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Recipes, produce guides, seasonal articles, and Collective briefings — one place.
60 results for "winter squash"
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Guide
Comfort meals built around local winter ingredients
Winter farm ingredients — root vegetables, dried beans, cured meats, and storage squash — are exactly what you need for the kind of slow, satisfying cooking the season calls for.
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Guide
What seasonal eating looks like in winter
Winter seasonal eating is not about deprivation — it is a distinct approach to food built around storage crops, proteins, preserved goods, and the slow cooking that cold weather suits.
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Best winter staples to buy from small farms
Winter local farm buying is less about variety and more about quality staples. These are the items most worth seeking out from small producers during the cold months.
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Winter produce guide: what's still available locally
The growing season slows in winter, but it doesn't stop. This guide walks through what's genuinely available from local producers once the cold sets in and how to use it well.
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What to buy from local farms in winter
Winter is quieter on the farm, but local buying doesn't have to stop. Here's what's genuinely available from small producers during the cold months and how to make the most of it.
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ProduceSummer Squash
Summer squash includes yellow squash, crookneck, straightneck, pattypan, and related tender-skinned squashes. It cooks quickly, spoils faster than winter squash, and is best when picked young.
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Guide
Root vegetables, storage crops, and winter farm shopping
Root vegetables and storage crops are what make winter local farm shopping possible. This guide explains what to look for, how to store it, and why local versions are worth seeking out.
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ProduceWhat is squash? Types and uses
Squash is a broad category that covers both tender summer squash and dense winter squash. The easiest way to understand it is to split those two groups apart.
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Guide
What to do with squash
Squash can mean quick-cooking summer squash or longer-keeping winter squash, so the best use depends on which kind is sitting in your kitchen. These ideas cover both without overcomplicating it.
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Guide
How to cook with squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and greens
Squash, apples, sweet potatoes, and fall greens are the backbone of autumn cooking — but knowing how to handle each one makes the difference between a good meal and a forgettable one.
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Guide
Winter buying tips for eggs, meats, pantry items, and preserved goods
Winter is when knowing how to buy specific farm products makes a real difference. Here is a practical guide to eggs, meats, shelf-stable pantry goods, and preserved foods in the colder months.
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Guide
Why winter is a smart time to build new farm buying habits
Counter to what most people assume, winter is actually a good time to start buying from local farms — lower competition, willing producers, and a quieter pace that supports building a real habit.
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Guide
Fall Harvest Guide — Pumpkins, Apples, Squash, and Pears
Fall brings the most abundant and diverse local produce of the year. Here's what to look for, when to find it, and how to store and use everything from butternut squash to late-season apples.
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How to shop local even when it is cold outside
Winter doesn't have to mean the end of local food buying. With a few simple adjustments, you can keep supporting small farms and eating well from local sources all through the cold months.
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Guide
What to buy from local farms in fall
Fall is one of the most rewarding seasons to shop from local farms — winter squash, root vegetables, apples, brassicas, and storage crops are all at peak quality and worth stocking up on before winter.
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RecipeSauteed zucchini and squash
A quick skillet method for turning a summer surplus of zucchini and yellow squash into a side dish — blistered in a hot pan with garlic, served before it goes mushy.
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Guide
How to keep supporting local producers year-round
Many buyers are active in summer and fall but drift away in winter. Here is how to maintain that connection to local farms through every season, not just the abundant ones.
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Guide
Best foods to freeze, store, or preserve in fall
Fall is the best window to build a winter food supply from local farms. Some crops need nothing more than a cool shelf; others freeze or ferment beautifully with minimal effort.
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RecipeShaved fennel and orange salad
Paper-thin fennel, juicy orange segments, olives, and parsley in a lemon-olive oil dressing — a Sicilian-style winter-into-spring salad that's crisp and bright.
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RecipeCreamy leek and potato soup
A silky leek and potato soup with a splash of cream and fresh thyme — the comforting one-pot dinner that turns five ingredients into a meal.
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Guide
How to eat seasonally in early spring
Early spring is a transition season — not winter anymore, but not yet peak growing season either. Here is how to eat well with what is actually available right now.
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How to Preserve Summer Produce for Later
Summer gives you more great produce than you can eat right now. Here's how to freeze, pickle, and put up the best of the season so you're eating local food all winter long.
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ProduceCarrots
Carrots are one of the most reliable local-farm vegetables year-round — harvested in fall and stored through winter. A fresh-pulled carrot from a farm stand tastes nothing like a supermarket bag carrot.
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Guide
Fall meal planning with local ingredients
Meal planning in fall is easier than other seasons because the produce is sturdy, versatile, and cheap to buy in bulk. Here's how to build a practical weekly plan around what local farms actually have.
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ProduceSweet Potatoes
Sweet potatoes are a fall and winter staple with genuine variety differences that most cooks never discover. From the familiar Beauregard orange-fleshed type to Japanese purple varieties, the range in flavor and texture…
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ProduceZucchini
Zucchini is the produce that produces so much in peak summer that gardeners get creative finding ways to use it. Understanding when to pick small vs. let grow big — and how to use each — is most of what matters.
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Best local foods for Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is one of the best occasions of the year to lean into local food. Here is what to look for from nearby farms and producers to make your table feel genuinely special.
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How seasonal eating can encourage more variety
When you shop for what is in season rather than reaching for the same items year-round, you naturally end up cooking with a wider range of vegetables, fruits, and ingredients — often without trying to.
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Five quick dinners using fresh local produce
Fresh local produce makes fast weeknight dinners better without adding effort. These five meal ideas come together quickly and let high-quality seasonal ingredients do the heavy lifting.
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ProduceHow to Store Farm-Fresh Produce to Reduce Waste
Farm-fresh produce comes with different storage needs than grocery store produce. Knowing what goes in the fridge, what stays on the counter, and how to revive wilted greens can cut your waste in half.
