Happy Thanksgiving Week!
***NOTE: This week only, we will not be able to save any boxes for you if you are unable to pick up! We are heading out of town, and we won't be able to take them back to the farm to refrigerate. Sandpoint members will get a reminder call before 5:30 from Bergen, who is doing the delivery for us, but he won't be able to respond after 5:30pm. Thanks for understanding!***
If you haven't yet planned your Thanksgiving menu (or you just want a stellar weeknight meal), let me introduce you to the Starry Night Acorn Squash! This squash is extremely versatile, and will amaze you if you're used to standard grocery store acorn squash. Here are three preparations for it that we use often in our house:
Roasted Acorn Squash
Slice the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and cut the halves into 1/2" thick crescents. Lay them on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast at 400F for 25-30 minutes, until very soft when poked. Drizzle with a little homemade teriyaki sauce, miso glaze, romesco, pesto...you have options but it is great this way in a savory preparation.
Acorn Squash Soup
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Peel the halves with a paring knife or vegetable peeler. Cut into 1" cubes and put in a steamer basket with at least 1" of water beneath. Cook, covered, until very tender. Place in a food processor and puree until smooth. Saute onions or shallots, garlic and sage in a little olive oil until tender and slightly brown. Add to the squash in a soup pot. Cover with water, cream or coconut milk, a tablespoon or two of miso paste, and hot chile flakes to taste. Stir to combine then serve with hot bread or biscuits.
Acorn Squash Curry
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Cut the halves into 1" pieces, unpeeled. Saute onions, garlic and ginger in a saute pan until soft, then add 2-3 teaspoons curry powder or spice blend of your choice. Add about two cups of diced tomatoes, two cups of cooked chickpeas and the squash. Pour in water or coconut milk to barely cover everything and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5-10 minutes, until the squash is very tender. Add 1/2 bunch cilantro, stir, and serve over rice with more cilantro.
We sincerely hope you have a warm holiday filled with friends, family and food you love. We are heading to Seattle to celebrate with Katherine's family, and we'll see you next week!
We celebrated our own family Thanksgiving tradition of cooking sausages and potatoes over an open fire!
