Kaffeinated Konfusion

Leaves begin to change with a sprinkle of red and gold here and there and the next thing you know it is riotous color at every turn of the road.  
This is my favorite time of the year. 
I love the changes that a Michigan autumn brings.
I love the fall harvest of squash, pumpkins, grapes, pears, apples and of course mushrooms.
We have been trying to cook and eat up everything we can find at the restaurant and at home.
Pie pumpkins and apples dominate the featured items with a annual return of a dish we call Fruitridge Chicken. Named for the farm where we get, well whatever they are growing and selling. We have played with Honey Crisp, Golden Delicious, Cortland, Sun Crisp, Ida Reds. Macintosh and a couple others I cant remember.
We have offered a vegetarian dish featuring acorn squash and dried fruits. Butternut squash soups, pear tarts and apple crisp.
At home we a bit more daring and this year we have enjoyed parasol mushrooms on pizza with pesto and chicken. I am sure the neighbors were amazed when I walked up and took a couple pictures and filled my bowl with these beauties. Our favorite mushroom is a sliced, floured and pan fried giant puff balls. You know the ones that go poof emitting a green cloudwhen you step on them . When you get them young and they are solid white completely through they are excellent!  

Peanut Squash

Chicken mushrooms made into a gravy ladled over German bread dumplings. 
Hen of the woods made into a casserole somewhat like tuna noodle with spicy bent from fresh jalapenos.
Last night it was a peanut squash. Man this thing is ugly and huge! A medium size pumpkin covered with peanut looking warts. You could feed a family of 10 and have leftovers.

Parasol Mushrooms

I just don’t understand why some folks don’t like squash. Maybe it is a texture thing? It surely can’t be a flavor issue as this thing was down right tasty. All we did was put some butter in it and season it with salt and pepper and baked it. Why muck it up with a ton of brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg? 
(Especailly if you don’t have any in the house) I think it would be better if it was boiled and pureed with potatoes as the texture a bit grainy.
Too bad I let the seeds burn up while I was writing this blog post, they would have made a good snack!