About the Harvest
Winter Squash:
Winter squash are squashes that have matured long enough to harden their skin making it good for storing and eating over the winter. The orange and yellow flesh of winter squash means its full of vitamin A, but also has vitamins B-6 and C, as well as potassium and fiber. Not only is the squash itself edible, so are the leaves, flowers, stems, and seeds.
Squashes, also called pumpkins, gourds, and squashes originated in the Americas, specifically what is now Mexico. They have been cultivated there for 8,000 years. Gourds were first used as containers or utensils. Popular squash varieties include pumpkin, butternut, acorn, delicata, kabocha, hubbard, and spaghetti (named for it’s stringy, spaghetti-like flesh).
Alliums:
Alliums are a family of vegetable plants that include onions, shallots, garlic, chives, scallions or green onions, and leeks. All of them have a similar smell and taste. Onions can be red, white, or yellow and some are sweeter than others.
Green onions or scallions are native to Asia. Both the white and green parts are eaten. Onions have been cultivated for more than 5,000 years and it is believed they originated in either central Asia or Iran. Onions are high in vitamin C and a good source of fiber. Leeks are a good source of vitamin K and are milder in taste than onions. Compounds in garlic have been proven to be an effective antibiotic, can destroy certain cancer cells, can protect the heart from cardiomyopathy, and can prevent and treat osteoarthritis.