Nothin' Fancy: Backyard Harvest Blitz!

If this doesn't make your mouth water I don't know what will....

Nutty Sage Stuffed Delicata Squash

And

Arugula Cabbage Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette and Pomegranate Seeds

This recipe is Gluten Free and Vegan (see Vegan adjustments)

Hellooooooooo Autumn! I took a long break from food blogging this summer, but not from cooking. Even during our fun and adventurous travels in the American West we had a kitchen everywhere we stayed so I stirred up a storm of fun hot-month recipes while on the road in California, Colorado, and Utah, and of course, Oregon! I came home from our vacation last week to a garden bursting with gourds, and squash, and herbs, oh my! but also to an empty fridge! So when I was thinking out loud during my massage before my 50k last Friday, I mentioned that I didn't know what to do with all those yummy yellow/orange/green/red fruits of fall lazying on the long vines across my garden walkways. My massage therapist, Amelia, whose partner is a master gardener, gave me some great ideas on how to finish growing, preserve, and cook my pumkin, butternut, delicata, etc etc. What follows is one of the most simple, elegant, extremely warm and satisfying meals to welcome in my favorite season of the year. This recipe really is too easy to taste this amazing, so, go gather up some gourds and an hour later you will have this mouthwatering dish beckoning your family and friends to the harvest table! It would make a great holiday dish for vegetarians, it is so "meaty" in flavor that my husband thought there was sausage in it....! Nope, just lots of heart-healthy nuts and fresh herbs:)


			The Beautiful Fall Flowers that my Brother and Sister in Law sent me for my birthday, which is the first day of autumn:) Since I was on an autumn harvest blitz, I quickly roasted two of my sugar pie pumpkins and pureed them and turned them into these things that mysteriously disappear overnight when Mike's home....hmmm.....

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Medium Yellow or Walla Walla Onions, finely chopped
3-6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced
1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground sea-salt
2-3 tablespoons of chopped FRESH sage (if you don't have any fresh, use 1 tablespoon of dried rubbed sage)
1/3 cup of chopped walnuts
1/3 cup of chopped pecans
1/3 cup of chopped almonds
1/2 cup of plain low-fat (not fat free) yogurt (or to make it Vegan, use silken tofu)
2 Eggs, lightly beaten (to make it Vegan, use two tablespoons of egg replacer)

Thanks Daffodilia and Daisy (my two backyard Light Brahmas, I didn't name them....)

1/2 cup of shredded FRESH parmesan reggiano or Asiago or Romano (to make it Vegan, use vegan cheese shreds)
2 medium to large delicata ( or other winter) squash, halved lengthwise and seeds, pulp scooped out

For someone who is a winter squash fanatic, coming home to a backyard full of these on the garden floor made me very giddy!

You can use any hard-skinned squash for this recipe, including butternut, acorn, spaghetti, and Delicata as in this recipe.

Must be fall.....the bears are out, and the weekend means football! Go Broncos (and Redskins, and Patriots)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Warm Olive Oil over medium high heat in a heavy-bottom, large skillet or saute pan.
3. When oil starts to sizzle, add onions, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground sea-salt, cook, stirring often, until onions are soft and translucent, about 4 minutes
4. Stir in sage, and cook until that amazing, musky, herby, sweet smell starts wafting through your kitchen....mmmmm....
5. Stir in nuts, mix all ingredients well to combine, then turn off heat.
6. In a large bowl (I use my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer, my third arm) combine yogurt, eggs, and cheese.
7. Stir in Nut/Onion/Sage mixture until evenly combined.
8. Fill each squash boat with 1/4 of the stuffing, sprinkle with a tad bit more parmesan.
9. Bake in the center rack of the oven until squash meat is tender when pierced with a fork and the nut topping is starting to turn golden brown.

If smell could come through pictures, your olfactory nerve would be in savory scented heaven right now!

10. Remove from oven, sprinkle about a tablespoon of crumbled blue cheese on each squash, squeeze a spritz of fresh lemon juice over each, and serve alongside Arugula Cabbage Salad with Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette and Pomegranate Seeds

A hint of holidays to come in a colorful cool-weather salad!

Toss 2 cups of shredded Napa Cabbage and 2 cups of Baby Arugula with a Vinaigrette composed of two tablespoons of Fig Balsamic Dressing, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp of freshly ground pepper, and 3 tablespoons of Olive Oil. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds over the top (you can buy these ready to go, fresh, from Trader Joes!) and Voila, easy, fresh, bright and crunchy nutrirent-packed salad!