What's In Your Bag?

Week Sixteen September 13-15   

Farm Fresh Eggs or Cheese 

Cinnamon Chip Bread from Great Harvest Bread Co., Omaha, NE  

Apples from Fontanelle Orchards, Fontanelle, NE

Sweet Potatoes from Johnson Farms, Northbend, NE

Yellow Squash from Clear Creek Organic Farms, Spalding, NE

Butternut Squash from Wenninghoff Farms

Please note that produce is subject to change due to weather or unavoidable events.

Scott's Culinary Corner

Butternut Squash always brings back memories of Bordeaux, France for me.  It was a time when I was much younger and carefree, struck by the sense of wanderlust and freedom so inherent in youth.  I was working my way across Europe to pay for my travel expenses and had taken a sort of month long internship at a finer restaurant called Seulement pour Dine (Only to Dine).  The head chef, a meticulous French woman (unusual in France at that time for women to rise to the position of head chef) named Claire with an eye for culinary perfection, was a stern taskmaster and wanted only the finest of foods used in her upscale restaurant.  In fact, she was so obsessive that she would actually arise at 5 AM each morning during the spring, summer and fall months and drive from Bordeaux into the countryside to the fields of the local farms, where she would demand that she be allowed to pick her own produce.  Most farmers would acquiesce to the demands of this sharp tongued woman, as they wanted to keep her happy.  We all did. 

Working in the kitchen I had heard all the tales coming from the others of how particular Claire was in gathering any item that entered the kitchen of her restaurant.  She was adamant that her produce didn't have blemishes or bruises, I was told.  All items had to be to her specifications...in other words as perfect as she thought she was (side note that these comments came from the males in the kitchen).  I generally accepted all the stories as nothing more than exaggerations based on very little truth, especially the tale I was told of Claire butchering hogs herself in order to receive the finest, most perfect cuts of meat.  I just could not see this small, waif of a perfect French woman getting down and dirty in the butchering business.  It just did not fit her profile in the slightest, as she was always so perfectly attired and not one stain adorned her chef's smock.  It all seemed a bit...well...obsessive, even for one as steeped in perfection as she was. That said, I took all the stories I was told with that proverbial "grain of salt" and merely figured that the "locals" were having a little fun with the gullible American.

Imagine my surprise one morning when Claire awakened me none too gently and demanded that I accompany her on one of her forays into the countryside.  I stretched and yawned and asked if I could shower and shave.  I was told that there was no time "for frivolities".  I was told that in order to get the best, we needed to be the earliest, as the other chefs would be waiting in line by no later than 7 AM and she would be there well before the others.  Claire was determined to beat them to the farms by a good hour for the finest and first pick.  I somewhat begrudingly pulled myself out of bed and prayed that no one would notice my rumpled and disheveled appearance.  I didn't want anyone to think that Americans were slobs and less than hygienic in any way.

Suffice to say...away we went in her little car at a pace that nearly made my heart stop a few times.  Along the way...when I was able to catch my breath...I asked what finer dish she would create from the produce that we were painstakingly in the process of seeking.  She informed me that it was important to get the best Butternut Squash she could find, as she would be creating one of her finer soups...Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (recipe included below).  She explained the ingredients and the process to me along the way to a farm field just outside the small town of Cursan.  Once there, I was surprised to find the farmer waiting expectantly at the edge of his field.  The man eyeballed me somewhat sorrowfully and stood aside as I followed Claire into the fields.  It was quite obvious that he had dealt with her on several occasions in the past.  I watched somewhat curiously as Claire ran her hands carefully over each squash, looking for the perfect vegetable, admonishing me not to touch anything.  I think we were there for a good hour before she had obtained thirty of the finest butternut squash that I have ever seen.  She paid the farmer and we were off just as others began to arrive.  I figured we would be returning to Bordeaux and I would be able to return to my bed for about an hour of wondrous slumber.  Sadly, I was misinformed.  Claire stated that the secret to the soup was bacon (bacon and butter are the secret to all French cooking...).  I asked her where we would get the bacon.  She told me that she knew of a hog farmer near Tresses that would allow her to butcher her own meat...    

Bon Apetite until next week.

Did You Know...

The sweet potato is the 6th principal world food crop, and approximately 90 percent of the worlds' crop is grown in Asia.

Vardaman, Mississippi claims to be the Sweet Potato Capital of the World.

1.8 billion pounds of sweet potatoes were produced by major sweet potato producing states in 2007. North Carolina (667 million pounds) produced more sweet potatoes than any other state. It was followed by California (426 million pounds). Mississippi and Louisiana also produced large amounts: at least 300 million pounds each.

US Census Bureau, October 2008

Per Capita U.S. Sweet Potato Consumption
· In 2007 per capita was 4.6 pounds.
· In 2004 per capita consumption was 4.2 pounds
· In 1943 per capita consumption was 21.7 pounds.
 Louisiana Sweet Potato Commission www.sweetpotato.org

In 2004, 98,300 acres of sweet potatoes were planted in the U.S. 

