KURI SQUASH RAVIOLI WITH SAGE, PECANS AND BROWN BUTTER SAUCE...and variations

Not all my catering/cooking stories have funny or happy endings, but they all contribute to the growth of a cook and a person.

My first gig as chef at a conference center known as the prototype of environmentally correct living was, quite naturally, a group of vegetarians seeking to overcome personal problems and allow themselves to grow. I was told repeatedly by the staff of the wonderful macrobiotic and health food chefs previously engaged by this group, and was excited to let them try my style for a change.
 I was not a vegetarian, but grew up loving vegetables and had many vegetarian meals in my repertoire.  These were the days when everything was made from scratch or it was considered "unworthy".


As the date drew near and the stories of past chefs more numerous, I started to mistrust myself and began reading all sorts of healthy cookbooks, magazines and articles and found some new recipes which sounded impressive for this group. Somehow I was equating the labor involved with the success of the meal.


The day of their arrival and first meal finally came. I started early for their 6 P.M. dinner. I soaked and boiled legumes, I washed, peeled (in some cases), diced, chopped, minced, kneaded, stewed and baked all morning and afternoon. The result was a Vegetable and Legume Stew in a homemade vegetable broth and Focaccia with Mushrooms and Fresh Artichokes and Cheese, some had Gorgonzola, some Fontina and some  had freshly roasted Red Peppers. There were several varieties of fresh fruit crisps with Frozen Yogurt for dessert. The group numbered around 50-60 and I was preparing alone.


The aromas were enticing; I decorated the buffet lavishly, arranged the food in varying heights for an optimal display and waited...


They ate, and ate and ate. The organizers of the group smiled and politely said, "Thank You" and that was it.
 Later after clean-up, the manager of the conference center took me aside and said that although they loved everything, it was not spectacular enough..they considered the meal "soup and pizza"!


I was devastated as well as exhausted!  Soup and Pizza!!! I had worked all day!! It was a vegetarian feast!!  I learned that even in that atmosphere and situation, short cuts had to be taken and culinary tricks had to be played..fewer veggies in the stew, a salad with a choice of dressings and condiments, pre-made bread dough, one variety of fruit crisp and some cookies or brownies added. I learned to limit the time consuming chores and optimize those items which were not: for example, berry crisp rather than apple crisp (no peeling or chopping).


I also learned to "cook from the heart" even when it seemed the situation demanded something else from me. Thereafter, whenever I had a difficult menu to solve, I would close my eyes and center myself, and think, "what would you like, Jeanne"?  Even if the ingredients were not of my choosing, the style would be!


Now, I love squash ravioli, but cannot stand the "sweet" varieties I encounter everywhere. They taste more like pumpkin or squash pie (which I love) but, I crave a savory sensation.
Since I've moved to Florida and have a postage stamp sized kitchen, no butcher block or marble surfaces, no special drawers filled with flour and sugar, nothing much to make a cook smile, I have limited my cooking repertoire. No more homemade pasta (yet anyway)! Yes, I did say that...I know I taught many of you HOW to make pasta and you all probably still do...but I, at least for now, do NOT!


When I  got the Kuri Squash from SunCoast Organics, I just knew I had to make Squash Ravioli, my way! The reddish squash was so beautiful and I knew from baking it earlier in the week, it was not stringy but dense and bursting with flavor.

Kuri Squash and Salem Pumpkins!!

Now for the lesson learned. I remember reading that one could use wonton wrappers for ravioli and actually did try it many years ago. It was successful, but once I got into making the stuff, I forgot about it...it came back and so my solution to having my own ravioli without making the pasta! (ok, so maybe it's not as good, but it sure tasted great!!)

KURI (or other) SQUASH RAVIOLI

First Roast the squash: Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cut the squash (about 1 1/2 -2 #) into manageable pieces. Spray with cooking spray or brush with butter and place it flesh side down on a greased baking sheet or foil. Roast until softened about 20 (for Kuri)-30 (other squash)minutes.

Squash to be Roasted

 

Roasted Squash

Allow it to cool a little and then scoop out the flesh. With Kuri, you can just peel the skin off (even eat it, it is so soft!). Mash.

 FILLING:

1 cup squash puree

1 shallot, minced

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons ricotta

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup grated parmesan

pinch of salt and pepper

This makes enough filling for 1 package of wonton wrappers (48)

Making ravioli

Take one wrapper and place a heaping teaspoon of filling in the center. Moisten the edges with water and fold into a triangle. Repeat until done. You can freeze these if you make more than you need.

BROWN BUTTER SAUCE WITH SAGE AND NUTS

1/2 Cup plus 2 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons chopped nuts

10-15 leaves fresh sage

In the meantime, melt 2 tablespoons butter and toast 3 tablespoons chopped nuts. I used pecans, walnuts, pine nuts, pistachios, almonds, etc. are ok too.

Heat 1/2 cup butter until it browns, NOT burns, just toasty brown. Add 10-15 sliced sage leaves and crisp them. Then add the toasted nuts. 

Brown Butter

Add sage

Add the toasted nuts

Keep sauce warm and cook ravioli.

