Crock Pot to Dehydrator - Farmer's Market Edition

[Dicentra]

My mother in law brought me a ton of various squashes she had picked up at the farmer's market north of here. I started with the huge piece of gray hubbard squash. Skinning and dicing the hard squash was the hardest part. I recently bought the book 1001 Best Slow Cooker Recipes and I'm slowly working through many of the delicious ideas. Crock pots are wonderful for fall weather comfort food. Great book! I have 4 or this series now (with plans to eventually get the rest).

Here's the recipe as it reads originally. I, of course, cannot follow a written recipe to save my life, so I note the changes I made to the recipe below.

Bean and Squash Stew

2 (14 ounce) cans diced tomatoes
1 (15 ounce) can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 (13 ounce) can baby lima beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups peeled squash (butternut or acorn)
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups chopped bell peppers
2 teaspoons minced roasted garlic
3/4 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
salt and pepper

Combine all of the ingredients, except the salt and pepper in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

I used 2 cans of petite diced tomatoes, two cans of white kidney beans, omitted the lima beans and bell pepper, 3 1/2 cups of diced squash, 2 small onions (diced), chopped raw garlic instead of roasted and a blend of basil-oregano-thyme. I also added just a little water because the mixture looked a bit dry.



I set the crock pot to run on high for about 6 hours. The house smelled wonderful! Everything cooked down to a delightful stewy texture. I mashed the cubed squash with a wooden spoon after it had cooked through. Of course we had to eat some first! YUM!



I let the stew cool before loading it onto the lined dehydrator trays, spreading it as thin as possible. It is pretty thick with all the squash and beans. I got it down to about 1/8 thick. I set the dehydrator to 140* and let it go.



It took about 6 hours for the stew to dry all the way, but now I have several servings of dried stew for future trips. This will be great served with couscous or pre-dried quinoa. I would do about 1/2 cup dried stew to 1/4-1/3 cup grains when packaging this up. Adjust to taste.

[Ewker]

that sounds good and I have 2 butternut, 1 acorn and 1 blue hubbard squash at home now. To bad I am going out of town this weekend or I would make the stew

[Dicentra]

that sounds good and I have 2 butternut, 1 acorn and 1 blue hubbard squash at home now. To bad I am going out of town this weekend or I would make the stew

It's vegan too! If you care about such things.

The nice thing about winter squashes is that they will keep for a LONG time. I've got a butternut and an acorn on my table waiting for me... Haven't decided what they will be yet. More crock pot projects maybe?

[ShoelessWanderer]

Sounds really good, and like your changes! Will have to try it.

[mudcap]

That looks great,I will surely give it a try. I agree on your changes. I have a ton of squash to use up,time to get cooking.

[Dicentra]

That looks great,I will surely give it a try. I agree on your changes. I have a ton of squash to use up,time to get cooking.

I'm having fun with the squash! Next up is a butternut-apple (in the crock pot) with lots of sugar and spices. Stay tuned.

[Rocket Jones]

If you do a google search for "3 Sisters Stew", you'll find an old Indian recipe for a squash, beans and corn stew. Tasty and nutritionally complete. Vegetarian too, but still edible to us dedicated meatavores.

[Dicentra]

If you do a google search for "3 Sisters Stew", you'll find an old Indian recipe for a squash, beans and corn stew. Tasty and nutritionally complete. Vegetarian too, but still edible to us dedicated meatavores.

There's a Three Sister's Stew recipe in my book. No dehydrator required.

[Wise Old Owl]

This is a tough call I would need to stand next to you while cooking to make a better observation. The colors are blending as well as the flavors, the squash alone would make a good meal.. The beans ??? OK I am lost here....


ON the fence..... Sorry.
I would have to do this at home following this.

[Dicentra]

This is a tough call I would need to stand next to you while cooking to make a better observation. The colors are blending as well as the flavors, the squash alone would make a good meal.. The beans ??? OK I am lost here....


ON the fence..... Sorry.
I would have to do this at home following this.

Well for starters the beans add protein. I'm not sure I'd like this with red kidney beans, but I'm partial to the white anyway. I owe you a meal. Want me to sent you some to try?

[mudcap]

I agree on the red kidney beans,and feel the same about omitting the lima beans. I like lima beans but can not picture them in this. I really like the colors in your dish,very important to me to like the looks of my meal.

[Dicentra]

I agree on the red kidney beans,and feel the same about omitting the lima beans. I like lima beans but can not picture them in this. I really like the colors in your dish,very important to me to like the looks of my meal.

The first rule of cooking is there are no rules! (Baking is another story) You get to do what you like! Sage would be good in this too...