Cooking with Locally Grown Foods
By: Sommer | November 02, 2007 | Category: Home and Family
Last week, Sam and I went to a cooking class put on by our local Extension office and a community group in our area. In 3 hours on a Monday night we learned to cook 5 seasonal dishes using organic, locally grown produce.
First, one of the instructors gave us the general food safety guidelines (so we didn't make each other sick, of course), then we started into the cooking. In a group with 3 others, we set off to make our first dish, apple crisp. The locally grown, organic apples were delicious! Our second adventure involved chopping veggies for a winter ratatouille with lots of leafy greens, and root vegetables. Other groups worked to prepare a comforting squash soup, sweet potato biscuits, and a mixed green salad with feta, apples and toasted walnuts. Luckily for us, we topped off the evening by sampling what we’d spent the last couple hours preparing. Although I was unsure about a couple of the dishes, they all turned out to be delicious! I’ve shared the recipe for the squash soup we prepared below.
Local classes through your county Extension office are fun and rewarding and you’ll get to meet lots of like-minded folks who live in your community. You’ll be surprised at the breadth and depth of things you can learn about through Extension – from becoming a Master Gardener to planning your retirement and learning how to keep your home environment healthy for your family. Extension even has special programs just for kids through 4-H (and, no, it’s not just for farm kids!).
Now, here’s the recipe I promised:
Autumn Squash Soup (serves 8 – 10)
4 tbsp. butter
2 c. yellow onions (finely chopped)
1 tbsp. curry powder
5 – 6 c. chicken or vegetable stock
3 lbs butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped into large cubes
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
2/3 c. apple cider or apple juice
Salt and pepper
Parsley or cilantro for garnish
Method: Melt butter in large pot. Add chopped onions and curry powder and cook over low heat until onions are tender (about 15 min.). When the onions are tender, pour in 4 c. of stock, add squash and apples and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are tender, about 25 min. “Puree” soup with a potato masher. If you want a smoother texture use a food processor, food mill, or blender. Add apple cider or juice and additional stock, 1 – 2 c., until soup reaches desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer briefly to heat through and serve, garnished with parsley or cilantro. This soup will keep in the refrigerator for several days.
I'd love to hear about any of your favorite fall recipes so feel free to share!!
Permalink
| View Comments [4]
| 
E-mail This Entry
| Tags:
cook
food
organic
recipes
sommer
Bookmark and share: 
About social bookmarking
RSS Feeds
E-mail Updates
David
http://www.loghomesjournal.com
Comment Permalink
Comment Permalink
Comment Permalink
Comment Permalink