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ProduceHow to use up too much zucchini
Zucchini grows fast and piles up quickly. These practical cooking and preserving strategies will get you through a surplus without eating zucchini bread at every meal.
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The best local foods to bring to a gathering
Whether it is a dinner party, a potluck, or a holiday table, bringing food from a local farm makes a stronger impression than anything from a grocery store shelf.
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RecipeSheet pan salmon with asparagus
Flaky lemon-garlic salmon roasted with asparagus and cherry tomatoes on one pan — 20 minutes, one dish, a complete spring dinner.
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RecipeSugar snap pea stir-fry
Crisp-tender sugar snap peas stir-fried with garlic, ginger, and sesame — a 10-minute spring side dish that goes with everything from rice to roast chicken.
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ProduceHow to make fresh produce last all week
Most produce spoilage comes down to a handful of avoidable mistakes. These storage habits will get you through a full week of fresh vegetables and fruit with far less waste.
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Guide
Preserving Local Food — Canning, Fermenting, Drying, and Freezing
The best way to eat well year-round from local farms is to preserve the harvest at peak season. Here's a practical guide to the four main preservation methods with safety guidance from USDA.
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CollectiveThe Spring Local Buying Guide
What's actually worth buying local this spring — and what's not ready yet no matter what the sign says. A member's guide to eating well from April through early June.
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ProduceSpinach
Spinach is one of the most nutritionally dense vegetables at any farm stand, and one of the most season-dependent — spring and fall spinach is sweet and tender, while summer heat pushes it to bolt and turn bitter.…
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ProduceStrawberries
Strawberries are the first real fruit of summer — and the produce where the gap between local and shipped is widest. A ripe local strawberry tastes of strawberry. A shipped one tastes of pink water.
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A Beginner's Guide to Buying From Local Farms Online
Shopping directly from local farms and growers is easier than ever — but it can feel unfamiliar at first. Here's everything you need to know to get started confidently.
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A week of family dinners built from local food
Planning a full week of family dinners around local ingredients is easier than it sounds. This guide walks through a practical approach to building satisfying meals from what small farms have available.
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Guide
Best fall vegetables for roasting, soups, and meal prep
Fall vegetables are built for the way most people actually cook — roasting, simmering in soups, and prepping ahead. Here's which ones work best for each method and why.
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Bulk Produce for Canning and Freezing — Is It Economical?
Buying bulk produce from local farms during peak season — for canning, freezing, and preserving — can be one of the best per-pound values in local food. Here's how the math works and where to start.
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Buying Local Produce vs Growing Your Own — Cost, Time, and Yield
Growing your own food is rewarding and can be cost-effective for specific crops. But for most households, a combination of home growing and buying local delivers the best outcomes on cost, variety, and effort.
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Easy meal ideas for a mixed farm box
A mixed farm box full of varied produce and proteins does not have to feel like a puzzle. These practical meal ideas help you turn an assortment of local ingredients into a week of dinners without overcomplicating…
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Fall produce guide: what is in season right now
Fall is one of the richest seasons for local produce. Here is a practical guide to what is in season, how to use it, and how to make the most of the harvest window.
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Family habits that make seasonal eating easier
Seasonal eating sounds appealing in theory but can feel hard to maintain with a busy family. The right small habits make it significantly more manageable over time.
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First-Time Buyer Questions About Local Food, Answered
If you've thought about buying from local farms but have hesitations or unanswered questions, this post is for you. We tackle the most common concerns head-on.
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ProduceFresh Herbs
Fresh herbs are the fastest way to transform a dish. A handful of basil, a few sprigs of thyme, or a tablespoon of chopped parsley changes a plate in a way that dried herbs simply cannot replicate — and local farms grow…
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Grocery store produce vs farm-fresh produce
Grocery store produce and farm-fresh produce are not the same thing — and understanding the differences can help you make better decisions for your kitchen and your budget.
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Holiday hosting with seasonal ingredients
Hosting a holiday meal with seasonal, locally sourced ingredients changes how you plan, cook, and experience the occasion. This guide covers the practical and the personal side of doing it well.
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How local food can become a weekly family ritual
Rituals give family life shape and meaning. Turning your local food order into a weekly household tradition is one of the simplest and most rewarding routines a family can build.
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How to build a holiday meal with local ingredients
Building a holiday meal around local ingredients is less complicated than it sounds. With a little planning and the right starting point, you can put together a table that feels genuinely rooted in the season.
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How to build simple meals around what is in season
Seasonal cooking does not require elaborate planning or specialty skills. Learning a handful of flexible meal templates and pairing them with what is available locally is all it takes to cook well with what is in season.
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How to build your first weekly local food order
Putting together a weekly local food order is simpler than it looks once you know what to focus on. This guide walks through the decisions, from choosing sellers to planning around what's in season.
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How to buy local food on a budget
Buying local does not have to mean spending more. With a few practical shifts in what you buy, when you buy it, and how much you order at once, you can make local food work for almost any grocery budget.
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How to make nourishing meals easier with seasonal ingredients
Seasonal ingredients are not just fresher — they are also easier to cook well, which makes building consistent, nourishing meals more practical for the average home cook.
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How to Meal Plan Around Seasonal Produce
Seasonal eating doesn't have to mean chaos in the kitchen. Learn how to build a flexible meal plan that works with what's fresh, local, and delicious right now.
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How to shop at a farmers market
Shopping at a farmers market gets easier when you stop trying to buy everything and start shopping for a few useful meals. A simple plan makes the whole experience better.
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How to shop local through harvest season
Harvest season is one of the richest times to buy from local farms, but the crops and rhythms are different from summer. Here is how to shop it well.
