Butternut Squash For Fall - Zucchini For Summer

By now we have usually taken in our front porch wicker furniture because of rain, but this year we continue to have weather more like June than October...including some fog, which I love. No rain.

This recipe reflects the two seasons in a way. I'm just beginning my use of winter squash...in this case butternut and have almost finished using the zucchini from my garden because we are not getting very much any more and mostly little ones at that. This recipe has both, plus some mushrooms and two kinds of rice, plus pecans and orange juice and zest. What ties it together is olive oil and balsamic vinegar, plus a bit of maple syrup on the roast veggies.

I saw a recipe on my phone for something similar to this a week or so ago, but couldn't find it when it was time to make this dish, so I sort of put things together that sounded right in proportions that seemed right and it worked out pretty well. Sweetie raved and had two servings.

 Although I often peel, de-seed and cut up fresh butternut squash, today I used a container from the grocery store that had already prepared chunks in it. I did cut a few of the larger chunks in half, but other wise just threw them into the mixing bag. The zucchini were small so I used two, cutting off the ends and cutting them in half, then slicing them. The mushrooms were already cleaned and sliced. You can use any kind of mushroom you like...these are plain white ones but cremini or one of the fancy ones would be delicious, too.

Do use a fresh orange for this. The zest and fresh juice are a background note, but make a big difference and that won't happen without the fresh oils in the zest and the unmistakable taste of fresh OJ.

I used a rice cooker for the rice but just prepare it in your favorite way. You can skip the wild rice if you want this to be less costly and it will still take great, but the wild rice really adds to the taste. This would make a great stuffing for duck if the butternut squash were chopped in smaller cubes. The flavors would be excellent with duck...or turkey. We had it with grilled chicken thighs and it was lovely.

Need to prep ahead? You can roast the veggie mixture in advance, keep in fridge, then warm in the microwave before mixing into the rice mixture. Both kinds of rice can be made ahead and rewarmed with about a teaspoon of water in the microwave with waxed paper over the container to keep the moisture in. Do mix up the 'dressing' at the time you are going to serve because fresh orange juice will taste fresher that way...and it matters. Pecans can be toasted ahead and kept in a airtight container.

Two Kinds of Rice with Butternut Squash and Maple
Serves 4-6

3-4 cups butternut squash, peeled, de-seeded, and cut into cubes of about an inch
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon dry thyme
1/8 teaspoon (or more if you like it spicier) cayenne pepper, ground
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh orange zest
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
2 small or 1 medium-large zucchini, ends trimmed, halved lengthwise and sliced in1/4-inch thick slices
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup cooked wild rice
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
1/4 cup toasted pecans, broken in large pieces
1 tablespoon parsley, minced

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Place the butternut squash, olive oil, maple syrup, balsamic vinegar, thyme, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, and orange zest into a large plastic bag (I use a clean produce bag) and shake vigorously to coat the squash in the other ingredients. Line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil and spray with spray oil (I used spray olive oil). Pour the squash mixture onto the prepared sheet pan. Let as much of the mixture as you can drip from the bag. Use the outside of the bag to pat the squash into a single layer, with the cubes separated from each other. Roast in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

Add the sliced mushrooms and sliced zucchini to the sheet pan and use tongs or a wooden spatula to carefully mix them into the squash mixture while also turning the squash to another side. Try not to tear the foil since the coating mixture is sticky and could burn if it leaks underneath. Make sure that the mushrooms and zucchini are laying on a flat side on the surface of the sheet pan foil, then return the pan to the oven and roast another 10-15 minutes, or until butternut squash is tender.

While the squash is roasting, in a small bowl mix together the chicken broth, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

In a large bowl place the two kinds of rice, warmed, the roasted veggies and any sauce, and the fresh orange juice dressing. Gently stir to combine. Add the toasted pecans and the minced parsley and gently stir to combine. Serve at once for warm dish, or serve at room temperature later.

Country Comforts - Polenta and Balsamic Mushrooms

With time on my hands, I've been going through bookshelves and throwing out what needs to be thrown out. One of the things I discovered were some old Bon Appetit magazines going back as far as 1991! Most of them are newer, with quite a few from around late 1999 and early 2000 when I was distracted by grief and probably never even read them. Perhaps that's why I saved them. Things have changed over the decades. Many of the recipes from the early 90s are very rich, with lots of sauces, including many with a lot of whipping cream. These were served with desserts with lots of chocolate and whipping cream. I'm glad that we have not gotten rid of the chocolate but moved a bit past so much whipping cream.

One of the recipes sounded really great, especially because we had a lot of mushrooms. Sweetie and I have been blessed with wonderful neighbors who ask what they can get us when they shop. That led to a double amount of fresh mushrooms through our miscommunication. Fortunately, we both love mushrooms! In making the Cottage Loaf, I had re-discovered the polenta in the extra fridge, so I knew that I could make the polenta.

