2013 CSA Week 17

From our farm to your table this week…

Item	How to Store it	How long will it last?
Apples non-organic	in fridge	Several weeks
Butternut Squash	Room temperature	Several months
Onions	room temperature, in a ventilated container, in a cool, dry, dark area	several weeks
Potatoes non-orgnanic	room temperature, in a ventilated container, in a cool, dry, dark area	Several weeks
Sweet corn – non-organic	shucked (my preference) or with husks on in the coldest part of your fridge (usually the bottom vegetable crisper)	Enjoy as soon as possible – fresh corn is much sweeter when fresh than when stored
Tomatoes Yellow squash or zucchini	at room temp unwashed in fridge	~1 week 1-2 weeks

Tips for storing and enjoying the produce in your weekly share

This week you’re really beginning to see a transition from summer to fall crops.  A few summer items like tomatoes, yellow squash & zucchini remain, but they won’t be around for long.  I would recommend enjoying them fresh in light salads or very lightly cooked because it will be many months before we enjoy these vegetables at their best again.   

One new item this week, butternut squash, has become the basis for several of our favorite fall meals.   It is excellent baked and enjoyed as a side dish with a bit of butter and/or brown sugar, but there are many other excellent ways to use butternut squash.  The smooth, creamy texture of butternut squash makes it a wonderful base for soups, risotto, and soufflés.  Below you’ll a few of our favorite fall recipes that use items you’ll in the share for this week and here’s a link to a recipe I’d love to try that combines butternut squash with apples and pecans, yum! Honey Roasted Butternut Squash with Apples & Pecans.

Potato-Corn Chowder
2-3 cups, peeled, cubed white potatoes
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
16 oz chicken broth (or enough to cover up your potatoes in the crockpot, add a little water if you have to)
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 cups fresh corn kernels

1-2 cups sliced sausage, cooked
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar or Monterey jack cheese

Combine first 4 ingredients (through broth) in a large crockpot.  .
Turn on low for 8-10 hours or high for 6-8 hours.
During last hour, whisk together flour and milk to thicken and add milk mixture, corn, sausage.

Stir thoroughly, salt and pepper to taste, then serve, topping with shredded cheese, if desired.

Butternut Squash Soufflé with Sage
*adapted from Southern Living 2007

1 large squash, baked

3 large eggs

½ cup sour cream or plain yogurt

¼ cup sugar

2 Tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
1 Tbsp fresh sage, minced
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp nutmeg.

Preheat oven to 350^oF.
Grease an 8” square baking dish and set aside.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor in the order listed above.
Pour into prepared dish and bake 55-60 minutes or until set.

Butternut Squash and Chicken Curry Stew
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed1 small onion, finely diced
1-2 lbs chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
24-32 ounces organic chicken broth, low sodium (depends on how thick you like your stew) 
1 large or two small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 cup orange juice 
2 tsp yellow curry powder
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp brown sugar
½ cup raisins 

-Heat olive oil over medium heat in a Dutch oven.  Cook onions and garlic until slightly browned then add chicken and cook thoroughly but don’t let it get dry or burn.
-Pour broth over chicken, and then add butternut squash.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (or turn it on low and leave it for a LONG time).  
-When the squash is very tender and a few pieces have fallen apart, remove ½ cup of the liquid and combine with remaining ingredients in a small bowl.  Whisk together thoroughly and return to the Dutch oven. 
-Continue to simmer for about 20 minutes, remove from heat and serve.
Optional- stirring in 1-2 cups of chopped kale, tatsoi, or spinach when you add the cubed squash is a great way to boost the nutritional value of this stew and it’s delicious.