Fall Bucket List: Visit a Farmer's Market and Cook a Seasonal Meal

It was the most beautiful fall weekend here in Oxford. The leaves are finally starting to change and the temperatures are slowly lowering to the perfect temperature for fall activities. This meant that it was a great opportunity to stop by the local market and grab some fresh produce for a fall meal. Unfortunately, I got to the Oxford Farmer's Market a little too late and most of the produce was gone. However, that didn't mean I was out of luck! We are lucky enough here in Oxford, Ohio to have a farm market that is open every day of the week. Butterfield Farm is just a short drive from Miami's campus. If you follow any sorority girls on social media I'm sure you've seen a million pictures of girls in flannel feeding a cow or posing on some hay stacks (and yes I've been that girl before). 

My dad was in town visiting for my sorority's dad's weekend so we took a trip out to Butterfield to see their fall yield. Earlier in the summer we came here to buy all of our flowers and plants. We bought tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, basil, chives, and parsley. They all did tremendously well- we probably had 100 tomatoes from 3 plants! We thought that it was only fitting to begin and end the summer with produce from Butterfield. 

I got a spaghetti squash and some tomatoes for a twice baked spaghetti squash dinner.

Butterfield also sells pumpkins and Halloween decorations! I can't wait to come back closer to Halloween and grab some pumpkins for carving. They also have a corn maze, hay ride, and other fun fall activities.

Pumpkins from Bainbridge, OH (they even carve Butterfield's name into a pumpkin every year!)

For my seasonal meal, I cooked twice baked spaghetti squash. I made homemade tomato sauce from the four tomatoes I bought. It's so simple to make and very delicious!

Homemade Fresh Tomato Sauce recipe:

4 large tomatoes (peeled, seeded, and chopped)
1/2 white onion, diced
4 cloves garlic, diced
Basil or parsley, chopped 
Salt and pepper to taste

Saute onions and garlic in olive oil until onions are translucent. Add tomatoes and use a fork to mash into smaller pieces. Cook tomatoes on high until they begin to simmer then reduce the heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes (the longer the better!). Add in chopped basil or parsley and serve. 

Twice Baked Spaghetti Squash:

1 spaghetti squash
Tomato sauce
Mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half. Remove seeds and season with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place in oven for 45 minutes. Remove and let cool. Using a fork, remove the insides and place in a bowl. Toss with spaghetti sauce and then place back into squash shell. Top with mozzarella cheese. Bake until cheese bubbles. Enjoy!