For the last week or so we've been getting California-grown Delicata Squash from Co-op Partners Warehouse in St. Paul, Minn., our primary organic supplier for the produce department.
If you remember the locally grown Delicata squash we had from Seeds & Spores Family Farm in Marquette this summer, you'll remember how good it tastes (buttery and sweet). And it's easy to prepare: slice it in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds, brush the inside with olive oil and bake it open side down in a pan (30-45 minutes at 375 should do it).
This squash tastes great on its own, but here's a suggestion to make it into a heartier main dish:
Cook up a batch of your favorite pasta sauce recipe, or use a pre-made sauce from a jar, or try this red sauce recipe from vegetariantimes.com: CLICK HERE
Doctor the sauce up with cubed, sauteed sweet potato (garnet or jewel varieties both work well), bell peppers, crimini mushrooms, etc. – enough veggies to make the sauce thick and chunky.
Then just scoop the sauce onto your baked Delicata squash. It pairs well with green salad, steamed fresh artichokes (dipped in lemon-butter sauce) and red wine (try Daily Red organic red wine if you haven't already).
An alternative that offers more protein is this recipe: CLICK HERE and use Delicata instead of Acorn squash. It will be pretty much the same as if you used Acorn squash, only better.
Enjoy! From Dan S. and the Keweenaw Co-op produce department.
If you regularly buy bananas at the Keweenaw Co-op, you may have noticed the appearance of the Equal Exchange banana tree at the north end of the produce island. With its yellow and green leaves, the tree really complements the bananas suspended from the ceiling on either side. But in addition to its aesthetic merits, this sign is informative. Each week when the bananas come in, we'll mark down the name of the farmer who grew them on one of the leaves of the tree.
Betty Marquez, Jose Villacis and all of the other farmers who grow the fairly traded organic bananas we sell at the Co-op are members of the El Guabo Association of Small Banana Growers in Ecuador. Founded in 1998 by 14 small-scale farmers, the cooperative now includes (and empowers) 450 banana farmers in the region surrounding El Guabo. This small-scale, cooperative approach is a radical departure from the sprawling plantations and social irresponsibility that have characterized the mainstream, big-corporate banana producers.
El Guabo invests its Fair Trade premiums on projects to improve the quality of life for its members and their community. Its members voted to spend 80 percent of their premium on education, health care, environmental projects and other social programs. The other 20 percent is used to fund infrastructure improvements for the cooperative, such as packing stations and warehouses.
By attaching the name of the farmer to every case of bananas, Equal Exchange is seeking to create a more personal connection between farmer and grocery shopper despite the roughly 4,550 miles between El Guabo and our produce department. This is one connection that reminds us we are part of a global community. You'll probably never meet Betty Marquez, but your banana purchase helps her support her family – and her community – in El Guabo, Ecuador.
But if you do chance to meet Betty Marquez some day, be sure to thank her for growing such fine-tasting bananas.
More information about El Guabo and Equal Exchange bananas can be found online at CLICK HERE
This small, mildly sweet-tasting squash resembles a miniature pumpkin with its top pushed in. It has cream-colored skin with green specks. Weighing only about 7 ounces, it has sweet and tender orange flesh and is a great size for stuffing and baking as individual servings.
Sweet dumplings are tiny but great for roasting and presenting whole.
A small to medium sized squash ranging in diameter from 5 to 7 inches. Round and hard skinned, the inner flesh has a mellow taste similar to sweet potatoes. The squash can be baked, pureed, or steamed to be served as a side dish seasoned with butter and herbs, or used as a base for soups and stews. When preparing in an oven, the squash can be cooked whole or cut in half lengthwise from the stem to the bottom. Place the squash with the skin side down in a dish containing 1/2 inch of water. Cover the dish and bake for 1/2 to 3/4 hour at 375 degrees. In a microwave, cook for approximately 20 minutes in a dish with a loose cover of plastic wrap. This squash is available year round, but best during August to October.
A winter squash with distinctive longitudinal ridges and sweet, yellow-orange flesh. Although considered a "winter" squash, acorn squash belongs to the same species as all "summer" squashes (including zucchini and yellow crookneck squash). The most common variety is dark green in color. However, newer varieties have arisen including Golden Acorn, for its glowing yellow color, and some that are white. They can also be variegated (multi-colored). As the name suggests, its shape resembles that of an acorn. It is also good for winter storage, keeping several months in a cool dry location such as a cellar.
Also called Peanut squash and Bohemian squash. This is one of the tastier winter squashes, with creamy pulp that tastes a bit like corn and sweet potatoes. Size may range from 5 to 10 inches in length. The squash can be baked or steamed The thin skin is also edible.
The delicata squash is actually an heirloom variety, a fairly recent reentry into the culinary world. It was originally introduced by the Peter Henderson Company of New York City in 1894, and was popular through the 1920s. Then it fell into obscurity for about seventy-five years, possibly because of its thinner, more tender skin, which isn't suited to transportation over thousands of miles and storage over months.
Cucurbita maxima, one of at least five species of cultivated squash, is one of the most diverse domesticated species, perhaps with more cultivated forms than any other crop. [1] This species originated in South America from the wild C. maxima ssp. andreana over 4000 years ago [2] Different squash types of this species were introduced into North America as early as the 16th century. By the American Revolution, the species was in cultivation by Native American tribes throughout the present-day United States. By the early 19th century, at least three varieties are known to have been commercially introduced in North America from seeds obtained from Native Americans. Secondary centers of diversity include India, Bangladesh, Burma, and possibly the southern Appalachians.
Buttercup squash is one of the most common varieties of this winter squash with a turban-shape (a flattish top and dark green skin), weighing 3-5 pounds, and normally heavy with dense yellow-orange flesh.
Katakana: is thick-skinned orange colored squash that has the appearance of an oblong pumpkin without the ridges. Inside the hard outer skin there is a firm flesh that provides a very delicate and mellow flavor similar to the taste of chestnuts. Red kuri squash consumption has increased since squash appreciation has increased in cuisines worldwide. This is because of the availability of winter and summer varieties throughout the year. Healthier eating has also increased this nutritious vegetable's popularity. Kuri Squash is commonly called Japanese Squash, Orange Hokkaido, Baby Red Hubbard Squash, or the Uchiki Kuri Sqaush. In Japan, the word ''kuri'' may refer to either the squash discussed in this article or to Japanese chestnuts.
Food Safety Bill Passes House After Concerns of Organic & Small Producers Stall Passage
* By Alexis Baden-Mayer, Esq.
Organic Consumers Association, July 30, 2009
Straight to the Source
SUMMARY: The US House of Representatives passed the Food Safety Enhancement Act, H.R. 2749, today. This was the second attempt to pass the bill. Representative Dingell's willingness to address the concerns of organic and small producers (raised by Representative Farr and Blumenauer), was one of the factors that eased passage the second time around. It's now up to the Senate to move similar legislation. Organic Consumers Association will be organizing its members to contact the Senate to ensure that their version has stronger language to protect small producers from a regressive fee structure and burdensome tracking requirements, and organic producers from conflict with National Organic Program regulations designed conserve wildlife habitat.
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
Circumspice
is the 