How to Make Roasted Squash with Chile Vinaigrette

Erik — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:43:49 +0000

This is going to be the first post in a series called “Husband Alone with the CSA.” Lindsay has been away for work for two weeks. I’ve been travelling 3 days a week as well. Although I’ve been trying to share our bounty with friends and neighbors, I still have had to cook my way out from under a big pile of produce each week. The biggest challenge has been the menu planning. I’m a great soldier in the kitchen. I will chope, puree, brown, sear, mince, whatever. But Lindsay is usually the one giving the marching orders, or at least picking out the recipe. I had some Skype help, but a lot of the meals have been entirely my own doing .

On a side note, please forgive the relative lack of pictures in these posts. It’s difficult to keep up with this much produce on my own. It’s VERY difficult to do so and take pictures at the same time. I did my best. So, on to recipe #1…

Roasted Delicata Squash with Chile Vinaigrette

Makes 3-4 servings as a side or 2 as a main

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation
1	Delicata squash	You could also use Acorn, but that would require two
1-2 tsp	Chili peppers	Finely chopped, including seeds
4 TBsp	Olive oil
1-2 cloves	Fresh garlic	Minced
1 TBsp/td>	Lime juice
1 tsp	Salt
0.5 tsp	Black pepper	Freshly ground
2 TBsp	Cilantro	Chopped (optional)

Directions

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil (optional).

Cut the squash in half lengthwise. Cut off the top (stem end) and bottom of each half. Scoop out the seeds and scrape the cavity to clean out the “guts”.
As you can see in the pictures, I waited too long to make this. Acorn squash can last for weeks on the counter, but with Delicata you need to move fast; you have no longer than a week to ten days. The bad news is that it’s thin-skinned compared to Acorn or Butternut. The flip side is that the skin is edible.

By the time I cut out the pieces that were rotting, I lost a full third of the squash. But I was cooking it as a side for one, so all I lost was leftovers. I soldiered through!
Cut the squash lengthwise into 3/4 inch wedges.

In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the pepper, 3/4 of the salt, and 2 TBsp of olive oil. Place them on the sheet pan, flesh side (not skin side) down. Roast for 20 – 30 minutes. You want the wedges to be thoroughly roasted, but if it roasts too long the skin will become crunchy and inedible. If that does happen, simply remove the skin as you are eating it. It should peel away easily. If you are using Acorn squash, the skin will not be edible.

In the meantime, mince the garlic and mash it with the remaining salt into a paste. Finely chop the hot peppers, including the seeds (be careful to wash your hands thoroughly and don’t touch your eyes in the meantime!). Transfer the garlic paste and chopped peppers to a small bowl. Whisk in the lime juice and the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the cilantro to the mix. Depending on your taste, you may want to adjust the amount of oil vs. lime juice vs. hot peppers. This version is on the bright side (more lime and less oil) and hot side.

Plate the squash and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Pre-Thanksgiving Light Lunch: Peach and Roasted Beet Salad

Lindsay — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 17:10:09 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today is my favorite holiday all year – not surprising that I look forward to a holiday focused on food, huh? I LOVE the traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but before you dive head first into a plate of brown-ish, carb-y, gravy-soaked dinner, consider a colorful “pre-game” salad. This one comes together in a jiffy after the beets are roasted (which you could do a day or so ahead of time) and is jam-packed with peppery, mildly spicy, and sweet ingredients.

This is based on a recipe from Not Eating Out in New York, but modified to use ingredients that we had on hand or found at the Somerville Winter Farmers Market on Saturday.

Peach and Roasted Beet Salad
Serves 2 as a main or 4 as a side

Amount	Ingredient	Preparation	Where we bought it (* Red Fire Farm CSA, ** Somerville Winter Farmers Market)
2 cups	Beets	Roasted (see below) and cut into quarters or eighths	Northshire Farm
1/2	Dried chile	Crumbled (or substitute 1/4 tsp chile powder)	Home-dried
1/4 tsp	Dried basil
1/8 tsp	Salt
Few grinds	Black pepper
1 TBsp	Olive oil
2 TBsp	Lemon juice
1 1/2 cups	Canned peaches	Sliced or cut into bite-sized pieces	Home-canned
2 large handfuls	Arugula		NorthStar Farm **

Directions

Wash and dry the beets. Wrap each in foil and put in a single layer in a baking dish. Roast at 400 degrees for 40 to 60 minutes, depending on size. The beets are done when they’re easily pierced with a thin knife. Once they’re cool enough to handle, rub the skins off with a paper towel. Your hands will get red, but if you wash them right away, they shouldn’t stain. Slice each beet into 4 or 8 wedges, depending on size. Set aside or refrigerate for a few days, if you do this ahead of time.
Whisk the lemon juice, chile, dried basil, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. While whisking, add the olive oil in a slow, thin stream. Doing it this way will help it combine with the lemon juice, rather than forming little pools on top.
Add the arugula to the bowl and toss to coat all the leaves in dressing.
To serve, put a pile of arugula on each plate and arrange the beet and peach slices on top.

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How to Make Roasted Squash with Chile Vinaigrette

Pre-Thanksgiving Light Lunch: Peach and Roasted Beet Salad