Selecting Organic Produce

​            The last few weeks of winter are upon us.  But before we give up on healthy winter foods, I’d like to suggest a great acorn squash recipe.  This recipe will be best with an organic acorn squash.  Why organic, you might ask? For starters, when veggies are treated with chemicals and fertilizers, they may indeed grow faster and appear larger, but this comes at a price.  For a slow growing veggie like squash, the chemicals will speed up growth resulting in a larger product.  But squash needs time to develop its natural sweetness.  The organic growing tends to be slower allowing the sweetness to be more enhanced and the flesh of the squash will also be more tender.  Additionally, many conventional crops enlist the help of mechanical tillers, which compromise the delicate eco system that lies beneath the surface.  I know organic produce does come at at price compared to its conventional counterpart, but if you are going to splurge at the grocery store, the produce aisle is the best place to do it.  Remember that when selecting organic produce, look for the PLU number that starts with a 9.  The conventional counterpart will have a PLU that starts with a 4.

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​Stuffed Acorn Squash
 
-2 Acorn squashes, cut in ½ from tip to base, and remove seeds
-1 lb lean ground beef, or veggie meat substitute (Impossible brand is my top choice)
-one medium onion diced
-one yellow pepper diced
-one red pepper diced
-4 Cups baby spinach
-2 Cups diced tomatoes (drained)
-one minced garlic clove
-2 TBSP poultry blend spices, or tarragon, thyme, and marjoram blended
-2 TBSP dijon mustard
-2 Tbsp tomato paste
-2 Cup panko bread crumbs
-1/2 C feta cheese
-1/4 C grated parmesan
-1/4 C chopped fresh parsley
 
-Rub prepped squash with a bit of olive oil on the flesh side, salt and pepper each half
-Roast flesh side down, directly on a cookie sheet at 375 for about ½ hour
-Saute pepper, onion with herbs til tender, add garlic toward the end so it doesn’t burn, S&P
-place veggies in a bowl, and add beef and brown in the same pan w salt and pepper
-wilt in the spinach with the browned beef, then add the veggies back in & mix in the mustard, tomatoes & tomato paste
-take squash out of oven and flip over, filling each w a good amount of filling.
-mix panko, parsley and cheeses with a bit of olive oil and press lightly onto each filled squash
-put in 375 oven for another ½ hour or until squash is softened & topping golden
 
Enjoy!