Squash as vessel!
The mild, buttery flavor of acorn squash from Madura Farm or Halal Pastures Farm lays a great foundation for all kinds of early fall flavors, which is why it’s so frequently stuffed or used as a bowl. To make it into a bowl perfect for grains, soup, or salad like this one with fried lemon and radish, just cut your squash, scoop out the seeds, and roast it with lots of butter, salt, and pepper. You’ll want to stop by Ready Set Sharp to get your knives sharpened beforehand! And parmesan cheese will bake beautifully inside this stuffed acorn squash with sausage and kale. As the recipe says, acorn squash is an excellent vessel for whatever grains, greens, and veggies you have on hand! R & M Farm has some delicious chicken sausage right now, including sun-dried tomato sausage which would work well with this dish. (BTW, R & M Farm has started taking turkey orders for Thanksgiving. Better get on that!).
Here's a vegetarian recipe using acorn squash as cooking vessel:
- 2 acorn squash, halved and seeded
- 2 tbsp butter
- 4 tbsp maple syrup (or brown sugar or honey)
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped (optional) or crispy Mung lentils from The Lentil Project.
Place the acorn squash halves on a baking sheet with the scooped-out centers facing up. Divide the butter, maple syrup, and chopped rosemary evenly between the squash halves. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F/200°C until tender, about 40-50 minutes. Baste the insides occasionally with the butter, syrup, and rosemary mixture. Sprinkle on the toasted pecans once out of the oven and enjoy with a spoon.
For dessert, try some acorn squash donuts with plenty of autumnal spices. For good measure, eat them with some warm apple cider from Caradonna Farm! And it’s never a bad idea to have a supply of rich, velvety chocolate bars from Raw Chocolate Love on hand when you’re looking for something sweet.
Jeremy from SMOK’D will be making his famous, flavor-packed smoked chicken sandwiches on site for lunch, and you can never go wrong with a market pie full of seasonal produce from DoughNation Pizza. I’ll be playing some tunes with The Altogether from 10:30-12:30, so join us for some fun!
