Time to Start Thinking Harvest.

The end of August is almost here, and we are never too sure what the weather for September and October will be bringing to us.  Anyone home gardening should be considering what to harvest now, and what can wait a bit longer.  Our summer has not been overly heated, but we never did get our annual monsoon, so dry, dry, dry.  Many gardens probably did well with constant secondary watering, and care; many did not fare well.

Thanks to our friend Steve, he made sure we received yellow squash as often as possible.  Even though he was disappointed in their lack of growth size, I was able to make many a delicious squash quick bread to share back with him.  Quick bread made with squash?  Well sure, I bet you have had zucchini bread, well that’s a squash.  Simply use my recipe from the June 29, 2022 article, in the San Juan Record, or from my food blog, and substitute yellow squash for zucchini.  If the squash is not over ripe, the skin can be shredded into the bowl along with the insides, or peel it off if you’re unsure.  Just make sure to remove the stem and root ends, and throw those into the compost bin.

This got me to wondering about the various tribes of Utah’s indigenous peoples, and what they refer to as The Three Sisters: squash, beans and corn.  The most important aspect to these three food items is…water!  I have written many a time about Navajo recipes, even one on Hopi, but not on the Paiute or Ute, and finding them mentioned in southwestern native cookbooks seems to be nonexistent.  The state of Utah is named after the Utes, and information from Utah.com states, “The name "Utah" is believed to be derived from the Ute word "yuttah," which means "people of the mountains"”.  National Geographic states, “It comes from the Spanish nickname for the Ute Native American tribe, “Yuta”. But others say the name could come from the Ute word “yutas”, which is said to mean “the people,” or “people of the mountains.””   When it comes to researching, there are very few books available about the Paiutes and Utes, so most of my information comes from roaming the internet.  So, apologies to the descendants of both tribal cultures if I get something incorrect. 

Speaking of roaming, both Paiute and Ute people are descended from Numic-speaking hunter-gatherers who migrated east from Southern California around 1000 AD.  While they shared linguistic and cultural traditions, eventually, due to traveling to, and setting up home, in different states, the tribes developed individually distinct qualities.  One important quality remained for both though, the need to be near water sources, for how else can food be grown?

This brings it all round to The Three Sister of squash, beans and corn that not only can be cooked together, but can be harvested and stored to last throughout the winter months.

Unfortunately, the only recipes I could find, relating to Paiutes and Utes, were too modernized to be authentic.  Ingredients that grew native to Utah may no longer exist, or recipes list ingredients that are more readily available in stores, then to go foraging for. Take, for example, herbs native to Utah: common yarrow, yampah, sagebrush, purple sage, globe mallow, blue lupine, thread leaf ragwort, fleabane and fern bush. Now different types of sage are readily available in stores, but the rest, not so much, unless home grown or foraged.

So, what herbs can be purchased, or even grown in home gardens?  Of course, sage is number one on the list, after that is: lemon thyme, thyme, rosemary, oregano, basil, parsley, chives, mint and lavender.  Sounds like we have a Mediterranean theme going on in this herbal garden.  All of these herbs are considered aromatics, and enhance any food they are being paired with. 

Well, I have some lovely yellow squash sitting on the kitchen counter, and while I will cheat a little by using canned pinto beans and whole kernel corn, here’s my take on Three Sisters Stew.  Oh, while this can be done on the stovetop, about an hour of cooking on medium-high heat; I chose to use a crock pot instead.  Like I have mentioned many a time, low and slow is the way to go, as it gives each ingredient, not just time to cook thoroughly, but to infuse, and be infused, with surrounding flavors.

 

Three Sisters Stew

(In honor of all the indigenous people of Utah)

Ingredients:

2 cups yellow squash, peeled and cubed (butternut or acorn squash are good as well)

1 (15.25 oz.) can pinto beans, drained and rinsed

1 (15.25 oz.) can whole kernel corn, drained or rinsed

1 large onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 tsp. each dried sage, thyme and rosemary

¼ cup pinyon (pine) nuts

4 cups vegetable broth

Preparation:

Place all ingredients into a 2-quart crock pot, and pour vegetable broth over all.  No need to stir together until fully cooked.  Set on low for 4 hours.

