Ah, fall. My favorite time of year. It's hard not to love it in Michigan, as the leaves put on an amazing display. And the food's not half bad, either.

Over the weekend, I checked out the farmer's market at Greenfield Village. My bag was stuffed with fresh apples, squash, pears and a few heirloom tomatoes (they didn't fare too well this year.) Pumpkins and guards could be found, and Michigan maple goodies lined the tables. It was fun to stroll through the stands in the village, and let my little one ride the carousel. Many markets are only open until the end of the month, so get your fresh farm fare while you can. Click here for a list of local farmers markets.

The stars of the show right now are the winter squash. I am a squash lover, and enjoy cooking acorn squash by cutting in half, scraping out the seeds and filling with diced apple, cinnamon and a pat of butter. I bake the stuffed halves on a cookie sheet for about a half hour. I also enjoy a good butternut squash. It is delicious chopped and boiled in chicken broth, then pureed with a pinch of sage for a creamy fall soup.

But, the farmers had piles of a small (8-10 inches) bowling pin shaped variety they called delicata (they are also called peanut or bohemian squash). The delicata is an heirloom variety and is harvested in late summer and early fall. It is a creamy yellow color with green, vertical stripes. I was pleasantly surprised at the sweet flavor, which had a hint of corn and sweet potato. The skin is edible and they are a good, individual size. A friend of mine got some and put them straight into a campfire to roast!

Another variety I just tried is called buttercup. These squash have a very hard, dark green shell with a deep orange flesh. But the taste lived up to its name. It was buttery and delicious. I baked mine in the oven, but I can also see this one being mashed or pureed. My only mistake was slightly overcooking it, as the hard shell threw me off. This variety should be available all winter long, so give it a shot!

Here is a good filling for oven-roasted squash (I used 3 delicata):

Wild Rice and Mushroom Stuffing
3 cups wild rice cooked in broth (I used Lundberg wild rice blend)
2-3 cups mushrooms (such as shitake, button, portabello), diced
1/2 sweet onion, diced
1 pound lean beef of your choice
1 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon each: salt, pepper, coriander, garlic, mustard powder, marjoram, mace and savory (or Krakow Nights seasoning via Penzys)
1 cup fresh Parmesan cheese (optional)

Season beef with spice mixture. Cut the beef in tiny, bite-sized pieces and stir fry in 2 teaspoons canola oil. Remove beef and stir-fry mushrooms and onion. Add broth and scrape bottom of pan. Add beef, rice and cheese. Combine and scoop into cooked squash. Sprinkle with more cheese if desired. This would also be a delicious vegetarian dish with veggie stock or white wine, and sans the beef.

Tip: when picking a squash, make sure the stem is in tact and not damaged or mushy.

GLUTEN-FREE FAIR AT HILLER'S: Check out gluten-free vendors 11 a.m. -3 p.m. Sunday at the Plymouth Hiller’s: 15455 Haggerty Road (at 5 Mile Road). The grocery store will be full of new, exciting things to try.