Week 15 - The Worst Halloween Treat Ever

The week 15 share is bursting with fall. Members will receive Spaghetti Squash, Brussels Sprouts, Apples, Kale, and Kohlrabi or Carrots.

The Kohlrabi has been in cold storage since earlier in the season. It looks a little strange at this point, and, like many vegetables in storage, has started to grow a tiny bit of fuzz on the peel. No matter the outsides, the insides are every bit as good as they were two months ago. We had sauteed kohlrabi with olive oil and garlic with breakfast this morning just to be sure.

The Spaghetti Squash is finally cured and ready to go! See below for a spaghetti
squash recipe that Scott proclaimed "the only meal he ever wants to eat again".

Apple sauce, apple crisp, sauteed apples, apple cake, apple butter,
apple pickles, baked apples, apple pie...

Brussels sprouts! Don't boil them, roast them. Mmm...they
still won't make a good Halloween treat.

I have heard it said that Brussels sprouts are the devil. That simply is not true. It's just that some people choose to cook them in devilish ways, with slightly evil results. If you are sure you hate Brussels sprouts please give them one more try by roasting them with plenty of garlic some apple if you have a sweet tooth. It's fast, easy, and delicious. Combine 3/4 lb Brussels sprouts with 2-4 cloves (depending on your taste) of garlic, slivered, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, and one apple (optional) chopped into 1/2 inch pieces. Arrange the sprouts in a single layer on a baking dish or cookie sheet and roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes (or until they are just beginning to brown) stirring every five minutes. Everyone will love them, unless they have the option of gorging on candy instead. I know this from experience.

Last Halloween I was running late for trick or treating at my Sister-in-Law's house and Seda hadn't eaten lunch yet. I was making a batch of garlic roasted Brussels sprouts for lunch and, since we were in a hurry, I just pulled them out of the oven and took them to the festivities. I tried to share, but not one single cousin would try them. Seda and I ended up eating the whole bowl full. They're good, but apparently they can't compete with pumpkin shaped peanut butter cups. Maybe if I had played up their devilish qualities.

Spaghetti Squash with Two Sauces

You may recall my promise to share Scott's favorite dinner with you when the spaghetti squash was ready. Here it is. It has a few more steps then the recipes I usually include in the share description, but the results are worth the effort.

• One large spaghetti squash

Tomato Sauce

• 1 lb ground beef or lamb
• 1 medium onion, diced finely
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 1 tablespoon dried oregano
• 14 - 16 ounces tomato puree (home canned or store bought)
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

White Sauce

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• a pinch of freshly ground nutmeg

Cut the spaghetti squash into quarters, place on a baking sheet cut side up, and bake at 375 degrees until tender (approximately 45 minutes). 

While the squash is baking, make the tomato sauce. In an oven safe saute pan (I use a 12 inch cast iron skillet) brown the ground beef with the onion, pepper, salt, garlic, and dried oregano. When the meet is cooked and the onions are soft add the tomato puree, thyme, and red wine vinegar. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer.

While the tomato sauce is simmering, prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium/low heat. Add the flour, stir to make a smooth paste. Continue stirring constantly (a rubber spatula or wooden spoon works well for this) until the flour is golden and smells nutty. Continuing to stir (a set of helper hands comes in handy at this point) pour the milk in very slowly. Stir as it is added to keep the sauce as smooth as possible, and be careful of hot splatters. When all the milk is added, add the salt and nutmeg. Continue stirring as you bring the sauce to a very light simmer, remove from the heat when the sauce has reached the consistency of heavy cream.

When the spaghetti squash is tender remove and discard the seeds, then remove the flesh from the peel (use forks if you don't want to wait for it to cool). Turn the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Arrange the spaghetti squash in a single layer on top of the tomato sauce. Pour the white sauce over the top of the squash.

Place the saute pan with the tomato sauce, spaghetti squash, and white sauce in a 400 degree oven. Bake for 15 minutes. At the end of 15 minutes turn the broiler on and broil just until the white sauce turns golden.