Q: What comes in many colors and sizes, easy to prepare, tasty, healthy and plentiful now?

A: If you said winter squash, you are correct. Winter Squash comes in many colors, orange, yellow, green, red, and vary in size from a few ounces to 15 pounds or more.

Q: In case you are wondering, what is Summer Squash?

A: Crookneck and zucchini are examples of Summer Squash

Summer Squash are harvested when immature (while the rind is still tender and edible). The name "summer squash" refers to the inability to store these squashes for long periods of time (until winter), unlike winter squashes. It grows on bush-type plants that do not spread like the plants of fall and winter squash and pumpkin. A few healthy and well-maintained plants produce abundant yields.

I love squash. I even like the frozen pureed version you can buy in a box! My mother said I was her picky eater. She got me to eat squash and like it. I know it's good for me and I have had some tasty squash dishes over the years. I think people may simply avoid squash not knowing how to prepare it!

Squash is an American food. It sustained native Americans for more than five thousand years and then helped nourish the early European settlers, who quickly made the vegetable an important part of their diet.

Winter Squash The many varieties of winter squash are harvested at a mature stage, when their shells have grown hard and inedible. Because of these protective shells, winter squash can be harvested in the fall and stored several months, throughout the winter, in a cool, dry place.

The yellow or orange flesh of winter squashes is rich in complex carbohydrates and Vitamin A. Some types, such as Hubbard and butternut, contain more than 100 percent of the Recommended Daily Allowance for Vitamin A and only 40 calories in a 1-cup serving.

Availability: Some winter squashes, particularly acorn, are in good supply year-round. But most are at their peak beginning in late summer and continuing throughout the fall and winter, they become scarce in spring.

Shopping Tips: Look for a squash with a smooth, dull, dry rind, free of cracks or soft spots. A winter squash should feel heavy for its size. If possible, choose squash with the stem attached. The stem should be rounded and dry, not collapsed, blackened or moist.

Varieties: There are many varieties of squash. Most varieties can be substituted for one another in recipes. The three most popular varieties are acorn, butternut, and Hubbard.

Preparation: Rinse off any dirt before using.

Baking: To bake, halve small squash length-wise, scoop out the seeds and strings. Cut large squash into serving sized pieces. Place squash, cut-side down in a foil-lined pan. Pour 1/4 -inch of water into the pan, cover with foil, and bake in a 350o to 400o F. oven until the squash is tender when pierced with a knife. Halfway through baking, the squash halves may be turned, cut-side up, brushed with melted butter or oil, and sprinkled with brown sugar and spices.

Cooking Time: Squash halves or whole small pumpkins, 40 to 45 minutes; cut-up squash, 15 to 25 minutes.

Microwaving: Arrange squash halves, cut-side up, in a shallow microwaveable dish, cover and cook until tender, rotating dish halfway through the cooking time. Let stand 5 minutes after cooking.

Cooking Time: for squash halves, 7 to 10 minutes; for chunks, 8 minutes.

Serving suggestions: Baked or steamed winter squash is delicious mashed or pureed, like sweet potatoes. To enhance its natural sweetness, combine squash with any of the following; baked or steamed pears or apples, bananas, chopped cranberries; lemon, lime, or orange juice; almond or vanilla extract; fresh or powered ginger, curry power; cinnamon; nutmeg; mace; cardamom; cloves; allspice or pumpkin pie spice; brown sugar; maple syrup; or honey. For a savory dish, mash the cooked squash with sauted onions or garlic and herbs, or combine chunks of squash with cooked corn, tomatoes, and bell peppers.

Stuffed Squash

1 medium acorn squash or other small squash

Filling:

1 medium apples, peeled, or desired, cored and chopped

1 tablespoon water

Topping:

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons chopped pecans

one half tablespoon butter or margarine

1 teaspoon all-purpose flour

one fourth teaspoon cinnamon

Scoop out seeds from squash halves. Place cut-side down on microwave baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at high 6 minutes, or until fork tender, rotating dish one half turn after half the cooking time. Let stand while preparing filling. 1-1 qt casserole combine apples and water. Cover. Microwave at high 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender, stirring after half the cooking time. Set aside.