Despite a physical similarity and a frequent confusion with their names, yams and sweet potatoes are not even distantly related. They are in two different botanical families. Yams are actually related to grasses and lilies.

Related Recipes

Cinnamon Chip French Toast (An absolutely yummy treat from our friends at Great Harvest Bread Company)

Ingredients: 

1 loaf of Great Harvest Cinnamon Chip bread (pre-sliced approx. 15 slices or hand slice approx. 10)

3 large eggs
1 c. half and half
2 Tbsp. honey (you can warm this up to make it easier to incorporate)
1 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. butter (for skillet)

Directions:

Whisk together eggs, half and half, honey, and vanilla in a bowl. Heat skillet over medium heat. Add butter 1 Tbsp. at a time as needed. Quickly dunk slices of bread in batter until they are just coated. Cook on both sides until golden brown. Serve with maple syrup, powdered sugar, or butter and peach jam.

Butternut Squash Bisque (A comfort food favorite of mine as Autumn comes on)

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons Butter

1 Medium Yellow Onion, Chopped

1 Four Pound Butternut Squash (or it's equivalent, I know you are smart enough for this), prepared in 1 inch cubes

1 Small Golden Delicious Apple, peeled and chopped

2 Crushed Garlic Cloves

1/2 Teaspoon Dried Thyme

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne

3 Cups Water

1 & 3/4 Cup Chicken Broth

1 Cup Half and Half

Salt to Taste

Directions

In large soup pot or sauce pan, melt your butter. Add your chopped Onion, and all of your dried spices. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. This is my favorite part really. The heat and oil release the magic within the fragrant spices. Now add your crushed garlic and cook for about one minute. Add your squash, apple, water and broth. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender. Once cooked, puree until smooth. You can either do this the fancy way with a hand held emulsion blender or you can do it like I do and work in batches with a blender. Once pureed, stir your half and half into the soup. Bring back to a soft simmer. I really don't like to boil dairy because I find that it causes separation to occur, so try not to boil!  Add salt! Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Pone (This one is for my Southern Fried Grandmother...really...that's what she referred to herself as...)

Ingredients:

4 1/2 cup grated sweet potatoes(about 4 potatoes)
2 cup water

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup grated ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
2 cup sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Peel potatoes and cut into one inch chunks. Put about a third of the potatoes into a blender and add 1/2 C of the water. Blend until smooth. Transfer to a deep pot. Repeat two times with the rest of the potatoes and transfer to the same pot. Peel ginger. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Place ginger in blender with 1/2 C of water. Blend until ginger is grated. Transfer to pot with potatoes. Add nutmeg, salt, baking soda, vanilla, oil and sugar.

Bring to a boil on medium high. Reduce heat to medium and cook until medium brown (see photo) and almost dry, about 10 to 15 minutes. Stir constantly. Grease a large baking pan (about 13 x 9 inch) well with a flour/oil spray. Pour the medium brown sweet potato mixture into the oiled/floured pan. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Remove from oven. Scrape sides of the baking pan and stir. Bake another 15 minutes until dark brown, between 45 to 50 minutes (total bake time). Serve warm at room temperature or chilled. Try it both ways and see which you prefer. Store in the refrigerator.

Butternut Squash and Apple Soup (A French delight from the restaurant kitchen of a French mademoiselle in Bordeaux)

Ingredients:

6 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch pieces

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 pound boiling potatoes

3 medium apples

1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (3 1/2 to 4 cups)

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock or broth

2 to 2 1/2 cups water

Cook bacon in a 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp, then transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain, reserving 2 tablespoons fat in pot. (Add vegetable oil if your bacon is very lean and doesn't yield enough fat.) Cook celery, carrot, and onion in fat in pot over low heat, covered, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned, 10 to 12 minutes. Add cinnamon and cook, uncovered, stirring, 1 minute.

While vegetables are cooking, peel potatoes and coarsely chop. Peel and core 2 apples and coarsely chop. Stir squash, potato, chopped apple, stock, 2 cups water, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper into onion mixture, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.  Puree soup in 4 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids), then heat in cleaned pot over medium low heat, stirring occasionally. (Add additional 1/2 cup water to thin, if necessary.) While soup is heating, cut enough of remaining apple into thin matchsticks (about 1 1/2-inches long) to measure about 1/2 cup. Serve soup topped with sour cream, bacon, and apple matchsticks.

Yellow Squash Bread (Everyone always thinks of Zucchini Bread...why not Yellow Squash Bread...?  Give it a try...it is AWESOME)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c.flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 c. shredded yellow squash

Directions:

Combine the first 5 ingredients set aside. Combine eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat well, stir in shredded squash. Add dry ingredients, stir until moistened. Pour batter into a greased and floured Loaf Pan, bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, remove and let cool on wire rack. 


 

For further recipe information to assist you in preparing meals, a couple sites that I highly recommend are the Taste of Home healthy living site and All Recipes.  These have always been wonderful standbys for me.  See ya next week!