Winter Squash and Sage Pasta

Two weeks ago, I was visiting one  of my favorite farm stands at the West Sacramento Farmer's Market, Moon River Farm. The farmer, Sara, was selling some beautiful, smooth-skinned butternut squashes. It was a hot August day and I thought it seemed a bit early for me to be making squash, which seems so autumn-y. After all, tomato season seems to last through September in Sacramento. But the squashes were so lovely, and the farmer, Sara, told me that it would keep on the counter for several weeks.

Sure enough, my squash was still in good shape today when I got around to chopping it up. I've been wanting to try a certain winter squash recipe ever since I read The Quarter Acre Farm by Spring Warren, who lives about 30 minutes away from me in Davis, CA.  The dish is a deconstructed version of butternut squash raviolis, only much simpler. For my take on it, I attempted to make it healthier, too, by cutting back the butter and cheese and using whole wheat, organic noodles. To add more flavor, I roasted my squash extra long, until the edges were brown and the squash was decidedly caramelized. The end result of my experimentation still felt indulgent and was totally delicious.

And can I just say-  roasted, caramelized butternut squash, where have you been all my life?! Oh... probably sitting on the shelf because I was too intimidated to cut you up and too lazy to prepare you.  I'm just glad that I've found you now, especially with fall and winter coming up. This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

 

Winter Squash and Sage Pasta

4-6 cups any winter squash, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1-2 cups sage leaves

8 oz. whole wheat pasta (I used penne)

1/2-1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 cube butter

2 T. brown sugar or honey

olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place the cubes of squash into a bowl. Drizzle squash with olive oil and sugar or honey. Stir until the moisture from the squash and the other ingredients form a thick juice to envelope each squash cube.

Pour the squash onto a lipped cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil, spreading the squash into a single layer. Place in oven and roast until squash is tender on the inside and browned on the outside, about 40 minutes. Put squash on the counter to cool slightly.

Melt the butter in a saucepan, adding your sage leaves. Allow the butter to barely bubble and cook the sage leaves until crispy, about 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta as the directions indicate. When the pasta is cooked and drained, place it in a large bowl. Add your butter/sage and a large handful of Parmesan. Toss together. Place the squash over the top of the pasta (to avoid having it gravitate to the bottom of the bowl). Serve with a green salad if desired. Mangia!

Beef and Bacon Chili

It happened today. There was a chill in the air, a breeze, and the heat wave finally broke. Temperatures were in the 90's yesterday but today will fall to the 80's. Autumn is finally here! I’ve been so longing for this moment, to enjoy all of those wonderful fall foods I start itching for in September. In fact, I’ve been so anxious, I’ve made some silly menu choices. I made soup last week on a 95 degree day and determinedly sipped the hot broth while beads of sweat broke out of my face. Well, starting today, I won't have to suffer thus anymore!

Chili may be the ultimate fall food, and I’ve made many in my days, mostly vegetarian, but this one is different. It is clearly a carnivore's dream, which is a bit out of character for me. But having some quality bacon to use up, and grass-fed beef and bell peppers from the farmer’s market, I couldn’t resist trying this hearty chili. My husband pointed out that it would be amazing on a chili dog, and as odd as that may sound, he's totally right. I LOVED the addition of lime and avocado to this chili, plus chives and tomatoes from the garden. I decreased the amount of meat, I’ll admit, and I thought our version was just right. Happy Fall to all!

Beef and Bacon Chili
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onions, chopped fine (about 2 cups)
1 bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1/4 cup chili powder blend (you know, the stuff that has cumin, coriander, cayenne, etc.)
1 lb. Lean ground beef
2 (16 oz) cans black beans, drained
1 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 (28 oz) can tomato puree
Kosher salt, to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Optional Condiments:
Tomatoes, diced
Avocado, diced
Chives, chopped
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
Shredded cheese

Fry bacon in large heavy-bottomed nonreactive Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring frequently, until browned, about 8 minutes.
Add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and chili powder, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
Increase heat to medium-high and add the beef; cook, breaking up pieces with wooden spoon, until no longer pink and just beginning to brown, 5-7 minutes.
Add beans, tomatoes, tomato puree, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour.
Remove cover and continue to simmer 1 hour longer, stirring occasionally (if chili begins to stick to bottom of pot, stir in 1/2 cup water and continue to simmer), until beef is tender and chili is dark, rich, and slightly thickened.
Adjust seasoning with additional salt. Serve with lime wedges and condiments if desired.

