Recipes for Your Produce
Use this section for cooking ideas for the more unusual produce. In the list to the right, look up the vegetable or fruit you want to use, and then choose from the selection of recipes. Also, if you have a favorite dish you would like to share, just email it to me and I may post it!
Squash Recipes
The actual squash used in each of these recipes can be substituted. Butternut and pumpkin are especially good substitutes.
Butternut Squash and Apple Soup
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 1/4 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 1/4 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1 Gala apple, peeled, cored, diced
1/2 cup apple juice
Light sour cream
Chopped fresh chives
Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion and nutmeg; sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add squash, 4 1/4 cups broth, apple, and apple juice. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered until squash and apple are tender, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return soup to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more broth if desired. Ladle soup into bowls. Garnish with sour cream and chives.
Acorn Squash Puree
Gourmet | December 1991 / Makes 6 servings
3 acorn squash, halved, the seeds and strings discarded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Sprinkle the cavities of the squash halves with salt and arrange the squash, inverted, in one layer in a buttered baking dish. Bake the squash, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 1 hour and let it cool until it can be handled. Scoop out the squash pulp, discarding the skin, and in a food processor purée it with the butter. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and simmer it, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid is evaporated. Season the purée with the nutmeg and salt and pepper. The purée may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.
Pumpkin & Kale Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 onion, chopped
8 ounces button mushrooms quartered
2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 cup dry Marsala or Sherry wine
4 cups Chicken stock
Aprox 2 lbs of kale chopped to 1 to 2 inch pieces
2 cups cubed pumpkin or butternut squash
salt to taste (broth may have enough salt)
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
cheese (optional)
1. Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat. Add the garlic, onion, mushrooms, sage, celery and thyme to the same pot and cook on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Marsala wine and cook 2 more minutes.
2. Add the chicken stock, salt and pepper and bring to a boil over medium heat, add kale and bring to boil again, then lower heat to simmer. Simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every 5-10 minutes. Kale should be almost cooked/tender.
Option – At this point add 1 cup of small uncooked pasta and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring to make sure pasta is not sticking to the bottom of pan. Make sure there’s enough liquid before adding pasta.
3. Add pumpkin or butternut squash. Bring to boil again and reduce the heat to a simmer and cook about 8 minutes longer, till pumpkin is tender.
This recipe (with pasta) will produce a very thick soup. If you prefer it thinner, just add more stock. Serve in deep pasta bowls with the grated cheese, if you wish.
Options/Tips: Before step 1 add chopped Italian sausage and brown. Add some rosemary and/or basil instead of sage. No pumpkin or squash? Use carrots. Add can of white beans or cooked rice instead of pasta. Don’t use stalks of kale (too tough), only leaves. Use immersion blender for desired consistency. Cheese topping works very well. Enjoy!
Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
One of my favorite things to do when we make jack-o-lanterns is to clean the seeds, lay them out on a cookie sheet, spray them with cooking oil and sprinkle salt on them. I them roast them at 400° turning them occasionally, until they turn brown. My son LOVES these roasted pumpkin seeds!
Delicata Squash with Rosemary, Sage, and Cider Glaze
2 medium delicata squash (about 2 pounds) or other firm winter squash
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup very coarsely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups fresh unfiltered apple cider or juice
1 cup water
2 teaspoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1. Squash. If using delicata squash, peel it with a vegetable peeler, cut it lengthwise in half, and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. Cut each piece lengthwise in half again, then crosswise into 1/2-inch -thick slices. Other types of squash should be peeled with a chef's knife, seeded, cut into 1-inch wedges, then sliced 1/2-inch thick.
2. Herb Butter. Melt the butter in a large (12-inch) skillet over low heat. Add the sage and rosemary and cook, stirring, until the butter just begins to turn golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown the herbs. Cooking the herbs in butter mellows their flavor and improves their texture.
3. Cooking the squash. Add the squash to the skillet, then the apple cider, water, vinegar, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, over medium heat at an even boil until the cider has boiled down to a glaze and the squash is tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with pepper, and additional salt if needed.
www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/104125