As I receive more root crops in my share, I am trying to enjoy the last of the summer vegetables and find myself turning to simple preparations to let them shine. Week 17 brought assorted tomatoes. I put the smaller ones on pizza with fresh mozzarella, slices of hot peppers, onions, and fresh basil. The larger ones were lunch, with drizzles of olive oil and balsamic, sprinkles of salt and pepper, and, of course, more fresh mozzarella and basil.

Similarly, the fresh green beans needed nothing more than a quick steam and chopped garlic and dill, olive oil, and salt and pepper.

During the past month, I’ve expanded my knowledge of squash. I learned that delicata squash has a thin peel. I’m used to the thick-skinned varieties like butternut squash, so I was skeptical that the skin could be stripped off with just a vegetable peeler, but it came off quickly and easily.

Delicata squash with sage, rosemary, and apple cider

Red kuri squash is a thick-skinned winter squash with a chestnut flavor. It looks a bit like a small pumpkin without the ridges. I used it in a soup. My grocery store was out of fennel, so I made a last-minute substitution of roasted parsnips.

The delicata squash was simmered with sage, rosemary, and apple cider. It smelled and tasted like fall. It was part of a meal that included my Mom’s recipe for meatloaf (with a few tweaks) and mashed rutabaga and pears. If you’re looking for an alternative to mashed potatoes, try this recipe. I’ll be making it again in the future.

As I noted in the previous post, I’ve been working with two boxes at once during the past couple of weeks. I’m almost caught up. I still have a head of cabbage and a few hot peppers that I’ll roll over to next week.