Market Day ~ News for the Off-Season

Thanks everyone for a fantastic 2010 season!  We’re already looking forward to the 2011 season, and we’re making BIG PLANS to bring you the best Interstate Farmers Market yet!

If you aren’t on our mailing list, please sign up here so we can keep you up to date on all our most recent developments, as well as recipes, tips & tricks, and community events.

Our SURVEY is still available to take online, and we’d LOVE to hear your ideas for the market! 

If you’re looking for something wholesome and hearty to keep you warm on these cold evenings, try my protein-packed stuffed squash recipe:

Stuffed Winter Squash with Quinoa and Vegetables (serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 large winter squash like butternut, spaghetti, or acorn
1 Tblsp olive oil
1 1/2 C. dry grain like quinoa, rice, or amaranth.
3 C. assorted veggies (frozen veggies from last season?) like corn, peas, carrots, onions, garlic, cabbage, or whatever you like.
1 C. Oregon filberts
1 Tblsp butter (or olive oil if you must )
1/3 C. nutritional yeast

Procedure:
Preheat oven to 400*
Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds with a spoon or ice cream scoop
Grease a cookie sheet with olive oil and put squash cut side down.  Bake until soft, usually 40 min-50 min
While squash is in the oven, cook the quinoa:
put dry quinoa in a saucepan on medium-high heat for 2 min, until toasted golden brown, stirring frequently.  This develops the rich, nutty flavor of the quinoa.  Then add 2 1/2 C. water, lower heat, and cook for 15 min. 
Chop veggies and sautee them all together in olive oil until tender.
Toss cooked veggies in with quinoa, and when squash is done, stuff the squash halves with veggie-grain mixture.
For a tasty topping, chop up nuts (or use a coffee grinder) and toss in a hot skillet with butter.  Once they’re toasted, pull off the heat and stir in nutritional yeast.  Crumble the topping on the squash halves.
If you’d like, briefly reheat squash in the oven before serving.

Enjoy!  Quinoa is the grain highest in protein (a complete protein), has essential amino acids, and it’s gluten free!

This recipe is gluten free, vegan (as long as you use olive oil or a vegan margarine instead of butter), and full of protein, vitamins and minerals.  It’s a great way to use the last of the fall veggies, and it’s a complete meal in itself!

For vendor’s who are interested in applying for our 2011 season, please click here. 

Everyone else, stay tuned, we’re prepping for another awesome season in 2011!