Sassy Southern Cooking with a French Twist

winter squash

Squashing the Most Out of Late Summer Flavor

The Tuesday after Labor Day, which happened to be unusually warm here in Williamsburg, I visited my local grocer to find fall squash situated front and center in the produce section. A colorful, beautifully arranged display of delicata, pumpkins,  acorn squash, hubbard squash and more, it instantly activated my appetite for the rich, nutty flavors these beauties produce when roasted and pureed or function as colorful, flavorful nuggets in seasonal soups. Just beyond, I spied the zucchini and summer squash I’ve been enjoying all season, and was not, and am still not ready to relinquish. I brought home three very fresh, deep green zucchini, and decided to put them to use in a fall-ish spin on a late summer produce favorite. We’re lucky that many summer favorites, including summer squash and tomatoes, enjoy a long growing season and often staggered plantings, so we have them fresh for many months.

Zucchini and tomatoes got me thinking about sauce, and the addition of pasta and beef put me in a more substantial, goulash frame of mind. Traditionally an Eastern European dish tracing back largely to Hungary and seasoned liberally with paprika, this version takes on a more Mediterranean vibe with the zucchini, basil, oregano, and garlic used in the dish. It’s wonderfully easy and prepared all in one pot in less than thirty minutes. The addition of pasta at the end both thickens the sauce and flavors the pasta, and eliminates the need for yet one more pot in your to-be-washed-sink. I had pretty, mini-farfalle in the house, but macaroni would work great, and gluten-free types can skip the pasta all together. It’s a hearty dish that celebrates very much summer, while tempting the beginnings of fall appetites, much like the winter squash I saw at the market. Enjoy this season’s duality while you can!

Summer Squash Goulash

(Makes 8 generous servings)

This tasty, celebration of late summer flavors is a lighter take on traditional goulash, but is hearty and satisfying enough to invite dreams of fall’s sturdier fare.

 

1 pound ground beef (80 % lean/20 % fat)

1 medium onion, finely diced

2 medium/large zucchini, cut into 1/4″ dice, about 2 cups

3 large cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves (or use double the quantity fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped)

2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves (or use double the quantity fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped)

2 Tablespoons best quality extra virgin olive oil

1 cup good quality dry red wine – suggest Pinot Noir

28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes, lightly crushed, and their juices

2 Tablespoons ketchup

2 cups mini-farfalle (or substitute another pasta shape)

1/4 cup water (as needed)

Fresh basil and grated Parmesan to garnish

Heat a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot over medium high heat. Break up the beef and crumble into the pan. Stir, two or three times and cook until just browned. Remove from the heat. Drain and discard excess fat. Return the browned beef to the pan. Add the onion, zucchini, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, and olive oil. Stir to coat, reduce to medium, and cook until the vegetables have softened, about 10 minutes. Add the wine, increase heat to high, and reduce by half. Return to a simmer over medium. Add the ketchup and pasta, stirring well. Bring up to a simmer over medium high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is just al dente, about 10 minutes depending on the pasta used.  Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve individually or in a large serving bowl, garnishing liberally with fresh basil and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

Bon appetit!

Remember to write me with any comments or questions and keep those Thursday dinners  in mind. They’re coming up fast! Next up is October 24. September is sold out. I would love to see you at my table.

Thursday Dinners with Holly

 

Author, Chef, Cookbook writer Holly Herrick

 

Fondly, Holly and Rocky

 

 

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Maple Acorn Squash Soup Makes an Elegant Start to Thanksgiving

Warm Up Thanksgiving with This Exceptional Soup Recipe

In the cooler months, my kitchen counter is permanently decorated with an array of winter squashes. Hubbard, acorn, butternut, pumpkin, turban – whatever I can find at the grocery store or farmers’ market. They serve the dual purpose of appealing to my aesthetic senses as well as fueling my appetite for seasonal cooking. All winter squashes shine especially brightly in soups, which magnify their flavor and color intensity and smooth texture beautifully.  Thankfully, the heirloom varieties (my current favorite is Hubbard) are increasingly available. Lately, I’ve been roasting Hubbard squash, halved and skin-side down in a hot oven (425F) until very soft. Once cool, I mash the flesh with a splash of salt and pepper, cinnamon, perhaps a bit of maple syrup and a pat of butter. It has an exquisite bright orange color and possesses deep, rich winter squash flavor.  With a sauteed filet of salmon or cod, it makes a complete and very satisfying meal.

The acorn squash in this soup is treated similarly and finished with minimalist ingredients so the clean, earthy squash flavor takes center stage.  The maple syrup is cooked into the soup with just a few more ingredients and the elegance of shallots and a tiny bit of cream. It is pureed to a velvety finish with an immersion blender or a food processor. Because it is so elegant, delicious, seasonal, and just the right, light weight, it is the perfect way to kick off any special meal, especially Thanksgiving. The reverence and gratitude associated with Thanksgiving make soup the perfect starter – a slow and easy debut that gives you and your guests time to sink their hearts and minds into the occasion, pausing for reflection and slow sipping as they go. It also gives the turkey and the cook a little much needed time to rest before the gigantic feast begins.

This Maple Acorn Squash Soup from  Mashed – Beyond the Potato (Gibbs Smith) was inspired by the maple syrup and butter-filled acorn squash halves my mother made often for my brothers and sisters when we were children. Do use real maple syrup. It makes a huge difference in the authenticity of the soup’s flavor.

Maple Acorn Squash Soup – Photograph by Alexandra DeFurio from Mashed by Holly Herrick. Reprinted by permission of Gibbs Smith.

Maple Acorn Squash Soup

(Yields 6 to 8 Servings)

2 large acorn squash, halved horizontally and seeded

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large shallot, finely chopped

2 stalks celery, finely chopped

1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and halved vertically

Generous pinch of kosher or sea salt and ground black pepper

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons bourbon (optional but delicious!)

4 cups low sodium vegetable stock

1 cup water

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons real maple syrup

2 teaspoons kosher or sea salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons heavy cream

3 tablespoons finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 425F (22oC). Place the acorn squash, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Roast for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the flesh is very tender. Set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle,  scoop the flesh from the interior of the squash, discarding the shells. You should have about 4 cups.

In a large soup pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the shallot and celery and cook for 5 minutes, stirring, until just softened. Add the ginger, salt, pepper, cinnamon, and bourbon; stir to combine. Cook until the bourbon has reduced to a glaze, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, water, squash, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over high and reduce to a simmer, cooking, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Remove ginger pieces and discard.

In the same pot, puree the soup with an immersion blender until very smooth. Finish with the cream, heating through. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Serve hot in individual soup bowls garnished with a flutter of fresh chives. (Note: The soup can be prepared ahead a day or 2 and refrigerated, but remember to add the cream and the chives when reheating, not prior).

 

Wishing everyone a beautiful, happy and delicious Thanksgiving!

Holly

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