Recipes Galore!
Meals don’t have to be dull just because summer’s bounty is disappearing as cold weather sets in. There is still plenty of great produce in late autumn and early winter, and recipes for using it are plentiful. The national Food Day Cookbook is an an amazing collection of recipes for tasty Food Day fare. A dozen chefs including Mario Batali, Rick Bayless, Marie Simmons and Nina Simonds share tempting ideas from Fennel and Apple Soup to Squash and Mushroom Salad, and from Tuscan Kale and White Bean Ragout to Rosemary Orange Cauliflower.
Below are creations from local chefs:
Winter Squash Dessert Tart
Contributor: Chef Tim Payne with Terroir Restaurant, 246 Main Street, Longmont
As the cold season comes on, one food that stays plentiful is winter squash, which is why it’s always good to have more uses for it. In case you think winter squash is limited to savory dishes, check out this recipe to discover its sweeter side.
Make the Tart Dough
- 12 T of cold butter
- 2 cups plus 6 T of flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ¼ t of salt
Procedure:
- Combine the flour and salt in a food processor and pulse a few times to combine.
- Add the butter and pulse until pea size pebbles are achieved.
- With the motor running, add the eggs and continue to run until the dough comes together. You do not want the dough to come completely together into a ball, but the loose flour should be incorporated before you stop. Helpful hint, once the dough starts to come together stop the motor and pulse the dough in the food processor to avoid over-processing the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto a flat surface and form a disk roughly ½ inch thick.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Remove the dough from the refrigerator and place between two large sheets of wax paper, parchment paper, or plastic wrap. With a rolling pin, roll out to a width slightly larger than a 11 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. You want about 2 inches larger than the tart pan.
- Lightly oil the tart pan and place the dough in the tart pan and with your hands form the dough into the pan.
- Place the pan in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Make the Filling
- 1 ½ cups pureed squash (butternut, red kuri, or acorn squash)
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup of cream
- 2 T of melted butter
- 2 T of flour
- 1 ½ t of cinnamon
- ¼ t of ginger
- ¼ t of salt
Procedure:
- Add the squash and sugar to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and mix on medium-low speed until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time. Allow each egg to be fully incorporated between additions.
- Add the cream and butter and mix for one minute.
- Add the dry ingredients and mix for one minute.
Assemble and Bake the Tart
Remove the tart pan from the refrigerator and place on a baking sheet. Pour the squash mixture into the shell and fill to within ¼ of an inch from the top. You may have a little extra depending how exact you measured or how watery your squash puree is.
Bake on the middle shelf for 30 minutes. The tart should be set before removing, similar to pumpkin pie. If not set, place back in the oven and check again in 5 minutes.
Serve
Serve the tart with whipped cream, caramel sauce, or pumpkin seed brittle (or better yet all three
Just in Time for Thanksgiving
Flagstaff House’s Chef Monette shares recipes from the restaurant’s take-home Thanksgiving dinner
Boulderganic is a special publication from Boulder Weekly that is dedicated to “bringing self-sufficiency and sustainability home.” A recent article described the local foods commitment of The Flagstaff House. Check out the Fall, 2011 issue for these wonderful recipes included with the article:
- Butternut Squash Soup with Winter Spices
- Monette Family Turkey Recipe
- Pumpkin Cheesecake
Yellow Squash with Tomatoes, Peppers and Oregano
Autumn sees the last of our area’s tomatoes, peppers and yellow squash. Although they are no longer at their prime, their taste is still great. Hurry and enjoy the last of them in this quick side dish:
- Saute 1 medium green pepper (cut in 1/2″ squares) in good olive oil, over medium-high heat, for 2-3 minutes.
- Add 2 medium-sized yellow summer squash cut in half moons and continue sauteing 4-5 more minutes, being sure to season with salt and pepper.
- Add 2-3 medium tomatoes, cut roughly into 1″ cubes and cook another 4-5 more minutes, until peppers and squash are cooked to taste and tomatoes are just beginning to soften and release their juices.
- “Crush and Sprinkle” 1-2 tsp. dried leaf oregano (the Greek version if you can find it) over the dish and stir in. Cook another minute to allow flavors to meld, then taste and add more salt and pepper and even a pinch of sugar if dish tastes too acidic.
- Serve and enjoy the lovely combination of yellow, green and red.
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