Pork and Apples
One quick Google search and you can find thousands of pork and apple recipes. They seem to go together almost as well as salt and pepper! With fall here, its an important time to stock up on some yummy pork for the winter. The Minnesota Grown Directory lists over 50 pork producers across Minnesota. Find the nearest location, fill up your freezer, and get ready for old man winter!
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Cinnamon Apple Pork Tenderloin
Try serving this recipe with local squash, for a totally Minnesotan fall meal!
Ingredients: 1.5 lbs of pork tenderloin
2 TBL cornstarch
1 tea ground cinnamon
2 TBL packed brown sugar
2 apples (see our "Apple a Day" article to pick out your favorite variety!)
2 TBL dried cranberries or raisins
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Place the pork tenderloin in a roasting pan or casserole dish.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir. Spoon the apple mixture around the pork tenderloin.
3. Cover and bake for 30 min.
4. Remove the lid and spoon the apple mixture over the tenderloin. Return to the oven and bake fore 15-20 min, until tenderloin is browned and cooked through. (Center of the meat should read 150-160 degrees Fahrenheit.)
Recipe courtesy of Diana Rattray from about.com.
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Pumpkin Recipes
When someone mentions pumpkins, most people think about pumpkin pies, but there are lots of other ways to prepare pumpkins! Better Homes & Gardens shared 41 ways to use pumpkin. There are so many unique and tasty ways, including Mac and Cheese and creamy Pumpkin Rice Pudding!
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Squash Recipes
With so many types of squash, there are so many different recipes! allrecipes.com
is a great resource and has recipes for all different types of squash!
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Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Ingredients: One medium sized pumpkin Salt Olive oil Directions 1. Preheat over to 400 degree Fahrenheit. Cut open the pumpkin and use a strong metal spoon to scoop out the insides. Separate the seeds from the string core. Rinse the seeds. 2. In a small saucepan, add the seeds to water, about 2 cups of water to every half cup of seeds. Add a half tablespoon of salt for every cup of water (more if you like your seeds saltier). Bring to a boil. Let simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and drain. 3. Spread about a tablespoon of olive oil over the bottom of a roasting pan. Spread the seeds out over the roasting pan, all in one layer. Bake on the top rack until the seeds begin to brown, 10-20 minutes. When browned to your satisfaction, remove from the oven and let the pan cool on a rack. Let the seeds cool all the way down before eating. Either crack to remove the inner seed (a lot of work and in my opinion, unnecessary) or eat whole.  Recipe & photo posted to SimplyRecipe.com by Elise.
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Visit a Winery
Minnesota Grown Directory boasts over 30 wineries throughout the state! They can be the perfect day trip, weekend getaway, girls night out location. The University of Minnesota devleoped outstanding cold-hardy grapes which has lead to the increase in wine-grape production and wineries themselves!
With Minnesota's beautiful landscape, spring, summer and fall weather, it's no wonder these wineries are great destinations! Visit the Minnesota Grown Directory online to find the perfect winery for you!
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What are YOU doing for MEA weekend?
Are you going to get out and enjoy Minnesota's fall? Share a picture of you and/or your family enjoying a pumpkin patch, corn maze, apple picking, farm tour, walking in fall colors - whatever you do over MEA weekend on our Facebook wall.
The first 10 people who do so will be sent a 2013-14 Minnesota Cooks Calendar! 
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Tell us what YOU do!
What have you been up to this fall? Minnesota Grown wants to know and wants you to share it with our Facebook fans! Have you gone to an apple orchard or a pumpkin patch? Did you visit a winery or get out to see the fall colors?
Share your pictures and your stories on our Facebook wall! We want all of Minnesota to see what fun and learning can be had!
Facebook is a great way to give you the most up to date, relevant information about what is in season NOW and Minnesota Grown's activities and events around town.
If you don't already like our page, please "like us" and follow this link. If you already like us, don't forget to subscribe to our posts, so you don't miss any updates! And if you do, please suggest our page to your friends and let's keep the dialogue going! We look forward to hearing more of your thoughts and ideas as well as sharing what's new and local with you!
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2012-2013 Minnesota Grown Directory!
