ITEMS
Spinach
Microgreens
Diced Butternut Squash
7-Grain Cereal / GF Oats
Honey
Safflower Oil
PRODUCERS
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Amaltheia Organic Produce - Belgrade
Root Cellar Foods - Belgrade
Cream of the West - Townsend /Montana Gluten Free - Belgrade
Wustner Brothers Honey Co. - Missoula
The Oil Barn - Big Sandy
Roasted Butternut Squash with Chili, Lime, & Cilantro
I wanted to include this for use in a salad with spinach (see below), but you can also use this as a quesadilla or taco filling, or on its own as a side dish. Adapted from Food&Wine.
1 16oz container diced butternut squash
1 Tbs safflower oil
1 fresh green chili - jalapeño, serrano, fresno, etc
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1/2 C cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425 F. In a bowl, toss the squash with oil and season with a bit of salt and pepper. Spread the squash on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until tender and browning. Rotate the pan and/or stir the squash halfway through for even cooking.
While squash is roasting, de-seed and chop the green chili. Taste the pepper to see how hot it is, then decide how much you want to use. Add it to a bowl along with the lime zest and juice, chopped cilantro, and another pinch each salt and pepper (use the same bowl you tossed the squash in to save a dish). When the squash is done roasting, add it to the bowl and toss everything together. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
To make it a spinach salad..
Make a lime vinaigrette like the one below. Rinse, spin dry, and roughly chop the spinach. Prep any other toppings you might want: sliced red onion or scallions, pepitas, diced avocado, red bell pepper, queso fresco, feta, or chevrè, etc. Toss everything together and top with microgreens.
3-4 Tbs safflower oil
2 Tbs lime juice
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp honey
1/4 tsp garlic powder, or 1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper
Oat, Honey & Butternut Squash Muffins
Recipe adapted from Ali Martin. Makes 1 dozen muffins.
~1 1/4 C diced butternut squash - you want to end up with 1 C mashed
3 C oats - 7-grain, gluten-free oats, or any old fashioned rolled oats
1 tsp each: ground cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C milk or unsweetened milk substitute (oat milk, almond milk, etc)
1/2 C honey (gently warmed if needed to make it pourable) or maple syrup
3 Tbs safflower oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
First, cook and mash the diced butternut. Feel free to roast or microwave the butternut if you prefer that to this stovetop method: Put the diced butternut in a pot and cover with cold water by ~1 inch or so. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until butternut is soft throughout. Drain water, return squash to the pan and mash with a potato masher. Or, set it aside until you're done making the oat flour and then puree it [see below].
Next, preheat the oven to 375 F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners, or grease them well so they're sure to release.
Blitz the oats in a blender or food processor until they reach a flour-like consistency (think whole grain flour texture, not white flour). Add in spices, baking soda, and salt, then pulse a few times until it's well mixed. Set aside. [If you want to puree the cooked butternut, transfer the oat flour mixture to a bowl, then add the butternut to the blender/processor and pulse until it's mostly smooth.]
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, mashed butternut squash, honey, safflower oil, and vanilla extract until evenly combined. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Spoon batter into the lined or greased muffin tin, distributing as evenly as you can. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the muffins comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool for 5 minutes. Enjoy warm, store in a container at room temperature for a few days, or freeze for later.
Notes: I think you could make these with whole wheat, white, or GF flour as well, though the texture will vary somewhat. If you roast diced butternut for a different meal, set aside ~1 C for these!
Additional Recipe Suggestions
Cream of the West has several recipes available using their 7-Grain Cereal. Check them out here!
This recipe for Spiced Butternut with Honey-Lime Butter uses several of today's items
I really love this recipe for Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Dressing - it calls for roasted root vegetables, which the squash is perfect for.
We make this granola all the time - I think it's a great recipe, and a good use for oats, safflower oil, and honey! (honey does burn faster than maple syrup, so you may want to decrease the cooking time by ~5 minutes or so.)