WASHINGTON COURT HOUSE, OHIO — Are you eating your (winter) squash? Butternut, acorn, spaghetti, long island cheese, pumpkin….there are so many kinds of hard winter squash, and everyone has their favorite. I grow mostly butternut of one variety or another. It seems to ward off the squash borer better than many others and is a great “winter keeper” – I ate the last 2023 grown squash in May of 2024.

They are easy to prepare – baked, steamed in the microwave, roasted or pureed in a soup. But how about a gratin? Preheat the oven to 325 F. For a 1 ½ -2 lb. winter squash, start with a pan, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, a bay leaf, a few torn sage leaves (or a bit of dried), and a couple of onions thinly sliced sautéed in the oil with the herbs. Season with salt and pepper and spread over the bottom of an 8–10 inch greased baking dish. Next peel the squash of choice, remove the seeds, cut into one-inch (or smaller) pieces, add to boiling water and cook for a minute after the water has returned to a boil. Drain the squash. Tear four slices of bread (you may remove the crusts) into pieces and cover it with some of the boiling water from the squash. After a few minutes, squeeze out the excess water and chop the bread. Place the squash over the onions in the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper, and add one cup of Swiss, Gruyere, or Fontina cheese (grated). Pour in 1 ½ cups warmed milk, and then distribute the bread over the top. Cover with foil and bake for one hour, then remove the foil and bake until the squash is fork tender, about 20 more minutes. Thanks Deborah Madison!

Fayette County Public Health will join us this Saturday as our community guest. Staff will have games to play, public health info and Farmers Market recipe booklets to hand out.

The Fayette County Farmers Market is open Saturday morning from 8:30 to noon. It is located in the municipal parking lot on the corner of South Main and East East streets. SNAP EBT food benefit cards and credit/debit cards are accepted.

The following list contains the names and products of the vendors that expect to set up this Saturday. Other vendors may participate as well.

BRIDGEVIEW GARDENS (Hunter & Lorelle Rohrer): FALL MUMS, decorative gourds & pumpkins, potatoes, sweet potatoes, Winter squash: butternut squash, acorn squash & spaghetti squash, TOMATOES, zucchini and yellow summer squash, bell peppers, and hot peppers.

WOOD DESIGNS by DW (Debbie Welch): One of a kind handcrafted wood items including signs, tables, gnomes, as well as bird feeders (freestanding and hanging) and hanging bird houses. Wooden solar mushrooms and sunflowers. Crocheted items including a variety of stuffed animals, kitchen towels, pot scrubs, potholders, baby booties, and afghans. Will take custom and special orders.

RED MAPLE GOATS and SOAPS (Cindy Grover): Goat milk soaps as well as soothing bath soaks, foot cream, lotions, and 100% handmade goat milk products.

JULIE G’S COOKIES (Julie Greenslade): Chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, ginger, pineapple, macadamia nut, peanut butter, peanut butter jumbos, peanut butter fudge, lemon bars, and pumpkin spice sugar cookies.

DSC PRODUCE FARM (Darren Cox): 10 flavors of salsa (bacon to pineapple), 4 flavors of salad dressings (including blueberry vinaigrette) and 3 flavors of BBQ sauce. PUMPKIN BUTTER.

YOUR OTHER MOTHER’S KITCHEN (Don & Sara Creamer): Bread and other baked goods. Sewing crafts.

ENGETI (Alana Walters & Janet Bick): Dinner rolls, cinnamon rolls, cakes, brownies, pies, cookies, and other baked goods.

WINDY HEN ACRES (Jeff Shepherd & Angie Nichols): Farm fresh eggs & assorted pottery.

JIM’S PREMIUM GROUND BEEF (Jim Hobbs): Premium ground beef in assorted packages (patties, bulk tubes).

COZY BABY BLESSINGS (Nancy Cutter): Baby essentials including hand crocheted blankets and hats, flannel burp cloths, muslin swaddle blankets, beaded and macrame pacifier clips, crinkle squares and other baby teethers. Also crocheted kitchen dish cloths, pot scrubbers, essential oil car diffusers and hand poured wax melts in over 50 scents.

EDLYNNS ATTIC (Robin Dement): Dog biscuits, wax melts, fingerless gloves, scarves, baking mixes, and yarn.

SUNBURST WORMSTEAD (Sarah & Daniel Jewell): Vermi-brew/worm tea and worm casting tea bags – made from worm castings and full of beneficial microbes and nutrients for your indoor & outdoor plants.

SLATE HILL FARM & ORCHARD (Greg Hood and family): Fuji and the last of the Gala apples.

COMPTON CREEK FARMS (Jason and Jenna Bryan): Assorted packaged (frozen) cuts of pasture raised chicken.

PPCF/ THE JAM MAN (David Persinger): Jams/Jellies/Fruit Butters: New- quince butter, plum butter, pear butter. Seedless blackberry jam back in stock. Texas chocolate sheet cakes with or without pecans. Jasper Twp local RAW HONEY. Produce: habanero peppers & Brussel sprouts.

Katrina Bush is a vendor at the Fayette County Farmers Market.