 Find your local farmers markets, sweet corn growers and more in the 2012-13 Minnesota Grown Directory. Make sure you get your FREE copy today! Order online at MinnesotaGrown.com or by phone at 1-800-657-3878. |
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THANK YOU!!
We appreciate every person who reads this newsletter and supports Minnesota Grown. If you have something related to Minnesota Grown foods that you'd like to know more about- please tell us! :)
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A Minnesota Grown Apple A Day!
Eating an apple a day will keep the doctor away, or so they say.Since you can't pick a fresh Minnesota Grown apple off a tree in December,
it's important to make those final trips to the apple orchard count! Placing them in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator will keep them (depending on the variety) fresh for a week or so. For longer storage, you'll want to keep the apples in a cool, dark place with high humidity, away from other fruits. Placing them gently in a cardboard box is recommended and closing the top will help to reduce airflow (it does not need to be air tight). Remember not to try store apples that have bruises or bad spots. The decay will just continue and may spread to other apples!
Here are a few later season varieties:
- Cortland apples are mildly tart.They tend to hold their color longer so are commonly used in fruit salads or fruit trays.
- Haralson apples are tart.They are great for cooking and often used in pies.
- Honeygold apples are sweet and crisp. They are yellow-green in color.
- Fireside apples are sweet. They are great for pies because they keep their shape and don't cook down to sauce.
- Regent apples are sweet. They are often used for pies, desserts and jellies. These apples normally ripen early-to-mid October.
- Keepsake apples are sweet and spicy. They are great for cooking and normally ripen mid to late October.
You can always eat an apple raw but here are a few other ideas:
Caramel apples:
It's recommended to use a tart apple, like Haralson or McIntosh. However, if your taste buds would like a sweeter apple to go with the sweet caramel, try a Regent or Fireside. Make sure you wash and completely dry the apples before dipping. This step is really important if you are buying them from a store since they put a wax coating on the apples and caramel will not stick to this! Before you start dipping the apples, make sure they are cool in temperature and completely dry!
There are lots of recipes for adding things to the caramel, like peanut butter, white/milk chocolate. You can either do this in the melting stage of the caramel or melt them separate and layer it over the caramel (make sure you let the caramel set, which normally takes 2-3 hours in the fridge). If you want to add sprinkles, chocolate chips, crushed candy (anything you desire)- add them while the caramel is still warm - so it sticks!
You don't need to refrigerate caramel apples, but if you do give them 15 minutes at room temperature to soften the caramel before you take a big bite!  Applesauce: Making your own apple sauce is a great way to use up apples. You can use one variety or mix them up. You can certainly add in other flavors (like cinnamon or nutmeg), it's all up to you! Canned applesauce will keep for 2-3yrs at room temperature or for a lot longer frozen. Here is a great recipe that's easy to follow. Dehydrating apples:
This is a really simple way to keep apples all year long, however, we doubt dehydrated apples will last that long before they get eaten! Simply core and slice the apples to your desired thickness (generally it's recommended no thicker than 1/2inch). Some methods recommend you dip them in acid diluted water (which is 1 tablespoon of vinegar/lemon juice per quart of water). This will help keep the apples from turning brown. However, it is not a mandatory step. You can also add cinnamon or nutmeg to change the flavor of the apple. Lay them flat, ensuring they don't overlap, in a dehydrator for 7-15 hours. Store in air-tight containers or zip-lock bags and enjoy!
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Family Fun Fall
Minnesota has a lot to offer for family fun in October and to keep you and your kids occupied over MEA weekend. It is the perfect time to get out and enjoy the cooler weather, beautiful leaves, sunshine and still slightly warm breezes. Okay, maybe the weather isn't always so perfect- but the fun is! You and your family can visit an apple orchard and a pumpkin patch! The Minnesota Grown Directory online has over 110 apple orchards and over 145 pumpkin patches! (Some farms carry both, apples and pumpkins). Often, these farms other activities that will keep you busy for hours, like tours, corn mazes, walking paths, tasty treats, face cut-outs, hay bales. face painting, farm animals to pet and more! Do you know how much food an emu eats? How about what it takes to raise a goat? You can take a farm tour and learning about the daily life and chores of a farm! You'll learn lots of new things about farm animals and growing plants/food. The Minnesota Grown Directory has over 60 farms that offer tours, you have a fun day and learn something too! There are over 20 Minnesota Grown farms that offer corn mazes. Get lost, get found and get lost again! You can spend as little or as much time as you'd like in the mazes. Some have different challenge levels, from easy to hard and some even let you try your skills at night! 
