Vala's Pumpkin Patch

Here’s another simple, rustic recipe for using squash from Vala’s Pumpkin Patch.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Sausage, Kale and Ricotta

1 Acorn Squash
1/4 pound good quality ground sausage
1 slice whole-wheat bread, cut into small cubes
1 egg
1/4 cup ricotta, plus 1 tablespoon more for topping
1/2 bunch kale, thinly sliced
Knob of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Cut the bottom off of the acorn
squash, so it can stand flat on the cutting board. Then slice it in
half and scoop out the seeds. Place the squash in a roasting pan,
flesh side up, and poke a few holes in the flesh with a fork. Put a
knob of butter in each squash (this helps the squash steam and cook
faster) and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Saute the kale in about a teaspoon of olive oil until it is wilted and
tender. Season with salt and pepper. Let cool slightly.

In a bowl, loosely combine the sausage, bread cubes, egg, ricotta,
kale, and a drizzle of olive oil. Season mixture with salt and pepper
(this will depend on the saltiness of your sausage, so be careful!).
Don’t overwork the mixture. Lightly pack the mixture in the bowl of
each acorn squash half without pressing the filling down. Top each
filled squash with a small knob of ricotta and drizzle with olive oil.

Roast in the oven for about 45 minutes to one hour, until the flesh of the
squash is tender and the internal temperature of the sausage reaches
160 degrees F.

Written by Kelsey Vala. Kelsey is the youngest of three Vala sisters. She graduated from New York University last May and is currently working for FoodNetwork.com in New York City.

Working quickly, I oiled the large flat-top griddle and dropped white circles of pancake batter that looked like little glowing moons into the sizzling fat. As soon as I put the bowl of batter down, I was flipping the golden flapjacks to cook on the other side. The hot pancakes steamed in the cool, crisp fall air as they were whisked away for waiting, pancake-hungry customers.

Little did I know that when I traveled home to Nebraska the first weekend in October, I would be flipping pancakes for over 80 people. Since living in New York City, every fall season I need to fly home at least for one weekend just so I can visit my parents’ pumpkin patch. I miss it terribly, so this year I flew back home as soon as possible. And I just happened to be home for Vala’s Pumpkin Patch’s first ever pancake breakfast.

One of the inspirations for this pancake feast was my Grandpa Chuck’s recipe for buttermilk pancakes. These are no box-mix, just-add-water pancakes. These are the real deal, and to this day I’ve never had a better buttermilk pancake. These pancakes have a golden, lightly fried crisp texture on the outside, and they are seductively fluffy on the inside.

And since we’re a pumpkin patch, we also whipped up from-scratch pumpkin pancakes — so good! If you can’t wait until next year’s Vala’s Pancake Breakfast, here’s the pumpkin pancake recipe we used for inspiration. Whip up a batch this weekend for an awesome October treat!

Written by Kelsey Vala. Kelsey is the youngest of three Vala sisters. She graduated from New York University last May and is currently working for FoodNetwork.com in New York City.

Whenever I come home to my parents’ pumpkin patch, I don’t just see fields of pumpkins ready to be carved up into jack-o-lanterns. I also see a farmer’s market where I can get lots of delicious, from-scratch baked goods and I can choose from a variety of pumpkins and squash ready to be cooked up. You can get a pie pumpkin, a small variety known for having tender, sweet flesh best for pumpkin pie. Or, you can experiment like I did with the many varieties of squash available. This past weekend when I was home, I played with this recipe from epicurious.com for a creamy and silky Squash Soup. I just used what I found on the farm — a large butternut squash and a green-and-white striped Delicata (Sweet Potato Squash). This sweet squash combo resulted in a savory soup with just a touch of sweetness without the addition of sugar (besides the splash of real maple syrup I added for fun).

Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons

Soup
1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
4 cups low-salt chicken broth
4 cups 1-inch pieces butternut squash, no need to peel (about 1 1/2 pounds)
4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled Delicata squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 cup whipping cream
Splash of maple syrup

Croutons
2 tablespoons olive oil
24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
1 cup grated Gruyère cheese, or shredded mozzarella

For soup:
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash, plus enough water to barely cover squash; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and maple syrup; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)

For croutons:
Preheat broiler. Drizzle olive oil on bread slices. Sprinkle cheese over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.

Written by Kelsey Vala. Kelsey is the youngest of three Vala sisters. She graduated from New York University last May and is currently working for FoodNetwork.com in New York City.

