CSA Weeks 2 & 3: Rhubarb Pork Chops and Stuffed Butternut Squash

In week 2 of our CSA, we got:

• scallions
• radishes
• rhubarb
• head of lettuce
• mint (we gave this to our share partners for their mohitos)
• collard greens
• spinach

In light of our Memorial Day travel plans, I kept this week's menu fairly simple:

• Wednesday: Stuffed butternut squash, cooked in the solar oven (recipe to follow), with leftover green beans
• Thursday: Leftover coconut curried tofu with rice
• Friday: Leftover butternut squash, with green salad
• Saturday: [travel]
• Sunday: [travel]
• Monday: Catfish parmesan with sweet potato and spinach risotto
• Tuesday: Ditto

Because we'll be traveling this coming weekend and next week as well, I asked our share partners to take our whole box on Wednesday. Now we only have to concentrate on using vegetables from the previous box. Here's this week's abbreviated menu plan:

• Wednesday: Rhubarb and pork chop casserole and citrus collards with raisins
• Thursday: Ditto
• Friday: [date night]
• Saturday-Thursday: [travel]

Last week's stuffed butternut squash was a smashing success, from the adults' point of view, anyway - J turned up her nose at it, which was a mystery, since she normally loves couscous! I adapted it from a recipe in the Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker cookbook. I had about 1 cup of stuffing left over, which I froze; it will work its way into something else eventually. (I also omitted the cup of water in the pan - Wednesday was such a sunny day that my solar oven was at 350 degrees, so I figured (correctly) that the squash would cook quickly and remain moist even without the water.) I'll make this one again!

Butternut Squash Stuffed With Couscous, Apples, Raisins, and Pinenuts

1/4 c raisins
1 to 2 T margarine
1 sm onion or 1/2 lg onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 apple, peeled and cut into smallish dice
1/3 c pinenuts
1/4 t ground cinnamon
1/4 t ground allspice
2 c leftover couscous
salt and pepper to taste
1 butternut squash (or other winter squash), halved and seeded
1 c hot water

1. Put the raisins in water to cover; set them aside to plump.

2. Melt the margarine in a small frying pan. Add the onion and garlic, and saute a minute or two. Drain the raisins, reserving the water. Add the raisins and apple, and saute another minute or two; apple should still be firm. Add the cinnamon, allspice, and pinenuts, and saute another minute or two; pinenuts should be plumped and golden, but not browned or burned.

3. In a mixing bowl, fluff the couscous with a fork. Add the frying pan mixture (if desired, take a little of the raisin water and use it to "deglaze" the frying pan; add flavored water to mixing bowl as well). Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and toss everything together.

4. If your squash is lopsided, cut a sliver from the bottom so it will sit flat. Place the squash halves, cut side up, in a slow cooker (or in the solar oven pan). Pack the stuffing into the squash halves. Carefully pur the hot water into the cooker (or pan) without disturbing the squash. Cover cooker (or cover pan and place in preheated solar oven) and cook on Low (or as the sun permits) until the squash is tender, about 6 hours (or less, if your solar oven temperature exceeds 200 degrees). Serve hot.