Nuts About Butternuts

If you’ve avoided this fall staple, prepare to be rewarded by simple preparation and great taste.

Last week, I was asked to prepare some butternut squash for the volunteers at Second Sunday, the garden program hosted by Hollin Meadows Science and Math Focus School. The Outdoor Education Coordinator there, Jen Finnegan, has been using this year to transition HM’s extensive gardens to part farm model, with students planting and growing a wide assortment of vegetables and fruits that can be sampled in the classroom and possibly incorporated into some of our school lunches in the future. On the second Sunday of each month, parents and community members gather to do necessary maintenance that can’t be accomplished during classroom time – adults and kids alike are welcome. When Jen left a crate of butternuts on my back porch I wondered if I …

• Photos (1)
• Documents (1)

Cooking Corner

Stave Off Winter With Warm Soup

Chicken and barley soup and meatball Pho warm up winter

Though we haven’t faced the same snowfall as last year, winter still has a fierce grip on our neighborhood with frigid temperatures, chilling wind and freezing rain showers. Here are two more recipes for National Soup Month that are guaranteed to warm up a frozen commuter on a cold day. Chicken and Barley Soup            In a pot of boiling water, begin cooking the barley while you prepare the other ingredients. In a large pot, sauté the onions, mushrooms and garlic in the oil until lightly browned. Add the cooked chicken, carrots and broth, bringing the whole mixture to a boil. Reduce to medium heat and stir in the barley. Cook until the barley is soft, then add the cilantro and toasted almonds. Allow to cool and serve for only 235 …

• Photos (11)