Week #10 - What's in the box - This week's focus - Butternut squash

It's Week #10 and we are at the end of August - Wow, this summer has flown by! This is the time of year in which you can spend picking produce pretty much on a full time basis and still have more to pick when you are done!

Given the heat and the excess flies - we've been bringing the veggies inside the house to store and keep cool. Good thing we have a big house as they have almost taken over most of the living room!

What's in the box this week:
Onions
Potatoes
Cucumber
Zucchini
Herbs (cilantro, basil, parsley, chives)
Assorted peppers - Jalepeno pepper (green, tear drop shape) or Banana pepper (yellow, spear shaped) or Cherry Red Hot (small round red) or Chile peppers (round, thin) or Habeneros (small crumpled green)
Tomatoes - both cherry and regular size
Assorted melons - Honey Dew melon (white/green, smooth and round) or Cantaloupe (white/green, rough exterior, round)
Assorted Squash - Butternut squash (long neck, round base, yellow/green) or Patty Pan squash (orange/yellow, looks like a bit like a small pumpkin)
Swiss Chard
Kohlrabi
Leeks


This week's focus - Butternut Squash

Butternut squash also known in Australia and New Zealand as butternut pumpkin, is a type of winter squash. It has a sweet, nutty taste similar to that of a pumpkin. It has yellow skin and orange fleshy pulp. When ripe, it turns increasingly deep orange, and becomes sweeter and richer. It grows on a vine.

Butternut squash is a fruit that can be roasted, toasted, puréed for soups, or mashed and used in casseroles, breads, and muffins.

It is a good source of fibre, vitamin C, manganese, magnesium, and potassium. It is also an excellent source of vitamin A and vitamin E.
The fruit is prepared by removing the skin, stalk and seeds, which are not usually eaten or cooked. However, the seeds are edible, either raw or roasted and the skin is also edible and softens when roasted. One of the most common ways to prepare butternut squash is roasting. To do this, the squash is cut in half lengthwise, lightly brushed with cooking oil, and placed cut side down on a baking sheet. It is then baked for 45 minutes or until it is softened. Once roasted, it can be eaten in a variety of ways as outlined above.

PAUL'S FAMOUS BUTTERNUT SOUP (serves 6 as a starter)

1 fresh butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups of chicken stock
Half a cup cream
1 tsp curry powder (as hot as you like)
A squirt of Worcestershire sauce
Salt and black pepper

1. Toss the chopped onion and garlic in a pot and sauté, don't burn or caramelise. They must be translucent but still white.
2. Add the peeled butternut and chicken stock and bring to the boil.
3. When the butternut is soft, mash (as in MASH, don't liquidise or pulverise!).
4. Add the other ingredients and stir.
5. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Enjoy!