This week your basket contains: leeks, shallots, Brussels sprouts, carrots, salad mix (spinach, endive, radicchio, lettuce, arugula, mustard greens, bok choi) and winter squash

The winter squash in your basket today is either Tetsukabuto (dark green with tan stripes) or Doran Round butternut (tan). Both are great keepers and allow us to give winter squash almost until March! We intend to grow more of these varieties next year. Both have sweet orange flesh and really shine when roasted. Here is our simple recipe:

ROASTED KABOCHA SQUASH

After removing the seeds, cut the halves into thin wedges either with the skin on or off.   Sprinkle them with olive oil, salt, and black pepper.  Bake in a hot oven (400⁰) until browned on one side.  Turn the wedges over to brown evenly.  You can eat them hot, let them cool as a snack or use them as the basis for a pureed squash soup.

Here is another way to use the squash (remember if you have trouble cutting the squash, you can bake it for a short time to soften before cutting) :

WINTER SQUASH AND GRUYERE GRATIN

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock or canned broth

2 medium butternut squash (1 1/2 pounds each)

3/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 medium leek, white part only, coarsely chopped (1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon olive oil

One 12-ounce can evaporated skim milk or 1 cup whole milk

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated (about 1 cup)

2 slices toasted peasant bread (cut into 4 equal pieces)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan cheese

8 basil leaves, shredded

Preheat the oven to 400°. Halve the squash lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the squash, cut side up, in a baking pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper and cover tightly with foil. Bake for about 1 hour, until the squash is tender but not mushy. Let cool slightly. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the leek, olive oil and 2 teaspoons of water. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until the leek is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir in the wine. Increase the heat to high and boil until the liquid is reduced to approximately 3 tablespoons, about 3 minutes. Stir in the stock, milk, sugar and remaining 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. Using a big spoon, scoop the flesh from the squash in large pieces. Place in a medium bowl.  To assemble the gratin, preheat the oven to 400°. Bring the leek mixture to a boil. Spoon half of the squash into a 6- to 8-cup casserole. Ladle half of the leek mixture over the top and cover with half of the toast and half of the Gruyère. Repeat the layers with the remaining squash, leek mixture, toast and Gruyère. Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the top. Bake the gratin for 30 minutes, or until the top is browned and bubbly. Garnish with the basil and serve.  Make Ahead: The recipe can be prepared up to assembling the gratin 3 hours ahead. Set aside at room temperature.  From Food and Wine  Favorite Thanksgiving Recipes, The Best Squash Casserole Recipes  Published November 1993

We’ve been missing carrots. Our rainbow carrot seeding in the fall did not come up as well as we had hoped, so we ended up using the winter carrots faster than planned. Each year, we budget to buy in some organic produce and this week we got organic carrots. We wish we could grow them as long as these ones! This recipe is an unexpected flavor combination. You can use chopped shallots instead of the garlic.

BRAISED CARROTS

1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb. carrots (about 5-6)

6 cloves garlic

2 c. drained, seeded, chopped canned tomatoes

¼ c. fresh mint

3 slices lemon, plus juice from the rest of the lemon

1 Tbsp. sugar

¾ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. anise seed

¼ tsp. ground cumin

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Peel and chop carrots lengthwise into 5×1/2×1/2-inch sticks.  Put oil and carrots in a heavy skillet.  Cook over high heat, stirring often and scraping the browned bits with a wooden spoon, until the carrots have browned nicely, about 10 minutes.  Add garlic, tomatoes, mint, lemon slices, sugar, salt, anise and cumin; mix well.  Cook until bubbling vigorously, then reduce heat to low.  Cover and cook for 20 minutes.  Stir, turning the carrots.  Cover and cook until the carrots are very soft, 20 minutes more.  Add lemon juice and season with pepper.  Serve hot or at room temperature.  Serves 4. From Eating Well Feb./Mar. 2006.

This is the end of the Brussels sprouts. We gave each pint an experimental red type. We plan to grow more red Brussels next Fall.