creamy butternut squash pasta

(so good even my very picky toddler loves it)

Nov 15, 2024

∙ Paid

For reasons I can’t really explain, over the past week there are a few hundred new folks subscribed here (hi! welcome!), so I figured it was a good time to do a quick introduction about myself and this little corner of the internet.

PS – if you’re just here for today’s new seasonal recipe (I don’t blame you, it’s a freakin winner) then just keep scrolling…

Hey! Michelle here, I’m a mom to two sweet (and very blonde) kiddos, wife to my college sweetheart, and the current steward of a 10-acre organic vegetable farm in the Piedmont of North Carolina. I’m originally from Missouri, but I eventually found my way to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia for college, which is where I fell head over heels with all things food and farming. Over the years, I got pretty darn good at growing vegetables. The only problem? I had NO CLUE how to cook a damn thing. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I could barely scramble an egg (growing up, we cooked eggs in the microwave, so… yeah).

Like the straight-A and very type-A human that I am, I was determined to learn my way around a kitchen. So I saved up all my pennies and sent myself to culinary school at the Ballymaloe Cooking School – located on a 100-acre organic farm off the coast of Ireland (aka, heaven). At Ballymaloe, my eyes were opened, my tastebuds awakened, and my mind was totally rocked. Inspired by the incredible teachers, farm-fresh ingredients, and straightforward culinary ethos at Ballymaloe, I came back home with a dream to someday create my own farm to table haven, a place where people could come, wander, harvest fresh veggies, prepare nourishing dishes, and sit down around a table together.

It’s been a looong road to get here (I’ll spare you all the details… though this reel gives a quick glimpse), but 5 years ago we landed on this beautiful farm down the road from the sweet, funky village of Saxapahaw, North Carolina. Today, I grow a smattering of vegetables, herbs, and fruits for our wonderful CSA members (as well as local chefs/restaurants), and I also lead hands-on, farm to table culinary workshops. I know it’s cringe to say out loud, but this whole thing really is a freaking dream come true.

And also! Balancing the responsibilities of the farm + teaching workshops while raising a young family is HARD. And messy.

And that’s what I dig into here every week. I’ll share all my hard-earned tips for growing garlic, and I’ll tell you about the struggles of navigating severe food allergies with one of our kids. In this newsletter you’ll find a handy guide about all things winter squash, video tutorials about breaking down butternut squash, detailed garden guides, and honestly, whatever is going on in our world at the moment.

My genuine hope is that these weekly notes help you gain confidence in your gardening + culinary journey, that they bring a smile to your face, and generally make you feel less alone. Basically, I’m here to show you that you don’t have to be a farmer to eat like one!

So… what does it mean to eat like a farmer?

it’s cooking unfussy, flavor-packed meals using seasonal ingredients
it’s getting creative, using whatever you have on hand, and reducing waste
no fancy kitchens or equipment needed
no green thumb or giant garden required
…also, sometimes eating like a farmer means whipping up some frozen pizza and eating while standing up, and that’s totally cool too :)

Even if gardening and/or cooking aren’t your vibe (which I totally get.. these are wildly frustrating pursuits), but you enjoy living vicariously through stories about life on a working vegetable farm, then I think you’ll enjoy this little corner of the internet. Thank you for being here. :) Now it’s time to get cooking!

Keep reading for this week’s new recipe – creamy butternut squash pasta with sage and walnuts – available for paid subscribers.

upgrade to paid

As a proud organic farmer this is embarrassing to admit, but currently the only vegetable my toddler will eat is a cucumber. (And if we want to get botanical about it, technically cucumber is a fruit… so, that’s great). No matter how much we try and continually offer other veggies (freshly picked from 100 feet outside our door, no less!) the boy is unwavering.

Well, persistence is my middle name, baby. So it’s become my mission to get as many veggies into his belly as humanly possible, through recipes that he will actually eat. I’m thrilled to report that today’s recipe for creamy butternut squash pasta is toddler (and adult) approved, and it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve cooked/eaten so far this fall season.

The secret is roasting the butternut squash flesh along with several cloves of garlic, both of which become luxuriously sweet and caramelized in the oven. Then just throw the roasted butternut squash/garlic into a blender along with some fresh sage, toasted walnuts, melted butter, Parmesan cheese, a pinch of nutmeg, a squeeze of lemon… so simple, but so freaking GOOD. Like, so good that I can’t resist grabbing a spoon and eating the sauce straight from the blender before adding it to the pasta.

In the words of our girl Sabrina, please, please, please do yourself (and any picky children who may be nearby) a favor and give this recipe a try.

Keep reading for the full recipe (and a handy 1-page PDF for easy printing).

Become a paid subscriber to access today’s recipe (free subscribers get access to recipes on the 1st Friday of the month). As a paid subscriber, you’ll also get access to my full recipe archive, gardening guides, plus bonus content and join our private community chats.

upgrade to paid