Digging into Farm Fresh Feasts for Furry Friends

Tender millet and chopped fresh & preserved vegetables tossed with a lemony herb vinaigrette, this gluten free whole grain salad is satisfyingly flexible.

Are you a millet eater? Millet curious? I developed this recipe because I was the latter, and now I am the former. After reviewing the

Whole Grains Council's website

with my healthy eating coach, she challenged me to pick a new-to-me grain and try it.

I picked millet, and here we are.

Throughout the winter I've made this salad with a rotating cast of leftover cooked vegetables, fresh vegetables, preserved vegetables, and herbs. My method pretty much goes like this--step 1, put millet and water in the Instant Pot and, step 2, while the Pot is coming up to pressure open the crisper and figure out what's going to be in the salad that day.

Its hearty enough to keep me satisfied for a while, and I can load it up with plenty of fresh veggies to make it feel like Spring has truly sprung even though the muddy garden doesnt quite agree.

Because I've made this so often I've got some tips & tricks for you.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna {Small Family Size}

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna {Small Family Size}

A hearty meatless lasagna with butternut squash and spinach filling in between layers of uncooked noodles. This meal is a great way to enjoy farm share produce year round.

I did not get good photos of this lasagna for you. My spouse thinks that means I merely need to make it again. While I do have some community supported agriculture (CSA) farm share butternut squash left in the Strategic Winter Squash Reserve, I have other ideas for them. Moving forward, always often, to new recipe ideas, and it seems silly to avoid this tasty recipe just because I don't have the food stylist's knack for making a piece of lasagna look good.

I like lasagna filling more than I like noodles, and I hate trying to keep track of all the boiled noodles without losing the little ruffled edges. Therefore I make lasagna that has a higher filling to noodle ratio--and use oven ready noodles so I don't have to stress about separating cooked noodles or having them tear off their petticoats or go diving out of the colander into the sink.

Plan to assemble the lasagna earlier in the day and chill it until you're ready to bake. It could probably be assembled the night before, but I didn't try it that way. This make ahead dish makes a 'small family' size pan (9 inch square) of lasagna, great for a couple of leftovers but not weeks of leftovers.

For other recipes using butternut squash, please see my

Butternut Squash Recipe Collection

. For other recipes using spinach, please see my

Spinach Recipe Collection

. They are part of the recently-updated

Visual Recipe Index by Ingredient

.

Note:

This recipe calls for roasted butternut squash. I usually roast a few squash at a time and keep the unused portions in zip top bags in the freezer. If you don't have any roasted squash on hand you'll need to factor in another 45 minutes to an hour to get that part done.

Another Note:

You'll notice that I'm not starting off with "preheat the oven . . .". That's not an omission. I think the finished lasagna is better if the noodles have a chance to soak up the sauce before baking. My homemade sauce is not concentrated, so it is the perfect liquid for the noodles to absorb and I wanted to make sure that the noodles had the time to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives and then get a move on before I cranked up the heat.

Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna

3 pints tomato sauce or tomato puree (not paste)

cup chopped basil leaves (mine were frozen)

3 to 4 cloves roasted garlic (here's how I roast and put up my crop) or minced fresh garlic

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, divided

5 to 6 cups baby spinach

8 ounces roasted butternut squash (halved & scooped, a squash takes about 20-45 min at 400 degrees)

12 ounces ricotta cheese (or cottage cheese, or a blend of each)

1 egg

teaspoon nutmeg

teaspoon pepper

2 cups shredded mozzarella

cup shredded asiago

8 pieces ( box) oven ready lasagna noodles (I used Barilla)

In a saucepan, simmer the tomatoes, basil, smashed garlic, sugar and salt while you prepare the filling (about 15-20 minutes). In a large skillet over medium heat, stir the spinach with cup water for 5-10 minutes until wilted and nearly dry.

In a large bowl, combine squash, ricotta, egg, and spices until thoroughly mixed. Stir in spinach [I use my immersion blender so the kids can't complain about bits of spinach]. In a 9 inch square pan ladle cup sauce across the bottom. Top with 2 noodles. Spread of ricotta mixture over noodles, top with cup mozzarella cheese and 1 cup sauce. Repeat layers of noodle/ricotta/cheese/sauce 2 more times, then top with final pair of noodles. Cover top layer of noodles with the rest of the sauce, the rest of the mozzarella cheese, and the asiago cheese. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. When you're ready to bake, preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and set the pan on the counter to take the chill off while the oven is preheating. [This is probably not necessary with a metal pan, but mine is ceramic and I don't want to subject it to wild temperature swings.] Remove plastic wrap and cover with foil.Bake for 30 minutes covered, then remove foil and bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes uncovered until edges are browned and crispy. Let stand for 10-15 minutes before slicing.

Hi there!This post is to announce that I am donating access to one of my cooking classes, eitherChili Night with Your Instant Pot orInstant Pot Desserts, to raise money for World Central Kitchen's current efforts helping feed displaced people in Ukraine and surrounding countries.If you've attended one of my online or in-person cooking classes you may be aware of my work as a cook for Minnesota Central Kitchen at Chowgirls Catering in Minneapolis. Chowgirls Culinary Director Chef Liz Mullen modeled MCK on World Central Kitchen, Chef Jose Andres' amazing organization feeding people in need around the world in immediate response to manmade and natural disasters. Since 2010 WCK has been providing hot meals globally--since 2020 MCK has been providing hot meals locally.

