Photo credits: Spaghetti Squash, Shutterstock AmyGoff, Lunch Lady: Peter Lyons Hall
By Peter Lyons Hall
Farmer Jeff Bialas says the new fall offering is easy to cook and endlessly flexible
GREENWOOD LAKE, N.Y. – Shoppers at the Lakeside Farmers Market have a new item to look for this season: spaghetti squash, now available from farmer Jeff Bialas.
The oblong, yellow squash gets its name from its flesh, which separates into long, noodle-like strands once cooked, making it a popular lighter stand-in for pasta. [Add price and stand location.]
For Bialas, the appeal is how simple it is to prepare.
“Well, it’s an easy squash to work with,” he said. “Usually I cut it in half, scoop out the seeds, and I roast it cut side down on the tray. Usually takes about half an hour to 45 minutes at 375°F. When it cools a little bit, you take a fork and you scrape the flesh and it comes apart like spaghetti.”
Bialas also suggested topping the shredded squash with tomato sauce, bolognese or pesto for a classic Italian dish, or tossing it with peanut sauce and chopped greens for an Asian-inspired noodle bowl. It can also be stirred into soup, he said, or mixed with other shredded vegetables and fried into crispy vegetable latkes.
And for those who like traditional Thai-style sesame noodles, try the sesame noodles from Amy Goff, The Lunch Lady vendor at the farmers market. Her version is made with wheat noodles, water, peanuts, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, sesame seeds, scallions and spices. More information is available at LunchLadyFoods.com.
The Lakeside Farmers Market is held Saturdays from 9AM-1PM at Winstanley Park in Greenwood Lake, NY through October 31, 2026.
Bialas’s roasted spaghetti squash
- Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
- Place the halves cut side down on a baking tray with a splash of water, and cover the tray so the squash steams as it roasts.
- Roast at 375°F for 30 to 45 minutes, or at 350°F for close to an hour. Smaller squash cook faster; larger ones take longer.
- Let it cool slightly, then drag a fork across the grain to shred the flesh into strands.