Turn squash cut-side up. Place one half of apples in each half. Sprinkle one half of topping on each. Cover with wax paper. Microwave at high one and a half to two minutes, or until topping melts. Serves 2

Nutrition Information per serving: 260 calories, 8 gm fat, 5 mg cholesterol, 45 mg sodium, 7 gm fiber.

When horticulturists go on vacation not only do they go to relax and have a good time, but they also seem to find, or make time, to wander into nurseries, botanic gardens or other places, in order to get their "plant fix," said a University of Illinois horticulture educator.

"Such is the case with this horticulturist who happened to visit several growers and suppliers to nurseries and garden centers," said Greg Stack. "While there, full advantage was taken to "peek over the fence" to see what was new and exciting.

"Here are a few things of note to look for in 2009. You may want to make room for these new introductions as they bring new colors, forms and performance to the garden."

Stack started with zinnias. New for 2009 will be a series of zinnias called 'Zahara'. They come in white and pink but also for the first time a scarlet and yellow. These are outstanding garden performers with very high disease tolerance to mildew. They grow to a neat mound 12 to 18 inches high and as wide. They are outstanding performers for the full sun landscape and once established are very drought tolerant with very low water needs. The single flowers are about two-and-a-half inches in diameter. 'Zahara' zinnias were chosen for use in gardens at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"Just when you thought you had enough petunias to choose from along comes the 'Littletunia' series," he said. "This petunia is so unique it deserves to be put into the garden. It is an extremely low grower and very compact. It grows to about three to four inches tall and spreads to about 12 inches. It produces a profusion of very small flowers about the size of a dime. It comes in red, pink, red/white, and plum. It makes a great edging plant and works well in smaller containers where you don't want a petunia that may overpower other plants in the pot."

And what would a new garden season be without at least a few more coleus?

"Be on the lookout for 'Chocolate Mint' and 'Indian Summer,'" he noted. "Both of these varieties do best with a little light shade but will also tolerate bright light in which case the colors get more intense. 'Chocolate Mint' is a vigorous plant growing to about two feet tall. The leaves are a chocolate brown color edged with a soothing mint green. 'Indian Summer' grows to two feet tall and is a rich mixture of earth tones such as greens, reds, and browns. It is a very striking plant that is even richer in color when given a little bit of light. Both are great as bedding plants or in containers."

For those who like basil, Stack recommended a new basil that is great for use in the kitchen but also highly ornamental. 'Boxwood' Basil is very compact (12 to 18 inches tall), uniform and dwarf small-leaved basil that looks like a boxwood hedge. It almost tends to look rectangular and would make a great 'culinary hedge' in the garden.

"What about new shrub vines and roses?" he asked. "In the vine world, look for a breakthrough in the bittersweet world.

"Remember when you had to plant a male and female bittersweet plant in order to ensure berry production? Well, that is no longer the case with 'Autumn Revolution' Bittersweet. This plant produces flowers with both male and female parts, meaning all you need to plant is one plant for berry production. And what a berry production you will get. 'Autumn Revolution' is a vigorous vine growing to about 25 feet with large glossy green foliage. It will need a substantial support in the garden. As for berry production, extraordinary comes to mind. The berries are orange to red in large clusters with individual berries almost the size of small grapes. It has a very attractive and impressive fall display, quite an improvement for this native vine."

Two new roses are also worth looking at for 2009. 'High Voltage' is a shrub rose with double yellow flowers three to four inches in diameter. The plant is highly disease tolerant to black spot and hardy to zone 4. Blooms are held high on sturdy canes and are very fragrant. It has a vase-shape habit so it is good for back of the border. 'Kashmir' is another shrub rose new on the scene that resembles a hybrid tea rose with blooms that are velvety red. It has a rounded habit growing to about two feet tall, making it a good plant for a low hedge.