After 4 hours on low.

All Ingredients into Crock Pot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Makes 4 servings, or 6 if being used as a side dish.

Notes:

Stove top method: Do same preparation as above, but into a 2 to 3-quart cooking pot.  Set on medium-high heat, for one hour, occasionally stirring to keep from boiling over, or food sticking to bottom of pot.

Corn – fresh can be used, or, if using frozen, make sure to thaw before adding in.  Adding in frozen, the corn will contain additional water which will dilute the broth.

Beans – soak dried overnight can be used, but the cooking time will be increased, and increase vegetable broth to six cups, instead of four.

Herbs – yes, you can use some of the others that are listed within the article, instead of what I have used.

Spicy?  A few recipes did add diced Hatch or jalapeno chilies, so up to personal tastes if the stew is to be mild, medium or hot.

Tomatoes?  A few recipes did add diced tomatoes, however, I was looking to create something more geared towards the indigenous cultures, than Italian cuisine.

A Complete Meal of 3 Sisters Stew plus Fried Flounder.

 

Basically, try my recipe first, and hope you enjoy it.  After that, have more adventure in your own kitchen by adding other ingredients such as chilies or tomatoes.

Mary Cokenour 

 

 

 

 

A Bite of Winter, Squash That Is.

Even though Monticello technically has four distinct seasons, sometimes Mother Nature plays tricks on the environment.  2017 saw a very short spring, weather wise, and the summer monsoon season continued further along than usual.  Fall had only just begun when on October 9^th, the townsfolk awoke to the first snowfall; furnaces pulsed to life while the air filled with the scent from wood burning stoves.  As suddenly as winter touched the town, fall was back with mildly cool temperatures and the turning of leaves to warm, golden colors. 

In the kitchen, recipe pages turned to comforting soups and casseroles; holidays just around the calendar corner tickled the sweet tooth for cookies, pies and cakes.  Fall and winter is also when we tend to hibernate; cocooning ourselves inside with mugs of spiced apple cider or hot chocolate.  We become more sedentary, so shouldn’t be surprised when the pounds begin moving the needle on scales upward.  Pasta is the winter downfall of the Cokenour household; thick lasagna layered with meat sauce and cheeses; puffy ravioli loaded with creamy cheese, and maybe I’ll sneak in some chopped spinach into the cheese mixture.  Therein lies the key, getting vegetables into the meals to offset some of those pounds trying to sneak onto the hips.

Spaghetti squash is an oblong shaped (normally yellow in color, sometimes with an orange tint) winter squash which can be easily prepared.  After cutting the squash lengthwise, use a simple spoon to scoop out the seeds; the raw flesh is firm and the surprise comes after cooking.  This type of squash can be baked, boiled, microwaved or steamed; my personal favorite way is baking it in an oven.  I have tried the microwave way, but I believe the baking method gives the squash more flavor, especially if you allow the ends to brown slightly.  A medium sized squash is about seven inches long and gives up about four cups of cooked flesh.  Oh, when buying a spaghetti squash, be warned that it looks slightly like a honeydew melon, but the melon typically has a greenish tint to it, while the squash won't.

After cleaning the squash, preheat the oven to 375F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place the squash cut side down.  Some folks say to rub oil on the rind, but it really doesn't do a thing for the flesh inside and the rind will soften with or without the oil.  Bake the squash for 40 - 50 minutes; the edges will begin to brown and the flesh can easily be removed with a fork.  Clean the squash while it is still hot; hold the rind side with a folded towel and lean the bottom against the edge of your bowl; with a downward scraping motion pull the strands of the flesh into the bowl.  See how it looks like spaghetti, and the texture is almost the same also; the taste however is different, it does taste like a vegetable.  You can easily use the strands in any dish you would use the pasta in; top with your favorite pasta sauce, make a frittata, or go completely vegetarian with your recipe.  Could you add a protein?  Why not!?!  Small meatballs, grilled and sliced sausages, crispy bacon; treat it like a pasta that just happens to have more vitamins and minerals than whole grains.

