What's for Dinner?

The farmers markets are alive and kicking this fall with grapes, squashes, late fall raspberries, green veggies, herbs and of course, pumpkins! Carve up your favorite pumpkin into a jack-o-lantern or find some smaller, meatier ones to make into pie, soup or to stuff with grains and fruit as a great side dish. However, what you are going to find everywhere are apples and pears. Peaches are still around as well and super sweet, but the Asian pears are fantastic. They are my favorite. They are somewhere between an apple and a pear - kind of like an applepear or a papple - as I have seen them marketed.

Here is a recipe using some of the yummy squash and apples you're sure to find!

Note: Apple and Peach stuffed Squash adapted from Hemmingford Women's Club 's Hemmingford Womens' Club

Ingredients:

3 acorn squash
2 cups sliced apples and peaches (1 apple and 1 peach should suffice or 2 small apples and 2 small peaches)
1-2 cups cooked quinoa or buckwheat (cooked in vegetable or chicken broth)
¼ cup grade B maple syrup
2 TBSP butter, melted
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Juice of 1 lemon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

1. Halve squash lengthwise; remove seeds. Brush with melted butter. Place, cut side down, in large baking dish.

2. Bake in oven for 35 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, combine apples, maple syrup, lemon juice, cooked quinoa and cinnamon.

4. Turn squash over in baking dish. Fill centers with apple mixture; dot it with butter. Continue baking for an additional 25 minutes until squash is tender. If desired, sprinkle with ground cinnamon before serving.

*Smoked sausage (meat or vegetarian) and cooked grains such as quinoa or buckwheat can be mixed with the apple mixture and cooked in the squash halves.

Yield: 6 servings

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