The Farm On Kenyon Road: October 2013

Butternut Squash

It’s not a secret that Butternut Squash is one of my favorite winter squashes. Versatile, it can lend itself to both sweet and savory dishes. Roasted, stewed, pureed into soup, baked into pies, really it becomes a staple in our house this time of year.

My favorite and go to recipe is simple and delicious.

Roasted Butternut Squash with Sea Salt

Ingredients

butternut squash, peeled, cored and cut into 1 in cubes

olive oil

sea salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425

Peel your squash with a vegetable peeler. If you have trouble with the rind, drop the squash into boiling water for approximately 4 minutes.

Remove seeds and cut the squash into 1 in cubes

Combine olive oil and sea salt in a large bowl

Add squash and toss to coat.

Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet

Check and turn squash after 15 minutes.

Continue to cook until done.

Butternut Squash

Friday, October 25, 2013

Last CSA Pickup!

Title: Last CSA Pickup!
Location: The Farm
Description: Our last CSA pickup of the season! CSA members, please remember to bring back your boxes!
Date: 2013-10-28

Last CSA Pickup!

Apple Snitz!

This afternoon I popped trays of sliced apples into our dehydrator.

I love to have dried apples on hand. They make a great snack option and you can use them to make a variety of traditional recipes such as Schnitz un Knepp.

Drying apples can be accomplished in a variety of ways. I use our Excalibur dehydrator. If you choose to use a dehydrator be sure to follow your specific machines directions for temperature and time. For myself, I simply wash, core and slice the apples 1/4 to 3/8 ” thick and set my dehydrator for 135 degrees.

You can also dry apples in the sun. This method will take 3 to 4 days when the temperatures range from 98 to 100 degrees. Cover the fruit with a cloth at night or bring inside to protect from bugs. Freeze the dried product for 24 to 72 hours to protect from insect contamination.

Using your oven is a quick and easy way to dry apples. Set the temperature to 140 degrees, and leave the door open slightly. For best results, put a fan in front of the open door to blow air across to remove moisture. The fruit should be dry within 2 to 3 hours.

When your apples are dried, store them in an airtight container and use within 1 year. I store my apples in 1/2 gallon mason jars and seal them with our vacuum sealer, but any container with an airtight seal can be used. My biggest challenge is getting them from the dehydrator to the jars before the kids eat them all!

Apple Snitz!