In the recipe, from the October, 1991 Bon Appetit issue titled Country Comforts on the cover, the polenta was baked. It had a lot more dairy, including full fat sour cream (I substituted low fat yogurt and reduced the amount), lots of Parmesan cheese (I had none and Sweetie had a reduced amount) and lots of butter (again replaced with non-dairy and reduced in amount). I made it stove-top so that the mushrooms could take up the oven and it was just perfect. I re-wrote the direction for stove-top. If you make this with water, skip the yogurt and use plant-based butter and no Parmesan, it is a vegan meal.

The polenta is OK just a little salty since the mushrooms get a bit sweet with the roasting and the balsamic. It's a great combination! If at all possible, use fresh herbs. It makes a difference.

The recipe was found in an article on the Lark Creek Inn in Larkspur, CA, a pioneering restaurant, founded in 1989, which closed sometime in 2015. Who knows what magazine gems I'll find next.

Do try this delicious dish yourself. Except for prepping the mushrooms and stirring the polenta, it doesn't take much effort and the results are worthy of company...once we can have joint dinners again. In the meantime, make it for yourself...you are worth it!

Low-Dairy Polenta with  Thyme and Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms
A variation of a recipe from the Lark Creek Inn, Larkspur, CA

Polenta
1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth (I used broth)
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup polenta (coarse cornmeal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4 tablespoons non-dairy butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)
fresh thyme for garnish

Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms
6 garlic cloves, minced or thinly sliced (I used minced because that's what I had)
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
3 fresh rosemary sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
3 fresh thyme sprigs, or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
4 cups large fresh mushrooms, cleaned, dried, and quartered

Method:
Polenta -  Bring the water or broth and minced garlic to a boil in a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Pot will need a tight-fitting lid.

Gradually stir polenta into boiling liquid. Reduce heat to medium and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir in. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. If needed, stir in hot water, a 1/4 cup at a time, to loosen mixture if it gets too thick to allow the grains to cook...up to a full cup extra water. Cook another 15-20 minutes , stirring frequently, until polenta is thickened and grains are tender (take a taste). Remove from heat and stir in yogurt and butter. If using, stir in Parmesan cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper as needed, to taste.

Spoon polenta onto plates or into shallow bowls. Garnish with thyme. Top with Roasted Balsamic Mushrooms. Serve at once.

Mushrooms - Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with foil.

In a large bowl combine garlic, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herbs. Add mushrooms and toss to coat. Season lightly with pepper. Toss again.

Arrange in single layer on prepared baking sheets. Roast until mushrooms are tender and slightly crisp on edges, 20 minutes or so. Serve over cooked Polenta.

Finally Tomatoes

We had a cool, rainy spring. Night temperatures stayed low on into June, so the tomatoes went in late. As a consequence they are ripening late, too. Finally had our first plate of sliced Marvel Stripe tomatoes. These were also on the small side, but juicy, sweet, and delicious.

I prepared them as a composed salad. The plate included thick slices of our Kirby cucumbers, pepper, sea salt, and a splash of balsamic vinegar and drizzle of olive oil. Sweetie also had some cute little mozzarella balls with his salad.

Not an actual recipe, but I'll bet you can improve upon my fairly simple salad.

Bonus: Yellow roses and sunflowers dancing with purple and magenta morning glories. High summer!

Welcome August

Made it through July, always a tough month. Having our new dog has made a difference and brought a lot of joy to our lives. Pi has been really, really good about not chasing cats for over a week but, instead I guess, has discovered that the kitchen has food that is yummy. Since we are not feeding him scraps or any 'people food' it took him a while. This morning we found that we had left the pantry door open and there were two almonds on the rug by his crate. Since he didn't seem to have gotten into the bag of almonds I can only guess that Sweetie dropped a few last time he snacked on almonds. Still Pi and I had words and a stern warning was given to stay out of my kitchen.

One of the blessings of August is the bounty that becomes available for harvesting as things ripen in their time. Although the plums are finished for the year, we have tons of blackberries that are just ripe now. I've harvested a few cucumbers but more are on the way. The zucchini squash continue to produce enough for us with extra to share. So far we are greeted with 'Yay' when we bring them to friends. It might be a different story by the start of September. The Gravenstein apples will soon be ripe and I have some beans getting bigger, so they will be eaten this month, too. The pears look like they might be ready in late August.

The biggest news is that we had our first full sized tomato of the season last night. I had used a few of the Juliet grape tomatoes in a salad the day before but it is always a treat to enjoy the first slicer.

We had it sliced and dressed, lightly, with good olive oil, salt and pepper, and a splash of balsamic vinegar. What a pleasure to experience the taste of summer in each bite. No recipe needed. Just be sure to not put the vine ripened tomato in the 'fridge. The cold changes the chemistry somehow and the taste suffers. We have been known to eat tomatoes right off of the vine, like an apple, with juices running down the chin. Heavenly August!