The serviceberry is a great three-season plant," he said. "However, most are rather large and may not fit into small space gardens. With the introduction of 'Obelisk,' gardeners with smaller space can now include this great plant."

'Obelisk' grows to about 15 feet tall but is only four feet wide. This narrow habit is perfect for small space gardens. It will offer stems that are covered with white flowers in the spring followed by small orange/red berries in June and dark green circular leaves that change to red/orange in the fall. Birds love the berries.

"That's a little peek over the fence at what is headed your way next season," he said. "As with most gardeners, I'm sure you'll find room for your favorite."

Source: Greg Stack, Extension Educator, Horticulture,stack@uiuc.edu

There are many varieties of winter squash, pumpkin is just one of them. Pumpkin is probably the best known and most used member of the squash family. The most popular way to use pumpkin today is as pie. The pumpkin pie probably originated when some sliced off the pumpkin top, removed the seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey and then baked it in hot coals. Today 99 percent of the pumpkins sold in this country are for jack-o'-lanterns at Halloween. These deep orange pumpkins are too stringy to eat and can be very large. They can easily weight 20 pounds and the very largest can exceed 200 pounds. For cooking the sugar pumpkin, a smaller, sweeter variety with close grained flesh is much better. Most people prefer canned pumpkin, which tastes as good as fresh and is much easier.

Nutrition Facts

The bright orange color of pumpkin tells you that it is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. Current research tells us that a diet rich in foods containing vitamin A may reduce the risk of developing certain type of cancer and offers protection against heart disease. Pumpkin is low in calories, sodium and fat and high in fiber and vitamin A.

Pumpkin Biscuits

3 cups biscuit mix

3 Tablespoons light brown sugar, packed

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

15 oz. can solid pack pumpkin

flour for flouring

Or: instead of spices, use 3/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl toss the biscuit mix, brown sugar and spices. Stir in the pumpkin to make a very soft dough. Place a large sheet of waxed paper on the counter and sprinkle it with more flour. Flour your hands well and pat the dough into a square or rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.

Use a knife to cut the dough into about 24 squares. Lift the biscuits gently to the cookie sheet with a flour spatula.

Bake about 20 minutes or until cooked.

Yield: about 24 biscuits. (Freeze leftover biscuits for later use.)

I had a caller request a recipe for Pumpkin Fudge recently. Last year I was so curious I had to try some. It was good!

Pumpkin Fudge

3 cups white sugar

1 cup milk

3 tablespoons light corn syrup

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice…

(1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg)

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

(optional)

1. Butter or grease one 8x8 inch pan.
2. In a 3 quart saucepan, mix together sugar, milk, corn syrup, pumpkin and salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and continue boiling. Do not stir.
3. When mixture registers 232 degrees F (110 degrees C) on candy thermometer, or forms a soft ball when dropped into cold water, remove pan from heat. Stir in pumpkin pie spice, vanilla, butter and nuts. Cool to lukewarm (110 degrees F or 43 degrees C on candy thermometer).
4. Beat mixture until it is very thick and loses some of its gloss. Quickly pour into a greased eight-inch pan. When firm cut into 36 squares.

Apple-Acorn Squash (serves 4)

• 2 acorn squash
• 1 apple, chopped
• 1/3 cup raisins
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 Tablespoons margarine, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash squash. Cut squash in half, lengthwise. Scrape out seeds. Place cut side down on lightly greased cookie sheet or in a baking pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Mix the remaining ingredients. Turn squash halves over so cut sides are up. Fill squash with apple mixture. Bake for 20 minutes or until squash is soft.

Nutrition facts per serving - Calories 260; fat 6 g; calories from fat 50; sodium 70 mg; total carbohydrate 55 g; fiber 5 g.

Mashed Winter Squash - Butternut, Acorn and Hubbard

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash squash. Cut squash in a half lengthwise. Remove seeds and stringy parts. Place cut sides down on lightly greased baking pan. Bake squash for about one hour or until tender. Scoop out all squash into a bowl. Mash the squash. Season to taste. Seasoning suggestions:

1. butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
2. butter, black pepper, anise seed, cardamon, brown sugar and lemon juice

Nutrition facts (per serving) 1/2 cup mashed butternut with no seasonings - Calories 45; fat 0 g; calories from fat 0; sodium 0 mg; total carbohydrate 12 g; fiber 3 g.

