Squashes and root vegetables take on an entirely new kind of importance during cooler temperatures. Their hearty texture makes them perfect for roasting, slow-cooking and turning into delicious soups. Their sweet and savory qualities really shine and fill my comfort food needs. Though Butternut is grown in the summer, it matures at the inception of fall which is when we tend to eat them more. Most varieties of squash are available all year long in grocery stores but you will find the best tasting ones offered at local farm markets or by growing your own. I have found that cool weather makes these nutrient dense superfoods taste better. Crops grown late summer into fall are almost entirely free of squash bugs which are a big problem in the summer when they are actively reproducing.
Did you know that squash blossoms are tender and edible? If you do not mind the raw, green flavor, they can be tossed into salads. However, they are usually battered and flash fried in a pan which is DELICIOUS. These flowers only open in the morning, so if you are going to eat them, it should be for breakfast or lunch.
I love this stage of ripening when they are changing from young to mature. The shape is filling out and the streaks of the green fruit will soon be less visible as the skin begins to turn.
The spots are slightly visible but are quickly turning a pretty peachy color. When the flesh inside is mature, it's bright orange like a sweet potato or a carrot and contains a lot of natural dye which means that it is high in beta carotene and vitamin A.
Harvesting is one of the most fulfilling parts of growing your own food, other than lovingly preparing it for your friends and family. All of the effort is worth the return. For me, it's the ultimate measure of pride. Eating healthy and responsibly is one thing but to grow it from the ground up, including the soil is a totally different ball game.
Slightly sweet and ready to eat. You can keep them on your table at room temperature or in a cool, dry pantry for months. They do not need to be refrigerated. Root cellars or basements are great for this.
Tiny micro-greens such as radish and kale, are the perfect addition to any cooked dish. These are the seedlings that have started to emerge from my fall | winter beds. When the rows are fully germinated and ready to thin, you can pull up the ones that are growing too close together and give them about an inch or so on all sides to spread out as they mature. The greens can also be pinched from the middle of the plant as it grows. They will constantly make new ones which allows you to keep the plant neat and compact.
INGREDIENTS
1 head of cauliflower, broken into florets
2 small or 1 medium to large butternut squash, peeled and cubed
yellow onion, chopped
garlic, sliced
1 1|2 cups homemade vegetable stock or low sodium store bought
olive oil + butter or ghee
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon fresh or dried sage
salt + pepper
cayenne to taste
parmesan cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 400. Put your stock into a small pan and begin to warm it on the stove. Toss the butternut squash in a bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt + pepper. Bake on a sheet pan for 15 minutes, then stir it around and bake for another 10. Set it aside and let it cool. While you're baking, put the cauliflower into the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it resembles small grains like rice. Warm some olive oil in a saute pan. Add the onion and garlic and cook until they begin to caramelize. Add a tablespoon of butter or ghee and the cauli-rice. Stir everything together and begin adding stock 1|4 cup at a time, using a ladle. Stir until the liquid is absorbed and then add another. Repeat this until most of the stock is gone and the cauli-rice is tender. Add the nutritional yeast, sage and season with salt + pepper. The squash should be cool now. Add it to the food processor but reserve a handful of the cubes for the top. Add 1|4 cup of the warm stock and puree. Pour this into the saute pan with the 'risotto'. Bring all of the flavors together.
Serve this with wilted kale, chard, spinach or your favorite salad green for a perfect pairing. Garnish with the reserved squash and parmesan cheese if you aren't vegan. Chopped nuts on top of the greens will boost the protein and this is nothing short of sensational. It could be your new Thanksgiving side dish. Your guests will never know that this isn't grits or some kind of grain. It's deceptively delicious!
ENJOY!
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