Autumn Recipe

Hey Everyone! Hope this finds you and yours well. Being fall time here in Michigan we tend to cook more autumn-ish type foods. So today I want to share a delicious recipe with you that the Farmer loves.

First a little backstory. . . We were approached a few years back at Pickford’s Farmer’s market, by a sweet elderly lady wanting to purchase bulk ground pork. Unfortunately, that wasn’t a common cut requested by our customers, so we didn’t have it on hand. We informed her we didn’t currently carry that cut but that we could. She was delighted that we’d be willing to do that for her. She then proceeded to share the reason why she wanted bulk ground pork. It was for a family recipe, similar to the one we’re sharing with you today. Her recipe was passed down to her from her grandma (I wish I would have asked for a copy of hers). Here is the copy of the one the Farmer loves:

Ingredients (serves 4 or The Farmer +2):

2 small carnival squashes (may substitute with acorn squash)

1 onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary (may omit or substitute for oregano)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 lb bulk pork sausage or ground pork

1 medium apple, chopped

1 cup panko breadcrumbs (may substitute traditional breadcrumbs or finely ground crackers)

½-1 cup parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Using a sharp knife cut off the very top and bottom of each squash to create a flat base on each side.

2. Slice the squash in half, scrape out seeds to create individual bowls for the stuffing.

3. Drizzle each squash half with olive oil, salt, and pepper.

4. Roast in a preheated oven at 400˚F (200˚C) for 40-50 minutes - or until fork tender.

5. While squash is roasting - in a large fry pan over medium heat - heat oil and add Onion, Celery, Salt, Pepper, and Rosemary. Cook until onions begin to soften.

6. Add Garlic and Sausage, until sausage is browned on all sides.

7. Add Apple until slightly softened. Finally mix in Bread Crumbs and Parmesan cheese just until incorporated. Remove from heat.

8. Once Squash has finished roasting (when you can easily poke it with a fork) remove from oven and fill each with prepared stuffing mixture.

9. Return to Oven for 20 minutes – sprinkle parmesan cheese to the top for the final 5 minutes.

What you hope it turns out like. . .

What happens when the Farmer’s Daughter is supposed to help the Farmer’s Wife watch the squash. . . .

Still delicious, and besides the Farmer likes a little bit toasty.

As a side note, I cook more like my Grandma, I use spice measurements as guidelines. I like to cook to taste, dash of this a pinch of that. We hope you enjoyed this recipe!

If you have a recipe you'd like the Farmer and our family yo try, feel free to send it to us. If it gets 3 out 5 we will share it with our readers and customers. Thank you in advance!

PS Please bare with us as we get use to the software etc that we need to use to create these