Questions? Contact Cheryl Reidenouer, Extension Educator, EFNEP/FNP at reidenou@uiuc.edu

Source: Cheryl Reidenouer, Extension Educator, EFNEP/FNP 

Despite the scientific evidence that discredits any super weather-predicting power for the wooly worm, people are very passionate about them, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture educator.

"Several towns in the United States have their own wooly worm festivals," said Jennifer Schultz Nelson. "Banner Elk, North Carolina, hosts an annual festival complete with a wooly worm race. The winner is declared the 'official' predictor of winter weather."

Each fall, it's hard not to notice little wooly worms crawling across roads, sidewalks, and paths everywhere. Whereever they are going, they seem very determined. Many people wonder what they actually are. Do they stay as they are or morph into something entirely different in time? And just how do they forecast the winter weather?

"Different species of wooly worms are found all over the world," Nelson said. "The ancient Romans used the Latin term catta pilosa, literally "hairy cat," to describe them. The term caterpillar traces back to these early descriptions.

"The creatures we call wooly worms are, in fact, caterpillars, so their time spent as a wooly worm is limited. The United States is home to at least eight species of the hairy caterpillars that are commonly called wooly worms."

In central Illinois, the most common is the banded wooly bear or worm, Pyrrharctia Isabella. Following the pupal stage, the banded wooly bear emerges in its adult form, the Isabella tiger moth.

"Experts estimate around 260 species of tiger moths in North America," she said. "Their caterpillars share some degree of hairiness--from a few hairs to being completely covered in hairs, like the wooly worms.

"Tiger moths get their name from their bright coloration. Their colors are typically some spotted or striped combination of gold and black. Some species also have red, white, and gray colors interspersed as well. This Isabella tiger moth is a dull yellow-orange with some black spotting, and its first pair of legs has bright red-orange segments."

Each year brings two generations of banded wooly bears, or Isabella tiger moths. One is typically hatched in May, the other in August.

"Most people don't notice wooly worms in the spring and early summer, but they're around, feeding on various plants and growing," she said. "One reason we probably don't notice them is that essentially they're hermits, preferring solitude over socializing."

Another tiger moth larva, fall webworm, is far friendlier, and tends to congregate in large populations on their host plants.

"It is only in the autumn that most people notice wooly worms, and the worms are usually in a big hurry to get somewhere," said Nelson. "What's the rush? Each wooly worm is scrambling to find a warm nook or cranny in which to overwinter.

"Unlike other butterflies or moths, the wooly worm spends the winter as a caterpillar, not a pupa or chrysalis. The hairs covering their bodies are thought to offer some degree of insulation from cold winter temperatures. When the weather warms in the spring, the banded wooly worm becomes active again. They feed for a short time, then pupate, and emerge a few weeks later as adult Isabella tiger moths."

A lot of folklore surrounds the banded wooly worm, particularly related to its supposed ability to predict upcoming winter weather each fall.

"The typical banded wooly worm has sections of black hairs at each end, and a section of orange-brown hairs in the center," she explained. "Legend says that the more black on a banded wooly worm, the more severe the winter will be.

"Some folks have taken this to an extreme, and noting that there are 13 segments in a typical banded wooly worm, they argue that each segment represents one week of winter. Orange segments predict mild weeks, and black ones foretell bad winter weather."

Some people also insist that the thickness of the hairs is the predictor--thick hair equals a bad winter, sparse hair a mild one. Another legend says that the direction a wooly worm is found traveling is a hint about the coming winter. If the wooly worm is traveling north, count on a mild winter. If he's headed south, get ready for a long, cold winter.

