Pumpkins, Gourds & Butternut Squash

What on earth to do with them? Let us help with some delicious recipes!

Happy Autumn fellow foodies!!!! We hope that where ever you are in the world, all is calm, kind, mellow and your tables are full of delicious food!

Last week we published our monthly newsletter giving hints and tips on seasonal goodies. It is a newsletter that is positively bursting with info!

October: Advice & Recipes for keeping it Seasonal

Book & cheese recommendations, advice on what to get from the greengrocers shelves, fishmonger and the butcher and even what is great to go foraging for.

Oooh nearly forgot the recipes! Always lots of recipes for you. If you have had the time time to prepare any of them, do let us know. Did you add your own personal twist?

Last weeks recipes:

• Root Vegetable Rosti with Poached Eggs (the last of the rosti mix, was blended into a soup in my soup maker - delicious!!!)

• Pickle Apples with Walnuts, and Toasted Walnuts and Grilled Goats Cheese on Pumpernickel Bread

• Roasted Spaghetti Squash with Kale Pesto

• Chickpea Vegetable Curry

We are all about trying to help with inspiration for meals for your own tables and having chatted, we both think that it would be great to grab something from the seasonal shopping basket and provide you with some recipe ideas.

Pumpkin Art in the Raven Household

Okay - big confession coming (you may need to sit down) - neither of us are particular fans of the pumpkin. But we are completely dedicated to you and the cause of great food for the table.

So here we go, on with “Shopping Basket Week”.

We thought it would be fun to show you how to take a seasonal ingredient and transform it into 4 delicious recipes. Because we are in prime squash season, it’s time to go squash shopping!

A quick interlude, If you think you have friends and family that would like our recipes and banter, please hit the share button. We appreciate your spreading the foodies word.

Grocery List for the week:

Next time you’re at the store, farmer's market or pumpkin patch, be sure to pick up a Pumpkin, some Butternut Squash, and Stipetti Squash.

Happy Cooking!

xo

Lisa and Jane

See you next week for a special Substack dedicated to our favorite soups!

Jane’s Recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Caramelised Apples & Thyme

Serves 4

I always roast the vegetables to be used for soup when the oven is on the go for other things, making good use of the free space and electricity/gas!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized butternut squash

• Sprigs of fresh rosemary

• Olive Oil

• Black pepper & Sea salt (alternatively, I use Myrtle’s Rosemary salt if you have any)

• 50g/2oz butter (substitute with some oil if making a vegetarian soup)

• 1 large Onion - roughly chopped

• 3 x medium carrots - sliced

• 4 sticks of celery - sliced

• Fresh or dried rosemary

• Pinch of nutmeg

• Pinch of Cinnamon

• Handful of fresh parsley - chopped (leaves and stalks)

• 1litre/1.5 pints Vegetable stock

• 2 tarte apples

• 4 tablespoons maple syrup

• Additional 1 tablespoons butter (substitute with olive oil if making a vegetarian soup)

• 1 pinch fresh thyme

• Pinch of sea salt

• A little full fat yogurt or Fromage Frais to top the soup

Instructions:

Cut the butternut squash in half lengthways, and put cut side upper most, in a roasting tin. Drizzle with a liberal amount of olive oil over the flesh and season. Add the sprigs of rosemary to the tin (keep some back to add to the soup) and roast until the flesh is soft in an oven of 200’c/400’f for about 40 minutes.

When the butternut has been removed from the oven and cooled a little, use a large spoon to remove the seeds. These can be discarded. Then remove the flesh from the skin and set to one side, along with any oil that may be in the pan. The skins can be thrown away. If the rosemary isn’t burn, remove from the stalk and add to the soup pan with the butternut later.

When ready to make the soup melt the butter in a large heavy based saucepan or casserole. If cooking for a vegan diet - substitute with olive oil.

Add the onion, carrot and celery and sweat in the butter for about 5 minutes. then add the parsley leaves and stalks, spices and 2 sprigs of rosemary remove the stalks) and stock. (Notes: If you are not needing it to be a vegetarian dish, I often substitute chicken stock).

Bring up to the boil and then simmer until everything is tender (about 25 minutes). Stir in the butternut squash & rosemary and heat through.

Using a stick blender or in batches in a blender, puree the soup and return to the pan on a low heat. Take this opportunity to check the seasoning and add more salt and pepper if needed.

Meanwhile, prepare the apples. Peel and core the apples and slice them thinly. Melt the 1 tablespoon of butter or Olive oil in a frying pan, then add the maple syrup and combine. Once hot add the apples, a pinch of salt and the thyme and fry over a medium heat for about 5 -7 minutes or until browning and soft, but keeping their shape.

Bring your soup to the desired temperature to serve. Serve in bowls, topped with a little natural yogurt, some slices of apple and a drizzle of the maple syrup.

Notes: You will have some apples left over (possibly). Keep them to top your morning porridge or granola - so delicious!!!

Stipetti Squash Risotto with Spinach & Crispy Sage

I know risotto is a bit laborious to make but it is simple and delicious!  Don’t skip the crispy sage leaves, they add so much flavour and I love the crunch.

Ingredients

• 1 x Stipetti Squash (substitute with another variety - it will be just as delicious)

• Sprigs of fresh Sage - a handful.

