We’re getting cozy in the kitchen today and enjoying this fall weather! If you’ve visited the market lately you’ve probably seen that our farmers are bringing tons and tons of squash and pumpkins. One of our favorite ways to eat winter squash is roasting it and stuffing it with rice or quinoa and more veggies. Learn how to make this easy and beautiful dish below – the best part is you can use EVERY part of the pumpkin/squash in some way shape or form. Any leftover scraps can be frozen and used to make veggie stock!

Ingredients used:

1 pumpkin or acorn squash from Bouldin Food Forest or B5Farm (depending on size these are great for personal servings, one per person!)
1 onion
1 bunch kale (Bernhardt’s Farm)
1 cup quinoa, cooked
Dried cranberries
Veggie stock
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees
Cut the top off your pumpkin and set aside
Scoop out the seeds and stringy part of the pumpkin and set aside
Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet with parchment paper and drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Place in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the pumpkin is tender

While the pumpkin is cooking, prepare the “stuffing”
Dice the onion and add to a pan with a drizzle of olive oil
Add sliced kale and cooked quinoa, handful of dried cranberries
Add 1/2 cup veggie stock, salt, pepper
Sauté until onions are slightly browned and remove from heat

Add the stuffing to the pumpkin and place back in the oven for about 10 more minutes
Tip: At this point you can also rinse off the pumpkin seeds and spread them around the parchment paper with a drizzle of olive oil/salt/pepper

Remove the stuffed pumpkin and seeds, sprinkle some of the toasted seeds on top of your pumpkin (or save them for snacking later) and enjoy!

Tepache by Mercado Sin Nombre

Ingredients:
rind + core of 1 pineapple (preferably organic)
1 piloncillo cone, shaved
1 Mexican cinnamon stick
2 star anise, cracked
2 cloves, cracked
3 allspice berries, cracked
3 black peppercorns, cracked
Pinch of salt

Instructions:
Place all ingredients in a ceramic or glass container. Cover with water and stir to dissolve piloncillo shavings. Ensure all pineapple rind is submerged (about 1.5 – 2 liters. Place a weight of some kind on top if needed) before covering with a lid. Let sit in a cool, dark place for 3-4 days without letting much, if any, air in.

Pour tepache through a fine mesh strainer to remove solid ingredients. If liquid is too syrupy, add water to get to your desired consistency. Serve over plenty of ice and enjoy.

If you’re looking for a brighter and nuanced tepache for those hotter days, add:
1 lemongrass stick
1 tsp coriander
1 tbs chamomile

OG Kimchi by f-stop farm

Ingredients:
1 large head of napa cabbage – approx. 5lbs (should fill a 2qt urn or jar)
1/4 cup coarse salt of choice
2 tbs raw cane sugar (optional)
1 cup water/salt brine at 3-3.5% salinity
5 cloves garlic, peeled
2-3 tbs of peeled, minced fresh ginger
1/2 cup of gochugaru chili powder
1/4 cup usiguchi light soy
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tsp salted shrimp paste (to make vegan – substitute the last ingredients with 1/2-3/4 cup coconut aminos)
one large carrot, grated
one bunch of green onions or scallions, chopped

Instructions:

The cabbage cab be chopped, or for “pogi”/whole head style, cut the cabbage into eights long ways and keep the root end in tact.

Dry brine by adding 1/4 cup of coarse salt to the chopped cabbage in a large bowl and toss (sugar optional), or distribute evenly between the leaves of the cut head.

Cover with plastic wrap or large plate and add weights to press.

You can choose to add the brine at this point, or add the brine to the urn when you pack all of the ingredients.

Leave the cabbage to brine, pressed for up to 4 hours. Drain using a colander and save the reserve liquid!

In a separate bowl combine the other ingredients into a slurry/paste consistency.

Add the cabbage and toss to coat, or if whole heads – use your hands to spread mixture evenly through the leaves.

Pack the coated leaves/heads into your fermentation vessel and pour the brine over top.

Press everything to remove as much air as possible and submerge the cabbage. Add weights and cover.

Store in a dark cool pantry for up to a week – in a warm climate like Texas, the fermentation will happen quickly. For a fresher, crunchier version transfer to jars and refrigerate after 2 days. After 4-7 days the acidity and consistency of the cabbage will soften to be almost creamy. The flavor is more rich and a bit more sour. Once refrigerated it will keep in the fridge for months, continuing to ferment slowly over time.

Save any leftover brine liquid to use as a marinade, hot sauce, bloody mary mix, etc!

Fried Rice with Kimchi Marinated Wagyu Beef
by f-stop farm

Ingredients:
OG Kimchi (f-stop farm)
100% Wagyu Tri Tip Roast (Winters’ Family Beef)
Carolina Gold Rice
Zucchini (VRDNT Farms)
Onion (B5 Farm)
Peppers (VRDNT Farms)
Garlic Chives (VRDNT Farms)
Ginger
Soy sauce or fish sauce (or sub of choice)
Rice vinegar

Instructions:
Marinate the beef in one pint of f-stop’s OG kimchi overnight in a large ziplock bag in the fridge
Pat dry, lightly salt, and sear in a cast iron skillet to brown on all sides, then into a 300 degree oven for 20 min.
Pull from oven and rest, then slice to add to stir fry later
Dice zucchini, peppers, onions
Add 1tsp grated ginger and garlic
Sauté the veg on high heat until just cooked -then add the sliced tri-tip and 1 TBS soy sauce and or fish sauce & 1 TBS rice vinegar
Add cooked rice and toss until combined
Top with fresh diced garlic chives
Optional add-ons: Kimchi, sriracha