"Research has shown repeatedly that the colors or hairs of wooly worms have no bearing on weather the following winter," she said. "Larvae hatched from the same clutch of eggs reared under one set of environmental conditions will show a range of hair thickness and colorations, from fully orange to fully black.

"This variation in a constant environment is a strong argument against wooly worms being able to predict the weather. There is genetic segregation for color and hair thickness present in the wooly worm population. This segregation would make it nearly impossible to visually sort out any environmental influence if it did exist."

Still, the wooly worms have their defenders.

"People come from miles around to participate in the Banner Elk wooly worm festival races," Nelson noted. "Some bring wooly worms they collected; others prefer to buy a wooly worm from one of the 'breeders' who bring their best racing stock to the festival. I guess you can sell just about anything!

"Illinois had its first official wooly worm festival in Camargo in 2006. Will wooly worm breeders be far behind? Time will tell."

Source: Jennifer Schultz Nelson, Unit Educator, Horticulture, jaschult@uiuc.edu

Fall is a great time for planting trees in your landscape, said a University of Illinois Extension horticulture specialist.

"Large retail nurseries will often let you tag a tree to be dug later," said Richard Hentschel. "Trees are also available at retail garden and nursery centers. A tree that has a trunk diameter of two to two-and-a-half inches is a pretty good-sized tree for the homeowner.

"At that size, the tree is not so small that the canopy has not developed but not too big to handle once you get it home."

Nursery-grown trees will be root-pruned, creating a root system closer to the trunk. Canopies will have been properly trained and pruned to provide homeowners with a good start to getting shade in their yards.

"Research indicates that how a tree is planted can make a big difference in how quickly and how well it establishes itself in your yard," he said. "Trees planted too deep are the main cause of poor establishments in most situations involving urban landscapes with heavily disturbed or heavy clay soils.

"Roots will naturally grow down into the soil profile but find it very hard to grow upwards in the soil. Disturbed soils lack the proper pore spaces that allow air and water free movement in the soil."

An important factor in determining if the tree establishes itself or languishes is the planting hole you dig, he added.

"Trees that are slow to establish are often easy targets for insects and diseases," he said. "The hole should be no deeper than the measured ball and two to three times as wide near the top of the measured ball. If there is a question of the soil draining properly, you can dig a slightly shallower hole and the roots will naturally grow down to their desired level.

"Since many of the feeding roots live in the upper 12 inches or so of soil, they really benefit from the planting hole being a lot wider at the top third."

Once the tree is in the hole and sitting straight, backfill the hole with the dirt you dug out. When the hole is about three-fourths filled, settle that soil by adding water. After the water has settled the soil, continue filling the hole and creating a watering berm with any leftover soil.

"Apply more water to settle the newly added soil," he said. "Make sure to check the moisture in the ball and surrounding soil regularly. Water when needed."

For trees planted in the late fall, the time the roots have to grow out into the soil can be extended by mulching. This keeps the soil from getting too cold, allowing the roots several more weeks to grow. Be sure to water one last time before the ground freezes.

"Thin-barked trees will need to have the trunk wrapped to prevent sun scalding and freeze cracks," Hentschel said. "Once good spring weather returns, you can remove the wrap. By the second winter, the tree will have adapted to its current orientation and you will not need to wrap it again."

How long does it take a tree to recover from the initial planting?

"You can count on at least one year for every inch of trunk diameter," he said. "During this time, gardeners will need to continue monitoring the tree and providing water. Visual signs that the tree has recovered from transplanting will be leaves of normal size, an increasing annual growth rate, and a fuller canopy of foliage.

"If you have a larger tree, the recovery time will be even longer. Just remember, the longer the recovery time, the more time insects and diseases have to find your tree."

After Saturday's record rainfall of 6.63 inches, Chicagoland continues to face the prospect of more rain from the remnants of Hurricane Ike. The heavy rains have closed roads and flooded basements.

Cook County Extension offers a series of flood fact sheets offering information on cleaning flood-soiled clothes to sanitizing flooded laundry equipment.

The Extension Disaster Education Network offers a listing of resources to help people deal with flood related issues.