acorn squash

Lucky me! When I was back home a friend shared the spoils of her garden and then I carted them back to the pacific northwest. She gave me a couple of pie pumpkins, four acorn squash, and six heads of garlic. Yummy, yummy, yummy in my tummy, tummy, tummy. I just got back two days ago and I've already baked the first two acorn squashes and eaten the first three halves. I usually eat it on the 'half-shell' with something sweet inside - apple sauce with cinnamon & raisins, cinnamon & sugar, or real maple syrup & butter. These toppings can be so sweat it's like having desert. This half I ate with a couple of scrambled eggs for lunch.

(I've decided to try some more savory versions of squash this fall ... if any are a success I'll share them with you).

Baked Acorn Squash

preheat oven to 400 deg. F

Cut squash in two and remove seeds. Arrange squash, cut side down in a shallow baking dish. Fill dish with water until it reaches about 1/4" (you might want to do this in the oven if your dish is particularly shallow). Bake squash for 15 minutes, or until tender. Turn squash over and fill cavity with apple sauce, raisins, and cinnamon mixture. Bake until warmed through. Serve.

* I usually make several at once and store in the fridge, they make good leftovers reheated in the microwave. For sack lunch, either take 'as is' or scoop out into another container.

spear grass (aka asparagus).

I love asparagus! It was my favorite vegetable as a child and is still one of my favorites. I was lucky to be introduced to it via our family garden so spears were harvested and cooked nearly immediately. Between the garden my parents kept until I was 8 (we moved) and visits to my grandparents farm where they kept an extensive garden I learned to love vegetables at a young age because ate the freshest. Yum! 

The New York Times posted a piece on asparagus and the best technique to remove the tough ends (cut, not snap). McGee also suggests slicing the tough bits for adding to soups and other dishes (stir-fry!). The shortened fibers won't be as noticeably tough. At the farmer's market nearly every booth is loaded with asparagus right now.

making stock

I posted about making stock last January but Sunday night when I started to boil some veggies for a vegetable stock I was struck by the beauty of all these bits and pieces in the pot. I can easily identify onions, garlic, zucchini, lemon grass, and red pepper in this picture, but as I keep a bag of veggie waste in the freezer I don't always remember what is in there but I'm sure there are also carrots, celery, red & green chilies, and japanese eggplant. I usually add bay leaf, salt, pepper, and may in this case mustard seed. The stock turned out dark and rich looking.

I frequently mix my bones and veggies for a combo-stock but I decided to go veg this time. If you are a backyard or worm bin compost keep them separate but in Seattle we now have curbside compost pickup. As it's an industrial compost process you can mix dariy, bones, fruit and veg. For more information on Seattle composting click here.

hanging baskets

I mentioned yesterday that I prepared my hanging baskets for spring. Last summer I tried flowers and herbs and nothing was happy. These baskets get full west sun and wouldn't stay moist. After my failures I panted some philodendron cuttings and those did the best, so I'm starting this year with more cuttings. I made a trellis with fishing line so the vines can climb up and create a pyramid. I may plant some small low flowers in the corners when it gets a little warmer. 

I moved the pencil plant outside and the others are preparing by sitting next to a very sunny window. I like to place many of my house plants outdoors during the summer - they thrive during these warm sunny months outdoors. The only one that stays indoors is my orchid but it might find its way out there this summer.

breaking ground: White House organic garden

(Illustration from New York Times)

First Lady Michelle Obama has oft mentioned a warning from the girls' pediatrician that they needed to eat a more whole and balanced diet. The Obamas soon started to eat better and the little girls lost weight. She is putting a little of her muscle behind getting America, especially the youth, to eat better and to eat local. Under the Bush administration the White House bought local organic produce, but they didn't encourage America to do the same (no word on whether they served arugula, wink!).

I'm really excited that Michelle put America's eating habits on her agenda. Metabolic disorders are skyrocketing across the country and the world. Due to my own health problems I am at a greater risk than the average American to develop metabolic disorders, including diabetes. Although I've always eaten healthily (I'm probably one of the few teenagers who came home from school and snacked on carrots and green beans on their own accord) the fear of becoming a statistic has encouraged me to watch my diet. If you want to do the same, start watching your portions (measure them at first), eat a low glycemic and high fiber diet, exercise more (walks!) and eat healthy fats. It's basically what we always hear: fats, fiber, sugar, portions and exercise!