OH MY SQUASH
OSH SQUASH B’GOSH
With crops falling off the fresh sheets one by one as we head for winter, farmers turn to their long-storing zones to keep the markets stocked with local produce. Even the longest growing winter squashes have now cured and are ready to be dug into. With eighteen varieties, there is plenty to get excited about in the winter squash category at the Corner. Perhaps the most punk-rock of all winter squash is the Tetsukabuto squash from Midori Farm, whose name translates to “Iron Helmet”. Among the longest keeping of all winter squashes, it is a great squash to roast whole and stuff with all kinds of savory goodies, or simmer at length in curries or soups. Perhaps it could even be a vessel for fondue?! Winter squash is a very important component of eating seasonally in the fall/winter in our bioregion, staying edible and vital long after their thinner-skinned sisters, zucchini and crookneck, have packed it up for the season. Read along for the full download on all things squashy.
I WANNA SQUASH IT WITH U
You know the old standards: Acorn, Butternut, Delicata, Spaghetti. There are so many varieties of winter squash beyond the popular girls however. From Red Dog Farm, we have Red Kuri, Blue Hubbard, Sweet Dumpling, Buttercup, and Sugar Pie Pumpkin. Perhaps the best selling squash this year is the Honeyboat Delicata, a tanner, sweeter variation on the tubular favorite, coming from both Midori and Chimalow. From Midori, we have several smaller Kabochas, the afore-mentioned “Iron Helmet” (Tetsukabuto), Winter Luxury Pie Pumpkins, and the Lower Salmon River aka “The Pink Queen.” We also have a Silver Bell hubbard-type from Chimalow as well as their Green Kabocha. No shortage of reasons to load the larders with Winter Squash!
DON’T FORGET THE CASE DEALS
Full Tonnemaker Apple List:
Ruby jonathan
Jonagold
Macoun
Idared
Crimson Delight
Fuji
Evercrisp
Braeburn
Cosmic Crisp
Ludacrisp
Pink Lady
Red Love
Mountain Rose
Ambrosia
Candycrisp
Granny Smith
TC5
Wickson’s Crab Apple
We have some classic additions to the pome fruit list from Tonnemakers this week. D’anjou Pears will be back in rotation alongside Bosc, Comice, and Seckels. Available in 5lb cases! As for Apples- an emerging favorite, the TC5 apple, which is a Honeycrisp / Pink Lady cross, makes its seasonal debut, along with the classic Granny Smith, all from Tonnemaker Hill.
KISS THE GROUND (PORK)
A delectable yet accessible meal idea for winter squash is to cut one that has a decent sized seed cavity (like a buttercup squash, or black futsu, for instance) in half, roast it, and then fill the hole with yummy items. One such revered local item would be the ground pork from One Straw Ranch. Grab a pack of Sweet Italian or Garlic Sausage and sautee it in your skillet, then top with Rumiano cheese or sour cream. There are many vegetarian ideas for stuffing squash as well, featuring things like farro, chickpeas, almonds/walnuts, etc. It’s a party in your gourd!
PROTEIN PRE-ORDER REMINDER
Here is another reminder to our beloved brethren that there is still time to reserve a turkey or chuck roast from us for the holiday. We also have sides of salmon from Katfish available without reservation. Reservations can be made online through our website or filled out in person on paper in the store.
PIES ON THE MOVE
Our house made Take-and-Bake Pie selections has relocated to the chest freezer area in the center of the store for ease of access and for more display space for the holidays. The featured pie of course is the Winter Luxury Pumpkin Pie made with the eponymous squash from Midori Farm. Winter Luxury Pumpkins have a textured, “netted” skin like a cantaloupe, and the color of the skin ranges from a deep orange to a more yellowish orange depending on the vine. Flesh is denser and flavors are more complex than a standard pie pumpkin. They are great for soups as well! No notes on this gal.
For those that have their own “innards” to use, we also offer Pie Shells that are scratch-made and then frozen to facilitate your pie-making predilections.
And for those on the go, try our rotating selection of mini pies! They are so cute! The latest addition will be the mini-pumpkin pie, using local squash!
The dairy department is bursting at the udders with great deals on the Rumiano Cheese line. Whether you need a brick of Gouda or Monterey Jack, or some pre-shredded bags of Mozzarella or Sharp Cheddar, or even pre-sliced cheese for sandwiches, we’ve got you covered. The Rumiano shredded cheddar would be an easy tasty topper for stuffed squash!
In conjunction with the Rumiano cheeses, we have several lines of cracker products on special this month. No holiday gathering is complete without some cheese and crackers out on the bar for guests. Whether you want a Classic Round from Back to Nature, Rosemary Einkorn Sourdough Crackers from Jovial, or some Organic Seed Flour Garlic & Herb Crackers from Simple Mills, you can’t go wrong. And those offerings are the tip of the iceberg in the cracker set. An all-time marketing favorite is the Tamari Black Sesame Crackers from San-J, it is truly the cadillac of crackers.
LOCAL KOMBUCHA TASTING
Iggy himself of Iggy’s Foods is coming out to the Corner to sample products for customers on Tuesday November 19th midday. We are excited to have a legend of our local food system in the house. Learn about all of their Jun Kombuchas we have on offer as well as their other food products and offerings. Then stock up on fermented goodness!