I want to help--in a more global way than cooking 72 pounds of basmati rice or roasting 200 pounds of carrots during a shift in the Chowgirls kitchen (or making Turkey Enchilada Lasagna for 200 food insecure folks). So I'm selling access to the recordings of my

Chili Night with Your Instant Pot

class and my

Instant Pot Desserts

class.

If you're interested, you'll purchase access to the class by clicking the Paypal button below. When I get the email from Paypal, I'll send you the recipe handout + a link to the unlisted Youtube recording for that class. Please know that it won't happen immediately--I'm not tech-savvy enough to know how to add the info to the Paypal button below--but within 24 hours of my Paypal notification I'll send you class access.

ALL OF THE MONEY I RECEIVE FROM PAYPAL WILL GO TO WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN!**

I've already earned enough this year to pay for the camera upgrades my spouse/gaffer bought last month. I've got food in the freezer, electricity, and clean water coming out of the tap.I don't need more.Therefore, whatever I receive from Paypal--be it the full $15 if you choose the friends & family option, or a bit less if you choose the goods & services option (your choice, whichever you'd rather do)--will go to World Central Kitchen.

Early April Update!

Last month we raised $210 for World Central Kitchenthrough the sales of access to my previously recorded Chili Night With Your Instant Pot and Instant Pot Desserts classes.

**I lied. I said in my original post about the fundraiser that I would donate ALL of the money I received from PayPal to World Central Kitchen. I lied. PayPal took a cut of the funds, $1.01 per $15 donation, and I didnt want WCK to have to pay the fees associated with the donation, so instead of donating $195.86 I rounded up and donated $220.50 to WCK.

Let me tell you more about the classes you can choose from! (Here's my main

Instant Pot/Air Fryer Class page

.)

Chili Night with your Instant Pot:The electric pressure cooker makes a faster and more flavorful Pot of chili compared to stove top or slow cookerand you can make your sides in the Instant Pot, too! Kirsten will demonstrate Easy Weeknight Chili, Turkey Verde Chili, and vegan Quinoa Chili, along with Instant Pot Baked Potatoes and Loaded Cornbread. Well also discuss how you can adapt your favorite recipe for pressure cooker use. After I receive your donation, you will receive an extensive handout along with the link to the recording from class.

Instant Pot Desserts: Creamy Cheesecake, Crme Brle, decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake, light Upside Down Summer Berry Cake and morewhat do all these treats have in common? Theyre made in an electric pressure cooker! Learn how to create your own Instant Pot Desserts--Crme Brle, Upside Down Summer Berry Cake, Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake, and Cheesecake--and learn about the different items you can use to create desserts in your electric pressure cooker. After I receive your donation, you will receive an extensive handout along with the link to the recording from class.Click here to purchase access to Chili Night With Your Instant Pot ORInstant Pot Desserts for $15--I will donate the full amount from Paypal to World Central Kitchen.I plan to total up the Paypal amounts at the end of the month and then update this post with how much was donated.How long will I keep this fundraiser going? Well, I'd love to say until the people of Ukraine are free from suffering but I don't see that happening anytime soon. I'll keep this fundraiser going through the end of June at any rate.

As the sun dips below the horizon, imagine pulling your RV into a sanctuary of sustainable agriculture, where the air is filled with the pastoral symphony of clucking chickens, mooing cows, and the gentle bleating of goats. Welcome to an authentic farm-stay experience, where RV camping meets the charm of country living and the bounty of organic produce.This hidden gem offers a unique chance to indulge in the freshest of harvests, with organic vegetables and eggs right from the source. The warmth of rural hospitality extends to an optional home-cooked dinner, crafted from the farm's very own ingredients (by prior arrangement and for a nominal donation). Please note that while your taste buds are in for a treat, dietary accommodations are not available, ensuring the culinary offerings are as true to the farm as possible.Rest easy knowing that check-in is smooth, available from 2:00 p.m. on weekends to fit with the farm's rhythm. It's important to communicate your expected arrival time via text, helping your hosts manage their busy farming schedule.For those with 'self-contained' generators, you are welcome here. Although, the serenity of the farm is paramount, so please be considerate of the peace that both you and your fellow campers have come to enjoy.Navigating to this agricultural haven is a breeze, but make sure to avoid Matthews Lane if you're venturing northbound on I-95Cummings Road is the way to go here. And, should you need any guidance, your hosts are just a call away.Remember, as a guest, embracing the Harvest Hosts ethos is key. Leave no trace, take all waste with you, and yes, that includes your furry friend's little surprises.RV camping here isn't just a stayit's an immersion into farm life, an opportunity to unwind amid nature's simplicity, and a way to connect with the land that nourishes us. Come for the retreat, stay for the authenticity, and leave with memories of pastoral tranquility.