October Reflections

The moment the hand harvests a crop destined to become food the act of farming, the growing of food, shifts to nourishment, the act of consuming food.

I love to cook dinner with what is freshly harvested and packed into the CSA shares. By cooking, I link the natural world of the farm with the social world of family and friends. For me cooking is a special way to connect with the crops we grow and transform them into a nourishing meal to share with the people I love.

With October here our Coastal Summer has arrived, and I know I only have a few weeks left to enjoy the last of our summer favorites. Although there is no rain in the forecast, I savor the tomatoes even more now that I know they won’t last much longer. Also, the last planting of summer squash is a reminder that summers aren’t forever and, of course, the peppers have dwindled in size but are still sweet and crunchy.

Last weekend a medley of different peppers made a colorful and tasty addition to a dish of quinoa tossed with roasted cauliflower and kale. The Delicata Squash in your share this week is one of our daughter’s favorite dishes at the moment, and so easy to prepare. Don’t have to peel it, actually the skin is delicious if you let it get brown and a little crispy. Just slice the squash in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with salt and a little brown sugar, then place a few small pieces of butter on it and slide into the oven for 25-30 min at 425F. Before serving I like to mix up the ingredients (butter, sugar and salt) with the now soft baked flesh of the squash – oh, so tasty.

Enjoy your time cooking!