• Myrtle’s Thyme seasoning or fresh thyme & sea salt

• Black Pepper

• Vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion – finely chopped

• 250g /10oz Arborio Risotto rice

• 500ml/1pint vegetable stock

• 1 ½ teaspoons of dried sage

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 2 cloves garlic

• 2 handfuls of spinach

• 70g/ 3oz vegetarian parmesan cheese - finely grated

• Sage leaves

Instructions

Roast the squash in advance.  Warning the skin is TOUGH so take care splitting in half lengthwise – remove the seeds and lay flat into a roasting tray.

Sprinkle over a liberal amount of the Myrtle’s seasoning or some sea salt and thyme. A liberal grinding of black pepper.  Drizzle with oil and roast in an oven, either when cooking another meal or at 190’c/370’f   until the flesh is tender.  Allow to cool.  Scoop out the flesh of one of the halves and mash with the back of a fork or masher.  Set to one side. The second half can be removed, bagged and frozen for future use or turned into a soup.

Heat some oil in a deep frying pan add the onion and sweat for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until soft.  Now add the risotto rice.  Turn it in the oil and allow to toast before the next stage. This will take about 3 minutes.

Now slowly and patiently add the stock.  It needs to be added in small quantities to allow the rice to absorb the liquid.  Do not drown the rice.  Stirring, repeat the process.  Depending on the rice you use, you may need to add some additional water.  You will notice the texture altering as you stir, and it will become unctuous and creamy. 

Grate in the cloves of garlic.  Add the herbs and a liberal grating of black pepper.

Stir in the spinach leaves.  Then half of the grated parmesan.  Stir.  Check the seasoning, we haven’t added any additional salt as the stock can sometimes prove to be salty.  Check and if you want to add any more salt and pepper, this is the time to do it.

Lower the heat while you prepare the sage.

Heat some oil (I used olive) in a small saucepan and when hot, add the fresh sage leaves.  (It may spit a little). Fry for a couple of minutes until crispy.  Remove to some absorbent paper.

Plate up the risotto, top with the remaining parmesan and finally the crispy sage leaves.

Lisa’s Recipes

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

Ingredients

• 2 ½ cups sugar

• 2/3 cup butter (10 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons) (if you like using a scale it's 151.2 grams)

• 4 eggs

• One 15 ounce can organic pumpkin (I am a HUGE fan of Trader Joe's)

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

• 2 teaspoons baking soda

• 1 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 2/3 cup water

• 1 cup (or more, depending on how chocolatey you want them!) chocolate chips or chocolate chunks

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 F degrees/180C

Grease muffin tin generously with butter. If you want to be extra decadent, after greasing muffin tin sprinkle generously with cinnamon sugar. It adds a really wonderful sugary crunch to the outside of the muffins. You can also use demera sugar for a sugary outer crunch.

Beat sugar, butter and eggs together. Add pumpkin and blend until pumpkin is fully incorporated. Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until all the ingredients are incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Bake for about 20-30 minutes. Insert a toothpick into the muffins to check if they’re done. It should come out completely clean.

Cool the muffins in their tin on a cooling rack for about 5 minutes.

Turn them out onto the cooling rack and continue to cool.

I love eating them spread with a bit of good Irish butter and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, but however you eat them, trust me, this will disappear quickly!

Butternut Squash Mac ‘N Cheese

Ingredients

• 1 pound rigatoni

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

• 1 butternut squash, peeled and diced  (Trader Joe’s has bags of precut butternut squash)

• 1 pound bacon, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 onion, diced

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 3 cups whole milk

• 1/3 cup half and half

• 1 1/2 cups gruyere, grated

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg  (fresh grated is the best to use!)

• 2 cups black kale, deribbed and sliced

• 1/2 cup mascarpone

• 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle powder  (you can substitute 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika)

• 2 cups bread crumbs  (you can substitute panko)

• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasted

• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Instructions

Bring 6 quarts of water to boil in a large pot.  Add 2 tablespoons of salt.  Cook the rigatoni in boiling water until tender, but not mushy, about 10 minutes.  Drain, and then set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F/210 C.

On a sheet pan, toss butternut squash with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast until tender when pierced with a fork, about 25-30 minutes. You want the squash to be almost falling apart tender. When it’s done, put the squash in a blender and puree it. You can also put the squash in a glass bowl and use an immersion blender. Set aside.

In a large Dutch oven, cook bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Add butter to the bacon fat, then sauté the onion and garlic until translucent. Add flour and stir well to combine to make roux.  Slowly pour in the milk and half and half while constantly stirring, and bring mixture to simmer. The mixture will start to thicken. This is good. This is the base for the rich, cream sauce, so you want it lovely and thick.

Stir in the butternut squash puree. Cook on low heat until the mixture thickens even more, about 4-5 minutes.  Add in 1 cup of the Gruyere, grate in the nutmeg and add the reserved bacon. Constantly stir until all of the cheese is melted.  Add the mascarpone and mix until melted and combined. Stir in the chipotle and kale and add the cooked rigatoni. Toss pasta until it is well mixed. 

Preheat your oven to broil. Sprinkle the bread crumbs and remaining cheese over the casserole. Place the Dutch oven on a rack 6 inches from the heating source. Broil for about 3-5 minutes, or until the topping is crunchy and golden.

Spoon portions into bowls and garnish with parsley.

And finally

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