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!

Farmer's Market

I went to the downtown farmer's market yesterday morning before work. I enjoy going because there's a certain simple, back-to-nature feeling to it. It's reminiscent of a time when merchants would set up shop in the village square to sell their wares. It's also more personal to do business with the person who actually grew the food I'm going to eat, rather than buy it at some overpriced grocery store from some guy in a uniform and a nametag. It's also great because the produce is fresh, and I'm supporting local farms. It also costs a lot less than the grocery store. Yesterday I bought 2 green bell peppers, 6 large tomatoes, 8 onions, 1 acorn squash, and 1 butternut squash. I spent less than $10, which is hard to do nowadays with the price of food going up. That's why the farmers market is better.

I've been going to the farmer's market all summer long. Previous weeks I bought things like sugar plums, red plums, figs, and pears (a lot of fruit for some reason). It was also the Summer of the Squash because I bought a lot of zucchini and yellow summer squash, too. Now I see the selection of fruits, vegetables, and squash changing as the summer waves goodbye and winter sneaks up on us. The strawberries and blueberries are all gone. My favorite summer squashes have been replaced with their strange-looking and almost deformed winter cousins. There's still a lot of corn. There are apples by the bucketful. Enough with the damn apples! I'm going to have to make some apple crisp one of these days. Pretty soon we'll be seeing piles of pumpkins and I'm going to have make pumpkin pie!

If you're going to the farmer's market, there are some things you need to know to make your trip more enjoyable for both you and the farmers you're going to buy from. I decided to give some tips to the farmers market newbie:

1. BYOB: Bring Your Own Bag (or Basket) - If you provide your own bag (tote bag, backpack, etc.) or basket it will save a lot of trouble and cost for the farmers. For the bargains you get on the food, it's the least you can do for them. Once I overheard one woman say to one of her customers, "Thank you! You're one of the first people I've seen who actually brought there own bag." I understood, and since then I've brought my own (a nice blue tote that my grandma Elle gave me... thanks grandma Elle!)

2. Bring change - Not everyone has proper change, so there's lots of large bills being passed around. Many of those farmstands don't see anything smaller than a $10 bill. It's hard to make change for customers when they're exchanging it all for large bills. To make it a little easier on them, try to bring a lot of ones, quarters, and a couple fives.

3. Browse around - Don't just buy the first cucumber from the first person you see. Look around for a few minutes and see what everyone has to offer. Ask questions about their produce. You might find someone else selling the exact same thing for 25 cents less. You also might see fresher or better-looking produce, or something different that you haven't seen before. You also may not want to buy from certain shady-looking characters. I won't buy my produce from anyone who looks unhygienic or is smoking (that is disgusting!). I usually end up buying one or two things at several different stands.

4. Get touchy-feely - Don't be afraid to pick things up and inspect them. Feel them to ensure that the produce isn't mushy or too soft. Some produce may be bruised or overripe, and some may even be rotten. Many of the farmers prefer if you pick out specifically what you want anyway. Ask for assistance if you're not sure.

5. Try new things - You should come to the farmers market with little expectation because the flavors are always changing. Produce changes with the seasons, so stop moaning because the cherry-picking season is over! Weather and other factors also affect growing conditions and crop yield. There is also the factor of supply and demand; if a particular crop is not that popular, farmers will sometimes stop growing it. So you'd better come to the farmers market with an open mind and be prepared to challenge your pallet.

6. Be kind and courteous - Say hello and good morning to everyone you meet. Comment on the weather. If you have any questions, don't feel afraid to ask. Engage in conversation. Not everyone will want to chat, but they'll appreciate your acknowledgment. Always say thank you. They work hard all day to bring food to you, and some of them have to drive several miles to do so, therefore the least you can do is thank them for their time. Conclude by wishing them a great day in parting.

I enjoy my trips to the farmer's market on Tuesday mornings. Unfortunately, the last one of the season is October 16. I'll be sad when it's over, because then I'll have to go back to getting my California-grown produce from Juan or Betty or whomever at Wegmans' check-out line ("line" is not the word!). I'd better start packing away the fruits and vegetables over the next 3 weeks while I still have the chance.

~HAPPY HARVEST!~