White Bean, Winter Squash, and Cabbage Stew

The 3 main components for this stew are prepared separately and then combined at the end. I find it's easiest to make sure each different component is properly cooked if prepared separately and they also retain their individual flavors. This can easily be turned into a vegetarian main dish by omitting the ham hock and anchovy. Perhaps substitute some dried porcini mushrooms for the ham hock.

For the beans:
6 ounces dry Tarbais beans
1 small smoked ham hock
1 bay leaf
A 1 1/2-inch piece of dried kombu kelp (supposedly aids digestibility)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 quart cold water

For the squash:
1 1/4 pound piece of winter squash (Terremoto)
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 small sprigs rosemary, chopped (1 to 2 tablespoons?)
1/2 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon fermented sweet pepper paste
1 anchovy packed in olive oil
2 cups tomato puree
Cooking liquid from the beans (the bean broth)

For the cabbage:
1/2 head small green cabbage, cut in about 1 to 1 1/2-inch squares
Olive oil

To finish:
salt to taste
chopped fresh parsley

Start the beans first, I do this in the morning. Put all the ingredients for the beans into a small heavy covered casserole and cover. Place in the oven and heat to 250ºF. After 1 hour turn the temperature down to 220ºF. Cook, covered, until the beans are tender but not falling apart, about 5 to 6 hours, more or less depending on how old the beans are. Check the beans every hour or so and once they are plump and starting to soften check them more often. Set the beans aside to cool in the bean broth. The beans can be prepared in advance and kept in the refrigerator in the cooking liquid. They can sit at room temperature until the stew is assembled. Once the beans are cool remove the ham hock and remove the meat and shred finely. Set the shredded ham aside separately.

To cook the squash and stew base. First remove the seeds and then cut the squash into 3/4-inch thick slices (I use the width of my index finger as a guide), cut off the skins, then cut the slices into cubes and set them aside. Heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil in a deep heavy pot, I use a 5-quart Staub enameled cast iron pot. Saute the onions and garlic over medium-low heat until they are softened. Add the rosemary, tomato paste, pepper paste, and anchovy to the pot and stir until the pastes and anchovy are incorporated. Allow the flavor base to sizzle a bit and then add the tomato puree. Stir the squash into the tomato sauce and stir in enough bean broth to cover the squash. Bring to a strong simmer and cook uncovered until the squash is tender.

While the squash is cooking prepare the cabbage. Heat a couple of tablespoons over medium heat in a wide saute pan. When the oil just starts to shimmer add the cabbage and saute a couple of minutes and then add about 1/2 cup of the bean broth. Cover the pan and allow the cabbage to cook until it is just tender. Remove from the heat and reserve.

To assemble the stew. Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid, and gently stir the beans into the pot of squash. Stir in the reserved shredded ham. Stir in the tender cabbage. Add the rest of the bean broth. Season to taste with salt and stir in some chopped fresh parsley. Serve with additional chopped parsley on top.

Made about 6 main course servings.

Savory Winter Squash and Ricotta Custards

This is adapted from a recipe for a savory squash torte that is baked in a pan with a breadcrumb crust and then cut into wedges for serving. That sounds great but I didn't have any breadcrumbs or bread on hand so I decided to bake the custard in individual ramekins instead which is what I do for sweet pumpkin custards, aka pumpkin pie filling, because I don't eat the soggy pie crust of pumpkin pies. The savory custards came out better than expected and I think these will become a regular dinner item while I have winter squash around.

I used a chunk of the big Terremoto squash that I grew this year but butternut or pretty much any winter squash should do.

1 3/4 pounds winter squash
4 tablespoons butter
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
Fresh sage leaves, sliced thin (I used about 20 small leaves)
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 ounces ricotta
1 1/2 ounces parmesan
3 eggs
Nutmeg to taste
More salt to taste if desired

Remove the skin and seeds from the squash and cut it into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a medium sized saute pan over medium heat and allow it to brown. Add the garlic and sage leaves and cook another minute or two. Add the squash and salt to the pan, stir to mix and add 1/2 cup water, bring to a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan and cook the squash until it is soft, about 30 minutes or so, check it every once in a while and give it a stir. Mash the squash (I used a potato masher) to a puree and let some of the moisture cook off, and set it aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter 6 7-ounce ramekins and set them on a parchment lined baking tray.

Whisk together the ricotta, parmesan, eggs, and nutmeg. Stir in the cooled squash. Divide the squash mixture evenly between the ramekins and bake for about 50 minutes until the custard is puffed and set in the center and golden brown.

