Every Saturday when we are in town, hubby and I grab a Starbucks and head to the farmer's market. We love to browse the booths filled with all kinds of fresh produce, meats and cheeses. Sometimes we stop by the crepe booth for a fresh veggie crepe to share too! YUM!
I love talking to the vendors and people in line with us about some of the unique produce. My hubby is pretty used to me talking with everyone.....he says I got that trait from my Dad.
This is some of the produce that we brought home this week.....
The lady I was chatting with told me all about Kabocha squash (Japanese pumpkin.) I learned that Kabocha is much like Butternut, is lower in calories and one serving provides 70% of the day's recommended requirement of Vitamin A. Now that's a nice number. The health benefits make this squash even more appealing. Who doesn't like healthy eyes, skin, hair and white blood cells?
Roasted Kabocha has a sweet potato like flavor. It is a great choice for stews, but hubby and I liked it by just mashing it and adding a touch of cinnamon. YUM!
Another squash we bought was Blue Hubbard. It's a rather large squash with thick skin. The one we purchased is a bluish gray, but I understand there are a couple other colors also. These squash actually sweeten with age and may be stored at cool room temperature for up to 5 months.
I was telling my Mom about all of the squash we bought. She told me that when she was growing up on the farm her mother taught them to peel the Blue Hubbard and dice it. She said it was really hard to do because of the thickness of the skin, so as an adult she started roasting hers. Awww....so glad I talked with Mom BEFORE I started peeling.
Moms says......put a couple of inches of water on a cookie sheet, poke the squash with a knife (I used a metal kabob skewer) and bake it at 400 degrees until tender. I also had read to add a bit of olive oil to the Kabocha skin, which I did.
It worked beautifully!
Last but not least we added a Spaghetti squash to our bag. We both love Spaghetti squash. I use it instead of pasta especially when it is in season. Topped with a nice Marinara sauce....YUM! or eat is with a sprinkle of salt and pepper....it's so delish!
To separate the stringy squash just use a fork. It just peels away leaving you with the resemblance of thin spaghetti pasta.
If you aren't familiar with all of the types of squash like me, give one or all of these a try. They are a great healthy choice for your family too!
Looking forward to seeing you back on Monday! Have a wonderful weekend!
Kathleen
****THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
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