Grab a copy of the newspaper each month in Ulster & Dutchess, or subscribe for home delivery.

County Events

Ulster County Events in August 2013

Annandale-on-Hudson Exhibit: "No Borders in a Wok That Can't Be Crossed." Works by Helen Marten and "Once Again the World is Flat," b...

05 Aug 2013 | 0 comments | Read more

Dutchess County Events in August 2013

Exhibit: "No Borders in a Wok That Can't Be Crossed." Works by Helen Marten and "Once Again the World is Flat," by Haim Steinbach. ...

05 Aug 2013 | 0 comments | Read more
Feature Articles

Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville

Major facelift completed in time for new season of shows by Tod Westlake If you haven’t been to Shadowland Theatre in Ellenville for...

11 Jul 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

The Heritage Wheat Revival

Stone ground ancient grains are packed with nutrients by Anne Pyburn Craig Wheat has been grown and domesticated ever since our specie...

02 Jul 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

Walkway Over the Hudson

New records being broken as new developments arise.    When Camoin Associates studied the potential economic impact of the Walk...

02 Apr 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

Radio Uprising by CMP

Local radio continues to inspire and push new boundaries. by Anne Pyburn Craig Mia Chin was a student throughout the progra...

01 Mar 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

Publisher's Editorial

  • 02 Aug 2013 Three Year Anniversary
  • 02 Aug 2013 Red Baron of Rhinebeck
The Yardavore

In the Weeds

by Maria Reidelbach Maybe you've never thought about this, but what is the definition of a weed? A weed is, simply, any type of plan...

11 Jul 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

Trees for Bees

by Maria Reidelbach Last month in my column about bees, Chris Harp, local apiarist, explained that the blossoms of fruit Mulberries...

13 May 2013 | 1 comments| Read more

Deerly Departed

by Maria Reidelbach Last month we talked about the havoc that deer wreak in your garden. We covered how deer are gourmets and like ...

08 Mar 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

Skål!

by Maria Reidelbach If you think we upstaters have it rough in the winter, check out Sweden. It's got the same latitude as Nova Scotia,...

05 Dec 2012 | 0 comments| Read more
Transition Field Notes

Relating with Permaculture: Principle #11

Use Edges and Value the Marginal by Deena Wade Founder of the Transition movement, Rob Hopkins, taught permaculture—design principl...

02 Aug 2013 | 0 comments| Read more

People In Your Neighborhood

Food & Restaurant

Fruit of the valley provides essential goodness.

by Phoenix Trent The Hudson Valley is a bounty of fresh produce throughout the calendar year, but the diverse offerings that the summer...

30 Jul 2013 | Read more
Arts & Music

From the Fisher Center to Lincoln Center:

The Bard Conservatory Orchestra and its well-rounded education. by Philip Ehrensaft Of all the Bard College success stories,...

28 May 2013 | Read more
Horoscopes

Inner Space for August 2013

by Eric Francis The Leo New Moon is Tuesday, August 6 at 5:50pm. This event is synchronous with the midsummer festival Lunesa, also kn...

02 Aug 2013 | Read more
Local Economy

Farming Risks and Rewards

Increase in local farmers and markets a sign of the times.   by Anne Pyburn Craig Besides being backbreaking, farming is a ...

16 Oct 2012 | Read more
Bread & Roses

It’s All Here

by Sherill Hatch “The worker must have bread, but she must have roses too.” This century-old labor slogan bears repeating today. Beau...

02 Aug 2013 | Read more
New Economics

Buddhist Economics 2.0

By David McCarthy E.F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful, first published in 1973 and still in print, is arguably the cornerstone of w...

02 Aug 2013 | Read more
Re>think Local

TEDxLongDock:

This is What Community Looks Like by Scott Tillitt The Dalai Lama visited NYC in 2003 for a week of events culminating in a public t...

