Ever since the beginning of Garden Goodies, squash has been a staple in Justin’s garden. He likes growing squash because it does not take a lot of effort, and you end up with a lot of produce. Another bonus is that “winter” squash, such as acorn, buttercup, butternut, Hubbard, pumpkin, and spaghetti varieties, will store well for 3 or 4 months in a cool, dry location.
Justin’s squash grew fairly well this year.
In addition, Justin likes to save the seeds from the squash in order to plant them during the next growing season. It is easy to save seeds from squash because the seeds are larger. He also saves seeds from melons, beans, and some tomatoes and herbs. He doesn’t save seeds from every vegetable because some of them are too small and/or do not produce seeds at the end of the growing season. Onions and carrots are examples of common vegetables that do not produce seeds until the second year of their life cycle. One would have to leave a few carrots (or onions) in the ground over winter and then wait a few months for the plants to produce seeds in the following year.
This year, we are enjoying acorn squash once again on Garden Goodies. It is considered a “winter” squash, but it belongs to the same family of squash as summer squash, such as zucchini and crookneck squash. It is definitely more flavorful and sweeter than summer squash. It is easy to grow in most soils with adequate fertilizer. Some varieties need more space as they do spread out a bit. Other varieties have a more bush-like tendency and only need a small space, maybe a 3-foot diameter circle. It is indigenous to North America and is sometimes called “pepper squash” or “Des Moines squash”. The main problem in growing squash is powdery mildew, but there are home-made mixtures you can spray on the plants to take care of this fairly easily. Also, if you allow your vines to spread out evenly in a sunny area, they will be less prone to powdery mildew.
Justin made a delicious stuffed squash with mushrooms.
Acorn squash is often eaten like a dessert with brown sugar or maple syrup. Today’s dish is a reprise of a recipe that Justin used 7 years ago – stuffed acorn squash. This time around, instead of using quinoa, Justin is stuffing the squash with mushrooms, peppers, and onions.
Recipe:
Cut the squash in half, remove the seeds and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees (or until tender). Bake the squash with the cut side down and covered, with a little water in the bottom of the pan.
While the squash is baking, sauté onions, green peppers, and mushrooms with salt, thyme, pepper and garlic to taste. Once these ingredients are cooked, remove from heat and mix in about a half cup of bread crumbs, and a half cup of parmesan cheese.
Spoon the sauté mixture into the hollowed-out squash and bake uncovered for another 15 minutes or so.
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