I don’t know about you, but I am looking forward to a dose of joy in the form of something bright, sweet and round this week. Thank goodness for Pumpkins. The little edible pie Pumpkins that we grow every Fall are adorable, and I will admit, they’re worth every bit of adoration.  Smaller in size than the big decorative carving types, these cute little orange babies are often called Sugar Pumpkins, because they're naturally very sweet and are the basis for many seasonal baked goodies.  But, don't think you have to bust out a pie to make them worthwhile. You can still enjoy Sugar Pumpkins in savory ways too.  If you’ve been here a while, you know exactly where I’m taking this, and if you’re new, I'm about to change your life with two words: Pumpkin Chili!  I will share Chef Aaron Hutcherson’s recipe every October until the internet collapses, because it is a collective favorite, hands down. Members of the CSA have been murmuring about it over the past couple of weeks, and one family made plans weeks ago to pick up their farm share on the way home from the airport in order to make sure that Pumpkin Chili is bubbling away for Halloween supper. So, be sure to scroll through for a bit of meal-planning inspiration.

Now, I know that Winter Squashes and Pumpkins possess a tragic flaw—the very thing that makes them great (a sweet, colorful, versatile and long-storing source of solid nutrition) is also the source of their downfall (those suckers can be HARD to cut into).  But one of the techniques I've been employing and recommending more often, especially when it comes to working with tough, oddly shaped squashes and sharp knives, is to use HEAT to your advantage by roasting squashes whole like this rather than cutting them up ahead of time, peeling or dicing.  You will never find me peeling a squash with a vegetable peeler or paring skins away with a knife. I just snap off the stem, poke a few deep holes (to keep the squash from exploding all over the sides of my oven), let it cool to the touch, and then proceed with my recipe or plan. I like to coarsely dice pieces of pumpkin and squash this way for soups, curries, pastas and salads. Yes, the cooking time is a little bit longer, but at 425 degrees, even the biggest squashes that our oven will hold don't take more than an hour, tops. Similarly, my mom swears by using her Instant Pot for cooking whole squashes and pumpkins.  Regardless of the appliance you choose, you can follow Alton Brown's lead on making a puree that is perfect for your pies and more.  Yes, it is a bit more labor intensive than cracking open a can, but the results are well worth it.  Another helpful hint: most recipes call for using 15oz of Pumpkin, because that's the standard unit of canned purees.  So, feel free to add just shy of 2 cups of your homemade puree for the equivalent. 

One more bit of exciting news—we’re pulling some nice big Winter Kohlrabi and Rutabagas from the field for this week. These vegetables are cousins to one another, both part Cabbage and part Turnip. While Kohlrabi tends more toward the Cabbage side of the brassica family, growing atop the soil (light green with the flavor of a sweet broccoli stem), the wild cabbagelike flavor of Rutabaga is tucked into a root that is looks like a golden Turnip. They’re great vegetables in their own individual rights, but they both happen to taste great with Apples. And get this—that heat trick for cutting hard tough squashes—it apparently works for great big root vegetables too!

Have a great week,
Katie

IN THIS WEEK’S FARMSHARES:

• Sugar Pie Pumpkins

• Spinach

• Scallions

• Rutabaga or Kohlrabi

• Broccoli (Large Shares)

• Apples (Spitzenburg, Cameo and/or Melrose)

AT THE FARMSTAND THIS WEEK

HEARTY PUMPKIN CHILI
Aaron Hutcherson, Simply Recipes

• Small 1-pound sugar or pie pumpkin, or other hard winter squash

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 large onion, diced

• 2 jalapeños, seeds and ribs removed and finely diced

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• 2 tablespoons chili powder

• 1 tablespoon cumin

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 3 teaspoons kosher salt, divided, plus more to taste

• 1 pound ground pork

• 2 (15.5-ounce) cans black beans, drained and rinsed

• 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle pumpkin beer (or amber ale or lager)
  
  CONTINUE TO RECIPE

ONE POT STOVE TOP PUMPKIN MAC & CHEESE
Half-Baked Harvest

• tablespoons salted butter

• 2 cloves garlic, smashed

• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

• 9 leaves fresh sage

• 1 pound short-cut pasta

• 1 cup canned coconut milk or whole milk

• 3 ounces cream cheese, cubed

• 1 cup pumpkin puree

• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 1 1/2 cups shredded creamy gouda cheese

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

• Kosher salt and black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

MASHED YELLOW TURNIPS (RUTABAGA) WITH CRISPY SHALLOTS
Ina Garten

• 1 1/2 cups light olive or vegetable oil

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 5 to 6 shallots, peeled and sliced into thin rings

• 2 large yellow turnips (rutabagas), about 4 pounds total

• Kosher salt

• 1 cup whole milk

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) salted butter

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

SHAVED KOHLRABI WITH APPLES & HAZELNUTS
Ignacio Mattos

• ½ cup blanched hazelnuts

• 2 medium kohlrabi (about 2 lb. total), peeled, thinly sliced on a mandoline

• 1 tart apple (such as Pink Lady or Crispin), peeled, cored, thinly sliced on a mandoline

• ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or white balsamic vinegar

• Kosher salt

• ½ cup torn fresh mint leaves, plus more for serving

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 oz. Pecorino di Fossa or Parmesan, shaved (about ¼ cup)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

APPLE RUTABAGA SOUP
Hapa Nom Nom

• 1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound)

• 1 cup onion, roughly chopped

• 1 cup rutabaga, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 cup butternut squash, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 cup sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 cup carrots, peeled and roughly chopped

• 1 cup Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and roughly chopped

• 1 quart good quality chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option)

• 2 cups heavy cream

• ¼ cup real maple syrup

• Kosher salt

• cayenne pepper

• freshly ground black pepper (optional)

CONTINUE TO RECIPE

PUMPKIN MAPLE MUFFINS
Alison Roman

• ½ cup/114 grams (1 stick) unsalted butter

• 1 cup/145 grams all-purpose flour

• 1 cup/140 grams whole-wheat flour (or 1 cup/145 grams all-purpose flour)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 ¼teaspoon kosher salt

• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric

• ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1½ cups/355 grams pumpkin purée (about 1 15-ounce can)

• 3 large eggs

• 1 cup/200 grams light brown sugar

• ⅔ cup/150 milliliters maple syrup

CONTINUE TO RECIPE