Monday, March 2, 2015

Harvest Monday, 2 March 2015

This was the week that I used up the greens in my freezer. I do have one lone spinach packet, but I've been eating two per meal for a while now. So it won't even make one meal for me. I now have fresh broccoli and asparagus from the store. And some bought frozen spinach and kale. I was wondering what to do with the spring fava bean bed. Obviously I need to grow greens to eat during the winter. Kale or broccoli as I've already figured out a way to add in another spring spinach bed. I like broccoli better fresh. But I think I like kale better frozen.

The above meal is pretty typical of my dinners in a way. Lots of greens. But I always also have some kind of non green vegetable too - squash, carrots, or sweet potatoes (which are still holding out well). And as many of you noticed and asked about. . .

When I make squash, most of the time it is a squash casserole. I put my original recipe in the blog ages ago. But it has changed over the years to be healthier (no sugar or butter anymore). I still make close to that recipe when I bring it for parties as it is fine to have such things on occasion, but for every day I'd prefer it to be mostly squash, not mostly other ingredients which my old recipe was. Also I got rid of the soy milk and gluten. The last two substitutions were a godsend really. I substituted the flour for cornmeal and the soy milk for coconut milk. The mixture of coconut milk, cornmeal, squash, and when I add it maple syrup go very well together. My everyday version won't have maple syrup though. Bummer as it goes so well.

Daphne's Squash Casserole Take 2

  • 1 egg
  • 1 c to 1 1/2 c pumpkin puree
  • 1/2 c coconut milk
  • 1/2 t vanilla
  • 1/4 t cinnamon
  • 1/8 c corn meal
  • 1/2 t baking powder
  • 1/4 t salt
  • (2 T butter or coconut oil melted, optional)
  • (1/8-1/4c maple syrup, + 1/8 c corn meal optional)

Mix the wet ingredients together. Mix the dry ingredients together. Mix them both together. It can barely fit into two 1c ramakins if you don't add the extra ingredients. Or as in the picture above you can use 2 x 1 1/2c pyrex dishes. Or cook it all at once in a larger dish. Cook it at 350F until it doesn't jiggle anymore. That is usually 45 minutes for me, but it varies. My squash measurements aren't perfect. I have some containers in which I freeze pureed squash. They can hold anywhere from a cup to a cup and a half depending on how full they get.

So in a way it is much like pumpkin pie if you add the sugar. I'd call it a pumpkin custard if I didn't add flour to it. But I love it. I often eat it after dinner and think of it as dessert even without the sugar. Squash is sweet. I found after a while of almost no sugar, my taste for sugars in food have changed.

Harvest Monday is a day to show off your harvests, how you are saving your harvest, or how you are using your harvest. If you have a harvest you want to show off, add your name and link to Mr Linky below.

17 comments:

  1. I'll have to try your squash casserole like you make it now. I make pumpkin custard a lot, though I always add maple syrup to it. I have a lot of squash puree in the freezer and your lightened version should be interesting, esp. with the cornmeal. It will take awhile before my taste for sweet goes away though.

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  2. I say go for a touch of maple syrup, won't hurt one bit.
    BTW I think you meant "1/4 C" maple syrup not "14 C".

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  3. Sorry something went wrong with the link as it auto entered the medlar bit. We don't add sugar to pumpkin pie either. I've tried using squash for soup but it is too sweet for us,

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  4. Thanks for sharing your squash recipe. Even though I tolerate milk, the coconut milk may add a nice flavor and its own sweetness.

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  5. I cut almost all of the sugar out of my diet a few years ago and I'm still amazed at how my taste has changed. I went from being nearly a sugar junkie to the point where I find overly sweet things to be yucky now. And I don't crave sweets anymore either, something that I thought was nearly impossible. Even the squash that I grew last year I found to be incredibly sweet without adding any sweetener to it.

    I do love the combination of coconut and squash, coconut curry with squash is one of my favorite combos. I'll have to keep your squash casserole in mind for when I have a supply of squash again.

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  6. Your squash casserole looks delicious! When I think about it, I'm pretty sure that I've only ever had squash that was cut up into pieces & roasted - this would make for a nice change.

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  7. I like the sound of that Squash Casserole, but like you, I see it as a dessert. We don't eat many desserts (Jane is a diabetic), but ones that rely on the natural sweetness of a vegetable would be welcome round our way.

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  8. Your squash casserole looks really good. I may just try this.

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  9. Yum, I wish I had squash right now to try. Will bookmark this for later in the year for sure!

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  10. I've cooked pumpkin with coconut milk curry but never made a casserole, gotta try it someday, thanks for sharing your recipe.

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  11. The recipe looks really good, I love coconut and squash. I have one squash left so maybe I'll make it :)

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  12. Your squash casserole looks delicious to me but my hubby would probably not even taste it! I didn't do well using things from the garden or that I had preserved this week. Pretty low! Nancy

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  13. Thanks for the recipe, I will definitely try it!

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  14. I made it this week with Almond Flour, flax and cashew milk. Was wonderful! I've been eating gluten (and most grains) free for a while and feel SO GREAT! This recipe is easy, fast and yummy. Thanks again!

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    1. Um, but as a disclosure I'm not sticking to gluten free. I LOVE bread so it's only a matter of time before I splurge (Probably for Easter dinner) but it will only be an occasional treat. I really prefer Udi's type breads anyway.

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  15. You already have cinnamon in it. Go ahead and add the maple syrup and call it dessert. Dessert for dinner is perfectly fine, we do it all the time.

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