Apple Custard Cake

Here's what I did with those neat apples I picked myself at Apple Hill: I made Apple Custard Cake. I got this recipe from an amazing blog by a girl named Brandi, better known as The Person Responsible For The Best Dessert I Ate Last Year at Seattle's Delancey.  She's an amazing chef, and she actually shares recipes for her creations on her blog. It's a beautiful thing! This particular recipe is basically from Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table- tweaked a little.

Who doesn't want a simple apple cake this time of year, especially one that looks as gorgeous as this, with those tantalizing chunks of apple? I subbed about a teaspoon of real vanilla for the vanilla bean. I also don't own a food scale  and I am including my conversions as parenthetical notes. Feel free to drizzle with caramel sauce and top with whipped cream.

APPLE CUSTARD CAKE
From Look I Made That

3.75 oz AP flour (between 3/4 and 1 c.)
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 lb 2 oz chopped apples (I used 4-5 apples)
2 large eggs, room temperature
6 oz sugar (3/4 c.)
1/2 vanilla bean
3 TBSP apple cider
4 oz unsalted butter, melted (1 cube)
unrefined sugar for sprinkling

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter an 8-inch springform cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Sprinkle unrefined sugar on the sides of the pan and tap it around.

- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl.

- In a medium bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk until they’re foamy. Rub the vanilla bean seeds into the sugar and add to the eggs. Whisk until well blended. Whisk in the apple cider. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing gently after each addition so that you have a smooth, rather thick batter. Switch to a rubber spatula and fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and poke it around a little with the spatula so that it’s even. Sprinkle the top of the cake with unrefined sugar.

- Slide the pan into the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 30 minutes.

- Carefully run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. Allow the cake to cool until it is just slightly warm or at room temperature. If you want to remove the cake from the bottom of the springform pan, wait until the cake is almost cooled, then run a long spatula between the cake and the pan, cover the top of the cake with a piece of parchment, and invert it onto a rack. Carefully remove the bottom of the pan and turn the cake over onto a serving dish.

- Eat with a generous dusting of Maldon sea salt. And caramel and whipped cream if you’ve got it.

Apple Picking and Finally a Decent Lunch

I have blogged before about our annual fall sojourns to Apple Hill, but this year we wanted to do things a little differently. Going earlier in the season to avoid crowds and finding a decent place for lunch were at the top of our priority list. See, Apple Hill does anything apple-related extremely well.

Case in point: Apple Cider Donut-

Or the perfect Apple Fritter with chunks of fresh apple, laced with cinnamon:

Apple pie is always a winner-

Along with Apple Dumplings, Apple Crisp, Apple Strudel, Caramel Apples, Apple Cider and...  you get the picture.

But while the desserts are superb, over the years we have been subjected to one horrible lunch after another at Apple Hill. Grisly hamburgers, cold and tough tri-tip sandwiches on squishy white buns, and puny pulled pork sandwiches (all overpriced) had slowly drained us of any hope of finding a meal that was equal to the apple desserts.

But Crystal Basin Bistro finally has us excited about lunch again.

Located next to a winery of the same name, the sunny and open space of the bistro is inviting, modern and offers a dog-friendly patio. (We didn't take our chihuahua this time, but would love to in the future.)

Lunch plates are affordable ($8 per plate with meat, $6 for a vegetarian plate) and more sophisticated than anything else in the Apple Hill area. We opted for an antipasti plate, a beef brisket and gorgonzola sandwich, and...

The ridiculously gooey and probably very fattening cheesy artichoke dip. What can I say? We lost our heads for the day.

All fueled up after lunch, we headed to Denver Dan's for some apple pickin'.

I find apple orchards to be incredibly picturesque.

Last year we were disappointed when the U-Pick option here was cancelled after a bad apple season. This year obviously the trees were making up for lost time and were heavy laden with fruit.

Customers are encouraged to taste as they go to ensure ripe apples. Besides allowing us to buy the freshest apples possible, we get access to interesting varieties not often seen in grocery stores. We stocked up on King David and Northern Spy apples in particular.

Before leaving, we found this amazing deal - $2.99 for a basket of figs. In our area, figs almost never sell for less than $5 or more a basket, so I was in fig heaven when I saw this.

Weekends like this, you wish Monday would never come.

On Being Cozy

Cozy is the name of the game this week

Things I love about this week:

- Soup is on the menu 3 times! Lentil, Split Pea, and Tomato, oh my!

- After an eternity of procrastination, I finally knit a perfect square. One perfect square. That means I am on my way to a scarf ... soon!

- Looking forward to a weekend in Bodega Bay, Sebastopol, Freestone, and the ocean. It’s been months since I’ve seen the sea. Plus, the last time we went there it was simply awesome.

Pan-Fried Butternut Squash, Fried Sage and Pine Nuts

There's a slight chill in the morning air. Autumn has finally arrived in Northern California, bringing high temperatures of 70's to 80's. Suddenly I find myself craving kale and butternut squash, soups and stews.

I bought a butternut squash at a farmer's market this week, because it simply seemed like the thing to do. As I contemplated the possibilities, I decided I wanted something heartier than butternut squash soup, although I also have a good recipe for that classic autumn dish as well.
I thought of one of my favorite dishes at a certain Italian restaurant, a tender ravioli filled with butternut squash in a creamy sauce with fried sage.

Not being ambitious enough to hand roll my own pasta, I settled upon a recipe that used farfalle but the same classic flavors of squash and sage, along with pine nuts for a crunch. We used sage from our yard, which is happily thriving now that it can sink its roots into actual earth, and two small Walla Walla onions still hanging in there from the garden.

The final product was addictive - sweet, salty, herbaceous, it had all of my favorite elements from the more complicated ravioli dish, but with a fraction of the effort. I declare it the perfect hearty supper for a cool fall night.

Pasta Pan-Fried with Butternut Squash, Fried Sage, and Pine Nuts

From The Kitchn

1 medium butternut squash
1 small sweet onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/2 cup fresh sage leaves
1 pound farfalle pasta
3/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
4 ounces high quality Parmesan, shredded or shaved (about a cup total)

Heat the oven to 375°. Cut the butternut squash in half and scoop out the strings and seeds the middle cavity. Flip the squash halves upside down and peel them. (Note: The raw squash rind can irritate your hands. If they start to itch or tingle, wear gloves.) Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes. Toss with the onion, garlic, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper. Mince about half of the fresh sage leaves and also toss with the squash.

Spread the squash mixture in a thin layer on a large baking sheet and roast for about 40 minutes or until the squash is soft.

Heat salted pasta water to boiling and cook the farfalle until al dente. Drain and set aside. As the squash finishes roasting, heat about two tablespoons of olive oil in a large high-sided sauté pan. The oil is ready when it pops and sputters. (Don't let it start smoking.) Drop in the rest of the sage leaves and fry for about a minute, or until they begin to just shrivel up.

Remove with a slotted spoon and salt lightly. Crush with the back of a spoon. Add half the pasta to the pan, along with half the roasted squash mixture. Crumble in half the sage. Cook, stirring frequently, for five minutes or until the pasta is heated through and getting crispy on some of the edges. Add the pine nuts and cook for another minute. Stir in half the cheese and serve. Serves 4 generously.

(Repeat the last step with the rest of the ingredients. We split it into two because none of our pans are big enough to accommodate the entire recipe. It's very important that you not crowd the pan too much - you want the pasta to really pan-fry, not just steam up.)

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake

We had some friends come in from out of town and visit us this weekend. We made a Korean-themed dinner for them after learning that they enjoy Asian food, and finished off our feast with a not-Asian-at-all-but-still-delicious cake.
As a side note, I have had a canker sore on my tongue all week, which meant that I couldn't take a bite of food, chew, talk, or exist without mild to severe discomfort. And in case you're thinking about herpes, do note: a canker sore is not a contagious virus like a cold sore. But it sure does make life miserable.
The healing of said canker sore couldn't have come at a more welcome time, because it allowed me to fully enjoy (without pain!) the Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake we made with the persimmons we foraged and froze last month. Recipes for Fuyu persimmons were hard to come by, but this one (originally published in Sunset magazine in the 1970's) is a winner, so I want to share it with anyone else who has or will have a persimmon surplus on their hands.

This cake is my kind of dessert - old-fashioned, humble, unassuming, yet fabulous in an understated way. The warm spiced cake is marbled with moist chunks of fruit, raisins and nuggets of walnut. I added on a simple cream cheese frosting to dress it up a bit and it was a perfect conclusion to a January evening.

Fuyu Persimmon Bundt Cake

Grease and flour a bundt cake pan. Preheat oven to 350.

Blend 2 tsp. baking soda into 3 cups of chopped firm Fuyus. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat 1/2 cup soft butter with 1 2/3 cups sugar. Add 2 eggs, 2 tsp. lemon juice, and 2 tsp. vanilla and beat until fluffy. Stir in Fuyu mix.

Sift together 2 cups flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1 tsp. salt, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg. Stir flour into Fuyu mixture just until blended. Add 1 cup chopped walnuts and 3/4 cup raisins.

Pour into prepared bundt pan. Bake at 350 for 55 - 60 minutes or until toothpick tests clean. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Turn onto rack.

Persimmon Chutney

I think my kitchen is going to smell like chutney for a while. After a day of soaking and an evening of boiling and canning, the spicy vinegar scent has permeated every room of our apartment. But I'm so glad I tried this recipe! Here is the finished product, 3 jars full of persimmon chutney. Don't they look bright and glowing and ready to stock my larder (if I had a larder)?

You can't get much better than a vintage recipe from a New Zealand grandmother. Thanks to Florence and her blog for the recipe. I have Americanized it for your and my convenience (chilli became jalepeno, mixed peel became candied citrus peel, brown vinegar became apple cider vinegar, etc.). Below, you can see the amazing colors of the finished product, not to mention the complex combination of sweet, fruity, spicy and sour flavors.


I tried a little of what was left in the pan tonight on a cracker with some sliced turkey and it was delicious, even to a chutney novice like myself. I think it would be phenomenal with poultry or cheese. I'm planning on spooning some over cream cheese on a platter with crackers for Christmas. Won't it look festive on a plate?

Persimmon Chutney

6 large ripe persimmons, peeled and chopped
1 small red onion
1 jalepeno, finely chopped (omit seeds for less heat)
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. celery seeds
1/3 c. golden raisins
1/4 c. currents
1 T. candied citrus peel (I used lemon)
1 tsp. chopped ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. each of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice
1/3 c. white sugar
1/3 c. apple cider vinegar
1/3 c. lemon juice (freshly squeezed)

Chop onion and jalepeno. Tie the mustard and celery seeds in a piece of fine cheesecloth and tie into a bag with a piece of kitchen twine. Combine all ingredients, except persimmons. Cover and let stand overnight (or about 8 hours). Place mixture in a large saucepan and boil for 30 minutes. Add peeled persimmons and boil slowly until thickened. Pour into hot sterilized jars. Makes about a pint.

The Joys of Foraging

It never ceases to amaze me that even in the cold, rainy midst of winter, nature is capable of providing nourishment. As I walked through my parent’s back yard this weekend, I noticed an unusual-looking fruit lying on the ground under what I had always mistaken for an ornamental bush. After some taste testing and research, I discovered that the fruits are called Feijoa, or Pineapple Guavas (pictured above), and are native to South America. Inside, the soft pulp is citrusy, both tart and sweet and fun to squeeze out, while the protective tough green skin may be discarded.




The very next day, a friend from church learned of my love for persimmons and offered to let me and my husband come and glean the fruit from their persimmon tree, as her family doesn’t care for this fruit. I jumped at this opportunity, and this is how my refrigerator came to be overcrowded with four bulging bags of fruit.

Three of the bags contain the bright orange orbs of Fuyu persimmons. The trouble is, Fuyus are generally eaten raw, unlike Hachiyas where the pulp is often pureed and used in baked goods. I’ve had quite a time figuring out how to preserve the fruit to keep it from going to waste.


I finally decided upon a double batch of both persimmon jam and persimmon chutney (one version, pictured above). So far, the jam came out fairly well, although I probably didn’t add enough sugar. Jam recipes are notoriously scientific and unforgiving of aberration. I like things a little on the mild side anyway, and will still consider my jam something to look forward to on toast. Tonight, I will take a stab at my first ever chutney - a recipe I found posted by a New Zealand blogger chronicling her grandmother’s vintage recipes. It sounded fascinating - whoever first imagined that raisins, onions, garlic, ginger, and fruit would go together?

As tiring as it may be, I love that gleaning and preserving food allows me to feel a connection to nature, as well as to my ancestors, who performed these acts by way of necessity. Today, I choose to do these same acts because it gives me a peaceful feeling to participate in such a timeless act universal to all humanity. Bounty surrounds us if we seek it out.

Pear Cranberry Oat Crumble

Tonight's theme: Feeding friends at fall. I put my husband in charge of dinner, and volunteered to make dessert. I so wanted to make something from the lovely, seasonal Rustic Fruit Desserts, but was torn between two recipes. I ended up combining elements of both and coming up with my own creation: Pear Cranberry Oat Crumble.

The result is a layer of firm, honey-sweet pear balanced against a tart explosion of cranberry, underneath a crunchy oat-flaked topping. Topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream, it was a grand finale to a wonderful autumn evening.

Pear Cranberry Oat Crumble

Topping:
2 c. rolled oats
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
3/4 c. unsalted butter, melted

Fruit filling:
8 large pears, peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 c. cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 c. granulated sugar
2 T. cornstarch
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 3-quart baking dish.

To make the topping, mix all the topping ingredients through salt in a bowl. Stir in the butter, then press the topping together with your hands to form small clumps. Put the topping in the freezer while you assemble the filling.

To make the filling, toss the fruit, sugar and spices together in a large bowl. Transfer the filling to the prepared pan and spread it out, pressing the fruit down into the corners.

Press the oat crumble evenly over the fruit, then bake for 60-70 minutes, or until the crumble is lightly golden and the filling is bubbling up in the corners. Cool for 20 minutes or so to temper the heat before serving. Serve with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

Storage: This crumble is best if served the day it is made, but any leftovers can be wrapped in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for 2-3 days. Reheat in a 300F oven for 10-15 minutes, until warm.

Day Trip to Apple Hill

What would life be without traditions? One favorite fall tradition for our family (and many others in the greater Sacramento area) is going to Apple Hill, a chain of family orchards that host guests every fall. The first thing to do when you arrive?
Enjoy the scenery of the tall trees, hiking trails, streams and lakes. Breathe some fresh woodsy air and let go of your worries.

Next, you can pet an alpaca or billy goat at a petting zoo...
Or check out some crafts, like homemade spicy scented candles and local olive oils.

And then, of course, there's the apples.

Besides free samples of freshly pressed apple cider, nearly every ranch on the hill boasts a bakery with a myriad of irresistible offerings.
Be sure to try the Apple Cider Donuts at Rainbow Orchard, always made fresh and hot and covered with cinnamon sugar.

Apple pie is also a must. This year, we tried Apple Sour Cream Blackberry, a sure winner. Can't make up your mind? Buy a frozen pie to take home with you.
And at High Hill Ranch, the Apple Fritter is legendary. This huge, moist disk, laced with chunks of apple, cinnamon, and glazed with a sweet icing, is another must-have treat from Apple Hill.
I hope you get a chance to try Apple Hill, or go to a place that is synonymous with autumn where you live, whatever that may be!

Pumpkin Patch!

As Daylight Savings time approaches, I am already feeling nostalgic for that beautiful twilight lighting that I won't be seeing now that it will be pitch black by the time I leave work. For now, I'm just trying to enjoy the last days of fall. Here's my tribute to the ultimate fall activity, visiting a pumpkin patch.

Fresh fall produce

Real live hearse on display. Creepy!

Stray dog that approached us several times, then ran away.

Horseback rides

"Alas, Poor Yorick!"

Paul the Scarecrow