02 Aug 2013 | Read more
Culture Features

New York Theater's Industrial Incubator

Vassar's Powerhouse Festival kicks off its 29th edition by Philip Ehrensaft Chloe Sevigny in Abigail/1702. © Vassar & ...

10 Jun 2013 | Read more

Daily Video

Fruit of the valley provides essential goodness.

by Phoenix Trent

The Hudson Valley is a bounty of fresh produce throughout the calendar year, but the diverse offerings that the summer brings truly can’t be beat. Summer squash is a gem of the warm months; its versatility allows for endless tantalizing and delicious preparations. A nutritious staple of the Amerindians for centuries, summer squash makes a great addition to a summer feast.

A more delicate and soft-shelled squash variety with thin edible skin and seeds, it has a tender flesh that requires only a short cooking time. Low in calories, and high in vitamin C and fiber, summer squash are often picked immature and eaten within a short period of time since they are very perishable. Take advantage of this short window of summer squashy goodness by whipping up a delicious and nutritious stuffed summer squash as the entrée, or serve it cold with drizzled olive oil, chopped walnuts, and crumbled goat cheese for a delicate and fresh starter.

When at your local farm stand (Saunderskill, Kelder’s, and Wallkill View Farm have great local selections), choose squash that have a shiny, bright-colored skin, are heavy and dense feeling for their size, firm to the touch, and free of bruises and cracks. Avoid squash with a dull and matte appearance, which is an indication that the squash was picked beyond optimal ripeness. Avoid squash that are overly large because although you’ll have more flesh to work with, they are seriously lacking in flavor. A perfect summer squash should be bursting with fresh summery goodness.

Stuffed Summer Squash
• 4 long summer squash
• A few pinches salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 1 carrot, grated
• 4 Italian sausages removed from casing (Fleisher’s in Kingston has some great options when it comes to the world of fresh meat)
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup water (for the pan)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and pull out a standard 9x13-inch dish.
2) Cut squash once, lengthwise. Scoop out the flesh of the squash with a teaspoon, leaving a quarter inch intact, and roughly chop. Transfer 1 1/2 cups of the flesh to a glass bowl, and sprinkle the hollowed squashes with a few pinches of salt and pepper and turn them hollowed side down on a cutting board.
3) In a pan, heat extra virgin olive oil (rosemary infused if you have it) over medium heat. Throw in the shallot and sauté, stirring briskly for two minutes. Include the carrot and celery, and continue cooking for an additional two minutes. Add the squash flesh and cook for three more minutes.
4)Increase the flame and add the ground sausage. Continue to stir often for five minutes, and finish with a dash of salt and pepper.
5) Remove pan from the flame and allow the mix to cool for a few minutes. Stir in the fresh ricotta, egg, and parsley.
6) Generously fill the hollowed squash with the mixture. Set the filled shells in the baking dish. Sprinkle with olive oil and add the water to the dish. Bake the stuffed squash for around 40 minutes until the shells are tender when pierced with a fork.


Enjoy with a bottle of ice-cold white, freshly cut flowers, garden-fresh sliced strawberries to finish, and good company. The delicate and light, yet rich flesh of our valley’s summer squash will plunge you into a world of gastronomic delight. Paired with the meaty edge of the sausage, the creamy finish of the ricotta, and the lively dash of fresh parsley, this meal is happiness in a compact, personal-sized culinary package.

Home Cooking brings together family and friends, mends any tiff, and ads an extra kick of goodness to life. A meal featuring the oh-so-wonderful squash is sure to please, and turn simple sustenance into a work of love and art. Our bodies crave the essential vitamins and nutrients that this fruit of our valley has inside. So stray from the norm, indulge and make summer squash the star of your summer meal. You deserve it.

Posted by lil' Liza on 11:00 AM. Filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0

0 comments for Fruit of the valley provides essential goodness.

Leave comment

Biz Reviews

©2009-2013 Country Wisdom News. Theme styling created by Ortner Graphics based on the Simplex News template by Solaranlagen.