Bring several quarts of water to a light boil. You do not want to boil the ravioli vigorously or they may break. Boil them a few at a time for 6 minutes or  until they float to the top. Remove and keep warm until finished. (just cover with foil in the colander). 

Risen to the top!

Cooked and ready to sauce!

Serve them with the butter sauce and freshly grated parmesan.

Oh MY!! Worth the wait!

Variation:

Use Chives in place of sage (garlic chives are best!), walnuts, and crumble gorgonzola on top.

I also LOVE a very garlicky Roasted Tomato Sauce on Squash Ravioli.

Roasted Tomato Sauce

2 # sauce tomatoes, Roma, Early Girl, etc.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

8 cloves garlic, crushed 

4 tablespoons butter or more oil

fresh herbs, basil, oregano, thyme (optional)

Salt and pepper

Slice the tomatoes and place on a baking sheet
Preheat the oven to 400

Drizzle oil over the tomatoes and spread the crushed garlic. Add herbs if using and salt and pepper. Roast until soft and juicy about 30-40 minutes. You could also slice the garlic in place of crushing it and roast it with the tomatoes.

One of the pasta sauces I used to make for the group mentioned above was these roasted garlic tomatoes with butternut squash added to them! They loved that AND all the "additions" I made to the menu each time! Try it sometime.

 

CATAPLANA! A DELICIOUS ANCIENT TRADITION

 Cataplana: Vessel and Ingredients for recipe

I've been waiting for some nice littleneck clams to show up at the market so I could make Cataplana. At last I found some from Cherrystone Creek, VA and there were some fresh Florida Pink Shrimp available too. So Cataplana is on the menu!


Cataplana, a recipe, a vessel, a cult object, an ancient tradition in Southern Portugal, the Algarve. The word itself is not Portuguese and of uncertain origin, but generally attributed to the Arabs.  Portuguese cuisine, and especially that of the Algarve is influenced by the Romans and the Arabs, and this, of course includes the cultural influences of the contributing nations. The Arabs were adept in alchemy (the distillation of al-chohol) and metallurgy. The Cataplana cooking vessel is a double hinged clamshell shaped vessel of hammered copper. It has been described as a "double wok", and can be used as a wok when open and a steamer, pressure cooker when closed.  It keeps seafood moist and the flavor and aroma intense. The vapors reach the top half and cycle back to the base! When the Cataplana is opened at serving time, the sight and scent delight!

The Cataplana is uniquely Algarve and traditionally used to cook seafood, more specifically Ameijoas na Cataplana, Clams in a Cataplana. That said, last month in Vilamoura in the Algarve there was a festival of Cataplana cooking using the vessel for cooking, steaming, baking and much more. Chef Bertilio Gomes said of "The Cataplana Experience", "top chefs give new life to this old traditional pan" and referred to it as a "cult object"!

I have a Cataplana!! (purchased in Albufeira) And I love it and the clam recipe. I've shared it in my cooking class, "Threads of Gold" and with my family and friends for years.

Having had the dish in Portugal, I am always trying to recreate it as it was...nearly impossible due to the phenomenon the French call "terroir", things grown and natural to a certain area or environment. Portuguese clams and seafood are an example: tiny Mediterranean clams the size of a fingernail, sweet and succulent; olive oil, Portuguese olive oil, while not the finest in the world is the FRUITIEST and has a distinctive flavor which cannot be imitated; wine, Vinho Verde, while not Algarve it is the Portuguese wine to drink and cook with seafood, low alcohol, dry and almost fizzy; then there is the bread, Portuguese Corn Bread, dense, crusty and perfect for sopping up the garlicky, olive oil, seafood juices!


On Boston's North Shore, I was lucky to have a market, inappropriately called The New England Market. It was anything BUT New England! There I could find all of the above (except the clams were frozen, but our Mahogany clams were an ok substitute). This market was located in an ethnic neighborhood, next to a Greek Church which belonged more on a Greek isle than a Massachusetts side street. The aromas in the market were pungent, open cases of bacala, cheeses, sausages, olives, huge loaves of peasant breads and unusual pastries. Spanish, Portuguese and Greek olive oils were available as well as  some humble wines of those countries. English was rarely heard inside the store. OH, how fortunate I was..oh, how I miss it!

My Cataplana here, although delicious, could not compare. I think the olive oil was the key missing ingredient. You cannot duplicate Portuguese olive oil, but maybe Greek is a close substitute. I will try to find some and attempt the dish again.

Some cataplana ingredients and the vessel

The only things organic from SunCoast in this recipe are the garlic, the onion and the wonderfully fragrant cilantro, but their bright flavors helped compensate for the lack of Portuguese oil.

AMEIJOAS NA CATAPLANA

3 Tablespoons Portuguese or very fruity extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 pound Portuguese Chourico (or other garlic sausage or linguica), sliced

2 pounds Mahogany or Little Neck clams, fresh and local

1/2 pound fresh, local shrimp (optional)

1 cup dry white wine (vinho verde)

chopped cilantro or parsley

1 teaspoon Piri Piri saucae or hot sauce to taste

Rinse and clean the clams.

