pan-roasted half chicken, fall panzanella, butternut squash, currants, walnuts, pancetta vinaigrette, which certainly makes good use of our
prolific crop of winter squash at the farm.
.
It seems to fit the feeling of the season that
much of what we are growing at the farm burrows underground,
just the way we are inclined to do under a throw blanket with a book by the hearth.
Even though radishes, carrots, onions and leeks are
part of the spring bounty at the farm, we also grow them at this time of year as well.
"Plants like onions,
garlic, and other members of the allium family confuse bugs
with their strong
scent and just encourage them to fly away,"
Pickled Shallots 2 cups shallots, sliced 11⁄2 cups red wine vinegar 1⁄2 cup sugar 1⁄2 tablespoon salt 1 sprig fresh thyme 1 bay leaf
In a saucepan, combine the wine vinegar, sugar, and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the thyme, bay leaf and shallots and stir to coat evenly. Cook briskly for exactly 1 minute over high heat and remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to stand until it cools to room temperature. Transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Makes 11⁄2 cups
How do you like to use alliums?
And what vegetables are simmering in that stew on your stovetop these autumn days? We will be transitioning this blog to a different site and hope you will find us there. If you subscribe to our posts, please change to http://sonoma-figgirl.com
We'll post here for awhile longer, but like everything at the farm,
changes occur, so please move along with us.
Thanks for following the blog.
Butternut Squash Soup, Balsamic Reduction, Fried Sage When summer squash transitions to winter squash, soup always comes to mind. Butternut squash is a wonderful, hard variety that
when cooked just right will utterly delight you. At this time of year, you’ll find several squash varieties at the market, so give the others
a try in this recipe. There are a handful of options to garnish this soup. Fried sage has a nice earthy flavor and will be a wonderful
flavor contrast to the creamy soup. Another option is Candied Pumpkin Seeds (page 315). They will definitely add a textural surprise!
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, chopped
3 celery stalks, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 large leek, white part only, cleaned and chopped
2 shallots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
21⁄2 pounds Butternut squash, peeled, seeded, chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1 bunch fresh sage leaves, picked, for garnish
Balsamic Reduction (page 311), for garnish
Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low
heat. Add the onion, celery, carrot, leek, shallots, and garlic and sauté until
the vegetables are soft, about 7 minutes. Stir the vegetables occasionally to
prevent browning. Add the squash to the vegetables and stir. Add 2 quarts
of water and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce
to a simmer, and cook until the squash is just tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
Add the heavy cream and the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter. Remove
the vegetables from the heat and purée immediately in a blender or
food processor. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and adjust seasoning if
necessary.
Heat a small amount of blended oil to 300°F and fry the sage leaves
until crispy. Transfer the sage leaves to paper towels to drain and cool.
Ladle the soup into 6 bowls and garnish each with a drizzle of the
balsamic vinegar reduction and a few fried sage leaves.
Serves 6
By the way, as we explain in Plats du Jour cookbook:
"Even though they are harvested in the fall, they are called winter squash
because their hard, thick skins protect them during the winter storage,
which was crucial in the days before refrigeration.
Their large size and sometimes odd-looking exterior seem
to intimidate some cooks but they are actually very easy to work with.
Once you remove the tough outer skin or cut one in half and roast it with the skin on,
you've got a very nutritious and adaptable ingredient."