 Mediterranean Spaghetti Squash

 

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. olive oil

1 and 1/2 cups sliced mushrooms

1 and 1/2 cups cup sliced zucchini

1 Tbsp. minced garlic

1 and 1/2 cups diced tomatoes

3/4 chopped fresh parsley

4 cups cooked spaghetti squash

Salt and ground black pepper to taste

Option: grated Parmesan cheese on top

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; sauté' the mushrooms, zucchini and garlic together until the mushrooms soften and begin to brown.  Keep stirring to keep the garlic from burning.

Add the tomatoes, mix and let them cook down for about five minutes, so the excess liquid can evaporate.

Add the parsley, but only cook for one minute to allow it to wilt a little.  If you want it to look more dramatic though, instead of chopping the parsley leaves; leave them whole.  Add the spaghetti squash and toss well to make sure it gets a good coating of the vegetables and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste; depending on how vegetarian you want this dish, you might want to sprinkle a little grated Parmesan cheese over the top of each serving.

Makes 4 servings.

I served this to both my husband and his mother; neither had ever had spaghetti squash before, nor knew what it was.  They ended up splitting the four servings up between them.  Good thing I keep a jar of peanut butter in the house; made myself a sandwich for lunch while they chowed down on the squash.  Oh well, at least I know they enjoyed it...a lot!

Mary Cokenour

Squash the Holiday of Thanks.

Thanksgiving Day; a full day devoted to giving heartfelt thanks for family, friends, good health, prosperity, and, in general, the full bounties of life.  These aspects of life should be thanked for on a daily basis, so why the need for an established National holiday?  Let’s take a brief walk down history lane to find out, shall we?  (From The Thanksgiving Book by Jerome Agel and Jason Shulman)

1610 – Only 60 survivors, of 490, remain of the English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia.  A day of Thanksgiving, in the spring, is dedicated to prayer, and praise for the ships that arrive from England carrying supplies.

1621 – Only 55 survivors, of 102 Pilgrims, have a three day celebration for the first autumn harvest (corn, squash, fish and meat from hunting (no turkey!).  The Wampanoag Indians are invited, and this is cited as the first unity between Native Americans and white English settlers.

1789 – President George Washington declares a “National Day of Thanksgiving” to be November 26^th to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution.  He left it to each State to decide if it should be celebrated or not; it failed to be an annual event due to lack of interest.

1863 – President Lincoln declares the last Thursday of November to be a “Day of Thanksgiving and Prayer”, believing it would help bring an end to the Civil War; all government departments must be closed.  Sometimes it was the 4^th week of the month, sometimes the fifth week until 1941.

1941 – President Franklin D. Roosevelt declares Thanksgiving to be the 4^th Thursday of November and that’s the way it’s been since.

As you’ve read, the true meaning behind Thanksgiving depended on life, death, governmental achievements, or the attempt to end war.  Even the Mormon pioneers of 1847 did not celebrate Thanksgiving until October 1848.  The Salt Lake Valley was burnt due to the harsh July sun; the desert was barren, alkaline, with sparse sage brush and cottonwood trees.  Much time and energy was devoted to irrigating and cultivating the soil before a real bountiful harvest could be achieved.  “…the pioneers rejoiced with a Thanksgiving harvest festival, literally giving thanks for their continued survival. (Mormon Pioneer Cookbook by DUP)

One item at the harvest table was Acorn squash which gets its name, not only, from the acorn shape, but from the nutty flavor of the flesh inside.  Acorn squash (Cucurbita Pepo) is low in calories, fats and carbs, since it contains no simple sugars; it is high in fiber and digests easily.  A single serving contains vitamins A, C and B6; also thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, manganese, magnesium and potassium. The squash itself can be cooked by baking, steaming or microwaving; it can be eaten right out of its shell or stuffed, pureed for soup, added to mashed potatoes, or frozen for later use. If you were thinking that butternut or spaghetti squash were the only versatile ones, aren't you surprised now?

