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Squash

Farm fresh zucchini flowers add beauty and versatility to many dishes

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By Himanee Gupta

 

We know the jokes about zucchini: If you leave your car doors unlocked, you might come back and find your back seat filled with them.

But the flowers from zucchini and other squash plants are a different story. Brilliantly yellow, they are just as tasty and versatile as the fruits they produce.

At Leaning Birch Farm, Dan, Rose, and Nic Fera have made squash flowers a seasonal staple.

“Last year, people kept asking us about the blossoms,” says Rose. “We only had a few, and they sold so fast.”

Over the winter, Dan did some research and found a zucchini variety known for producing more male than female flowers. Flowers produce fruits but only if they are female and have been pollinated by their male counterparts. Once the pollination is done, male flowers are best picked off so the plants can focus on producing fruits.

“We ordered the seeds, and planted a row,” Rose says. “They produce flowers like crazy.”

Photo provided by Leaning Birch Farm

Now clamshell boxes filled with them sit stacked at the Leaning Birch stall, along with some boxes of female flowers with baby zucchini attached. The boxes sell fast.

Rose picks zucchini flowers early each morning. The blossoms from this variety, she says, are bigger and firmer, making them much easier to cook. 

“The easiest way is to dip them in a light batter and fry them,” says Rose.

Another way, says her son Nic, is to create simple ricotta cheese filling with herbs and a tempura-like batter of flour, cornstarch, and cold water. Dip the stuffed flowers in the batter and deep fry. 

I tried it. The outcome was delicious – and my kitchen a mess.

“Experiment,” urges Rose. “Use your imagination.”

Photo provided by Leaning Birch Farm

I mixed fresh oregano and minced garlic into the ricotta and filled the flowers. I lightly coated a baking dish with olive oil and rolled the flowers in it. They roasted in a 350F oven for about 12 minutes while I snacked on some chard I had roasted in the same dish beforehand. I arranged the blossoms over the chard and sliced up a fresh tomato. I had a meal full of color and one baking dish to clean.

Rose suggests tearing up the flowers and tossing them into salads, topping pizzas, creating a soup, scrambling them with eggs or adding them to pancake batter. 

The flowers are likely to remain plentiful at the Saratoga Farmers Market for a couple more weeks.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Wednesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. at High Rock Park. Find us online at saratogafarmersmarket.org and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Chicken Spinach Salad with Butternut Squash

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by The Roasted Root, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4

Ingredients
For the Vinaigrette:
● ¼ cup olive oil*
● 3 Tablespoons cider vinegar*
● 1 Tablespoon maple syrup*
● ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the chicken and butternut squash:
● 1 pound boneless chicken tenders or breasts*
● 1 Tablespoon olive oil*
● 1 teaspoon oregano
● 1 teaspoon paprika
● 2 teaspoons olive oil*
● 2 cups butternut squash*, peeled and chopped
● ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Salad:
● 5 ounces of fresh baby spinach*
● ½ cup raw pecan halves
● ¼ cup golden raisins
● 1 large green apple*, cored and sliced

Instructions
1. For the vinaigrette: Whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small bowl until smooth.
2. For the chicken and butternut squash: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Place chicken in a casserole dish. Drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil, and sprinkle with oregano, and paprika. Place the squash on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons olive oil and ½ teaspoon cinnamon. Roast the squash and chicken in the oven for 25 minutes or until the squash is tender and golden brown. Continue to cook the chicken until cooked through.
3. For the Salad: Place spinach in bowl or on individual plates. Top with pecans, raisins, squash, chicken and apples. Drizzle vinaigrette over salad.

Celebrating fall by honoring the pumpkin

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By Madison Jackson & Emily Meagher

Pumpkins at Burger’s Market Garden, photo by Pattie Garrett

This Wednesday officially marks the fall equinox. Still, without consulting the calendar, we start to feel the signs: the first leaves begin to turn, we wake up to cooler and darker mornings, and pumpkins and other winter squash make bold appearances.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

At the Saratoga Farmers’ Market, we are preparing to fully embrace the transition to a new season by honoring pumpkins, a quintessential symbol of fall. This year, the market is kicking off the autumnal season by co-hosting the 6th Annual Saratoga Giant Pumpkin Fest, organized by the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce, on September 25th. The giant pumpkins are brought in by local growers and will be displayed in the Saratoga Springs City Center Parking Garage starting at 10 am, with the official weigh-off at 11 am.

