Squish! (Perhaps you call it squash)

Blogger formatting sure is wacky. I'll work on figuring it out before the next update.

I have been guiltily enjoying climate change. It’s easier given the rain we’ve already had. We are supposed to enjoy temperatures in to the high 60s this week. Crazy!

Paying a buck for a lemon, especially in California is criminal! I know we are not supposed to text and drive but there should be a special rule for me. I should not be allowed to ogle citrus fruit going to waste on the trees I see EVERYWHERE during my travels. On my walks in my neighborhood I am a serious forager and my lovely neighbors seem fine with it.

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Butternut or Delicata Squash

I had a beautiful little pile of winter squash in a pretty bowl on my counter. I filled the bowl with citrus because it was time for me to enjoy the squash. A purist, I simply roasted the squash and pumpkin together after a little massage of olive oil, some salt, pepper, cumin and ginger.  

This week I’m going to try this gratin recipe as it uses both the butternut squash and rosemary.

Oh, and it has cheese. ‘nuff said.

Butternut Squash Gratin with Rosemary Breadcrumbs

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

4 cups thinly sliced onions (about 1 pound)

2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

3/4 cup vegetable or chicken broth

2 cups fresh breadcrumbs made from soft white bread

2 cups (packed) grated sharp white cheddar cheese

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until onions are light golden, about 8 minutes. Add squash; sauté 4 minutes. Sprinkle sugar, salt and pepper over vegetables; sauté until onions and squash begin to caramelize, about 5 minutes.

Spread vegetable mixture in prepared dish. Pour broth over. Cover tightly with foil and bake 45 minutes. (Squash mixture can be made 1 day ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Reheat in 350°F oven until heated through, about 10 minutes.)

Increase oven temperature to 400°F. Mix breadcrumbs, cheese, rosemary and thyme in medium bowl. Sprinkle over gratin. Bake uncovered until top is golden brown and crisp, about 30 minutes. 

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Lemons

I adore citrus of every stripe.

Lemon cake has most favored status in my book.  My birthday is next week so feel free to use this recipe to make me one. ;-)

Lemon Cake

Copyright 2001, Barefoot Contessa Parties!

Ingredients

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided

4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

1/3 cup grated lemon zest (6 to 8 large lemons)

3 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, divided

3/4 cup *buttermilk, at room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the glaze:

2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted

3 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 (8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch) loaf pans. You may also line the bottom with parchment paper, if desired. I like to make this cake in a spring form pan but have also had great results with cupcakes.

Cream the butter and 2 cups granulated sugar in the bowl of an electric until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, and the lemon zest.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, combine 1/4 cup lemon juice, the buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, smooth the tops, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Combine 1/2 cup granulated sugar with 1/2 cup lemon juice in a small saucepan and cook over low heat until the sugar dissolves. When the cakes are done, allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set them on a rack set over a tray or sheet pan; spoon the lemon syrup over them. Allow the cakes to cool completely.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and the lemon juice in a bowl, mixing with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour over the tops of the cakes and allow the glaze to drizzle down the sides.

*Tip!  No buttermilk? Add 1 teaspoon vinegar to 1 C milk and after 5 minutes you have a great substitution.  If you actually do have buttermilk, why?  ;-)

Last week I shared Ina Garten’s Lemon Curd recipe. I made it and I will make a couple of revisions next time. I am going to cut the sugar from 1-1/2 cups to a 1-1/3 cup as it was to my taste, cloyingly sweet. I will also bump up the juice as much as I think I can get away with and still end up with lemon curd.

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Kale!

I crave this salad. I think I could eat it 3 times a week for the duration.

Tuscan Kale Caesar Salad 

Serves 2-3 people as an appetizer or side dish

Ingredients

1 bunch Tuscan kale (usually about 3/4 pound)
1-2 garlic cloves
1 lemon
Pinch of red pepper flakes
At least 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (roughly 1/3 cup when grated), plus additional
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more if necessary
Sea salt
Freshly ground pepper

Cut off and discard the bottom inch or 2 from the stems of your kale. Wash and dry thoroughly in a salad spinner and/or between clean dry kitchen towels.

Separate the stems of the kale from the leaves by yanking the leaves off the stems. The stems are edible (and delicious), but you won't need to use them in this recipe. Gather the kale leaves together.  You can make a big pile of kale leaves or you stack up several of the kale leaves at a time and roll them up like a cigar.  (This will make it easier to hold the leaves together when you cut them. Cut the kale leaves into slices as thin or as chunky as you like.  (We usually cut them about an inch-and-a-half thick.)

Make the dressing. Peel the garlic cloves.  Be sure to remove any green shoots from the middle of the garlic clove(s), as these shoots often have a bitter flavor. Mince as finely as you can, and mash them into a paste with the side of your knife.

Place the garlic in a large bowl.  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice from half of the lemon into the bowl. You may need to use the other lemon half later on.  Add a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir to combine.

Grate the Parmesan cheese into the bowl with the lemon and garlic.  (We usually buy a hunk of Parmesan cheese and start by grating about an ounce of it - roughly 1/3 cup when medium-to-finely grated - into the dressing.)  Stir or whisk together to combine.  You want to use enough cheese so that the cheese soaks up most of the lemon juice, and forms somewhat of a moist paste.  If the mixture seems too dry, add more lemon juice; if it seems too liquidy, add more Parmesan cheese.  Stir again to combine.
Add the extra virgin olive oil (we usually start with about 3 tablespoons worth), pouring slowly and stirring (or whisking) until the oil is well incorporated into the dressing.  You basically want to add enough extra virgin olive oil to loosen up the dressing and make it more manageable.  The dressing should be quite thick, but still moist, with a consistency similar to that of a good pesto.  (If the dressing seems too thick, add more extra virgin olive oil; if the dressing doesn't seem thick enough, grate more Parmesan cheese into it.  Stir or whisk to combine.)  Some of the oil may separate slightly from the dressing, which is normal; just stir the dressing together before you toss it with the kale.

Season the dressing lightly with sea salt (Parmesan cheese is already a bit salty) and with a nice amount of freshly ground pepper.  Dip a piece of the kale into the dressing and give it a taste.  If the dressing seems too garlicky, add more Parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

Add the chopped kale leaves to the bowl of dressing.  Working with your own clean hands, "massage" the dressing into the kale leaves, squeezing the leaves as you toss them with the dressing.  (Kale leaves won't get soggy like lettuce, so you don't have to be gentle with them.  Scrunching and "massaging" the kale leaves will make them more tender, and help them to soak up the dressing.)  Continue for a good minute or so, or until the kale leaves are well coated with the dressing.  You'll notice that the color of the kale leaves gets a bit darker after the "massage."

Taste a piece of the kale to see if the salad needs any additional sea salt, freshly ground pepper, etc., and adjust as necessary.  Grate a little extra Parmesan cheese over the salad before serving.

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What are you eating this week?