One of the typical ways to make acorn squash is by baking it in the oven and then coating the flesh with a butter and brown sugar mixture (the pioneers used molasses salt, cinnamon and nutmeg).  Reading my food related articles, you know I don’t follow typical recipes. Oh, I did bake it in the oven, but then stuffed it where it could be eaten as a meal in itself, or as a side dish.  Vegetarians would be happy with this dish, and while I add Romano cheese to it, it would be their choice depending on how strict a regime they follow.

From the Cokenour family to you and yours, Happy Thanksgiving; and eat up for tomorrow we diet!  Well, not really until the New Year, but it’s the thought of losing pounds that counts.

 

Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 small acorn squash

2 Tbsp. plus 4 tsp. olive oil
¼ each diced onion and red bell pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic 4 cups wilted and chopped spinach, kale or broccoli rabe leaves, stems removed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Italian seasoning mix
4 tsp. shredded Romano cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Rinse squash in water and pat dry; cut in half and scoop out seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. Place on baking sheet cut side down; bake for 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While squash is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat; sauté’ onion and bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add in garlic, let cook for another minute before adding the leaves, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly and let cook for 5 minutes before removing from heat; keep warm.

 

 

 

 

After 30 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven, turn over the squash halves and place together to help hold each other upright.  Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and sprinkle a teaspoon of cheese inside each half.  Stuff with the leaf mixture; return to oven and bake for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6 depending on size used.

 

Mary Cokenour

Just Another Baked Cod Recipe.

The other day I tried to fry up two one inch thick pieces of cod in a skillet.  A little olive oil over medium heat, seasoned with salt, black pepper and dill; lemon juice splashed over them at the last minute of cooking.  Sounds yummy, right?  Well, I don't know what went wrong, or maybe I do; while the fish did brown slightly on both sides and turn opaque, the middle did not cook through.  I don't think it was the cooking technique, it was because I used defrosted fish; unfortuately, frozen is all that is available for purchase around these parts.  Utah is a landlocked state, so if fish comes in, it was fresh at one time, but now is totally frozen.  Freezing fish changes its texture; even carefully defrosting and cooking, the outside may be flaky, but the deep inside tends to be rubbery.

That doesn't mean that I have given up entirely on fish; I still buy the frozen and still attempt to find ways to get it done right.  This post is another of those attempts; I needed to bake it a little longer than fresh fish, but the rubbery texture was almost...almost nonexistent.  So, while my recipe says to bake 25 - 30 minutes, that is based on defrosted fish; fresh fish should be about 10 minutes less in baking time.

Baked Cod with Squash

 Ingredients:

1 small zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch slices

1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/4 inch slices
1/2 cup olive oil, divided in half
2 Tbsp Italian herbal mix, divided in half
2 tsp coarse sea salt, divided in half
1 tsp garlic powder
2 (6 oz) cod fillets, one inch thick, bones and skin removed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Preparation:
 

Preheat oven to 400F.  In a 1 and 1/2 quart glass baking dish, spread the squash slices over the bottom.  Drizzle 1/4 cup of olive oil over the slices; sprinkle one tablespoon of the herbal mix, one teaspoon of sea salt and the one teaspoon of garlic powder over them.

 

Lay the cod fillets (skin side up) on top of the squash; drizzle with remaining olive oil; sprinkle remaining herbal mix and sea salt; drizzle lemon juice over all.  Bake for 25 - 30 minutes; until cod is opaque and flakes easily.  Remove one fillet and portion of squash to plate; spoon liquid from baking dish over all.

 

Makes 2 servings.

 

Mary Cokenour

Time to Cook the Pumpkins.

Now that the elections are over in the United States, it is time for us to get down to the important issues, namely the impending holidays.  With Halloween, also known as All Hallows Eve or Samhain, traditional jack o'lantern pumpkins were hollowed out, craved with scary or funny faces, and a candle inserted to light them up in the dark.  Now while the seeds, once roasted and salted, make a yummy treat, the flesh is not that great for baking, since it tends to be stringy.

