Acorn squash among farmers' offerings
Toasted, salted seeds make delicious fall snack

Fresh fall produce, including apples, acorn and butternut squash, persimmons, pomegranates, kiwis and field tomatoes, is available at the Ventura County Certified Farmers' Markets.

To cook acorn squash, cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and fiber, add a little brown sugar and/or maple syrup and bake for a little more than an hour. The seeds can be toasted for snacking. To make the squash easier to cut, pierce the skin in a few spots and microwave on high for two minutes.

Martha Van Hyde Huggins and Elayne Haggan of Thousand Oaks tied for first place in the Farmers' Markets' grilled veggie recipe contest that took place over the summer.

Huggins submitted a grilled barbecued vegetable recipe, and Haggan entered a recipe for orzo-feta salad.

The Ventura Farmers' Markets are held on Wednesdays at the Pacific View Mall from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and Saturdays in downtown Ventura from 8:30 a.m. to noon. The Thursday Thousand Oaks Market is in its temporary location at 403 W. Hillcrest Drive from 2 to 6:30 p.m.

For more information, call (805) 529-6266 or go online to www.vccfarmersmarket.com.