Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon

If you are looking for a new way to prepare Butternut squash that the whole family will love, here is a real winner. We cooked the butternut in the microwave for 4-5 minutes, to speed up the cooking. Then we finished it off in the oven. We didn't have the cheese to put on the top, but it still was awesome. Oh, yea the picture was the last half of the pan before we polished it off.

Ingredients

• 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash
• Cooking spray
• 6 sweet hickory-smoked bacon slices (raw)
• 1 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 8 ounces uncooked mini penne (tube-shaped pasta)
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
• 3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
• 1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 425°.
• Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, rosemary, and pepper. Place squash on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray; sprinkle with salt mixture. Bake at 425° for 45 minutes or until tender and lightly browned. Increase oven temperature to 450°.
• Cook the bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving 1 1/2 teaspoons drippings in pan; crumble bacon. Increase heat to medium-high. Add shallots to pan; sauté 8 minutes or until tender. Combine squash mixture, bacon, and shallots; set aside.
• Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain well.
• Combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Gradually add milk, stirring constantly with a whisk; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add provolone, stirring until cheese melts. Add pasta to cheese mixture, tossing well to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into an 11 x 7-inch baking dish lightly coated with cooking spray; top with squash mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450° for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and begins to brown.

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon

Piotique Tomatoes

This weekend was the annual festival in Clay Center called Piotique (the blending of Pioneers and Antiques, just FYI). Back in early May, yes May. I decided that I want to plant a late planting of tomatoes and I want to have them for Mid-September until November. Being I was short on seed, I decided to purchase more of the selected variety.

Dear Jay Sleichter
Thank you for your order!

Your order will be sent after credit card approval. For seed orders only, we send by U.S. Postal Service, so there will be no tracking number assigned. Expect 7 to 10 days for delivery time.
_______________________________________
Customer/Shopper ID: 235544
Date and Time: Mon May 16 12:32:21 2011
_______________________________________

Item: Details: Quantity: Each: Item Total:
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
#3992A Florida Large Quantity 3992A - 1 $ 28.30 $ 28.30
91 Hybrid Florida 91 Hybrid
1/32 Ounce $28.30
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Sub Total: $ 28.30
Shipping Total: (US & Possessions - First Class) $ 5.25
Grand Total: $ 33.55 PAID


And with this, my plans were put in place. Keep in mind, we had a light frost on May 15th and I was talking about producing tomatoes up to the first frost/freeze in the Fall.

Well received my seeds and I got them going. Had a problem with germination. I started them over again, lost 10-14 days doing this.

Despite one of the hottest summers on record, I went ahead moved my seedlings outside to the high tunnel to harden off. Then the heat really cranked up.

I finished building the new rails for my movable building and got it ready and moved it to its new home.



I proceeded to plant the tomatoes out on July 16th. About 10-14 days later than I had wanted.

Here they are after being planted. Sorry about the poor picture.


Here they are on August 12th, about 1 month after planting.



Here they are on August 28th.


Finally on September 16th, a full 60 days past the planting day and 120 days after ordering the seeds.


Well here we are on September 24th, I didn't get my tomatoes for Piotique, but I do have them turning.



Here are some other pictures from the 23rd of September.





So when you say, "Where are the tomatoes?" I can honestly say I have been working on in for the past 120 days or longer. Stuff just doesn't happen, everything has to have been planned and well thought out. I guess I should think harder.

More tomatoes, maybe next week!

Jay

Piotique Tomatoes

Late Fall Tomatoes

I decided early on this year that I was going to have tomatoes as long as possible. My tomatoes have great flavor and it seems that I can keep a strong demand all season. To me they taste like my tomatoes. I guess when you don't anyone else's tomatoes, it is really hard to compare.

I started seeds in late May/early June for this late project. I wanted to start them sooner, but I had to order the seeds.

I was aiming for planting them around July 4th. I had problems with germination and the heat was so bad, I didn't get them out until July 17th.

So here we sit, 60 days out. How are they doing? I think they are doing great. I haven't picked any, yet, but that day is coming. When it does, I hope people appreciate all the work it has taken to get them here.

Also these are in one of my movable tunnels. I added a third growing spot to them this year. So now each 512 square foot building will cover 2,048 feet in one year. I also have carrots growing outside. Once these tomatoes freeze, I will move the building over the carrots to protect them for the winter.

The carrots came up spotty. I wish they had germinated better, but when you are planting them and it is 95-105, what can you expect.

Carrots outside:


Outside picture of hoop building:


View of inside:


Florida 91's (majority)








Taxi (yellow, just a few)


Cherokee Purple (Just one row)


I am hoping I will get to pick them by the end of the month. I know I can keep them going until Thanksgiving, with minimal heat.

Late Fall Tomatoes

Sweet Potato Harvest

Some pictures from tonight's Sweet Potatoes Harvest.

If you have never dug sweet potatoes, it is like opening a present. You never know what is inside.

This year we grew our Sweet Potatoes under black plastic landscape fabric.

Here is a picture of what they looked like before I started to dig them. This variety is Georgia Jet.



First we cut off the vines.



We dug 8 hills tonight. Here are 4 hills in this row.



Next we pull back the fabric and drip tape.



Now time for the digging. Sometimes it feels more like excavating!



Here is the haul from this hill.



I pulled back and took this picture. You can see a potato growing over and out of the next hill.



Repeat for the other hills, then you are all done.



How about this 80 pound harvest.



Only 3 more Varieties to go.

Sweet Potato Harvest