Sorry for the long delay in posting. I just plugged my camera into my computer and there are photos from at least five different recipes. I've been taking the pictures and slacking on the posting, I guess!
I'll begin with East Carolina Pulled Pork BBQ, which we had a few weeks ago on a Sunday. It's a recipe that cooks all day in the Crock Pot so it's perfect for a football-filled Sunday. For anyone not familiar with Southern BBQ, let me explain that regional allegiances to particular types of BBQ are quite strong. You are probably familiar with the idea that there are Texas styles of BBQ and a Memphis style, but you many not know that the eastern and western parts of NC have very different BBQ. In East Carolina you find a smoked, pulled pork BBQ that is cooked with a dry rub and served with a spicy vinegar-based sauce.
There are no tomatoes in this recipe. I love this BBQ and I eat way too much during our annual family beach trip to NC because I have to fill up for the year. This recipe doesn't fill the void, I'll still need to travel to NC, but it is a good proxy. The main difference is the smoke but the sauce is super! I'd make twice as much sauce next time.
I asked the butcher to cut down a large piece of
pork shoulder so I could use about 3 lbs. of meat. I used
this recipe, which calls for 5 lbs. of meat, and the only other ingredient I cut back on was the onions. On Saturday night, I mixed up the dry rub:
3T brown sugar, 2T paprika, 2t sea salt, and 1t black pepper. I rubbed this all over the meat and wrapped it up in plastic wrap and put it in a bowl and into the fridge. I left it overnight.
The next day I quartered 2 red onions (I didn't have any yellow ones but the recipe calls for two each kind). I placed those in the bottom of the Crock Pot. I put the meat on top and then I drizzled about 3/4 of the sauce over it. The sauce is a mix of 1C red wine vinegar, 2T Worcestershire sauce, 2T crushed red pepper flakes, 2t sugar, 1T spicy brown mustard, 1T garlic powder (I am not sure I would double the garlic powder), and 1/2t cayenne powder. The recipe says to cook on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. I didn't have 8 hours so I opted for the high heat method. I would aim for enough time to use the low heat method next time. I think the flavors may soak in to the meat more thoroughly. I cooked it for 5 hours but I think it was finished at about 4 or 4 1/2. Believe your eyes when the juices are running clear. I let it go a little too long and it had started to dry out. When it is finished it is starting to fall apart. Pull the meat and onions out. Chop the onions and pull the pork. It is easiest to use a couple forks and place them face down in the meat and pull them in opposite directions. Mix the meat and onions together and serve with the remaining sauce, this is why I wished I had more sauce! We ate this on rolls with cole slaw. Yum!!
This was good preparation for the weeks and weeks of squash and root vegetables in the winter farm share that starts the week after Thanksgiving. The other night I combined 1 small butternut squash, 1 delicata squash, 1 celeriac, and about 1/2 the cloves of a head of garlic. I peeled the squash and celeriac and cut everything into about 1x1 inch cubes. I left the garlic skin on the individual cloves. 
I drizzled olive oil over everything and added salt, pepper, and a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Our oven has been acting up lately and so we have to set it about 25 degrees higher than what we want. Luckily we have an over thermometer! I roasted these at about 400 for 20-30 minutes. Since they are in such small cubes they may cook faster than you are expecting and you probably want to avoid overcooking them and having a medley of mush!
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