Acorn Squash ... Fondue

Acorn squash... with fondue baked inside!  What!?!  I wish I could take credit for this one, but I only grew the squash. 

Spaghetti Squash

One of the squash I had a lot of success with this year was spaghetti squash.  Unfortunately, I was convinced that they were honeydew melons for most of the summer and was disappointed with their presentation.  So, about half of my crop went into the compost.  All was not lost, they continued to produce prolifically and I harvested more than twenty from my garden.  Do I need more than twenty?  I have no idea.  They are a winter squash, so should keep reasonably well in my outbuilding.  They also have a more generally palatable texture and taste than other squash and can even be a substitute for pasta in some recipes.

Tonight I baked my spaghetti squash cut length-wise and cut into rings.  Both worked equally well.  The rings are supposed to result in a longer squash strand; I didn't really notice a difference.  I then turned the squash into a healthy, fresh- tasting dish with roasted red peppers and fresh parsley. 

Kale and Beet Green Balls

Greens are in the garden, ready to roll.  Get it?  ha! 

Kale and Beet Green Balls

Greens, chopped
Onion, finely minced
Eggs, for moisture
Bread crumbs, for content and texture
salt and pepper, to taste

Mix all together, let rest.  Roll into balls.  Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Green Tomato Heaven

With the quickly approaching season of frost and wet otherwise known as Autumn, I have been watching my tomato plants with suspicion.  The green tomatoes look healthy and plump.  The reddish tomatoes look sad and sickly and not at all the full scarlet blush of mid-summer.  So in preparation for the end of tomato season, I spent today working on three new green tomato recipes.  I was expecting mediocre results but was delighted, instead, with three tantalizing new creations that I can't wait to try in six weeks when they have seasoned.

We all know fried green tomatoes are fabulous.  Green tomatoes can also be wrapped in paper and allowed to ripen slowly in a box or paper bag.  But I was hoping for something more from my green tomato surplus.

I ran across some green tomato recipes in some food preservation books I've been reading that really intrigued me.  Sweet Tomato Wheels are basically a bread and butter tomato pickle.  Piccalilli is a green tomato relish similar to hot dog relish but the recipe I had used slightly more sophisticated spices than your average hot dog relish.  And Green Tomato Chutney is a sweet and savory tomato relish that was amazingly complex tasting!

For these and similar recipes, I have really enjoyed using The Pickled Pantry by Andrea Chesman.  You can also find basic recipes for these doing a basic Internet search.  Make sure to follow all USDA guidelines for canning and safe food preservation.  I canned my tomato creations in a hot-water bath and plan to let them season for at least six weeks until the full flavor develops.  So, basically they will be ready to be cracked open around Thanksgiving.  What perfect timing! 

Acorn Squash

We harvested acorn squash today.  Since I already learned earlier in the year that they don't keep as well as other squashes, I waited to harvest them until I had a fair number.  I decided that I would just  roast them all together and then freeze the scooped-out guts. 

Acorn Squash (basic)

Acorn squash

Half the squash and scoop out the guts.  Place skin-up in a baking dish and fill with 1.5 in water.  Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes, until a fork punctures it easily.  Allow to cool before scooping out flesh. Flesh can be frozen for later use.

I also had the pleasure of roasting the seeds. 

Squash Seeds

Squash seeds
Oil (canola)
Salt and pepper

Rinse seeds to remove squash residue.  Mix seeds with oil, salt and pepper.  Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.  If seeds start to brown, mix and flip them on the baking sheet.

Kale Chips

Kale chips are easy to make and all the rage.  I make mine with salt and pepper usually.  But you can get pretty creative and fancy with your kale chipping.  Here is a basic kale chip recipe.

Kale Chips

Kale
Salt and pepper
Oil (canola)

Massage Kale with seasoning and oil.  Spread out on baking sheets.  Bake at 400 for 15 minutes.


For more kale recipes:

Kale and Hazelnut Pesto

Honey

This is my first year with bees.  And I think we did pretty well together.  We had our highs and lows.  I only was stung twice, but I gained a new appreciation for how much it hurts.  All, in all, a success.  And I think the bees and I are prepared for winter, as prepared as we can be that is.  I hear that Oregon is expecting another harsh winter.  So, perhaps it will be 50/50 for the bees.  Hopefully not.  I like these bees.  I'd like to keep them around. 

I took a smidge of honey from the bees this year.  Curiosity got the best of me.  I left them the rest though.  Good job bees.  Making honey is one thing humans will never be able to do (hopefully).