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i spent a lot of time this week cooking...with squash and sweet potatoes abundantly occupying tables at the farmer's markets, i just had to get roasting and baking.
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sunday night, i experimented with kabocha winter squash...after some roasting and sauteeing and stirring and whisking, i came up with a creamy and sweet coconut-squash-couscous dish which i served inside a roasted squash half...i also boiled some chioggia beets and served 'em simple with olive oil, salt and pepper...alicia brought over some delicious garlic mashed potatoes and green beans...we tossed together a spinach salad with apples and a fig balsamic vinaigrette, and most importantly, we had an entire chilled bottle of white wine. MMM! the ever-talented alicia then gave me a crash course in classroom management, which was mega-helpful at my interview on tuesday...which went well...hopefully, more on that later :)
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on wednesday, i cooked up a yummmmmy soup from butternut squash and bosc pears (which i got, gratuit, from carl at woodleaf when i worked with him on tuesday at the berkeley market) and ginger (see recipe below for putternut bear autumn soup)...coupled that with more spinach salad...this time with some irish cheddar shaved on top...and some acme bread with boucheron cheese...mwah! cheese! i LOVE it! it was perfect food to get the creativity flowing for a long nite of screen printing t-shirts with my friend seth...we got messy as hell with ink and rocked out to country music...much fun :)
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and tonight, i capitalized on some leftovers...but added in a sweet potato and apple (and butter and brown sugar) gratin and a red velvet cake! my girl nineveh had a birthday eons ago, and i'd been promising a cake forever...so i finally made good on that promise and had her over for eats and sweets. she couldn't fathom eating the cake without drinking milk, though, so we ambled down to the (neighborhood!) whole foods which just opened about four blocks from my house. my WORD. the store is huge. and it looks like a port. it was a really strange feeling to be in such an esthetically pleasing place that screams money when i'm used to passing by that corner and just seeing an old, uninhabited and lonesome building. i think i liked it better when it was old and decrepit...
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putternut bear autumn soup
the name of this soup is inspired by my dad, who loves to switch the letters of proper names around to make funny names :) this soup is best served with good company when it's really windy and chilly outside.
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2.5 – 3 pounds butternut squash, rinsed (i used two smallish ones)
3 ripe-form bosc pears, quartered and seeded with stems removed
one 2" chunk fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
olive oil for brushing
kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
parsley, fresh, chopped, optional
fontina cheese, optional
part one: preheat the oven to 425F. cut the squash in half, and scrape out the seeds (but don’t get rid of them!) cut each half into thirds. put the squash pieces into a roasting pan with the pears and most (but not all) of the ginger. brush everything with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt. bake until the squash and pears are tender, about one hour, turning everything once or twice during baking so that more caramelization takes place. when the squash is tender and yummy-looking, transfer everything to a cutting board and add one cup of water to the roasting pan. scrape the pan with a spatula to dissolve the juices, and reserve the liquid. scrape the flesh of the squash away from its skin, reserving the skins…there should be about 2-3 cups of flesh.
part two: make up a stock by bringing 6 cups of water to a boil. add in the seeds, squash skins and remaining ginger, plus half a teaspoon of salt. turn back the heat and simmer for 20 -25 minutes.
part three: melt the butter in a soup pot and add in the onion, cooking over medium heat and stirring frequently for about ten minutes, or until a bit browned and fragrant. add in the pears, ginger, squash and reserved deglazing liquid. strain in the stock. bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
lastly, get out the immersion blender (or food mill or upright blender) and puree the soup until smooth. season to taste with salt. ladle into bowls. garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. eat right away…it’s so yummy and warm!
optional: cut the fontina into cubes and just before serving, stir a few cubes of cheese into each bowl of soup….rrar, sinful!
3 ripe-form bosc pears, quartered and seeded with stems removed
one 2" chunk fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
olive oil for brushing
kosher salt
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
parsley, fresh, chopped, optional
fontina cheese, optional
part one: preheat the oven to 425F. cut the squash in half, and scrape out the seeds (but don’t get rid of them!) cut each half into thirds. put the squash pieces into a roasting pan with the pears and most (but not all) of the ginger. brush everything with olive oil and sprinkle on some salt. bake until the squash and pears are tender, about one hour, turning everything once or twice during baking so that more caramelization takes place. when the squash is tender and yummy-looking, transfer everything to a cutting board and add one cup of water to the roasting pan. scrape the pan with a spatula to dissolve the juices, and reserve the liquid. scrape the flesh of the squash away from its skin, reserving the skins…there should be about 2-3 cups of flesh.
part two: make up a stock by bringing 6 cups of water to a boil. add in the seeds, squash skins and remaining ginger, plus half a teaspoon of salt. turn back the heat and simmer for 20 -25 minutes.
part three: melt the butter in a soup pot and add in the onion, cooking over medium heat and stirring frequently for about ten minutes, or until a bit browned and fragrant. add in the pears, ginger, squash and reserved deglazing liquid. strain in the stock. bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes.
lastly, get out the immersion blender (or food mill or upright blender) and puree the soup until smooth. season to taste with salt. ladle into bowls. garnish with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. eat right away…it’s so yummy and warm!
optional: cut the fontina into cubes and just before serving, stir a few cubes of cheese into each bowl of soup….rrar, sinful!
1 comment:
Oooo wow, this sounds soooo good! And a cool way to do pears!! I'll subsitute the bosc for the mystery ones on the tree in my yard. (barrlets probably). YUM!
~ ho!!y
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