Crash Course at the Market
October 16, 2008

Stocks are so cheap Wall Street is now called Wal-Mart Street, but for food shoppers, nothing looks like much of a bargain at the market. As always, it’s nutritionally and economically best to eat what’s in season, so this is the perfect time for a crash course on fall harvest vegetables. Squash, pumpkin, and root veggies such as carrot, celery root, rutabaga, parsnip, onion, and beet are perfection when roasted until caramelized. Loaded with natural sugars and ripe with earthy flavors, they substitute beautifully for meat in pasta, quesadillas, stews, and soups.

Eliminate cooking jitters by prepping ahead. Squash and pumpkin may look a little intimidating until you realize that all you have to do is split it down the middle, place it face-down on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and pop it into a 375 degree oven until you can smell the sugars release, about an hour. Let it cool; use a fork to scrape the seeds away and harvest the flesh into a work bowl. Presto! Maximum flavor with no peeling, chopping, or boiling. (Rinse and roast pumpkin seeds for a yummy snack).

To prep root vegetables, simply peel and cut into medium sized chunks, toss with a bit of olive oil and kosher salt, and roast for 45 minutes; turning occasionally. Any combination of root vegetables can be roasted together, but keep the beets separate, as the juices will stain a whole batch purple.

Here’s an easy squash casserole that would make an excellent main dish; add a side of braised apple and kale, and a loaf of warm wholegrain bread.

Cider-Spiked Spaghetti Squash
Cut 1 large spaghetti squash into 4 quarters, and roast for 1 hour at 375 degrees. Cool; scrape the flesh into a large prep bowl using a fork. (It really does look like spaghetti!) In a jar mix one-half cup apple cider, one-quarter cup maple syrup, one-half teaspoon of powdered clove, teaspoon kosher salt, and one-half teaspoon of red pepper flakes. Shake well. Pour over the squash mixing lightly.

Spray a 9x12” baking dish with vegetable spray. Pour in half of the squash mixture. Layer 6 ounces of provolone cheese over the squash. Add the remaining squash. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, uncovered. Top with breadcrumbs and bake until golden and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

Bread crumbs: In a processor chop 3 cloves of garlic. Add 2 slices of whole wheat bread and pulse lightly until bread crumbles. Drizzle in a bit of olive oil and pulse 2-3 more times.

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008