Fall’s Vegetable Harvest

Winter Squash
Melissa's winter squash will bring color and warmth to your dinner table, adding flavor, variety, and health. With over 20 different squash varieties to choose from, you won't have any problem finding one you'll love. Hard squash is extremely rich in vitamin A and a good source of vitamin C, folate, and potassium. Squash can be easily prepared by halving and baking in the oven until tender. Try one of these hard squashes to create amazing meals:

Butternut: This light beige colored squash is best when it is about 8 to 12 inches long. Butternut squash is a sweet-tasting squash that is great when cooked and cubed as a side dish. The high carotene content of butternut squash makes its flesh a deep orange color.
Acorn: This acorn-shaped squash is either green or gold. It is a sweet squash and makes a great serving vessel when cut in half with the flesh carved out; stuff with rice mixture for a delicious side dish.
Spaghetti: Remove the seeds and bake to reveal spaghetti-like strands when scraped out with a fork. Top with your favorite sauce for a healthier version of a popular dish.
Kabocha: This dark green squash tastes similar to pumpkin when cooked and tastes excellent baked into a casserole or cubed and steamed with cinnamon.
Delicata: One of the smaller hard squashes, this light squash with dark green stripes, can be sliced and baked for a simple side dish; no need to remove the skin!
Sweet Dumpling: A little larger than an apple, this single-serving squash can be baked and stuffed with your favorite soup or stew.
Red Kuri: This smooth orange squash looks similar to a pumpkin without the ridges; the cooked flesh has a slight chestnut flavor and is delicious made into a pie or a mash.


Pumpkins
Pumpkins are a traditional favorite for Halloween. Pumpkins can be orange, which is the most common color, pink, or white, which are called ghost pumpkins. Generally, people carve their pumpkins into a "Jack' O Lantern" by making a face on the pumpkin. The inner seeds are also popular to bake as a crunchy snack. You can season them with salt or your favorite popcorn seasoning for a real treat. Pumpkins can also be cooked and eaten just like any other squash. The most popular recipe for a pumpkin is pie.


Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes
Grown year-round in nutrient-rich volcanic soil where the days are warm and the nights are cool, Melissa's Baby Dutch Yellow® Potatoes are produced under ideal conditions to create an irresistibly flavorful potato. Our Baby Dutch Yellow® has a distinct, yellow flesh with a subtle flavor and a creamy texture. These are one of the best-tasting potatoes on the market today. An excellent source of fiber and potassium; they are great when baked, roasted, mashed, or sautéed; they are also delicious in potato salad. Be sure to check out our DYP® cookbook, too!


Variety Potatoes
Dutch Yellow®, Fingerlings, Baby Red, Baby White, Gemstone®, and Dutch Blue® are all delicious and easy to prepare. Baked or mashed, is the most popular way to serve these potatoes; leave the skin on for a healthier dish. Try the latest trend: SMASHED potatoes for a new side everyone will love.

For added convenience, try our latest Dutch Potato Trays. Using the tray they are packaged in, add the sauce, heat and serve. Three delicious flavors to choose from: Three Cheese, Dijon Mustard, and Peppercorn.


Ginger
Ginger is one of the most versatile roots. It is very popular for juicing and is the main flavoring ingredient for stir-fries, sauces, and many recipes that you want to add an Asian flair. Ginger root is generally peeled before using; an easy way to do so is by using the back of a spoon and gently scraping the skin off. Ginger can also be frozen for later use.


Turmeric
A relative in the ginger root family, turmeric is one of the latest health trends, often used for juicing to extract the many health benefits, which include: helping alleviate arthritis, preventing and treating Alzheimer's, lowering the risk of heart disease, and helping to prevent cancer. Turmeric contains anti-inflammatory elements as well as antioxidants.


Pearl Onions
Pearl onions are a member of the lily family and are believed to have originated in Southern Europe. Pearl onions are available in three colors: white, red, and gold. They are available year-round, and Melissa's offers them packaged several ways. Pearl onions are a mild onion, about 1-inch in diameter. They have a papery skin and look like a miniature regular onion. Pearl onions are very popular around the holidays and are generally used in vegetable casseroles or creamed as a side dish. Pearl onions are great on skewers or in sauces, too.

To peel pearl onions, blanch them quickly in boiling water, then plunge into cold water. Once cooled, cut off the root-end of the onion and squeeze out of the skin. It is very simple and easy for such a delicious treat. Pearl onions should be stored in a cool, dry place, just as you would a large onion. They are very low-calorie and very low-sodium with some iron and vitamin C.


