It is winter time, although with the way the weather has been behaving the past few years I am not sure that nature knows how to respond. Animals and plants do not have clocks and calendars, they react to their internal clocks and the way the weather is. If it is warm they might not realize winter is on the way and they need to prepare. If there is no water they might not be able to prepare. If their homes or hunting grounds are being torn up because buildings or houses are being built they might even be at more of a loss. But there are still a few fruits and veggies we might see during the winter. Perhaps not all of nature is confused. One is the delicata squash I recently mentioned. A friend was over asking if we ate the skin. She also mentioned winter squash and while I had heard the term before I never really paid attention. It used to be in the same category to me as how things are classified. I never paid attention to what is a winter squash and what is a summer squash. I just buy what is in the store. I have been receiving winter veggies and fruits in my delivery. Perhaps more accurately described as fall fruits and veggies. I have pomegranates, persimmons, and pears. We have received chard, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and delicata squash. What do you do with that stuff?
You know me. If you have read one, you’ve read them all . . . I roast it. Roasting is so easy. It is easy, tasty, and time efficient. Time really is the main reason why I love roasting. Cut it up, oil it, garlic it, salt it and put it in the oven, then go do whatever it is you still need to do. So easy. But I can’t do that for everything. Ok, with the squash I get “fancy”, I roast it THEN I stuff it, but c’mon . . . there has got to be other ways.
Tonight I made a stuffed pumpkin. I didn’t have any ricotta so I used the Neufchâtel cheese I had left over from the chicken dish I made – documented in my post Leftover Rainbow Chard To The Rescue. I think it might have even made it better. I’m not sure. I just didn’t want to buy a container of ricotta just for 2 ounces. So I just decided to use the Neufchâtel since I had bought 8 ounces of it and only used 2 ounces. It was fine.
I do want to roast a pumpkin to make soup out of it, but what else do you do with all of these wonderful winter vegetables. I have never gotten beyond my Fancy Toast when it comes to persimmons and I have about seven sitting on my counter right now. What do you do with persimmons? Can they be uses in a “salsa” or a chutney?
Can you use delicata squach for soup? I also received some baby bok choy. Read any of my posts? If so, you know I LOOOOOOOVE baby bok choy. It can be cooked and eaten by itself or added to just about anything. YUM!!!!
I am just thinking you might have ideas that you could share. Some tried and true, some favorite recipes that you might want to share. I asked last year and I received a SPECTACULAR recipe I am going to share soon. It is easy and yummy and one of those things you make that you just want to put on/in everything because it is so good. You can eat it by itself.
So . . . what have you got? What do you do with all of or any of this wonder winter produce we have?
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