Tammy Reminiscences
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Autumn Delights
By Tammy Sharp – Lawson
Autumn, or Fall of the Year, as we’ve always called this glorious season that we’re all now being blessed to experience, is a time to slow down and rest from our summer labor. The growing grass has slowed, so it doesn’t need mowing quite as often, the garden vegetables have all been canned or put in the freezer, although you may be fortunate enough to have some okra or late tomatoes that are still bearing, and if you planted it, you’d have some late cabbages, pumpkins and winter squash. Late summer is also the time to sow those yummy, leafy fall greens. If you like turnip greens with a few white turnips cubed up and cooked with them, you can make a country good meal with a baked sweet potato, and some crunchy cornbread! We like all leafy greens, especially mustard greens, kale and collards. I’m sure we all know that the mustard greens get sweeter after the first frost. It’s also a season to reflect on the time we were blessed to spend with our family and precious grandchildren over the summer, enjoying cook-outs, swimming and summer vacations. As the leaves begin to change into beautiful shades of red, orange and gold it’s a time to enjoy a ride on a sunny Sunday afternoon through the mountains, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beautiful colors we are blessed to behold this season. Each season brings new flavors to enjoy as well. As the weather cools we look forward to soups and chili; hearty, easy to prepare and a guarantee of leftovers for tomorrow. I also love butternut, spaghetti squash, pumpkin and eggplant that is usually harvested in late summer and early fall. These winter vegetables make delicious hearty meals that warm you up as it gets colder outside. I recently found this recipe for stuffed butternut squash and it is delicious. Give it a try.
Sausage Stuffed Butternut Squash
2 butternut squash medium or large
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon salt
black pepper
Sausage filling
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
14 oz Spicy Italian sausage, crumbled
4 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
4 oz fresh spinach or kale
½ cup dried cranberries
½ cup pecans chopped
Roasted butternut squash
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Prepare the butternut squash. Slice each one in half lengthwise. Keep fingers away from the knife to avoid injury. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and fleshy strands tangled with the seeds.
Place butternut squash cut sides up on a baking sheet. Drizzle the cut sides of the butternut squash halves with olive oil and rub the oil into the squash. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Turn the squash halves over, and place it cut sides down on a baking sheet. Tip: you can line the baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Roast in the preheated oven at 350° F for 35 or 45 minutes.
Sausage filling
Make the sausage filling while the squash is being roasted in the oven.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil, add diced onion, and cook it on medium-high heat for about 2 minutes until cooked and a bit charred.
Add crumbled sausage, minced garlic, and Italian seasoning and cook for about 5 minutes or more on medium heat until the sausage is completely cooked through.
Add fresh spinach or kale and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat until the spinach wilts.
Add dried cranberries and chopped pecans and mix everything.
Season with pepper.
Assemble
By this time, you have roasted the butternut squash for 35-45 minutes (test for doneness). Remove them from the oven and turn the cooked squash halves cut sides up. Let it cool slightly. Using a spoon, scoop out a little of the flesh.
Reheat the sausage mixture in the same skillet in which you made it to warm it up.
Divide the sausage filling among the 4 halves and stuff the squash until the mixture is leveled or a little bit higher. Top with freshly ground black pepper and fresh thyme.