Tim Vala is the founder, owner and farmer of Vala’s Pumpkin Patch and Fall Festival. Nearly thirty years ago he was anticipating you-pickers arriving at the farm to pick, not pumpkins, but strawberries and summer squash. Today, he answers your facebook questions about his dream to start a farm, his vision for growing this family-run business, and advice on how to pick the perfect pumpkin.

I read an article awhile back that you went to Nebraska Wesleyan University.  So did I!  What year did you graduate and what was your major?
I graduated in ’76, and my wife Jan Vala graduated in ’77. I majored in secondary education in history, so that I could become a history or social sciences teacher someday. Jan was a psychology major and went on to become a school psychologist before she started working full-time for the pumpkin patch. I substitute taught for a couple years after college, then started the business in 1984. I began subbing again for about 5 years when the pumpkin patch was small, mostly in the wintertime when I wasn’t busy with planting or running the business.

Did you always plan on opening the pumpkin patch, or did things just fall into place at the right time?
Well, after college I knew I wanted to have my own business, but that was a very vague idea. In ’84 we opened up a pick-your-own business with the main goal of having you-pick strawberries. I also planted summer vegetables and a few pumpkins. In ’85, the first people came out to pick pumpkins. The idea for the pumpkin patch grew slowly from there, but I really didn’t plan on a pumpkin patch to begin with. After starting the business I just saw more opportunity in pumpkins than in strawberries, and then becoming a big pumpkin patch become more of my goal.

What made you want to start a pumpkin patch?
I wanted to start my own business because I liked the idea of being my own boss, and I liked the independence and freedom of having my own business. I also wanted to do something I was really passionate about, rather than going to work at a job I really didn’t like. I just saw the potential with the pumpkin patch. Every year it grew more successful, and the feedback was positive, so that was the motivation to make it bigger and bigger every year.

How long did it take to “build” Vala’s?
Vala’s is in its 28th year, and every year we keep building. It has been a long, gradual build to get it where it is today. There are two ways to build a business, and one way is to start out with millions of dollars and building the business from zero to 100% and making a huge, one-time investment. But I couldn’t do that, so we grew gradually. Plus we weren’t entirely sure what we were doing back then, so it’s been a learning process as well. We grew organically, just learning as we grew. Sometimes we still have growing pains; for example, one year our parking lot might not have enough space or we need more food locations, and so as we have these growing pains we can adjust and add on to the pumpkin patch year to year.
Read the rest of this entry »

The pumpkin is one of the most versatile fruits I can think of.  No, the pumpkin is not just for carving.  Smaller pumpkins such as the pie pumpkin have a sweet tender meat that can yield its flavor to almost any dish, sweet or savory.  The pumpkin has been a staple food item in the Americas for thousands of years.  We can even thank the pumpkin for helping the Pilgrims survive cold, harsh winters, as its hard outer shell allows it to be preserved for many months.  Today we most often see the pumpkin whipped into a sweet pie, and we certainly do not depend on it for our survival.

But that does not mean we cannot cherish this wonderful ingredient most commonly found pureed in a can and sitting on our pantry shelf.  So as an ode to the precious pumpkin, I have made it my goal to find the perfect pumpkin bread recipe.  Of course, this task may prove to be impossible, as perfection is relative and everyone has their own personal preferences when it comes the pumpkin bread: a touch more cinnamon could be added; walnuts may be preferable to pecans; some like it plain while others love the bread speckled with raisins, chocolate chunks, cranberries, currants, or chopped dates.

I will give you one recipe I adapted from a 2003 issue of Bon Appétit Magazine.  This particular recipe has cranberries, walnuts, and orange zest, but feel free to alter the recipe to your own personal preferences.  This fall season, look for a variety of pumpkin breads in our Big Barn Bakery at Vala’s Pumpkin Patch!

Cranberry Orange Walnut Pumpkin Bread (or Muffins)

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 large eggs

1 cup canned pure pumpkin

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons orange zest

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup orange juice

1/2 cup dried sweetened cranberries

1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, plus more for topping

raw sugar for topping (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9 1/4×5 1/4×3-inch loaf pan or a muffin pan. Whisk flour, spices, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add sugar, beating until blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla and orange zest. Beat in dry ingredients alternately with buttermilk and orange juice in 2 additions each. Fold in cranberries and nuts. Transfer batter to pan. Sprinkle with additional walnuts and 1 tablespoon raw sugar, if using.