Heat oil in cataplana or dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened. Stir in sausage, the shrimp if using.  Add wine and let evaporate for a few minutes. Add clams and close cover. Cook over high heat for 5 - 8 minutes or until clams open. Add Piri Piri and sprinkle with chopped cilantro.  Serve from the cataplana (in the restaurant each diner has his own cataplana!) with plenty of crusty bread for sopping up the juices.

Good to the last clam or slice of sausage. The pink color of the broth is due to the paprika in the sausage.

VARIATIONS:

Use 1/2 pound cubed or sliced pork loin marinated overnight in garlic, white wine, olive oil, paprika and bay leaf  in place of sausage. Drain pork and pat dry before sauteing. Marinade be added and cooked with the clams.

Some recipes use some chopped or diced tomatoes.

CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER IN A PUMPKIN!!

From March of Dimes Benefit, Atlanta Bread Display by Jeanne!

 Autumn is here! Pumpkins are here! Cool breezes (even in Florida!) in the morning and evening, and sunny afternoons which make everything bright with a warm glow.  These are my memories; this is my heart; Autumn in New England.

The tree leaves change from their vibrant, living green to an even more glorious display of color, orange, red and gold, a final tribute to a season of growing. The harvest too, reflects richness in its color: pumpkins; orange, white and heirloom, pale green,  squashes; yellow, orange, green and gold with wild names and gnarled shapes.  They are ready to be transformed into mouth-watering dishes redolent of cinnamon, nutmeg and spices and some of the pumpkins will come alive again at Hallowe'en with the many faces of a Jack-o-Lantern!

Florida, too, has it's own autumn. The yards and gardens are filled with pumpkins, scarecrows, corn husks and bales of hay. The sun has the same golden glow and the days grow shorter as the weather cools.  It is my favorite time of year, anywhere!

Sweet Pie Pumpkin

When I received my sweet pie pumpkin from SunCoast Organics AND still had some of their sweet, fresh corn, I knew Corn and Crab Chowder in a Pumpkin was "on the menu"!!

The basic recipe I will offer is for a New England style chowder, but the one I prepared (and will give instructions for as well) was a little more Latino.  

Steamed Sweet Bicolor Corn

Snow Crab Clusters

A few years back, I had the opportunity to prepare this recipe on ABC TV's, Sunrise program. I was preparing for a March of Dimes Benefit for Atlanta Bread Company and they offered us the TV spot for advertising the event. It was very exciting, even though it meant getting up at 3 AM to be at the studio at 5! (you can see by the photo, I don't do mornings well!) BUT, the pumpkin was bigger! I served the morning crew the Latino version in the pumpkin and garnished it with parsley and yellow, orange and green pepper strips to represent autumn leaves. 

Still trying to figure out how to get this photo here! Stay tuned!

CORN AND CRAB CHOWDER IN A PUMPKIN

Prepare the pumpkin: preheat oven to 350.

Wash pumpkin and cut off top for a lid. Remove all seeds* and scrape out the "stringy" material. (this stuff, appropriately, reminds me of Hallowe'en cobwebs). 

Seeds and Strings!

Coat the inside and outside of the pumpkin with butter. Add salt and pepper.  Place prepared pumpkin on a baking tray (without lid) and bake at 350 for one to 1 1/2 hours until inside is softened and cooked, but outside still firm enough to hold its shape. The hardest part of this is to keep from eating the baked pumpkin and letting it collapse. It just smells so good cooking!!

Butter and Pumpkin!!

Baked pumpkin and butter!!

You can serve the chowder in the hot pumpkin or heat it inside the pumpkin for the last 20 -30 minutes.

Carefully scoop some of the pumpkin into each serving of chowder.

Chowder recipe:

2 tablespoons butter

1 cup chopped onion

4 slices chopped, smoked bacon

1 cup water, seafood or chicken stock

1/2 cup white wine or sherry

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon, fresh

salt and pepper to taste

s cups fresh (or frozen) sweet corn

1-2 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups half and ;half

1 pound lump crabmeat (or other)

Saute the onion and bacon in the butter until onion is translucent and bacon is crisp. Add thyme, salt and pepper. Sprinkle with flour.

Add wine and let evaporate slightly, stirring to blend and thicken. Add stock and then corn. Whisk in half and half. Gently stir in crabmeat.

MMM..just smell those flavors

Corn and Crab Chowder Baked in a Pumpkin, Rosy colored

Served with Chunks of Pumpkin..see the golden color

* you can clean off the pumpkin seeds and let them dry overnight on wax paper. Then coat them with a little oil, salt and pepper and chili spice and roast them in a hot oven until brown! Yummy pumpkin seeds!

For the Latino version of this chowder:  add 1 tablespoon or more of chopped jalapeno to the onion. Add some chopped chorizo to the bacon or substitute. Use fresh cilantro in place of thyme. I used both.

As an added note, the Chowder is authentic to both New England culture and the Latino culture. Pumpkin is a favorite food in South America!

For an elegant presentation at a dinner party, serve this chowder or another appropriate chowder or soup in mini-pumpkins at each place setting.