Local Veggies over Apple Hummus -- the perfect comfort meal (and giveaway winner!)

I love how autumn and summer are battling back and forth a bit here in New England.  One day is overcast, windy, and perfect for a large comfy sweater, and the next is sunny and 80 degrees, perfect for flip flops.  It's the best of both worlds and my favorite time of year -- never too cold, never too hot.

Although, those blustery sweater days have got me thinking about warm comfort food.  Luckily, the local veggies know how to usher just the right things into season at the perfect time.  It's squash season, and there's something about the warm density and softness of squash that make me feel soothed at the end of a chilly day.

Usually smaller than most squashes, delicata squash is easy to work with, especially since you can eat the skin, which becomes surprisingly soft after being steamed for 15 minutes.  A good source of fiber and potassium, this lovely yellow squash can brighten up your meal starting in mid-September, when they're usually freshly picked off the vine.  I got this squash from my CSA share, but also saw that Whole Foods was carrying it from a local farm, and know that the farmers at the farmers' market have them as well.

The collard greens, carrots, and red pepper add to the vibrancy of the meal, and were all locally grown by my lovely farmers, Laura and Shannon, who keep my belly happy over at Black Kettle Farm.  To contrast the soft texture of the squash I added a handful of walnuts to each bowl, and poured the veggies over huge bowlfuls of one of the best hummuses I've ever made.

This hummus happened because I had made far too many chickpeas in the crock pot, and after eating chickpeas whole for a couple of days, something different needed to happen.  Hummus seemed like the logical thing to do, but I didn't have any lemon.  I had just acquired a new bottle of Bragg's Raw Apple Cider Vinegar, and remembered how I used to put a whole apple in my hummus to give it an interesting flavor.  Suitably, it's apple season, so this seemed like a food combination that I should bring back.  It was so delicious, that I had no problem eating a whole bowl full of it with the cooked veggies.

Local Veggies over Apple Hummus

For the Hummus:
4 cups chickpeas
1/2 cup water
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons dried basil
3 cloves of garlic (or 1, depending on your garlic tolerance)
1/2 local apple - experiment with a variety you've never tried before!  I used one called "Sweet Tart" which is an apple that is unique to a nearby farm!

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender, and blend until smooth.  Transfer to a large sauce pan and head on medium-low heat while the veggies are cooking.

For the local veggies:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, smashed and diced
1 delicata squash, cut into small pieces and with the seeds taken out
1 red bell pepper, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 leaves of collard greens, diced
1/2 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon corriander
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil

Place your stir-fry pan on medium heat with 1/4 cup of water.  Add your onions, and let them cook for a couple of minutes before adding in the garlic.  Cover for 3 minutes, until the onions are translucent.  Add in the delicata squash -- you might need to add in a little more water at this point -- and cover and let cook for 15 minutes.  When the skin of the squash has become soft, add in the pepper, carrots, and collards, stirring to ensure even cooking.  Add in the spices, salt, and walnuts, and cover for 5 minutes.  Pour over bowls of hummus, and drizzle with olive oil.  Serves 2

The winner of my giveaway was vegangirl, who I have emailed - Congratulations!

Have you ever used delicata squash?  Another great way to use it is to bake it in the oven.  What's your favorite recipe for this gourd?