Serve immediately in the ramekins or they can be cooled and kept in the ramekins and reheated later. They can also be turned out of the ramekins and reheated with some cream or a sauce.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Crisp Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Another recipe for the Brussels Sprouts Challenge. This time I chose to roast them in an oval gratin dish along with some chunks of winter squash and topped it all with a seasoned breadcrumb mixture. Simple and tasty.

8 ounces peeled winter squash cut into approximately 1-inch chunks
12 ounces Brussels sprouts, halved
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoons melted butter for the veggies
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs made from stale rustic bread (part whole grain) with the crusts retained
1 1/2 tablespoons capers, preferably salt packed, rinsed and drained, chopped
1 teaspoon crumbled dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes, optional
1/2 ounce (1/4 cup) grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon melted butter for the breadcrumbs

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Toss the prepared veggies with a pinch of salt, not too much because the topping is salty, and the 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Place in an oval 12x8-inch gratin dish or similar sized baking dish. Place a piece of parchment paper that is cut to fit in the dish on top of the veggies. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the veggies are baking, toss together the breadcrumbs, capers, oregano, pepper flakes, and parmesan cheese. Toss with the tablespoon of butter.

Remove the veggies from the oven and uncover. Scatter the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the veggies and return the dish to the oven, uncovered, and continue to bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender and the breadcrumbs are crisp.

Serve immediately.

Makes about 4 servings as a side dish or 2 servings as a vegetarian main dish.

Winter Squash Flans

This is the lazy or time challenged cook's method to make a flan with winter squash. With time running short before I wanted to have dinner and a big winter squash demanding some attention before it spoiled and a desire for something custardy and cheesy I decided to try making a squash flan without using baked squash puree. And now that I look at the ingredients and proportions I can see that it is essentially the same as the crustless quiches that I also make. So call it what you will, flan or naked quiche, it's tasty and not too time consuming to make. The ratio of milk and cream is flexible, use more cream if you want a rich dish or use just use milk for a lighter dish.

4 tablespoons butter, plus additional for buttering the dishes
4 ounces chopped sweet red onion
1½ cups peeled and grated Buttercup Squash
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup heavy cream
4 ounces grated truffle Gouda or other such cheese

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Thoroughly butter 4 individual souffle dishes. My dishes have interior dimensions of about 4 inches by 1.25 inches. In a small skillet, melt the 4 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When it begins to foam, add the onion and sauté, stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the squash, season with the salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Remove from the heat and set aside.

In a medium bowl, beat together the eggs, milk and cream until well blended. Portion the squash mixture into the prepared souffle dishes and top each one with 1 ounce of cheese. Divide the custard mixture amongst the dishes. Place the filled dishes on a rimmed baking sheet.

Bake until the tops are puffed and golden, about 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and serve immediately or let cool slightly. They can be kept in the refrigerator in the dishes and reheated in the oven or microwave.

Makes 4 servings.

Winter Squash Gratin with Chantrelles

Based on a recipe from Deborah Madisons's book Local Flavors

Winter Squash (about 1.5 lbs?), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes
Fresh sage leaves, about a dozen large leaves
Olive oil as needed
1 pound chantrelle mushrooms
1 cup creme fraiche (or was that half creme fraiche and half milk?)
4 oz. cheese, such as gruyere
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions to come...

Squash Puree with Sage Brown Butter

1 pound roasted squash puree, about 2 cups
1/4 cup unsalted butter
whole fresh sage leaves, about 2 to 3 packed tablespoons
2 cloves garlic, smashed
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over very low heat. Add the whole sage leaves and the garlic and cook slowly until the butter solids have browned. Fish out the garlic and use it for something else. Fish out the now fried sage leaves and set aside to cool, then chop them. Add the squash puree to the skillet (careful not to splash hot butter), and stir to combine with the butter and heat through. Stir in the chopped sage and season with salt and pepper to taste. Makes 2 very generous or 3 reasonable servings.

To roast the squash, preheat the oven to 400 F. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and strings. Place cut side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast for an hour or until tender. Let the squash cool cut side down on the baking sheet, it should collapse a bit as it cools. Scoop out the flesh and puree it by either running it through the finest disk of a food mill or forcing it through a fine sieve with a wooden pestle. If I know that I'm making something savory with the squash puree I like to put whole unpeeled cloves of garlic under the cavity when I bake the squash and then use the garlic in whatever I'm making.