The Saratoga Farmers’ Market, located at 112 High Rock Ave., will be open from 9 am-2 pm, staying open an additional hour from its usual times to accommodate event crowds. A select group of vendors will continue vending until 4 pm, coinciding with the end of the Chamber’s event. Stop by the farmers’ market before or after viewing the pumpkins to browse a selection of seasonal fall goods from local farmers and producers.

Photo by Pattie Garrett

You will find fall staples like apple cider, cider donuts, and pumpkin-flavored products, including cheesecake, peanut butter, jams, pies, cheese, and granola. Vendors will also have plenty of fall decor (and apparel, too) like potted mums, gourds, and of course, plenty of pumpkins. The farmers’ market will welcome a new vendor, Snyder’s Brooms, offering old-fashioned handmade brooms ready for sweeping those fall leaves.

In addition to the bounty of fall products on Saturday, families can enjoy free children’s activities, including a live book reading by Elizabeth Macy and Lucky the Dog at 10 am and live music by Brendan Dailey and Zak Trojano. Stay tuned for more family-friendly activities to be announced before Saturday’s event.

This Saturday will have it all: leaf-peeping, pumpkin purveying, and a farmers’ market bursting with fall fun and local products. We are getting into the spirit of the season with a recipe for apple pumpkin upside-down cake, and many ingredients will be available at the market this Saturday.

This week’s recipe: Apple Pumpkin Upside Down Cake

Butternut Squash Macaroni and Cheese

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Photo by Pattie Garrett

Recipe by Simply Scratch, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 6

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● sea salt for the pasta water
● olive oil spray for baking dish
● 16 ounces dry pasta, rigatoni, or your favorite pasta
● 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
● 1 large shallot*, finely minced
● 2 cloves of garlic*, minced
● 10 fresh sage leaves, minced
● 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
● 1 cup chicken broth
● 1½ cups half and half
● pinch of kosher salt, plus more or less to taste
● freshly ground black pepper to taste
● ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
● 1½ cups homemade roasted butternut squash* puree
● 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
● 1¼ cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese*, divided

Instructions
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and spray a large casserole dish with cooking spray. Cook the pasta according to the package directions.
2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add in the shallot and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 2 – 3 minutes. Then add the fresh sage and stir, cooking for 1 minute.
3. Sprinkle in the flour and whisk, cooking the flour for 1 to 2 minutes.
4. Next whisk in the chicken broth and half & half. Season with a small pinch of salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, and nutmeg. Heat over medium-low, whisking occasionally until the sauce has thickened about 4 to 5 minutes.
5. Reduce the heat to low and add the butternut squash puree, parmesan, and ¼ cup of the cheddar cheese. Whisk until smooth.
6. After the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta and transfer it to the cheese sauce. Toss to combine.
7. Move the oven rack to the highest position in the oven and preheat the broiler to high.
8. Pour the pasta into the prepared casserole dish and sprinkle with the remaining cup of cheddar cheese. Slide the pan under the broiler for 3 to 4 minutes or until the cheese is melted and is light golden brown in spots.

Notes: To make butternut squash puree, you need 1 butternut squash, olive oil, and kosher salt. Wash and pat dry the squash. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. With a sharp knife, trim off the ends and cut in half lengthwise. Brush with olive oil. Place the squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast on a rack placed in the middle of the oven for 40 to 60 minutes. Allow to cool enough to handle. With a spoon scoop out the flesh and place it in the food processor. Puree until smooth.

