By Katy Wilkens, MS, RD 

In the fall, I am always so happy at the abundance that results from a little bit of work, sun and water. Last year my garden produced a 5-gallon container of squash, probably 300 apples and a whole bucket of potatoes. I was so excited. 

Now it’s spring, and I am a bit tired of squash, apples and potatoes. I hadn’t been inspired to finish them off until I decided to use different cooking methods to change things up. Last weekend, I brushed off the barbecue and grilled the squash for an attractive, interesting and salt-free addition to dinner. I sliced and pan fried the apples and blasted the potatoes in the oven, along with some cauliflower. 

My garden buckets are now empty and clean, waiting to be filled with spring produce like rhubarb, kale, Swiss chard and lettuce. 

If you don’t have a garden, look for winter squash, apples and potatoes at your local market. 

Barbecued Winter’s End Squash

1-2 acorn or butternut squash sliced in 1-inch thick slices, seeds removed. 

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

1-2 tablespoons butter

Heat grill until quite hot (about 400 degrees F). Brush squash with light coating of olive oil, place on grill about 5 minutes and turn. When fork-tender, brush with melted butter and brown sugar. Leave on grill 1 minute, remove and serve. 

Nutrition Information: (per 1 cup serving or 2-3 rounds): 

Calories: 99, Carbohydrates: 19 grams, Protein: 1 gram, Sodium: 6 milligrams 

Pan-Fried Apples with Walnuts

3-4 apples, sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon cardamom

½ cup walnuts

Half a lemon 

Melt butter in frying pan and add apples and spices. Stir until fork-tender. Sprinkle nuts on top and cook another 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Squeeze juice from lemon half over top and serve. 

Nutrition Information: 

Calories: 218, Carbohydrates: 28 grams, Protein: 3 grams, Sodium: 3 milligrams

Oven Blasted Potatoes

3-5 potatoes

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

Set oven to 500 degrees F. Cut potatoes to about 1-inch squares and place on baking sheet. Drizzle with oil and then toss. Put in oven and bake about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir and cook another 8 to 10 minutes. Test with fork. When done, remove from oven and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Information: 

Calories: 191, Carbohydrates: 28 grams, Protein: 4 grams, Sodium: 58 grams

The information in this column is meant for people who want to keep their kidneys healthy and blood pressure down by following a low-sodium diet. In most cases, except for dialysis patients, a diet high in potassium is thought to help lower high blood pressure. These recipes are not intended for people on dialysis without the supervision of a registered dietitian. 

[Katy G. Wilkens is a registered dietitian and department head at Northwest Kidney Centers. A recipient of the Susan Knapp Excellence in Education Award from the National Kidney Foundation Council on Renal Nutrition, she has a Master of Science degree in nutritional sciences from the University of Washington. See more of her recipes at www.nwkidney.org.]