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Your Market Produce
Buying Club
June 2010 Newsletter
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Greetings and Peace,
I pray this finds everyone in the best health.
The butternut squash was mouthwatering. Hence, we decided to highlight it in this month's newsletter. We hope you all enjoyed it.
While researching butternut squash I came across tons of great information, everything from the health benefits, countless recipes, baby food and growing your own. Check out some of the links because I could not fit everything into this newsletter. If you find articles that are even better, please forward them to the newsletter so that we can share with others.
We hope the food bags are inspiring you to eat right and saving you money.
Our health is our wealth!
Your Sister,
Erika Muhammad
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Power Foods: Butternut Squash
(www.wholeliving.com/article/power-foods-butternut-squash)
No offense to zucchini, but the health benefits of fall-harvest
squashes far eclipse their sum mer cousins.
Like all members of
the gourd family (which includes pumpkin, melon, and cucumber),
butternut squash is technically a fruit because it contains seeds. Cut
into its pale, yellow-beige hard skin, though, and you'll discover a
vibrant flesh that's much denser than that of its relatives.
Rich
in phytonutrients and antioxidants -- and succulent enough to warrant
the moniker "butternut" -- this graceful, hourglass-like gourd is the
perfect addition to an autumn meal.
Health
Benefits
Low in fat, butternut squash delivers an ample dose
of dietary fiber, making it an exceptionally heart-friendly choice. It
provides significant amounts of potassium, important for bone health,
and vitamin B6, essential for the proper functioning of both the nervous
and immune systems. The folate content adds yet another boost to its
heart-healthy reputation and helps guard against brain and
spinal-cord-related birth defects such as spina bifida.
Squash's
tangerine hue, however, indicates butternut's most noteworthy health
perk. The color signals an abundance of powerhouse nutrients known as
carotenoids, shown to protect against heart disease. In particular, the
gourd boasts very high levels of beta-carotene (which your body
automatically converts to vitamin A), identified as a deterrent against
breast cancer and age-related macular degeneration, as well as a
supporter of healthy lung development in fetuses and newborns. What's
more, with only a 1-cup serving, you get nearly half the recommended
daily dose of antioxidant-rich vitamin C.
As if this weren't
enough, butternut squash may have anti-inflammatory effects because of
its high antioxidant content. Incorporating more of this hearty winter
staple into your diet could help reduce risk of inflammation-related
disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and asthma.
How to Buy
Choose an unblemished fruit
that feels heavy for its size with a matte, rather than glossy, skin. A
shiny exterior indicates that the fruit was picked too early, and it
won't be as sweet as a fully grown squash. Most winter squash is
available late into the fall. Store whole butternut squash in a cool,
dry place (not the refrigerator) with plenty of ventilation; it should
keep for up to three months. Cut squash will stay fresh for up to a
week, wrapped, in the fridge.
Cooking
Tips
Butternut squash presents the home cook with incredibly
easy culinary possibilities. You can just place it on a cookie sheet and
bake in the oven for about an hour, or until you can pierce it with a
sharp knife. Or remove the skin using a vegetable peeler and cut the
flesh into chunks for steaming or sauteing. Once cooked, mash it, puree
it for soup, fold it into a pasta or risotto dish, or simply savor your
butternut squash as is.
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Caramelized Butternut Squash - 2 medium butternut squash or 1 large
package of already cut-up squash
- 6 tbsps butter, melted
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1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
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1 1/2 tsps kosher salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
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Preheat oven to 400º.
Peel squash, remove seeds and cut into
chunks. Place chunks on a baking sheet. Add the rest of the
ingredients to squash on the sheet and toss together. Make sure squash is in a single layer on the sheet.
Roast for 45-55 minutes or until the
squash is tender and it begins to caramelize; turn a few times so that
it caramelizes evenly.
Taste for seasonings and serve hot.
Makes 6 servings. |
Squash
Baby Food Recipes -
Butternut or Acorn Squash - Basic Purée
(4)6 months+
1 acorn or butternut squash
1. Cut acorn or butternut squash in half,
scoop out seeds
2. Place halves face down in a pan and cover with an inch of
water
3. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes to 1 hour - be
sure the "shell/skin" puckers and halves feel soft then scoop squash
"meat" out of the shell
4. Place squash "meat" into your choice of appliance for
pureeing and begin pureeing.
5. Add water as necessary to achieve a smooth, thin consistency.
You can also peel the squash, scoop out the
seeds and then cut into chunks and boil/steam until tender (like when
boiling potatoes for mashed potatoes) then follow steps 4 and 5 - this
way is most difficult however and rather time consuming.
Foods Good to Mix With Butternut
or Acorn Squash:
Apples
Peaches
Pears
Carrots
Brown Rice
Lentils
Chicken
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Upcoming Events:
July 10 & 24
Pick up location 5296 Foothill Blvd @ Fairfax Oakland, Ca 94601 We accept cash & checks. (checks must be recieved by Monday of event week) Pay Online |
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Membership Incentives
FREE
Any member
that signs-up
3 or more members in 1 month
will receive
a free produce bag
for that event.
Simply submit the signed membership agreements with payments.
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What is Your Produce Market Buying Club?
We are a group of people who see the need for and are committed to establishing economic and agricultural unity in the black community.
Our inspiration is the teachings of the Honorable Elijah Muhammad, which teach us to "pool our resources and do for self."
Our Mission, "Empowering people to feed themselves."
Our primary goal is to establish a member-owned cooperative corporation supermarket in our community.
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Contact Us
Newsletter:
Yourfoodbuyingclub@gmail.com
Membership Administration: Majeedah Muhammad buyingclubmembers@gmail.com 510-712-0094
Informational Presentations: Carlton Muhammad carltonm@sonic.net 510.827.5203
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"Food Keeps us here; it is essential that we eat food which gives and maintains life."
How To Eat To Live
Book One
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Free Bag Recipients
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Carlton and Majeedah Muhammad received a Free Produce Bag this month for signing up 3 new customers during the month of June. Thank you Carlton & Majeedah for continuing to increase our buying power.
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