While living in Pennsylvania, my mom and I learned from Amish bakers that the best pumpkins to use were the crooknecks. Pumpkins are from the squash family, with this type the skin is easier to peel off, like with butternut squash, and the flesh will cook up easily for pureeing.   The crookneck pumpkin can grow to a large size; the largest we ever purchased was almost 30 pounds, and we got lots of breads and pies from it alone.


Now when making pumpkin bread or pie, you can always find a canister of premixed spice blend in the supermarket.  However, I recommend mixing your own up as you can never rely on how much of each spice is in the premix.  I and my family tend to like extra spiciness, so I can measure out the separate spices and get exactly the right flavoring for us.  Perhaps you like more cinnamon and dislike the flavor of cloves; mixing up your own blend gives you that priviledge.  Another option to making pumpkin bread especially is to add chopped walnuts, dried cranberries, raisins, chocolate chips or a combination.  They can be added into the batter or simply sprinkled on top before baking.  For pumpkin pie, consider adding crushed walnuts into your pie crust mixture for some extra, surprising flavor.

Go traditional or set your own trend; remember you're the artist...I mean baker.  Enjoy!

 

 

  Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked pumpkin puree or 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2/3 cup water
3 cups sugar
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 ½ tsp salt
1 tsp each ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg and allspice
½ tsp ground cloves

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350; lightly butter and flour (or use baking spray) three loaf pans.

In a large bowl, mix together well the pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water and sugar. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices; add 1/3 of dry mixture into pumpkin mixture and mix well; repeat until all dry ingredients have been incorporated into the wet mixture. Divide batter between prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out cleanly. Let loaves cool before inverting and removing.

Makes 3 loaves.

Mary Cokenour

Squash the Holidays.

Halloween is just around the corner and jack o'lanterns are being carved from large, round orange pumpkins. For Thanksgiving, spiced pumpkin pies are being anticipated; and the best pumpkin meat for those come from crookneck pumpkins. Did you know there is a winter squash that is in the same family as zucchini and yellow squash? It's the acorn squash which gets its name, not only, from the acorn shape, but from the nutty flavor of the flesh inside.

Acorn squash (Cucurbita Pepo) is low in calories, fats and carbs, since it contains no simple sugars; it is high in fiber and digests easily. A single servings contains vitamins A, C and B6; also thiamin, folate, pantothenic acid, manganese, magnesium and potassium. The squash itself can be cooked by baking, steaming or microwaving; it can be eaten right out of its shell or stuffed, pureed for soup, added to mashed potatoes, or frozen for later use. If you were thinking that butternut squash was the only versatile one, aren't you surprised now?

Like butternut squash, one of the typical ways to make acorn squash is by baking it in the oven and then coating the flesh with a butter and brown sugar mixture. As a reader of this food blog, you know by now that I do not do the typical. Oh, I did bake it in the oven, but then stuffed it where it could be eaten as a meal in itself, or as a side dish. Vegetarians would be happy with this dish, and while I add Romano cheese to it, it would be there choice depending on how strict a regime they follow.

 

Baked Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

2 large or 3 small acorn squash
2 Tbsp plus 4 tsps olive oil
¼ each diced onion and red bell pepper
1 Tbsp minced garlic 4 cups wilted and chopped spinach, kale or broccoli rabe leaves, stems removed
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning mix
4 tsps shredded Romano cheese

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350F; line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Rinse squash in water and pat dry; cut in half and scoop out seeds and stringy pulp with a spoon. Place on baking sheet cut side down; bake for 30 minutes.

While squash is baking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet, over medium-high heat; sauté’ onion and bell pepper for 3 minutes. Add in garlic, let cook for another minute before adding the leaves, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix thoroughly and let cook for 5 minutes before removing from heat; keep warm.

After 30 minutes, remove baking sheet from oven, turn over the squash halves and place together to help hold each other upright.

Drizzle a teaspoon of oil and sprinkle a teaspoon of cheese inside each half.

Stuff with the leaf mixture; return to oven and bake for 5 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6 depending on size used.

Mary Cokenour