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Fall Decorations that are also Food!
Fall has so many beautiful and unique vegetables and fruits for eating and decorating! Here is a brief snapshot about gourds, squash and pumpkins. Including, what they look like and how to cook them!
GOURDS:Are generally edible fruits with extremely hard shells. They are often dried and used for decorations through out the year, but very frequently in the fall. For decoration ideas, check out this website.
WINTER SQUASH:
Squash are often referred to and prepared as a vegetable but they are actually a fruit, since they contain seeds. You will want to avoid storing squash with fruits like apples. (Many fruits let off gases that will cause squash to go bad). It's best to store them alone or in a paper bag. Winter squash has a hard thick skin that can be very difficult to open. It has a relatively low water content and is high in vitamins A and C, iron and riboflavin. It is planted in the spring after the soil has warmed up. Winter squash is harvested in the fall, normally in September or October. It can be stored in a cool dry place for 1-3 months. The skin is not edible and either can be peeled off before cooking or the flesh can be scooped out after cooking. There are many ways to cook winter squash, including roasting, boiling or steaming.
Check out this website for an A-Z list of types of squash (with pictures!) But to start you off, here are a few common varieties:
Acorn Squash: Dark green with a single yellow/orange splotch on one side. It has the shape of an acorn, with deep vertical ridges. It is commonly baked, but could also be microwaved or steamed. Buttercup Squash: Dark green with vertical light green stripes. It is normally short and fat. It can be roasted, baked, mashed into soups. Butternut Squash: Light yellow/pale coloring with a bottle neck shape. It is often mashed and used in casseroles, breads, muffins.
Carnival Squash: Similar in shape to the acorn squash, only its deep orange with specs of green and white all over. Taste is similar to a butternut squash.
Green-Striped Cushaw Squash: white with green stripes and a crookneck shape. It is often used in pies or as an alternative to pumpkins because of its sweet taste.
PUMPKINS:
Pumpkins, considered a gourd, are normally planted in May or June and ripen in the fall. The most common pumpkin is orange in color, but they also come in yellow, green, white, red and even the rare blue color. Pumpkins can be stored in a dry cool place for several months. Pumpkins are a good source of vitamin A and are often used in baked desserts, but can also be cooked in entrees (cooks similar to winter squash). The pulp has a mild sweet flavor and the seeds can be cooked, then eaten like a snack! (See recipe for toasted pumpkin seeds in this edition). When selecting a pumpkin for cooking, look for a small but heavy pumpkin that's skin is clear of blemishes or spots.
Many people decorate pumpkins for Halloween. Pumpkin carving is the most common, but don't worry if it's not for you. You can also paint, stencil or decorate your pumpkin!
Pumpkin Carving: You need to have the right tools or carving will be impossible! Many pumpkin carving books sell plastic carving tools with them. But you can also purchase stronger, higher quality pumpkin carving tools in specialty stores or many other stores near October 31st. Scoopers (or spoons) will help clean out the seeds and fibrous strings. Pokers help to transfer patterns from the paper to the pumpkin. Scrapers will make the inside of the pumpkin smooth so light reflects evenly. You'll also use this to thin the wall of the side you cut. (If this wall is only about 1inch thick, cutting your design will be much easier!) The most important tool is a saw. It's nice to have these in differing lengths and teeth spacing for various designs. The tighter the teeth and smaller the length, the easier it will be for more intricate designs.
For more tips, check out Walt's pumpkin carving secrets. He gives you tips for preparing carving and even for repairing the pumpkin!
HGTV has a 22 pumpkin carving templates for beginners. You can download them for free! They also have 17 templates for pro-carvers!
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Sponsors
 Minnesota Farmers Union is the lead sponsor for the Minnesota Grown Directory. They work to protect and enhance the economic interests and quality of life for family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. They are a nonprofit membership-based organization. Did you know you don't have to be a farmers to be a member of the Minnesota Farmers Union? Check it out!
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