It’s the season of changes around here. Tomatoes are starting to slow down, pickling cucumbers are done, broccoli should be back in a couple weeks and we will have Kale for the fall season. 

We loved getting all that rain last week.  There were big cracks in the ground, but that slow rain fall did a lot of good. Now that the sun is back, it’s a little easier to work in the field and even the cantaloupe look a little happier.

On The Farm

The rain slowed us down a bit over the last week, but we’ve been able to get a few bins of squash onto the yard, get organized in the shed, and of course, stop irrigating!  It’s already dried off enough on top to where Ryan has been doing some tractor work.  Much of fall is about cleaning up the farm, shredding things that need to be shredded, and preparing of a new year to come in the spring.  All the work that goes into fall ground preparation makes a huge difference next spring.

One of those fall preparation things (and other times of the year too) is getting our cover crops planted.  Most of the farm already has this sorghum sudan grass wherever crops are not actively growing.  The goal is to get a bunch of organic matter, stop the wind erosion – because it is verrrrrry windy out here, and hold or build some nutrients for the next year.  So we have seeded vetch and clover into our actively growing sorghum sudan grass.

Sweet Dumpling Squash

What a cute name for a nice little plump squash – Sweet Dumpling. It’s pretty and striped, and gets cooked just like an acorn squash.  My family’s cooking preference is the brown sugar and butter method:

1. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and place in a baking – cut side up.  Pour 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan so that the squash doesn’t burn or get dried out in the oven. (You can cook these seeds just like you would pumpkins seeds, if you want)
2. Add 1/2 T butter and 2 T brown sugar to each half.
3. Bake at 400°F (205°C) for about an hour to an hour 15 minutes, until the tops of the squash halves are nicely browned, and the squash flesh is very soft and cooked through.
4. Remove from the oven and enjoy.

It’s hard to overcook squash, it just gets better with more caramelization. But don’t undercook it.

Alternative – I am the only one in my house who isn’t a huge fan of this method. I find that stuffing the squash with some sort of savory mixture is more up my alley.  Think pork sausage (from one of Margret’s pigs), brown rice, kale, onion, and apple.  The options are endless.

Housekeeping

Next week (9/23) is the last week of the vegetable subscription. The Fall 2020 Vegetable Subscription will begin November 4th.  If you are interested in learning more, please visit the Pekarek’s Produce Website.