Bake bread until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Cool bread in pan on rack 15 minutes.  Turn bread out onto rack.  Cool bread completely.

One of the best parts about summer is firing up the grill.  As soon as I feel the summer heat of Nebraska, I inevitably crave hamburgers, barbeque, grilled sweet corn, and of course, a hot dog.  When it comes to hot dogs, I get really excited about the sauces, garnishes, and other toppings to embellish this simple summer food.  You can put more on a hot dog than just mustard, ketchup and relish.  During the summer I constantly crave a Chicago-style hot dog that traditionally comes with a multitude of toppings, such as a dill pickle spear, celery salt, thick-sliced tomatoes, yellow mustard (no ketchup), chopped onions, and peppers all on a poppy seed bun.  Sometimes I get a hankering for a New York hot dog from a street vendor topped with the customary onion sauce.  One of my favorite hot dog establishments is Hillbilly Hot Dogs in West Virginia.  Click here to check out their amazing (and amazingly strange!) menu of hot dogs with an assortment of toppings you would never dream of.  Perhaps you will get some inspiration for your own hot dog creation.  At Vala’s Pumpkin Patch, we love hot dogs so much we are even having special hot dog events every Thursday in October!

As soon as I arrived home from college, I did my hot dog research in order to have a nice family dinner of hot dogs.  Whoever said hot dogs can’t be a gourmet meal? To me, a hot dog is like a blank canvas.  Once you start with a good-quality hot dog there is an endless possibility of toppings! On this particular night, I made an assortment of Wimmer’s Wiener’s and Omaha Steak hot dogs.  Both brands are extremely flavorful!  I decided to grill the hot dogs, since this gives them a crisp outer casing and a smoked flavor while the inside remains juicy.  My favorite hot dog brands include Nathan’s Famous hot dogs, Wimmer’s Wieners, and Omaha Steak hot dogs.  At Vala’s Pumpkin Patch we will be selling Nathan’s Famous hot dogs at our new food location, Cobs and Dogs, featuring corn on the cob and hot dogs with a toppings bar!

The toppings are where I was allowed to be creative.  I made quick homemade dill pickles ready to eat in just 30 minutes, homemade coleslaw, and homemade pimento cheese.  A homemade coleslaw can be whipped up in a jiffy.  Just mix a package of coleslaw mix (or you can grate your own cabbage and carrots) and mix with a chopped onion, ¾ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise, a splash of cider or white wine vinegar, and sugar, salt, and pepper to taste.  As the coleslaw mixture sits for a bit, the flavors will meld together.  Coleslaw makes a great topping for hot dogs especially with grilled hot peppers, as it will cool down the flavor of the peppers.  The pimento cheese is a recipe I adapted from Zingerman’s Guide to Better Bacon.  I mixed together ¾ lb good quality extra-sharp cheddar cheese, ¾ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise, 2 tbsp diced roasted jalapeno, ¼ tsp cayenne pepper, 1 tsp olive oil, sea salt and black pepper to taste.

I laid out the buffet of toppings, as my family sat to eat the grilled hot dogs.  Everyone’s hot dog was unique.  My perfect hot dog included celery salt, coleslaw, pimento cheese, and the homemade pickles.  It was an ideal combination, one that I had been craving ever since the weather warmed up.  The spicy pimento cheese was cooled down by the creamy coleslaw, and the pickles gave it a refreshing crunch.

What is your perfect hot dog?

Kirsten's Favorite Rhubarb Pie Recipe

Sure we grow pumpkins for a living, but one of the great things about living on a farm is having room to let your personal garden spread out a bit. Some years ago Dad cleared a little corner of land and Grandpa Ernie took it over, planting fruits and veggies galore. We look forward to picking what we need all year, but springtime is our favorite for one reason: Rhubarb! No garden of your own? No worries. Local farmers’ market finds will do. Check out my best rhubarb pie recipe, or browse through more great picks.

Ready for more pumpkin picking fun? Mark your calendars! It’s never too early to start planning your events and looking forward to the fall season. We’re taking reservations now: 402-332-4200.

Join us for our 2010 fall festival, from:
Saturday, Sept. 25 through Sunday, October 31, 2010

We are open every day:
9 am to 9 pm, Sunday through Wednesday
9 am to 10 pm, Thursday, Friday & Saturday