe for Thanksgiving, or any time of the season!

Ingredients:
3 medium acorn squash
3 good baking apples, or any apples you prefer
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
6 tablespoons margarine or olive oil
4 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
a pinch or allspice or nutmeg
salt and pepper (optional)

Instructions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Since acorn squash is hard to cut, partially bake or microwave the squash until the skin is soft enough to be broken easily by the pressure of your thumbnail. Allow to cool before handling.

2) Lightly oil a shallow baking dish large enough to accommodate 6 squash halves (multiple dishes or pans can be used).

3) Peel and core apples and cut into small chunks. In a mixing bowl, combine the apples, nuts, margarine or oil, brown sugar, and spices (except salt and pepper) and mix until the sugar is mostly dissolved into the margarine, and the apples are evenly coated.

4) When the squash is cool enough to handle, cut each one in half lengthwise (top to tip). Scoop out the seeds and fibers (save the seeds because they can be roasted and eaten like pumpkin seeds). Wrap each squash half in aluminum foil and arrange them on the baking dish. Spoon the apple mixture into each center, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. If there is any liquid left over in the bowl, pour it over the squash and apples. Seal the aluminum foil over the squash.

5) Bake for 45 to 60 minutes or until the squash is tender.

Yield: 6 servings

The last farmer's market

Tuesday was the last downtown farmer's market of the year. Now that lot becomes a parking lot (which it usually is, anyway). I am going to try to go to the farmer's market at the Regional Market, which is close to my mother's house. I would like to continue to buy fresh, local, affordable produce. So that means I have to get my ass up on Saturday morning and take a bus ride! It's a little bit of a longer ride because I have to transfer onto a different bus, but I'm going to see if I can do it. It was nice to have the convenience of stopping at the market and looking around before work. Now I have to take a trip. Oh well.

Here is a summary of all the things I've bought at the farmer's market this year: Plums, pears, figs, tomatoes, onions, garlic, corn, yellow summer squash, zucchini, acorn squash, butternut squash, spaghetti squash, cabbage, and sweet potatoes. I still have so much food in my house! I'd better get to cooking, because we've had a bountiful harvest this year. Halloween's coming up... I should make pumpkin pie! Autumn is the most inspirational time for food and cooking. Pretty soon Thanksgiving will be here and we'll be stuffed to the brim!

Apple picking... sort of

My dad picked me up yesterday and he and his wife and I drove outside of Syracuse to get some apples. We went to this farm where they're famous for their apple cider donuts. We didn't get to pick the apples straight from the tree, which is the whole point of apple picking, but at least we bought them fresh and locally. Sylvia got some donuts, but dad and I got the miniature apple pies. The pies were okay, just a little dry; we would have been better off with the donuts.

Afterwards, we drove around the area in Auburn, Skaneateles, and Elbridge. Just cruisin' 'round with no particular destination. It was a beautiful, sunny day for a little road trip. We stopped at the Bass Pro Shop at the Fingerlakes Mall and walked around for a while. When we returned to the city, we stopped to eat at my dad's favorite Chinese restaurant (so far... there have been several). What a way to spend the first day of fall! Now I have a ton of apples to eat!

Autumnal equinox

Since today is the autumnal equinox (or the first day of fall in layman's terms), I've decided to "turn over a new leaf." I started this blog so I could keep track of my entries and have regular access to my blog. I have a blog on MySpace, but sometimes I have difficulty logging into my account. It just made blogging more of a hassle. Therefore, a resolution was in order. This new blog will allow me to make regular entries available for my friends and family to read. I can now proceed with my "bloggings" with ease.

Have a Happy Autumn!