What the Heck is a Cushaw?

While browsing through Hoosier Harvest Market, trying to decide what to order, I saw this squash:

I had no idea what it was, or what to do with it. I've never heard of a cushaw, but I figured I'd give it a try. 

After googling for a bit, I found out that it's similar to a pumpkin in taste, but a little sweeter. You can substitute it for pumpkin in just about any recipe, but you may have to cut back on the sugar. I found a recipe for cushaw pie, and decided to try it. You can find the recipe here. 

This big squash was a little intimidating at first, but I figured I may as well dive right in. I started by cutting off the neck, slicing into rounds and cutting away the rind. 

Next, I cut it up into chunks and began cooking it down. I read several websites about cooking it down. Some suggested roasting, some in the microwave (in small batches) and other said on the stove top in a large pot with water. All of them said that the neck pieces were firmer and would take longer, so I went ahead and threw them in a pot of water on the stove and began working on the rest of it. 

I used my cookie scooper to clean out the insides. Side note-that's the best way to clean out a pumpkin for Halloween too! 

You can clean off the seeds and roast them like pumpkin seeds, but I decided to toss them out to the chickens. They loved it! It was so much fun to watch them chase each other around and steal pieces from each other! 

I finally realized cutting off the rind would take forever once I had this sliced up, so I decided to peel it with my vegetable peeler. Much easier! 

After the whole thing was peeled, chopped, and cooked to fork tender, I pureed it down. It took me two rounds in my food processor. 

The recipe I used only calls for two cups, so I bagged the rest of it up and tossed it in the freezer for later. 

With the rest of the squash stowed away, I made the pie. The verdict? Delicious! I ordered another one from the market for next week. I can't wait to try more recipes with cushaw!

Elderberry Pie

Ott, A and I had so much fun during Canning Week, we just didn't want it to end! Every Tuesday, we'll be featuring recipes that use items we canned.

Some of our fellow canners are sharing some recipes as well this week. Be sure to check out what they are making with their canning creations!

a Latte' with Ott, A   

Gourmet Meals for Less 

From the Hive  

Frog Belly Soup  

I was able to pick some elderberries this year that were growing in my aunt's backyard. I didn't know a lot about them, but did some research. Here's what I found:

• Elderberry extract has been found to be effective against the H5N1 strain of Avian Flu  (Zakay-Rones et al 1995)
• Elderberry extract contains a unique compound called Antivirin® that can help protect healthy cells and inactivate  infectious viruses
• When given to patients, scientists have found the elderberry extract, has the ability to ward off flu infections quickly  (Zakay-Rones 2004)
• Elderberries are rich in anthocyanins which are a type of flavonoid –  anthocyanins are antioxidants that may protect cells from free radicals and support your body’s immune system.
• Elderberries have almost 5 times as many anthocyanins as Blueberries and twice the overall antioxidant capability of cranberries 
• Elderberry has a more potent antiviral effect than Echinacea

I also found that making a simple extract with elderberries has been shown to stop a cold, if taken within the first two days of symptoms. So, I decided to can some to keep around for this winter so I can make extract when Cold Season hits. Worst case scenario, it doesn't work. Then I go back to DayQuil. Can't hurt, right?

Anyway, I have so many jars of elderberries I knew I would never make this much "cold/flu medicine". I decided to make pie. I'm not a big fruit pie person, but I thought I'd give it a shot.

What you'll need:

2 9-inch pie crusts
4 c elderberries
3 cups sugar
3 T cornstarch
1 T lemon juice

butter

To begin, rinse and drain elderberries

 

In a medium size pan, combine berries, sugar and cornstarch. Simmer until berries are tender.

 

When berries are tender and sauce is thick, remove from heat and add lemon juice. Stir well. 

Pour into pie crust and add a few pats of butter

 

Top with other pie crust and bake at 375 for 40-50 minutes. Cool and serve

 

As this was the first time I tried elderberries, I have to say I'm not overly impressed. It received a mixed reaction overall. It certainly was not overly sweet. Personally, I didn't think the berry had much taste. But, I do like trying new things, and my goal this year has been to try one new food a week. Since I've historically been a picky eater, it wasn't that hard to continuously find "new to me" foods. 

Be sure to come back next Tuesday for more of our series "I Canned A LOTT, Now I'm Baking In My Bistro"!

Blackberry Pie

My awesome neighbor surprised me today with a bowl full of blackberries! Oh, so many choices! What should I make??? Well, I have plenty of jams that I've already canned, and several pounds of berries in the freezer, so pie it is!!



I'm not a big fan of fruit pies. Mostly because I'm not a fan of pie crust. Weird, right? I know. I've never been accused of having normal tastes! That being said, I decided to try a lattice top. Please excuse how poorly it turned out! It was my first try, and I let Thing 4 help me with it. Yeah, we'll blame it on the kid. Sounds good to me! And since I don't really make fruit pies very often, I don't have a good recipe...just some guidance from my gut.

You'll need:
2 pie crusts (I cheat...Pillsbury does a great job making refrigerated pie crusts)
Berries to fill the pie
A few tablespoons of sugar
A little bit of flour
A few pats of butter
1 egg, or a bit of milk to brush on top of the pie

Place first pie crust on bottom of pie plate and push all the way down...but don't smash it into the pan!
In large bowl, carefully mix berries with a few tablespoons of sugar and a little bit of flour or cornstarch to thicken it up. Fill pie.
Add a few pats of butter to the top.
Either place second pie crust on top, or cut into strips and weave onto top.
Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top shell with either an egg well beaten, or a bit of milk.

Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then at 375 for 40 minutes.




Allow to cool completely. Cut and serve!

Find Other Great Recipes At These Places Where I Linked Up This Post!
Tempt my Tummy Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday
Tuesday at the Table

Strawberry Mango Pie

For TMTT, here's a new favorite in our house!

Here's another recipe that I found in my step daughter's cookbook that we altered to fit our tastes!


Ingredients:

2 Mangoes (peeled and cut into small pieces)
15 Large strawberries (hulled and cut into bite size pieces)
1/4 c Apple Juice
1/2 c Sugar
1/4 c Brown Sugar
1 c Flour
1 T Cinnamon
1/2 c Butter
1 Unbaked Pie Crust

Preheat oven to 375.

In small sauce pan, cook fruit, juice and 1/4 c sugar over low heat until fruit is soft.
While fruit is cooking, cut butter into small pieces and add flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/4 c sugar in glass or metal bowl. Mix it with your hands until it's a fine and crumbly. Put in refrigerator.
Put pie crust into pan and pour in fruit. Sprinkle the crumbly mix on top and bake until topping is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Let cool and serve!

I tried to get a picture before everyone tore into this, but they got into it before I could! It was a hit at our Memorial Day Cookout.