Boiler Onions
Melissa's Boiler Onions are considered a dry onion (mature onion) harvested when their inner flesh is juicy and is covered with dry, papery skin. Melissa's Boiler Onions are available in white, red, and gold. These versatile onions are about one inch in diameter and impart a sweet, pungent flavor. They can be cooked as a side dish and are great for use in pickling and stews. Boiler onions are available year-round, perfect for summer grilling and holiday dishes. Boiler onions taste delicious in salads, soups, main dishes, or barbecued on skewers.
Melissa's Boiler Onions should be firm, with dry, papery skins. Store whole dry onions in a cool, dry place with good air circulation for up to two months. Once cut, tightly wrap any unused onion in plastic, refrigerate and use within a few days.


Shallots
Shallots are a member of the onion family and are tender in texture, mild in flavor (less pungent than an onion), and quick to cook. Since each head is made up of several cloves, shallots often resemble garlic rather than onions. Covered with a thin, paper-like skin, shallots are an excellent way to enhance flavor without adding sodium or other salty seasonings. The skin of a shallot can range from pale brown or gray to a soft rose. Once exposed, the ivory flesh is usually marked by a pale green or purple color.

Shallots should be stored like an onion in a cool, dark place. They are low-calorie, contain no cholesterol, and have very minimal sodium (12g per 3 oz.). Use shallots in sauces, sautés, casseroles, as a condiment, or any way you would use an onion. You will love them!


Baby Red Beets
Melissa's Baby Red Beets are very delicious, convenient, and easy to use. No more mess from boiling and peeling fresh beets! These no-hassle beets are vacuum-sealed for extended shelf-life (about six months). Just slice or dice and add to your favorite recipe. They can be served hot or cold. Try them added to your favorite vegetable dish, or sliced in a garden salad. Beets will add color and vitamins for minimal calories and maximum flavor! Use them in this quick and delicious salad: chopped beets, diced cucumber, diced onion, chopped kale, and rice wine vinegar — YUM!

Melissa's Baby Red Beets are approximately 40 calories each and contain no fat, sodium, or cholesterol. Beets are also a good source of fiber and are rich in potassium. The best part is these are available year-round!


Six Bean Medley
This convenient package of six bean medley is the perfect combination of red and white kidney, white navy, cranberry, and black beans, as well as black-eyed peas. This mix is easy to use for cold bean salads, soups, stews, or even chili!

Melissa's Six Bean Medley is vacuum-sealed for a longer shelf-life and contains no artificial colors or flavors; they are also a good source of protein and fiber.


Chayote Squash
This versatile squash is part of the gourd family; it is also known as a mirliton squash and is often stuffed or used in casseroles or sautés.

Chayote is a crisp and juicy squash with green flesh and a mildly sweet flavor. It is rich in nutrients and is believed to contain cancer-fighting antioxidants.


Chile Peppers
Chile peppers have been cultivated for more than 7,000 years, used extensively by the Incas and the Aztecs. Today, they are used by many ethnic groups in their daily cooking preparations. There are several varieties of fresh chile peppers: Yellow (or Caribe), Pasilla (or Poblano), Fresno-red and green, Habanero-assorted colors, Jalapeno, Anaheim-red and green, and Serrano, to name a few. Chile peppers get their heat from 'capsaicin,' an oil in them that can burn your eyes and mouth. The hottest of these mentioned is the habanero chile, which is off the heat scale in comparison to the others—generally, the smaller the chile, the hotter the bite. Also, when preparing chiles, if you remove the seeds, the chile will be milder. We also suggest wearing gloves and use caution not to touch your eyes.


Hatch Pepper Powder Shakers
Melissa's offers amazing Hatch Pepper flavor, all-year-round! We took fresh hot and mild Hatch peppers and dried them for the best-tasting chile pepper powder EVER! Use Hatch pepper powder to add flavor and heat to soups, casseroles, omelets, eggs, or anywhere you would use regular chile powder.

If you are a Hatch Pepper fanatic, you know you will love this powder. If you have never tried Hatch Chile Peppers, this is the perfect way to try their unique flavor. (Fresh Hatch Peppers are only available 4-6 weeks in August/early September.) You will love trying some of our family recipes in our Hatch Chile Cookbook, too!


Hollandaise Sauce
Convenient and ready-to-use, this delicious one-time use sauce packet is ready-to-eat. Hollandaise means Holland-style or from Holland. This rich and flavorful sauce is made with two main ingredients: eggs and butter. Use it on vegetables like asparagus, artichokes, or brussels sprouts. Hollandaise is also delicious on fish and eggs.