THE NEXT BIG THING!  YFM’S MILLION DOLLAR IDEA—REVEALED FREE TO YOU!

 If you’ve read our monthly newsletter (The Grapevine, available free at our checkouts), you know one of my foibles is believing that I’ve single-handedly invented the next million-dollar food trend or completely unique recipe. After reveling in my imagined glory for a few minutes, I google the thing I think I just invented, and discover that it’s already a major trend, and I’m simply the last person to get the memo.

   Such was my experience last week when I invented the concept of Squash Jerky. When I was inventing the concept, I theorized that I should use a squash with a tender, edible skin, which put me in the Delicata camp, and I thought that marinading and pre cooking my squash would be the right method.

  Excitedly, I scrubbed a Delicata under cold, running water and cut it into jerky-size strips, then put it in a plastic bag and poured in a glug of soy sauce, some fresh ginger, hot pepper flakes, some powdered turmeric, curry powder and a sprinkle of Johnny’s seasoning salt. There was probably some kind of garlic in there, too. After a couple hours, I microwaved the squash in the marinade for about 2 minutes, until it was hot and barely tender.

   I drained the squash and put it in the dehydrator overnight. Next morning, I had a winner! Squash jerky! The lads at work were all fired up about it, so I brought my dehydrator in for them to experiment with. By now we were all enthusiastically on board with the Squash Jerky concept, but we realized that the idea didn’t originate with us. 

   Undaunted, the lads pioneered on, and improved on my try—no pre-cooking— and Tyler used a commercially prepared pineapple teriyaki marinade.

   Here’s Tyler’s Improved Squash Jerky for your enjoyment:

                                                                          RAW VEGAN JERKY

Delicata squash

Marinade (use your favorite commercial marinade, salsa, or oil and vinegar salad dressing, or come up with your own concoction, see above) Tyler used the Tom Douglas "Rub With Love" Pineapple-Teriyaki sauce tat we sell here at YFM

Scrub squash under cold running water, cut in half lengthwise. Scoop seeds. Cut in half-rounds or strips.

In a plastic bag, marinate squash at least two hours in your favorite marinade. No need to pre-cook.

Drain squash, place on dehydrator and dehydrate 24 hours, plus or minus, depending on size of pieces. Squash will be dry but pliable when done. Store in airtight containers.

____________________

  

  Are squash pumpkins or are pumpkins squash? Both are members of the cucurbitaeae family which includes cucumbers and tender summer squashes like zucchini, There’s a rainbow of  “fall squash” varieties, so next time you’re in the market, pick up our Fall Squash Guide and eat your way through the quintessentially autumn flavors of squash, which is technically a fruit.

   Apples are also quintessential fall favorites, so conveniently, when you pick up the Fall Squash Guide, on the reverse will be our Apple Guide! Want to combine squash and apples? How about a batch of pumpkin butter? Enjoy it on pancakes, scones, ice cream, toast, whatever your heart desires. 

       

                                                                         PUMPKIN BUTTER

4 cups pumpkin puree*

1/4 cup apple cider

1 cup brown sugar

4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon lemon juice

pinch salt

   Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and stir constantly over medium high heat until mixture comes to a boil. Be careful, it spatters! Reduce heat to medium, keep partially covered and continue cooking until mixture is thick, about 45 minutes. Remove from heat, cool completely and store in the refrigerator.

   *To make pumpkin puree, scrub a cooking pumpkin pumpkin (Sugar Pie, Cinderella or other cooking pumpkin variety) under cool running water, cut in half, scoop seeds and microwave on high until pumpkin is tender. Cool, scoop flesh and mash with potato masher, food mill, immersion blende or run through food processor.

   

Happy fall! We stay open and fully stocked until Halloween! Kids, be sure to enter to win the drift trike, pictured above. Come see us for your Christmas tree or holiday wreath in November and December, Our tree season starts on Green Friday, November 23, and lasts …until we sell all our trees! THANK YOU for shopping with us and helping us celebrate the 80th anniversary of YFM!

Fruitfully yours,

Karin