Welcome to Mise en Place, a journey of culinary delight where anything can happen. Based on the Colorado Department of Agriculture’s list of food by month, KRCC takes a look at farmers, chefs, and fodder, all with a Centennial State bent.

Each month, the state’s agriculture department highlights a commodity and provides a recipe using that product. We take it a step further.

No doubt you’ve seen the recent arrival of winter squash at the grocery, and may have recently had zucchini coming out of your gardening ears. Squash is November’s food selection. This month I visited with Colorado State University-Pueblo history professor Fawn Amber Montoya to get a glimpse into the rich history of the squash, and certified holistic health and garden counselor Michele Mukatis of Cultivate Health came by the KRCC Test Kitchen to cook up a tasty pumpkin coffee cake.

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Hear Fawn Amber Montoya describe calabasitas:

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

The legend of the “Three Sisters” differs from culture to culture, but the ideas are similar. Here’s one example of the legend, from the North Carolina Museum of history: The Legend of the Three Sisters.

See below for the Pumpkin Coffee Cake recipe from Michele Mukatis of Cultivate Health, and for the Department of Agriculture’s recipe for Butternut Squash Soup. As a special bonus, we also have a recipe from Fawn Amber Montoya for calabacitas.

Pumpkin Coffee Cake
Michele Mukatis, Cultivate Health
This streusel-topped treat is full of healthy ingredients such as oats and molasses.
Serves 12

Coffeecake
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 Tbs. baking powder
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 cup black strap molasses
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 cups fresh or canned pumpkin purée

Streusel Topping
1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour or all-purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
4 Tbs. butter, melted

DIRECTIONS

To make coffeecake: Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 10-inch square pan with nonstick spray.

Combine flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt in large bowl. Beat butter and sugar in separate bowl until fluffy. Mix eggs and pumpkin into butter mixture. Gradually stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture. Spread in pan.

To make Streusel Topping: Mix all ingredients together until crumbly. Spread on coffee cake. Bake 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool at least 10 minutes, then slice into squares, and serve.

Calabacitas
Fawn Amber Montoya, CSU-Pueblo history professor

1 clove of garlic- chopped
1 medium white onion 
1/2 lb of hamburger
3 medium sized zucchini or summer squash
1 cob of corn- kernels only
1 medium tomato
Salt and pepper
Cheese (optional)
Sauté onion and garlic. Set aside. Brown hamburger, add zucchini and summer squash cook until tender, add onion, garlic, and corn. Cook for 1-2 minutes, add tomato and cook for an additional 2 minutes. 
Salt and pepper to taste. Serve with favorite cheese and  warm corn or flour tortillas on the side.

Recipe from the Colorado Department of Agriculture

Butternut Squash Soup
Chef Jason K. Morse, C.E.C., Valley Country Club, Aurora, Colo.
ACF Colorado Chefs Association President

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1-1/2 ea. Yellow Onion, diced small
2 Stalks Celery, with leaves, diced small
2 ea. Carrots, diced small
3 ea. Yukon Gold Potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 ea. Butternut Squash, seeded, roasted, chilled and peeled
48 fl. oz. Chicken Broth
1 tsp. Herbs de Provence
Kosher Salt to taste
Ground Black Pepper to taste
Pumpkin Pie Spice to taste
1-1/2 cups Whipping Cream

Heat large sauté pan, add oil and heat, then add the onions and cook until caramelized. Add the celery, carrot and potato and cook until the celery is translucent. Add herbs and spices, squash and broth, then bring mixture to a boil, turn down and simmer until all vegetables are soft. Using a hand blender puree the mixture until smooth. Finish with the heavy cream and adjust seasonings as needed. Great served with pumpkin spice bread.

Podcast: Download