Fall’s bright blaze
is cresting, and everyone I know is finishing autumn chores to get ready for
winter. One great thing to know is that
Pathfinder Produce is here to help with your produce needs throughout the cold
months of the year.
Now that we’re
opening a second market in Morris on Fridays, there’s twice as many reasons to
love the “little market that could.” The
new market will be open in partnership with the Morris United Methodist Church
at 117 Church Street, as well as the Morris Central School 5210 Program. The Edmeston market is open as usual, on
Thursdays from 1 to 5 p.m.; the new market will have its Grand Opening on
Friday, October 28, at the UMC, from 1 to 4 p.m.
***
A few weeks
ago I referenced the delicious varieties of winter squash we’d gotten from our
neighbor. Winter squashes vary in sizes, shapes, and
outside and inside coloring, but most are great sources of beta carotene, other
vitamins, and antioxidants. They’re
great additions to harvest dinners, and like pumpkin, can be used in all kinds
of baked items.
(Pumpkin spice fiends have found their mojo again … we’re able to buy
flavored coffees and other spicy treats at this time of the year).
We’d gotten
three varieties of squash, including my all-time favorite, Butternut; my
hubby’s go-to choice, Acorn, and a third type, which I believe is
Delicata. Per Wikipedia, “As its name suggests, it has characteristically a delicate
rind … Although consumed mature as a winter squash, Delicata squash belongs to
the same species as most types of summer squash (zucchini, yellow squash) known in the US, Cucurbita pepo.”
Pumpkins, too, are of members of the pepo species; I think that’s sort of
appropriate for Halloween -- a summer squash masquerading as winter
produce. (I should give a shout out to
Tom Cole of Gates-Cole Insurance and other locals who grow MASSIVE pumpkins … I
think one of Tom’s topped out at over 300 lbs. this year).
But the
challenge of winter squash is the preparation … hence my thoughts this week on
cutlery. Those who love to cook or carve
wood for fun know the value of a keen edge, which is safer than a dull one: A dull edge requires more force
to use and easily veers away from the intended path of the cut. (Bring on the bandages!)
Like with
anything else, you can spend as much money on knives as you’d like. I tend more
towards the pedestrian, and have an assortment of stainless steel implements
collected through the years. Gizmodo suggests you only need five good
knives: paring, chef’s, serrated (bread), filet, and a cleaver. With the knives, one needs a good cutting
board; we have boards we use only for veggies, and those used only for meats
(these are non-porous and sanitized regularly).
I like bamboo and other tight grained woods; glass boards are very hard
on cutting blades!
Last year I
found a great little sharpener for less than $20 online; it uses a suction cup
to stick to the counter and tungsten carbide blades set at the perfect V. It was a great investment as I’m no good at
using whetstones, and it usually takes just a few passes to get my blades into
shape. That makes cutting into squash
safer and go more quickly. And dare I
say … enjoyable?
Until next
time, keep sharp and eat well!
Lori
