Winter Squash at Haldane Elementary School

On Wednesday, January 11th, Chef Mark visited Mrs. Comerford's and Mrs. Grom's 1st grade classes. In Mrs. Comerford's class they made spaghetti with tomato sauce. Spaghetti?? That's right. Chef Mark showed the class how to make spaghetti and tomato sauce using a spaghetti squash instead of noodles. What a great way to get our kids to eat vegetables! Most of the kids asked for seconds (and some thirds) practically licking the bowl clean!

And then, they used the same spaghetti squash to make a dessert with butter, cinnamon and sugar. Yum!

In Mrs. Grom's class, Chef Mark chose a Delicata squash. The kids thought it looked kind of like a big pickle. Good guess. Sunny, our food educator, explained to the class that squash are related to cucumbers in the curcurbita family. The dish the class made was a salad made from delicate squash sautéed with maple syrup then mixed with baby spinach and dried cranberries. 

When they say we should be eating a rainbow of colors on our plates, this is exactly what they mean!

Enjoy the recipes at home and don't forget to buy the local ingredients at the Cold Spring Farmers' Market this Saturday.

Cheers!

SPAGHETTI SQUASH W/TOMATO SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium spaghetti squash (about 4 pounds)
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 cup diced celery
• 1/2 cup shredded carrot
• 1/4 cup diced  onion
• 2 teaspoons fresh herbs (oregano, thyme basil)
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
• Grated Parmesan cheese, optional
•  
• DIRECTIONS

• Cut squash in half lengthwise; discard seeds. Brush with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper.  You can also stuff the cavities with some fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc. Place squash, cut side down, on a lined sheet tray. Place in oven at 400F for about 45 minutes or until tender.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, saute the onion, mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, fresh herbs and pepper in oil for 6-8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in tomato sauce; heat through.
• When squash is cool enough to handle, use a fork to separate strands. Place squash on a serving platter; top with sauce. Sprinkle with cheese if desired. Yield: 6 servings.

Dessert "Spaghetti" Squash

Ingredients:

·         1 Medium Spaghetti squash

·         6 Tablespoons Butter, melted

·         1/4 cup Brown Sugar

·         1 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon

·         Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:

1.      Slice squash in half, scoop out the strands and the seeds. Lightly brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place cut side down on a lined sheet tray and place in oven at 350F for about 1 hour or until tender. Let cool slightly so you can handle the squash. 

2.      Using a fork,  pull the squash strands from the shell onto a serving plate or bowl.

3.      Toss with butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and pepper to taste. 

DELICATA SQUASH SALAD

Yields 4 servings

1 lb delicata squash (about one large)

6 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup dried cranberries

olive oil, red wine vinegar

salt, pepper

Cut squash in half lengthwise; scoop out the seeds. Very thinly slice crosswise into "half moons". Place slices on lined sheet tray, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Place in oven at 400F for about 20 minutes or until tender. Let cool.

In a big bowl, toss delicata squash slices, baby spinach and dried cranberries with 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper.