Wonderfully Addictive French Potato Salad

I have never been a huge fan of classic American potato salad, where the potatoes are swimming in gobs of mayo with little clumps of egg hanging on to the smushy potatoes (ok, maybe it's not always this bad....).

But this potato salad is a horse of a different color. The white wine, olive oil and lemon juice dressing soaks into the warm potatoes, and the green onions add texture as well as flavor. This salad is at once fancy enough to serve at a dinner party and easily casual enough to pack along on a picnic. It is delicious whether it is served hot or cold, and can be made in large amounts or small ones.

Whenever my mom makes this, I literally can't stop eating it---it's so good. I asked her to teach me to make it. We bought some gorgeous little potatoes at the farmers market and picked some fresh basil from the garden.

As always with my mother, it was nearly impossible to figure out amounts of things as she doesn't measure. Here are some estimates.

7-8 potatoes, cut into chunks (but really, as many as you want to make--leftovers are always good!)

1/2 c olive oil**
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 c white wine
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper
chopped basil (optional)

**these amounts are really to taste---vary as you like!

Cut up potatoes into potato-salad sized chunks (not too big, not to small) and steam. While the potatoes are still warm, pour the dressing over them and allow it to sit and soak in. Potatoes should be nicely coated but not drowning in dressing. Garnish with the green onions and basil and serve.

Olive Tapenade

My mother is an amazing cook and baker. I have learned most of my culinary skills by watching and helping her cook.

When I was little, I remember my mom making loaves of gorgeous french bread and fresh olive tapenade when guests would come over. The cut french bread was placed in baskets, and served with the tapenade as an appetizer. I would eat piece after piece of the delicious bread topped with the salty tapenade. Often, I had to be told to "leave some for the guests".

I remembered the olive tapenade a month or so ago, when I was asked to host a Tu B'Shevat dinner. Since the dinners at Batten are all vegan, I left out the anchovies; even without them, the dish was as perfect as I remembered it to be. Even a friend who said she "didn't like olives" immediately fell in love with it.

This is my mom's recipe (I have no idea where she got it). It takes 5 minutes to make in the Cuisinart (so with this bread it's a total of 10 minutes prep time!), and is a perfect appetizer for any kind of party. Like most easy salsas and spreads, the amount of each ingredient can be varied some to taste.

Olive Tapenade

• 1 c pitted kalamata olives* (make sure you buy them pitted--pitting them yourself takes forever!)
• 1 tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp minced garlic 
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 4 flat anchovy fillets, rinsed and patted dry (optional if making it vegan or vegetarian)

*I have tasted many types of olive tapenade, and in my opinion it is always better when made with kalamata olives, rather than other green or black varieties.

The stunningly difficult directions: "Put all ingredients in a food processor".  Pulse until combined and spreadable (not long).

Glazed Lemon Coconut Cupcakes

Made these for Batten dinner tonight, inspired by a recipe from Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Veganomicon. It's supposed to be made as bundt cake (which bakes for an hour and fifteen minutes), but I adapted the recipe and made it into mini cupcakes with a glaze. They are very moist, lemony, and quite delicious!! The glaze also makes them really pretty--I think they would make a great vegan party snack option....

Cupcakes

• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 2/3 c canola oil
• 1 (13.5 or 14-oz) can coconut milk
• 1/4 c soy milk
• 1/4 c lemon juice
• 3 tbs lemon zest
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 c flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line mini cupcake tins with cupcake liners (if you use mini loaf pans, line the bottom with parchment paper and grease the sides). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, oil, coconut milk, soy milk, zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt).  Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. 

Fill the cupcake tins 3/4 full (or, the mini loaf pans 1/3 full).  Bake 12 minutes for mini cupcakes (20-25 for mini loaves), or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

Lemon Glaze*

• 3 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1/4 c soy milk
• powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp vanilla

*A quick confession---I didn't measure the ingredients for the glaze so this is an approximation.

Combine the lemon juice, zest, soy milk and vanilla. Whisk in powdered sugar until the glaze is the consistency you desire (this is in the royal icing family, so it should be liquify but when drizzled on the cupcakes should harden a bit). Use a spoon to drip the icing onto the cupcakes (or mini loaves--see below).

Red Wine Chocolate Cake(s)

         Last week, I made the famous Smitten Kitchen red wine chocolate cake with mascarpone whipped cream frosting.  It was, as promised, unbelievably decadent and delicious.  It's one of those cakes you can make to impress people...

         For the surprisingly easy recipe, go here. 

****

         When I got back to my lovely vegan co-op house, I wanted to try my own version--sans eggs, whipped cream, mascarpone, or butter. 

         I took my favorite chocolate cake recipe and adapted it.  I love what Deb says about red wine chocolate cake, that it's the "true red velvet cake".  I agree completely, as this cake comes out a beautiful, dark red color.


Vegan Red Wine Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting

The Cake:

         Preheat your oven to 350º and line the bottom of two 8x8 pans with parchment paper and grease the sides. I made this cake square, but I think it might work better in round cake pans. Mix together in a large bowl:

• 2/3 cup oil
• 2 tbs vinegar
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 c red wine 
• 1/2 c water
• 1 3/4 c sugar (you may want a little more depending on how sweet you want your cake--up to 2 c maybe)

Mix together dry ingredients in another bowl:

• 3 c flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 7 tbs (1/3 c + 2 tbs) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

         Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix together. Split the batter into the two 8 x 8 pans, and bake for 28 minutes or so, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.

The Frosting:

• 1/2 c Earth Balance (EB) or other vegan butter substitute, softened 
• 20 oz powdered sugar (I used 1 1 lb bag plus a bit more)
• 1/4 c unsweetened soy milk (these amounts are adjustable depending on texture)
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp egg replacer (this gives the frosting a really pretty shine, but it's not necessary!)

         Using an electric mixer, beat the EB until somewhat fluffy (it doesn't fluff up as much as butter).  Begin adding the powdered sugar a little at a time and mix at medium-high speed until combined.  Add the soy milk, cinnamon, egg replacer (again, optional), vanilla extract and lemon zest and beat at high speed for a few minutes until frosting is fluffy and smooth (it will not get as fluffy as real buttercream). You want it at a texture that is spreadable but not drippy (mine was a little on the drippy side, but I ran out of powdered sugar). Add more powdered sugar if need be to make the frosting the consistency you would like it.

         Put the first layer down on the plate, and spread some of the frosting on the top. Add the second cake, and frost the top and sides. For the cinnamon flower, cut out a flower (or any shape you choose) our of a paper bag, and place it gently over the top of the cake after the frosting has hardened slightly. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top, then gently and carefully lift off the bag.

Update: The cupcake version...

Update # 2: It's also adorable as a birthday cake (the following is the SK version, but I made it with cinnamon buttercream):

White Bean and Collard Soup with a Tomato-Balsamic Base

My mom used to make this dish for me all the time when I was little, and with over a pound of fresh collard greens on hand, I decided it was my time to try it. 

About six months ago, I discovered a wonderful little antique store on the way up to visit my grandparents in Rochester, NY (also where I will be attending med school next year!). I bought a cast iron Dutch oven for $25, as well as a set of three vintage pyrex cinderella bowls and a beautiful vintage pyrex loaf pan.

In the past several years, my mom has transitioned from making the dish in her own cast iron Dutch oven to cooking in her all-purpose enamel coated Le Creuset. Somehow, the flavor is slightly different with the enamel coating. When I made the dish in my cast iron Dutch oven, it took on the same delicious tastes that I remembered from my childhood. While this can be made in any kind of pot, I wholly recommend trying it in a cast iron Dutch oven!

White Bean and Collard Soup with a Tomato-Balsamic Base

• I tbs extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, peeled and diced
• 6-8 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
• 3/4 lb. collards, washed and chopped coarsely
• 1 tsp salt, or to taste
• 2 tbs balsamic vinegar, or to taste
• 1 28 oz. can chopped tomatoes
•  2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 4-6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1/2-1 tsp. thyme
• 1 bay leaf

In a large dutch oven, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil.  When they are golden, add the greens and sauté until wilted and coated with the oil.  Then add the tomatoes, beans, broth, vinegar, bay leaf and thyme. 

Simmer, covered, for about 3/4 hour, then another 1/2 hour uncovered, making sure that the beans don’t dry out. Continue cooking until beans are creamy and soft, and flavors are melded. When  you remove from the heat, season with  salt to taste, pepper and balsamic vinegar.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I cannot overemphasize the perfection of roasted vegetables.  Plucked straight from the stalk and cut in half, I roasted these at a high temperature (350º-400º) with olive oil and salt.  They went perfectly with the French Onion Soup and fresh bread (recipe to come).

Apple Cinnamon-Cardamom Scones

This recipe is an adaptation of brilliant vegan chef Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Chocolate Ginger Scones.


The chocolate ginger scone recipe is amazing--one of my favorite go-to brunch recipes.  Last Sunday, just as I began to take out the ingredients for the scones, I realized that we had no chocolate or ginger. After a short moment of panic when I considered skipping the scone-making, I decided to adapt. Assessing the options, I chopped up some apples and grabbed some cardamom and cinnamon from the near-empty spice cabinet.


These three flavors were a perfect wintery brunch combo, eaten side by side with (or dunked into) hot cider from the farmer's market.


The amounts could be played with, but the texture of these scones is always perfectly light and fluffy (2 tablespoons of baking powder will do that I guess). The best part? Total cooking time is half an hour or less!

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons baking powder
• 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cardamom
• pinch allspice (or cloves, or both)
• 1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/4 cups non-dairy milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1-2 apples, chopped into small pieces

Throw the dry ingredients together in a bowl. Mix together the wet ingredients, then add them to the dry ingredients.  Toss in the apples and mix until just combined. Form scones on a greased baking sheet (an ice cream scoop does this well), sprinkle sugar on top of each scone and bake at 400º for about 15 minutes.

Unbelievably Easy Artisan Bread

My mother has always been an incredible bread baker. Ever since I was little, the house has been stocked with warm, delicious, perfect loaves of homemade bread.  She often throws the dough in the bread machine to knead, but bakes beautiful loaves that look like they could be from any professional bakery. 

I'd tried to make bread on my own a few times in high school, but I used the bread machine to knead the dough. In Batten (the co-op where I live), there is no bread machine.  Kneading dough by hand, while a respectable project, was not something I could fit into my busy academic schedule...

My mom and my friend Renee both recommended Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I bought yeast, and one Monday evening I tried out the recipe. 

The Master Recipe (from the website of the authors)

3 cups lukewarm water (you can use cold water, but it will take the dough longer to rise. Just don’t use hot water or you may kill the yeast)

1 1/2 tablespoons granulated yeast ( you can use any kind of yeast including: instant, rapid rise, bread machine, active dry.)

1 1/2 tablespoons Morton’s Kosher Salt (use less salt to suit your taste or eliminate it all together. Find more information here.)

6 1/2 cups (2-pounds) unbleached all-purpose flour (we tested the recipes with Gold Medal and Pillsbury flour. If you use King Arthur or other high protein flour check here.)

Mix together the water and yeast in a large bowl. Add the salt and the flour and mix (you can use a Cuisinart equipped with a dough paddle, a wooden spoon, or just your hands!). Cover the bowl with a plate (so it's not airtight), and let the dough rise for a few hours. Shape the loaf, and place on a pan lightly greased with olive oil (my method doesn't use a baking stone). Let the loaf rise in its shape for a bit.

The perfect crust is difficult to achieve in a normal oven, especially without a baking stone (which, as poor college students, we are lacking in!).  The authors of the bread cookbook recommend making a steam oven by placing a pan of water on the shelf below the bread.  Looking at the pans on the shelf, I noticed an old industrial sized muffin tin (most likely a hand-me-down from the dining hall to our dorm).  It fit perfectly across the bottom of the oven.  I filled up the muffin tin with water, and preheated the oven to 550º. When the oven was preheated, I put the muffin tan on the bottom rack with the next rack just above it.

I then placed the loaf inside the oven, and baked for 15-20 minutes. Let the loaf cool (if you can wait) for 5 minutes before serving.

The result of my first loaf? The crumb was perfect, the crust delicious. And it's so, so unbelievably easy.  I'm addicted.

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Glaze

I have come across a perfect cake. This cake probably goes back to the Depression, when eggs and butter were hard to find. Its charm lies in its simplicity: few ingredients, quick preparation and bake time. I often make this cake in the evenings when there's no dessert in the house....start at 8, and there's warm, moist chocolate cake before 9. Nothing better than that.

The original recipe calls for 1 cup water, but I have substituted 1/2 c milk and 1/2 c decaf coffee (or 1 cup milk). Feel free to do any combination--omitting the milk makes it vegan!

Chocolate Cake

Preheat your oven to 335º and grease an 8x8 pan.

Mix together in a large bowl:

1/3 cup oil

1 tablespoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup coffee

1 cup sugar

Mix together dry ingredients in another bowl:

1 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix together. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

My favorite variation is to add raspberry glaze (as above) or raspberry filling if baked as cupcakes (I use a turkey baster to squeeze the jam into the warm cupcakes). The jam is easier to work with if it is melted in the microwave for half a minute.

Roasted Leeks

This recipe comes from a small café in Florence--the vegetables were so tender and incredible we asked how she roasted them. This method is so simple, yet perfect.

Roasted Leeks

• Sliced or chopped vegetable (we had radicchio, artichokes, leeks---anything that roasts well)
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Water

Coat the veggies with olive oil, and sprinkle them with lemon juice and a the tiniest splash of water. Roast in a high temperature oven (375, 400, or even 450º) for ~30-40 minutes, depending on the size and texture of the vegetable (for example beets, which I wouldn't put lemon juice on, would take longer than leeks).

Easy Cranberry Relish

As a busy college student, I am finding it harder and harder to keep up the food blog. That said, I have made (and eaten) many delicious things in the past few months. Many of these recipes are simple and extremely quick, yet they turn out impressively gourmet.

Here's one from thanksgiving, delicious on turkey, salad, bread, or even on its own. It's unbelievably simple, but it's a delicious and fresh alternative to traditional cranberry sauce.

The recipe is from my organic chemistry lab professor....

5-minute Cranberry relish

• 1 bag of cranberries
• 1 apple
• 1 orange
• 1/2-3/4 c sugar (however tart you want to make it)

Chop apple and orange into large chunks (don't peel them--the peel adds good flavor!). Place them in a Cuisinart. Blend. Add the cranberries (after they have been washed, and the bad ones sorted out). Blend again. Add the sugar. Blend again. And, it's done....in 6 minutes or less. Add some orange zest for garnish if you choose.

Sesame Quinoa topped with Maple-Ginger Bok Choy and Tamari-Glazed Tempeh Strips

I have developed a complex relationship with tempeh.  I used to hate it's complex, nutty flavor with a passion.  In my vegan co-op house, though, we order it in bulk.  The huge squares of it sit in our freezer to be cooked throughout the semester...I dreaded them being actually cooked.


My good friend Lauren changed this forever.  She made a broiled tempeh with liquid smoke that was perfectly golden--the smoky flavor complimented the nuttiness of the tempeh perfectly.  For Thanksgiving, she made a tempeh loaf that was absolutely delicious.  I drove a piece of it home to my non-vegan parents, who also enjoyed it.


This summer I decided to experiment with tempeh, to try out different recipes with it.  For all you vegetarians, it is a lovely way to add variety into meals.  Just as carnivores often rotate having pork, chicken, and beef, vegetarians can rotate tempeh, tofu, and even seitan! (Another housemate made the most unbelievably scrumptious seitan tacos...she made the seitan from scratch and cooked it in lime beer.  Heaven.)


This is one of the recipes I tried out this summer:


Sesame Quinoa topped with Maple-Ginger Bok Choy and Tamari-Glazed Tempeh Strips

The trick to this dish is to time it right.  The tempeh needs to marinate for half an hour at the least, then the quinoa is cooked for 15-20 min, and the tempeh for 4-5 min.  The boy choy takes ~5 min as well.  The tempeh and quinoa recipes hail from Jack Bishop’s A Year in a Vegetarian Kitchen.


For the tempeh:
8 oz tempeh, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch-thick pieces (**tofu can be substituted)
2T tamari
2T rice wine
Place the tempeh in a skillet just large enough to hold the pieces in a single layer. Add the tamari and rice wine and turn the tempeh to coat. Set aside, turning the tempeh occasionally, until well seasoned, about 30 min.
When quinoa is almost done, place pan with tempeh and marinade over medium-high heat.  Cook, turning once, until tempeh is golden-brown and marinade has evaporated (around 4 minutes).


For the quinoa:


2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbs black sesame seeds
1 c quinoa, rinsed in a fine strainer under cold running water
1 3/4 c water
salt
Heat oils in a medium saucepan, preferably nonstick, over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the sesame seeds and cook until fragrant (around 30 sec). Add the quinoa and cook, stirring often, until toasted, about 2 min.  Add the water and salt (to taste) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently until the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.


For the bok choy:
(I made this part up, so I have no idea how much of each I used)


baby bok choy
ginger
canola oil
sesame oil
maple syrup
tamari


Chop the baby bok choy and separate white stems from leaves. Heat canola oil in pan, and mix up the rest of the marinade to taste.  Add the bok choy stems to the pan, along with most of the marinade, and cook until tender and clear.  Just before they are done, add the bok choy leaves and the rest of the marinade.


To serve:
Place quinoa on plate, then top with bok choy and tempeh strips.  Add more black sesame seeds for garnish.

What (the) Nonna Taught Me: Pasta with Leeks, Lemon, and Olive Oil

Pasta, pasta, pasta, pasta! A song my dad used to sing to me, joyfully proclaiming the delight and deliciousness of pasta.


I have always loved pasta. Pasta of any type--my favorites ranging from pesto to Chinese noodles with bok choy, tofu, and black beans. This winter break, I was fortunate to be able to travel to Italy with my family. I was in pasta heaven. Never had I eaten such an incredible variety of pasta sauces: gnocchetti with pomodoro, trofie al pesto (pesto was invented in Genoa!), penne alla arabiatta, linguini with carciofi (artichokes), and so, so many more.


One restaurant we went to, Il Caffe di Chico, served the best food I have ever eaten. It was a tiny little café in Florence, with a handwritten menu stuck up on the wall. I had linguini with artichokes one day, and then next day had penne with leeks.


When I got home, I bought some good quality pasta and olive oil, and attempted my own version of the dish.

Penne with Leeks, Lemon

• Leeks (1-2)
• Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• Lemon juice
• One pound good quality penne
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

Boil water for pasta. Cook pasta al dente (don't overcook--just done...). While the pasta is cooking, sauté garlic in olive oil. Cut leeks lengthwise in half, then slice each half crossways into thin slices. The layers will fall apart so that you have thin strings of leek. Sauté the leeks until tender (5-7 min) and slightly browned (they won't get as clear as onions, but it's the same idea). Add a splash of lemon juice, or as much as you like. Leeks are quite sweet, so I find that the flavors of the lemon, olive oil and salt balance each other out nicely. When pasta is done, toss the leeks with the penne.


The roasted vegetables we got as a side dish were also incredible--they were perfectly cooked, tender yet not mushy. We asked the waiter how they were done.

Roasted Veggies

• Sliced or chopped vegetable (we had radicchio, artichokes, leeks---anything that roasts well)
• Olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Water

Coat the veggies with olive oil, and sprinkle them with lemon juice and a the tiniest splash of water. Roast in a high temperature oven (375, 400, or even 450º) for ~30-40 minutes, depending on the size and texture of the vegetable (for example beets, which I wouldn't put lemon juice on, would take longer than leeks).

Kale Chips

Kale is plentiful in fall and winter farmer's markets. It's versatile, good in soups and as a side dish. One of my favorite uses for the leafy green is as chips--roasted at a high temperature in the oven for less than 10 minutes. Again, it is a gourmet and impressive appetizer that takes no time at all. It's a great dish for guests to munch on while waiting for dinner...health and delicious.


Kale Chips

• Curly kale (this amount is for 1 regular bunch)
  
• 1 1/2 T Olive oil
• 1/2 t Kosher salt or sea salt (to taste)
  

Rinse and dry kale, then cut or tear it into chip sized pieces. I often take out the stem, since it can be bitter. Toss with the olive oil and salt. Spread out on a sheet pan and roast at 450º for 5-10 minutes (until kale is crispy but not burnt).

Acorn Sqush Stuffed with Quinoa Pilaf and Smoked Tempeh

When you get all your vegetables at the farmer's market, fall is a time for squash, squash and more squash. Roasted or in pasta (as last week), mashed with nutmeg, maple syrup, lemon juice and sweet potatoes, there are infinite possibilities.


The idea for the following recipe came from my mom--I asked her for the recipe (as I remembered the dish she made so well), but she had no memory of making it. Together we tried to make it up again, and it turned out quite well.

























My lovely cooking partner made smoked tempeh (marinated in liquid smoke, I think soy sauce and some garlic...I'll have to ask for the recipe!)--it was the best tempeh I ever had.

Roasted Acorn Squash Stuffed with Quinoa Pilaf

• Acorn squash (1/2-1 squash per person, depending on size of squash)
• Quinoa (again, however much you want to make...)
• Onions (1 small-1 large)
• Apples (1-2 medium)
• Walnuts, chopped (a few tablespoons)
• Raisins (~1/4 c--again, this is to taste)
• 1 tbs cinnamon (I did this to taste...)
• 2 tsp cumin (to taste) 

For the squash
Cut squash in half vertically. Scoop out the seeds, and place cut side down on a lightly oiled piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Bake squash for ~30-35 minutes at 350º (until tender--I use a fork to check).


For the quinoa pilaf


In a pan, sauté onions in olive oil. Once the onions are tender, clear and browning, add apples and cook until beginning to soften. Add cinnamon, cumin, and walnuts. Add a tiny amount of oil as well as the onion, nut, raisin mixture to pot (where you will cook quinoa) and sauté quinoa grains (you can add more spices here if you like). Add water to quinoa, bring back to boil and then turn down heat and cover pot. Let quinoa steam for recommended cooking time (17 min I believe). 5 minutes before done, add apples. (I sauteed mine with the onions, and they steamed so long with the quinoa they came out a little mushy--this should work I think). Add any more cumin/cinnamon to pilaf, depending on how much flavor you want.


Stuff quinoa into acorn squash, sprinkle with cinnamon and put back in the oven to warm just before serving.

The extra quinoa pilaf makes for great leftovers!

Triumph over Butternut Squash, thanks to Mark Bittman

In early September, I drove through Upstate New York to visit my grandparents. On the way home, I spotted a roadside stand filled with gorgeous butternut squash.
 

Roadside stands are rare these days, especially those of this genre--an "honor code" stand. There is a small box for money, and the squash just sitting there for the taking. The large squash (HUGE in my opinion) were $1 apiece and the small (regular sized) were just 50¢ each. (At Trader Joe's the other day, one of these was $1.99). I scrounged around in my car for change, and bought seven for $3.50.


My first project was a simple roasted squash, cut in half and placed on aluminum foil with a tiny bit of olive oil. I baked them at ~400º (I think, or maybe it was 350?) for ~30-40 min, until they were tender and soft.

 

I still had 5 squash, and needed another meal. I looked up "Mark Bittman butternut squash" on Google--always trusting my favorite NYTimes food writer.


Unfortunately, I attempted this without a Cuisinart. Butternut squash is hard to chop, so be warned--this took forever! The result was delicious, but grating the squash by hand nearly defeated me....


This pasta is amazing. However, it is sweet, so I served it with salty garlic sauteed chard (and a tarte tatin for dessert!)

Butternut Squash Penne
adapted from Mark Bittman

Mark says: "Some butternut squashes are sweeter than others, and there's no way to predict this by appearance. Since this sauce relies on sweetness for its character, if the squash seems a little bland, add about a teaspoon of sugar. It will brighten the flavor considerably".

•     Butternut squash (peeled and seeded--start with 1 per pound of pasta)
•     Salt to taste
•     Olive oil (~2 tbs.)
•     Black pepper to taste
•     1 pound cut pasta (I used penne)
•     1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste
•     1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
•     1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan (I left this out to make it vegan, leaving some on the table for those who wanted to sprinkle some on top)

Cut squash into chunks, and place in food processor. Pulse machine on and off until squash looks grated. (Bittman says you can also do this grating by hand....this is way too difficult. Attempt only if you have a lot of time or patience!)


Set a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.


Place a large skillet over medium heat, and add the butter or oil. A minute later, add the squash, salt, pepper and about 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Add water, about 1/4 cup at a time, as the mixture dries out, being careful not to make it soupy. When the squash begins to disintegrate, after about 10 or 15 minutes, begin cooking the pasta. While it cooks, season the squash with the nutmeg, sugar if necessary, and additional salt and pepper if needed.


Cook pasta al dente.


Toss pasta with squash. Taste, and adjust the salt, pepper or nutmeg as you like; then, toss with the cheese and serve.


**There is something to be said for good pasta. If you can, go to a specialty foods store and get a pound or two of really good pasta for an amazing upgrade.....


Update: I had a brilliant idea a few weeks ago when I made this. After doing everything as above, I put the pasta in a lasagna pan, covered it with parmesan cheese, and baked it in a 350º oven for 20 minutes or so until the top of the pasta was crunchy.