Sugar and Spice

Though we're positioned for a markedly-warm and lovely Columbus Day weekend, the past week has reacquainted New Englanders with that distinctive autumn nip. Chilly days and nights beg for the sweet and spiced flavors of fall, often found in the form of cider, pies, breads, and roasts. Below are two healthy recipes to help you kick off the end of the harvest season: an easy baked squash seasoned with cinnamon and nutmeg and a pumpkin seed granola sweetened with honey.

Simple Spiced
Winter Squash
Makes 2-4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 Delicata squash
  
• 1+ tbsp oil (I used walnut)
• 1+ tbsp pure maple syrup
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• salt to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Wash, peel, and cut squash lengthwise in half; remove seeds, cut into chunks about 1 inch wide, and place in a large bowl. Drizzle oil and syrup over the squash and toss to evenly coat (add more oil or syrup if needed, but be warned: this squash is naturally sweet). Transfer to a baking dish and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon, a touch of nutmeg, and salt. Bake until tender, about 20-30 minutes.


Honey-touched Granola
Makes about 6 cups


Ingredients:

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup almonds, raw and roughly chopped
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds, raw
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds, raw
• 3/4 cup shredded coconut, unsweetened
• 2 tbsp oil (I used walnut)
• 1/3+ cup honey & maple syrup (I recommend a 1:1 ratio)
  
• 1/4+ cup flax seeds, raw
• salt to taste (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. In a baking dish or pan, toast oats for about 15 minutes, stirring halfway. In a small bowl, whisk together honey and oil to make a thick mixture. Add almonds, pumpkin and sunflower seeds, coconut, and salt to the oats and stir to combine. Drizzle honey-oil mixture over granola and stir well to evenly coat all ingredients. Bake until top and edges of granola begin to turn golden brown, about 15-20 minutes (granola will still be somewhat tacky); stir once or twice during cooking. Add flax seeds upon removing the dish from the oven or during the last five or so minutes of cooking as they burn easily. Allow granola to thoroughly cool before placing in a glass or plastic container for storage.

Want some more fall food ideas? Click here to see posts from last October, including a simple recipe for Baked Apples!

Rebekah

Images by Rebekah Carter (2011).

Thanks for another great season!

Another season of Children's Learning Garden programs at Waltham Fields Community Farm has come to an end... but don't despair! We will continue to post recipes, farm news and more throughout the coming months, and we hope that you will continue to visit our blog to stay connected over the winter season!

Here is the recipe for "Compost Granola" from last week's CLG program:

Compost Granola*
*Many ingredients can either be excluded or replaced depending on allergies or preferences

"Carbon" Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats

"Nitrogen" Ingredients:
1 cup dried fruits

"Soil Organism" Ingredients:
3/4 cup sunflower and/or pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup chopped nuts

"Moisture":
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup honey

"Heat":
Oven/toaster oven at 350 degrees F

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Spread the oats on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 10-15 minutes. Mix the oil and honey in a saucepan and stir over medium heat until thoroughly mixed and "liquidy" (thinned-out). Mix the toasted oats, honey/oil mixture, and all other ingredients in a large bowl. Spread this oat mixture on a greased baking or roasting pan and bake for 30-60 minutes or until browned and crunchy. Break it into pieces and enjoy!

Singin' our Compost Song

Don't forget to join us for the Harvest Potluck this Saturday if you can (see post below for details)!

Maple Cranberry Nut Granola

Try out this easy to make breakfast, snack, or edible gift idea. It's great with milk, yogurt, or simply by itself. Don't be afraid to experiment with your own favorite nuts, seeds, dried fruits, and sweeteners. This granola is an excellent source of vitamin E and a good source of fiber, protein, and loads of other vitamins and minerals.

The Ingredients:

• 2 cups of rolled oats
• 1 cup of slivered almonds, raw
• 1 cup of pecans, raw, chopped
• 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds, raw
  
• 3/4 cup of unsweetened shredded coconut
• 1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)
  
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons agave nectar
• 2 tablespoons sunflower or safflower oil
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• Cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Toast your oats in a large rectangular pan (13x9x2 works perfectly) for 15 minutes, stirring once while toasting.

While toasting the oats, combine your wet ingredients (oil, maple and agave sugars) in a separate bowl; whisk until completely incorporated (the mixture will get cloudy and thick).

Pull the oats out of the oven; add your nuts (almonds, pecans, coconut), seeds (sunflower), and salt to the oats and stir to incorporate completely. Then, pour on the oil-sugar mixture and mix so that all oats, nuts, and seeds are evenly coated.

Place the pan back in the oven for another 20-25 minutes or until the edges of the granola begin to brown slightly (the granola should still be somewhat sticky); stir once or twice during this time.

Dust with cinnamon, add the cranberries, and stir; let the granola sit for at least 20-30 minutes before storing as to not trap warm moisture in the container.

Here are some other granola ingredients to consider: flax seeds, peanuts, pumpkin seeds, vanilla, banana chips, apricots, raisins, dried apples, or chocolate chips.

Media (text and images) created and published by Rebekah Carter (2010).