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Just in time for the holidays, Green Purse Alerts!
subscriber LuciaW of New York, New York suggests
we take a look at the new Cooking with Shelburne
Farms cookbook.
"For an easy, everyday recipe I recommend the butternut squash puree - currently in heavy rotation in my kitchen!" she says. Give it a try, and see if you agree. You can use locally grown squash, crème fraiche or heavy cream from a local dairy, and vegetarian stock for maximum eco benefits. For the puree: 1 medium butternut squash (about 3 pounds) 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, Grade B for strongest flavor 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt plus more to taste 2 tablespoons crème fraiche (heavy cream tastes almost the same, though creates a slightly different texture) For the soup: 2-3 cups vegetable (or chicken) stock, preferably low sodium 1 tablespoon maple syrup whisked into ¼ cup crème fraiche for garnish as desired 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Using a large, sharp knife, cut the squash lengthwise down the middle. Scoop out the seeds (use an ice cream scoop or serrated grapefruit spoon) and set them aside if you're planning to make maple-glazed seeds for topping. 2. Place the squash halves, flesh side up, in a 9 by 13-inch baking dish. Put a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of maple syrup in each cavity. Sprinkle each half with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Cover the pan with foil. Bake for about 1 ½ hours or until the squash is very soft. Cool just until the squash can be handled. 3. Carefully pour any liquid from the squash cavities into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade or a blender and then scoop all the flesh into the food processor. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, remaining tablespoon of maple syrup, remaining teaspoon of salt, and crème fraiche. Puree until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the food processor as necessary. 4. If using the dish as a puree, adjust seasoning to taste and serve. (If it's cooled down too much, pop it in the microwave for a minute or so, or back in the oven, covered, for 5-10 minutes.) 5. If making soup, transfer the puree to a medium saucepan, whisk in about 2 cups stock to start, and heat through over medium heat. Thin with additional stock and adjust seasoning to taste. Swirl 1 tablespoon of maple crème fraiche into each bowl of soup and scatter a few maple-glazed squash seeds over the soup as desired. To glaze squash seeds: Toss well- dried seeds with 2 teaspoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt. Toast until golden. Boil 1/3 cup maple syrup for 3 minutes. Stir in toasted seeds and boil, stirring, for another 3 minutes. Scoop out, and spread on a cookie sheet to cool. Enjoy! |
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You can find more environmentally-friendly
shopping
ideas at the Shop Green Here pages of
www.biggreenpurse.com
Talk to you again soon,
 Diane MacEachern
Big Green Purse
email:
diane@biggreenpurse.com
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