In which I visit the Dry Side, get some wonderful gifts, and share out

For reasons mostly unrelated to this blog, I took the Little Red Riding Truck to the Dry Side of our state last weekend...

Probably the last blue skies that this truck will see until May...or July...

I, along with my co-author and colleague on the Other Book, presented two
programs at the Washington Library Media Association conference
(we sold a buncha books, too)

So, why am I mentioning the trip on a mostly-horsey blog?  Because I visited Horsey Friends, of course!

Gail 

Gail and Mike told me to bring coolers with me when I came over to their side

Mike

and they stocked me up, with fresh apples (Golden Delicious and Pink Lady)

Yum!

and a bunch of frozen beef and elk meat!

Super-yum!

Obviously, this called for a share-out.

So, when I got home, I started gathering up a bunch of the last produce from the garden

We harvested a LOT of butternut squashes this year

It was a very good year for pumpkins, too

and packed it up

Samantha Barncat: not available for share-out

and loaded it in the truck

pretty much filled up the cargo hold of the SS Illegible
(notice the inevitable zucchini...the last of the season!)

and started dropping off food.  First at the neighbors' houses

reverse trick-or-treating!

and then at Fish Creek Farm.   Then, I came home and started throwing some of the goodies together for dinner.

This is a true Pacific Northwestern Dinner.  The recipe (such as it is, I was making it up as I went along) is posted after the photo.  It goes well with elk steaks, or whatever else you've got.

Lytha has witnessed my method of cooking...let's just say that if I ever write
a cookbook, I'll need to title it Making Food with Whatever You've Got.

Share-out Squash and Apples
Preheat oven to 400* F.

Peel and cube a medium-sized butternut squash

• Toss the squash cubes in a large bowl with a splash of olive oil, a few shakes of salt and pepper, a bit of garlic, and your choice of herbs or spice, and stir it up thoroughly.  
• I used turmeric, but rosemary is good too. Maybe cayenne?  Or whatever you've got. 

Spread the cubes out on a cookie sheet and throw it in the oven for 15- 20 minutes.

• Stir at 10 minutes if you remember.  Otherwise, no worries. 

While the squash is cooking, peel and cube an apple or two. 

• You want about half as much apple as you have squash.
• Golden Delicious is particularly nice for this, but Honey Crisp is good.  
• Or, you know.  Whatever you've got.

Stir the apple cubes in the same bowl you used to stir the squash.

• You probably won't need to add more oil or spice, but a bit of extra salt on the apples brings out the sweetness.

After the squash has been in the oven for about 20 minutes, remove the tray from the oven, and dump the apples on top.  Stir it up a bit, and then return the whole thing to the oven for another 10 minutes, or until it starts to get a little crispy.

Serve promptly to friends.  

A nice dark microbrew ale is a nice beverage pairing.  Or rum.  Or iced tea.  Or ginger ale.

Or, you know.

Whatever you've got.

It's all good.