More Black Beans

So you get a phone call from a friend who is looking for a dish for a luncheon and it has to be something that a non-cook can make. It would be nice if it is also vegan and not too expensive. Even better would be something that doesn’t need to be re-heated or even refrigerated. Oh, yes, can it also be delicious?

If you get that kind of phone call I have just the thing for you. We served it to our scholarship group yesterday and it was a hit! We had a four person committee and three of them were non-cooks, but they did a great job with this salad. Parkay made a great chairwoman! We served it on lettuce leaves accompanied by a gorgeous big strawberry that had been fanned out, plus fresh blueberries and some bakery rolls. Delish!

Black beans and corn work together here to make a complete protein, plus they taste great together and look colorful, too. Add tomatoes, red pepper and Italian parsley (the flat leaf kind), plus some red onion and you have a very jazzy looking salad. A red wine and olive oil based dressing ties it all together and a hint of cayenne makes it sing. Since it uses frozen corn and canned beans and tomatoes, the only cooking is some chopping of peppers, onions and parsley.

Even if you are a proficient cook, this is a great meal to have in your repertoire, especially if you keep some of the ingredients on hand. You can pull it together at a moment’s notice when you have unexpected guests or are just too tired to do ‘real’ cooking. Just remember, the best reason to make this salad is that it tastes great!

Black Bean, Corn and Tomato Salad

1 (16 oz.) bag frozen corn, thawed
½ - 1 cup fresh tomatoes, diced, plus any juices that collect (you can remove the skin and seeds or not, as you prefer) OR 1 (14 to 15 oz ) can diced tomatoes and their juice
½ cup red pepper, cored and diced
½ medium red onion, diced
½ cup fresh parsley, finely minced – flat leaf gives a stronger flavor than curly leaf
1 14 to 15 oz ) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Dressing
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
(OR ½ cup red wine vinegar and NO balsamic vinegar)
½ cup olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

Place thawed corn, tomatoes, diced pepper, red onion, parsley and beans into a bowl.

Shake the dressing ingredients together in a small jar with tightly fitting lid. Pour dressing over salad and stir to mix ingredients thoroughly.

Cover salad and chill for at least an hour and up to 12 hours until thoroughly chilled.

Serves 6-8.

Note: Sometimes you can find frozen corn that has red pepper bits already in it. If you do, you can skip dicing the fresh red pepper…just use the frozen corn with red peppers.

Pretty Tasty Red Cabbage

I was talking with my friend Hil the other day and telling her about this pomegranate juice that I'm cooking with. I told her I might try some fruit soup or a sweet and sour beet salad. We moved on to talk about dinner that night and she mentioned that since she had been working so much that her vegetable options were limited...red cabbage was about it. The light bulb went on for me. Of course, red cabbage, red sweet and sourish pomegranate juice...perfect for braised sweet and sour red cabbage. I used some more of that great POM Wonderful juice.

Before we get to the cabbage, I want to show you a couple of photos I took of the wild Douglas iris in the woods at work. I love this time of year when they arrive and brighten up the areas where they bloom. Often the surrounding landscape is full of old dead grasses and weeds, so these spots of light purplish blue are a delightful contrast and delicately pretty, too.

Tonight I made that wonderful red cabbage dish and it was delicious! We had it with some zucchini and pork chops that Sweetie cooked on the grill. Today was truly a spring time day, so grilling seemed like the way to go.

Braised red cabbage couldn't be simpler and it's quick, too. Since you only use a small amount of olive oil it's also pretty light. Adding the pomegranate juice adds antioxidants, which I've heard are good for you although I still don't really understand about them.

The juice has been proven to be good for cardiovascular health, prostate health, erectile function...whoo-hoo, and helps with diabetes. According to the literature, not all pomegranate juices will provide these benefits.

Do a little research yourself if you are counting on these benefits. One thing I saw was that too much pomegranate juice, combined with cholesterol meds, can actually be dangerous. Well, that was an Internet alert which you can't always believe.

What you can believe is that this is a delicious, pretty, refreshing side dish that goes together quickly and easily.

Elle's Red Cabbage with Pomegranate Juice

Serves 4 -6

1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large head red cabbage, sliced thin, then cut crosswise into roughly 2 inch lengths
8 oz. (1 cup) POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper (or more to taste)

In large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium hot heat. Add the onions and garlic and saute' for 3-4 minutes, until onion is translucent.

Add the cabbage and stir to coat with the onions and garlic.Stir in the pomegranate juice.

Sprinkle the balsamic vinegar and drizzle the honey over the cabbage. Add the pepper. Stir to completely combine.

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes until the cabbage is tender.

Serve hot.