Easy Pumpkin Puree

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Prep time: 10mins
Cook time: 45-60mins
Makes 5 to 6 cups pumpkin puree

Make your own pumpkin puree at home. It’s easy and works perfectly in your favorite pumpkin recipes. Try making puree from leftover pumpkins from Halloween. If buying directly from farmers at the farmers’ market, ask them which pumpkin works best for your needs. This method works with most winter squashes — like butternut, acorn, honeynut, and other varieties.

Pumpkin puree, AdobeStock

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market
● 1-2 small pumpkins*
● Fine sea salt, optional

Instructions
Heat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Rinse and pat dry the pumpkin. Before cutting the pumpkin in half, if it doesn’t sit steady to cut safely, slice asmall bit away from the bottom so that it does. Cut the pumpkin in half. With a spoon or a scoop, scrape out the seeds and pulp from the center. You don’t have to be too thorough with this.

Lightly season the inside of the pumpkin halves with salt then place cut-side-down onto the baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin(s) can easily be pierced with a knife in several places and the flesh is pulling away from the skin, 45 to 60 minutes. Cool until you can safely handle the halves then scoop out the soft flesh into a food processor — depending on how large the pumpkin is, you may need to do this in two batches. Process until very smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.

Tips
● Place all the seeds into a bowl so that you can roast them later for a healthy snack.
● If you don’t have a food processor, a blender will work if you add a little water. Or you can simply mash with a potato masher, or move through a potato ricer, or process through a food mill.
● If the puree is overly watery, you should strain it on a cheesecloth or over a fine mesh strainer to get rid of some of the liquid. This will be especially helpful for baking purposes.
● Make-ahead: Store homemade pumpkin puree in food-safe containers in the fridge for up to 1 week. To freezer, spoon about 1 cupful of pumpkin into plastic storage bags. Seal the bag with a small opening remaining, then use your hands to flatten out the puree inside the bag and push out the air. Store in the freezer until you need them or up to 3 months.

Summer Squash Pasta Bake

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Recipe by the Smitten Kitchen, shared by My Saratoga Kitchen Table
Serves: 4 large portions

Ingredients
*Ingredients currently available at the farmers’ market

Photo by Pattie Garrett

● 8 ounces pasta*, use your favorite
● 1 Tablespoon olive oil
● 1 pound summer squash*, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
● salt and pepper
● pinches of red pepper to taste
● Juice of half a lemon
● 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter*
● 5 scallions*, sliced thin and white parts and green tops in separate piles
● 2 cloves garlic*, minced
● 3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
● 1½ cups milk*
● 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
● ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley*, divided
● 1 Tablespoon finely chopped mixed herbs* of choice (thyme, oregano, mint, basil)
● salt and pepper to taste
● ¾ cup finely grated Parmesan (or similar hard rind)* cheese, divided
● 4 ounces of mozzarella* cut into small cubes

Instructions
1. Cook the pasta in a 3-quart oven-safe deep skillet. Otherwise use a large pot. Cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oven to 400 degrees.
3. Prepare the squash by heating the skillet used for the pasta on high heat. Once hot, add the olive oil and allow to heat until very hot. Add squash and season with salt, pepper, and pepper flakes. Let it sear underneath, unmoved until golden brown. Continue to saute until browned. Transfer to a bowl and squeeze lemon juice over the cooked squash. Add more salt and pepper if needed.
4. To make the sauce, heat the now empty skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter. Add scallion white parts and garlic and let sizzle for 1 to 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until all has been dampened and absorbed. Add milk in very small splashes. Stir the entire time. Make sure each splash has been fully mixed into the butter/onion mixture. Scrape the bottom of the pan and all-around before adding the next splash of milk. Repeat until all the milk is added then add the lemon zest, salt, pepper to taste. Let the mixture simmer together for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will thicken. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in half the parsley, all the herbs, and reserved scallion greens.
5. With the skillet off the heat, add the drained pasta, summer squash, ½ cup Parmesan and all of the mozzarella. Stir to combine. If the skillet is oven proofed, bake it the skillet. Otherwise, transfer to a 2 to 3-quart ovenproof baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup Parmesan cheese.
6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until edges are golden brown. Sprinkle with reserved parsley and serve hot.