Overdue recipes

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients:
2 large butternut squashes, 1 1/2-2 pounds each
1/3 cup hazelnuts
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
8 fresh sage leaves, shredded
6 cups (48 fl oz or 1.5 liters) chicken or vegetable stock
salt and ground pepper to taste
ground nutmeg and sugar, if needed, to taste

Preheat an oven to 400F

Prick each squash with the tip of a knife so it won't explode when it bakes. Place the whole squashes on a baking sheet and roast until they feel somewhat soft to the touch and a knife penetrates the skin easily. Takes about 1 hour.

Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, cut in half lengthwise and remove and discard the seeds and fibers. Scoop out the pulp into a bowl and set aside.

While the squashes are cooling, reduce the oven temp. to 350F. Spread the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and toast until fragrant and the skins have loosened, about 10 minutes. Remove from oven and, while still warm, rub vigorously in a kitchen towel to remove the skins. Don't worry if small bits of skin remain. Chop and set aside. (NOTE: I found this process to be a royal pain-in-the-ass. The hazelnuts are certainly tasty but not worth the sheer amounts of elbow grease that went into getting the damn skins off.)

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the onions and half of the sage and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are tender and translucent, 8-10 minutes. Add the stock and squash pulp. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Remove from the heat.

Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or a food processor. Return to a clean saucepan. Reheat gently over medium-low heat. Season with salt and pepper. (I used fresh, coarsely-ground black pepper and it was delicious) If the squash is starchy rather than sweet, add nutmeg and sugar to taste.

Ladle into warm bowls and garnish with the hazelnuts and remaining sage.

(no subject)

Romaine, Gorgonzola, and Walnut Salad

Ingredients:
Walnut Vinaigrette:
7 tablespoons walnut oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (we used white wine vinegar)
salt and ground pepper to taste

Salad:
1 cup walnuts, preferably halves
3 heads of romaine lettuce, cut or torn into bite size pieces
6 small ripe figs, quartered through stem ends
1 cup red or black seedless grapes, halved
2 small pears, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
1/2-2/3 lb (250-315 g) Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature, broken into bite-sized pieces

Preheat oven to 350F

To make the walnut vinaigrette, in a bowl, whisk together walnut oil, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, salt, and pepper. Set aside.

Spread the walnuts on a baking sheet and place in the oven. Toast, stirring occaisonally, until lightly browned and fragrant, 8-10 min. Remove from oven, transfer to bowl, add 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette. Toss lightly, let stand for 15 minutes before assembling salad.

In large salad bowl, add romaine, marinated walniuts, and remaining dressing. Add gorgonzola, figs, grapes, and pear. Toss well and serve.

(no subject)

i love you loopdy.

;)