farm to table

Early in the season, my daughter had in her CSA box, a kabocha squash. What is kabocha squash? Kabocha squash is a variety of winter squash, based on the Japanese variety Cucurbita maxima. Since my daughter didn't want it, it was passed along to me.

​Last evening I finally had a chance to cook up this squash. Based on its shape it provided a bit of a challenge in slicing into pieces for baking. Internet research brought me to a recipe found on www.food.com for sweet & spicy roasted kabocha squash. The reviews by other cooks seemed positive, so I gave it a try. All the items for this easy recipe were in my pantry, including sesame oil. Once I cut the squash, I made the seasoning mix and placed the squash slices in a large plastic bag to coat the squash. Once done, I placed the slices on two rimmed cookie sheets lined with silicon baking sheets and baked for approximately 30 minutes.

---

The squash can be served hot or room temperature, I opted for room temperature. The squash turned out delicious. The combination of light brown sugar, cayenne, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, soy sauce and a drizzle of sesame oil, made for a flavorful and tasty side dish. I'll be looking for this squash variety this winter.

The other afternoon, a friend and I took a rode trip for lunch to a place we heard about at the gym. Out in Farmingdale is this quaint storefront restaurant called Harvest. Harvest's menu is based on local, seasonal products sourced from local farmers, bakers and businesses. On the wall in the restaurant was a list of their menu products and the purveyors that they were sourced from. For example, tile fish from Local 130, mushrooms from Kennett Square, PA, poultry from Bell & Evans, bread from Melone Brothers Bakery,  local honey and eggs. I almost forgot to mention that on the table was a glass containing the most delicious sesame coated bread-sticks. You could smear either an herb or garlic butter on them, yum!

For lunch, I selected the grilled cheese ($13) which had sharp cheddar cheese, smoky bacon, and a sliced sweet pear on a delicious crustless bread ciabatta bread. It was warm, gooey and delicious and served with a small portion of sweet potato fries. My friend selected a roasted beet salad ($9) that had red and golden beets, red onion, walnuts, blue cheese and topped with a pomegranate vinaigrette. My friend also opted to add greens ($3 additional) and grilled chicken ($6 additional). She loved her salad and the portion was generous.  We were delighted with our lunch. I've read some Yelp reviews, and to me they seemed mix. However, I hope I can persuade my husband to come to this place for lunch this fall.