SEASONS INTRODUCTION EARLY AUTUMN Early Autumn Fruits Early Autumn Meat/Fish Early Autumn Vegetables Early Autumn Recipes

Celeriac
Recipes

• Celeriac, also known as celery root, knob celery, or turnip-rooted celery, is an Old World vegetable that is native to the Holy Land and Mediterranean. It belongs to the same species as the familiar celery plant, which produces thick, crisp stalks. The celeriac variety, however, develops a large root with comparatively meager stems sprouting from the top.
• The ancient Greeks and Romans were fond of celery and used it both for flavoring and as medicine. The celery plants they cultivated would have resembled wild celery varieties which are called smallage today. It was during the 18th century that the plant was bred to produce over-size stalks.
• Celery root contains the same essential oil that gives stalk celery its distinctive flavor, so it tastes quite similar, perhaps with a slighty nutty undertone. And many people prefer its starchier, more substantial texture. It can be used as a substitute in recipes that call for stalk celery.
• When buying celeriac, look for firm, bulbous roots. It is bound to be knobby, but the smoother the surface, the less youll have to peel away in preparation for cooking. Celeriac can be eaten raw, but it is usually blanched before use.
• Look for celeriac in comforting vegetable purees, often mixed with potatoes. It is also a delicious addition to soups and stews, to which it contributes the celery flavor, but the more substantial texture of a root vegetable.

Winter Squash (Hubbard, Butternut, Acorn, Spaghetti, and Turban) and pumpkins
Recipes

• If you have winter squash in your garden and would like to prepare them for winter storage, let them cure for about a week in a sunny place after you have cut them off the vine (leave about a 2-inch length of stem attached to the squash). Then store them in a cool dry place. The squash should keep until at least the following spring.
• Although a large summer squash is sure to be tough and fibrous, the bigger a winter squash is, the better. It shows the squash has been left to age for a long time on the vine, allowing natural sugars to form and assuring that the flesh will be sweet and tender.
• Winter squash display a great variety of colors and shapes. The Hubbard ranges from dark green to lichen-green to yellow. This oval-shaped squash can grow to be huge -- more than 30 pounds -- so you may prefer to buy just a piece of the whole. The butternut squash comes in, well, buttery shades -- from pale yellow to butterscotch. It has a bulbous end, an elongated neck, and grows to be about a foot long. The dark green acorn squash is roughly acorn shaped and has deep ridges running from stem to tip. It may be found in single-serving sizes, and this makes it particularly well suited to preparations, like baking and stuffing, which call for the squash to be served in its shell. Turban squashes come in every size and color; they are shaped like a wrapped turban that has been plucked from the head of a pasha.
• Whatever their outside appearance, winter squashes have dense, smooth-textured, starchy orange flesh -- with the exception of the spaghetti squash. When steamed, spaghetti squash separates into strands that resemble short lengths of pasta. It still tastes like winter squash though, and the strands arent as dense as real pasta, so it should be paired with delicate sauces. Spaghetti squash looks like a yellow, slightly oblong, melon.
• Botanically speaking, pumpkins are summer squashes. They belong to the same species as zucchini. But they look and behave just like winter squashes: they ripen late; they are best aged on the vine; they keep well; their flesh is starchy, sweet, and nutty.
• Winter squash is good steamed, baked, sauteed, and stewed. They make delicious soups, pureed until smooth, or hearty and chunky. Maple syrup, brown sugar, and apples are common flavorings, as are more savory options like onions and garlic.