SELLMEYER FARM NEWSLETTER

Rain, rain go away, come again someother day! At least it's baking day and I don't have to do much outside today! But first I have to go to the dentist at 8:00 a.m. and get a cavity in my wisdom tooth fixed.

Yesterday afternoon Greg came home a little early and we started picking the pumpkins, gourds and winter squash. We got it almost done, there wasn't a lot this year, but you will be getting some in your boxes next week.

I'm sure most of you have your favorite recipes for winter squash, but here is another one for those of you who don't or for those of you who want to try something new! This comes from Taste of Home cookbook "The Market Fresh Cookbook" It's calls for butternut squash, but most any winter squash can be used. Winter squash is a lot like summer squash and can be interchanged most of the time.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH CASSEROLE
5 cups shredded butternut suash
Juice & grated peel of 1 lemon
1 cup raisins
6-8 dried apricots, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 apple, cubed
2 cups ricotta cheese
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 Tbsp. plain yogurt, sour cream or buttermilk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large owl, toss squash with lemon juice & peel. Place half in the bottom of a greased 1"x7"x2" baking dish. Combine the raisins, apricots & apple; sprinkle over squash. In a small bowl, combine the cheese, egg, yogurt, cinnamon & nutmeg; spread over fruit mixture. Cover with remaining squash. Sprinkle with nuts.

Cover with foil. Bake at 375 degrees for 35-40 min. or until heated through. Yield: 10-12 servings

Here's another one for those who are like me and don't like their squash sweetened up. It comes from "Red Hot Chilli Pepper" cookbook by Jenni Fleetwood.

Salad or Roasted shallots, chillies and butternut squash with feta

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar, plus a little extra if needed
1 Tbsp. sweet soy sauce
12 oz. shallots, peeled, but left whole
3 fresh red chillies
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
4 Tbsp. chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
3/4 cup chopped walnuts or pecan nuts, chopped
5 oz. feta cheese
salt & ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Beat the oil, vinegar & soy sauce together in a large bowl.

Toss the shallots & 2 of the chillies in the oil mixture and turn into a large shallow roasting pan or oven proof dish. Season with salt & pepper. Roast, uncovered, for 25 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Add the butternut squash & roast for a further 35-40 min. stirring once, until the squash is tender and browned. Remove from the oven, stir in the chopped thyme and set the vegetable mixture aside to cool.

Mix the parsley & garlic together & stir in the nuts. Seed & finely chop the remaining chilli.

Stir the parsley, garlic & nut mixture into the cooled vegetables. Add chopped chilli to taste & adjust the seasoning, adding a little extra balsamic vinegar if you like. Crumble the feta cheese & add it to the salad, tossing together lightly. Transfer to a serving dish & serve immediately, at room temperature rather than chilled.