Fall Recipes From Rosaly’s Garden CREAMY SQUASH SOUP Serves 4 to 6 people 1 acorn, small butternut, buttercup or red kuri squash (about 2 cups cooked) 2 cups chopped onions 1 small carrot, diced 1 medium potato, diced 2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and chopped 3 1/2 cups water 1 1/2 cups milk, apple juice or 1 cup heavy cream 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon salt and black pepper to taste Clean the squash, cut in half and scoop out the seeds. Place it, cut side down on a lightly oiled baking pan with 1/2 inch of water in the bottom of the pan, cover and bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour, until soft. Meanwhile, saute the onions in the butter or oil until they are translucent. Add the carrots, potatoes and water. Bring the vegetables to a boil, lower the heat and simmer about 20 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. When the baked squash has cooled, scoop out the soft insides and discard the skins. Combine the squash, vegetables and stock with the milk, apple juice or cream in a blender or food processor and puree to a smooth creamy consistency. Heat the soup on a low heat until it is hot but not boiling. Add the cinnamon, season to taste with salt and black pepper. From the New Recipes from Moosewood Restaurant cookbook, by the Moosewood Collective: SQUASH CAKE Serves 10 to 12 4 eggs 1 2/3 cups sugar 1 cup vegetable oil 1 3/4 cups mashed, cooked winter squash 2 cups flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg Beat the eggs, add sugar, oil and squash and mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix into the squash mixture. Spread in a buttered 13 1/2 X 8 3/4 inch pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven From the Victory Garden Cookbook by Marian Marash: KITTY CLOUD’S ROASTED VEGETABLE DISH This dish is easy to cook and makes a delicious and easy one dish meal to have with meat, chicken or fish. Cut all the vegetables into 2 inch pieces.  In one oiled baking dish add eggplant, winter squash, such as delicata or acorn, potatoes and whole cloves of garlic.  Spray with a little olive oil or pam.  Season with salt and black pepper. Roast uncovered at 475 degrees for 1 hour.  Using a spatula, turn the vegetables several times so that the vegetables will brown on all sides. In a second oiled baking dish add string beans (whole), cut up broccoli, peppers, plum tomatoes, mushrooms and asparagus.  Again spray with oil and roast uncovered for 30 minutes at 475 degrees, turning the vegetables at least once.  Mix both dishes together in a bowl and serve.  This dish is good both hot and cold.  RACHEL’S BRAZILIAN CHOWDER One or two Jalepeno peppers, seeded and chopped fine 1 bunch diced scallions, white part only 3 cloves garlic chopped fine Sautee these in 3 tablespoons butter Add 2 cups butternut, skinned and cut into one inch cubes And 2 cups of cubed red potatoes Sautee these in the above mixture Add 4 cups of calm juice Simmer a bit more Then add 1/2 cup lime juice 1 cup coconut milk 1 cup crushed tomatoes 1/2 cup honey 1/8 cup thai chili sauce Salt and pepper to taste 2 cups cream Then add your choice of scallops, salmon, shrimp and/or crabmeat Cook just long enough to cook the fish. TIPS FOR USING, STORING AND COOKING WINTER SQUASH (taken partly from the Victory Garden Cookbook) Storage Ideally, store squash at 50 to 55 degrees.  (Rosaly stores hers at 62 degrees in her cellar, and one of her farmers stores hers successfully under her bed all winter at a warmer temperature than that!)  Below 50 degrees, the squash suffers chilling damage and will start to deteriorate. Cooked winter squash freezes very well and it’s convenient to have it cooked and ready to eat. Butternut keeps the longest, easily lasting all winter. Cooking The best way to cook squash is to bake it. Rinse it to clean it.  Cut in half length wise.*  (Removing the stem makes this easier.) Scoop out the seeds and cavity fibers Brush with butter or olive oil and place cut side down in a baking pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with 1/2 inch of water. Cover the squash with foil or a cookie sheet. (Pumpkin should not be covered.) Bake the squash at 400 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes.  Use a fork to test for doneness If you plan to use squash as a side dish, flip the squash over, add more butter and season with salt and black pepper.  The addition of some maple syrup or brown sugar makes a delicious treat.  Brown the squash uncovered for an additional 15 or 20 minutes.  Note that the skins of many kinds of squash are edible and delicious! Or you can scoop out the squash, mash it, and season it with butter, salt and pepper and serve it that way. Or you can use the scooped out squash for other recipes. *Exception:  Spaghetti squash is more easily cooked by cooking it whole, either baked or boiled.  To bake it, prick it with a fork (so it won’t burst in the oven).    Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 40 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on the size, until flesh is tender.  Let the squash cool, split lengthwise and remove the seeds and fibers right around the seeds.  With a fork, comb at the flesh and long strands of spaghetti will pull away.  Or you can boil this squash by putting it in a large pot of boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes. Tips For The Use Of Winter Squash: Freeze leftover squash. Leftovers reheat well. Use small amounts added to yeast breads or pancake batter to give color and moisture. Small chunks of squash are a good addition to soups, stews and stir frys.  Butternut squash is the easiest to peel and cube.