Butternut Squash Savant

Remember the scene in "Forrest Gump" when Bubba waxes poetic about shrimp, listing all the ways shrimp can be prepared? "There's pineapple shrimp, lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad..." That's how I am about butternut squash.

When Anson and neighbor Chris planted butternut squash this past spring, I was, if only in my head, rubbing my hands together evil-villain style and plotting all the ways I would soon be getting this elegant squash into my tummy. "Let's see, there's butternut squash ravioli, butternut squash soup, butternut squash gnocchi, butternut squash pasta sauce, butternut squash risotto, butternut squash with kale salad...bwah ha ha ha ha!"

So just this week we cut off the first ripe squash and I got to work.  This squash was about a foot long, so I was able to make two separate meals out of it, each one with plenty of leftovers.

Butternut Squash Risotto
I credit the use of celery and vermouth to Jamie Oliver.  It's not traditional, but trust me, you'll make it this way from now on.


1/2 large butternut squash or a whole small squash
1/2 medium onion
2 stalks celery
2 cloves garlic
2/3 cup sweet vermouth
1 cup arborio rice
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 quart (32 oz) vegetable broth
1 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 tablespoon butter
olive oil

Peel the squash and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss with olive oil until well coated and spread in a single layer on a sheet pan.  Roast in the oven at 375° until soft, about 30-45 minutes, tossing once during roasting.

Pour the vegetable broth in a pan and set over low heat. Do not bring to a boil.

Meanwhile, finely dice the onions and celery and mince the garlic. Heat a large shallow pan over medium-low heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the vegetables and cook until they are soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring frequently, until it starts to smell toasty, about 2 minutes.  Add the vermouth and stir until it's absorbed. Do the same with the broth, adding about a 1/2 or 2/3 cup at a time and letting it absorb.  Stir often! When you are getting down to the end of the broth, taste the rice and see if it's done.  When it's almost al dente, add the peas and heat them through, adding more broth if necessary.  Stir in the squash, butter and parmesan, and season with salt and pepper.

This should make 4 very filling portions.

Butternut Squash Pasta Sauce
So you've got the other half of the squash left and don't know what to do?  Easy, make it into a pasta sauce.


1/2 large butternut squash (I roast the whole squash all at once to use for both recipes)
5-inch spring of fresh rosemary
2 cloves garlic
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 lb. multi grain pasta
olive oil

Roast squash as above. Cook pasta according to directions, reserving a cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, finely chop the rosemary and mince the garlic.  Saute in a large pan with a tablespoon of olive oil for about a minute. Add the squash and broth. Heat it through and mash the squash to your desired consistency with a fork or potato masher.  Let simmer over low heat until pasta is ready. The sauce should be thick, but not pasty.

When pasta is ready, add parmesan to sauce and stir together. Add pasta to sauce and additional pasta water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper.

Cincinnati Chili: A Gold Star for Me

Facebook is an amazing thing for bringing people together across time and space.  Case in point, Anson has connected with many old Army buddies that he hasn't seen or heard from in almost 15 years. One of those connections was with Bryan, "The Fish," who went through the Army with Anson from the first day of basic training to the last day of service. They tell me it's very unusual for people to end up in the same platoon after basic training, so they have a special bond, forged in the the cold plains of Kansas and strengthened by many pitchers of beer.

The Fish and his wife, Susan, finally made it out here from Ohio to visit us in Huntington Beach this past week. In our conversations beforehand Anson found out that they, like us, are big fans of Cincinnati Chili, so we told them to bring their recipe and we'd have a cook off.  You might remember I wrote about my Mom's recipe last year which I've been making for several years. I figured Bryan and Susan would put us to shame with their recipe from the birthplace of Cincinnati Chili. So I was surprised when they presented us with a can of Gold Star Chili ("The Flavor of Cincinnati"). Turns out, that's how many people in Ohio get their fix of this delicious, savory, Mediterranean-influenced chili that is served over spaghetti. And I can't say I blame them because it takes a bit of preparation, measuring out of 11 spices plus many other ingredients, and a day of simmering for the final pay off. Seems like simply opening a can might be a better choice sometimes. Why not let the pros do it?

Susan showed us the way to really use this chili properly--on "Cheese Coneys," which are little hot dogs which you cover with chili, cheese, mustard and onions. We also did the same with tortillas chips and that was delicious.

So when I asked Anson what he wanted to have for dinner on Sunday while we all watched the Cincinatti Bengals play the Dallas Cowboys he immediately responded, "Cincinatti Chili."  Apparently his pump had been primed and he was ready for more.  I was excited to make my Mom's version for these native Ohioans and proud to get a passing grade from them--they liked it! We had it Four-Way: over spaghetti with cheese and onions.

After years and miles apart, Anson and Bryan reminisced about the old days, this time in sunny Southern California, not the frigid landscape of Fort Riley. But one thing was the same --plenty of beer, and that's what really matters.

Hot Times in HB

One part of our garden is very close to Anson's heart, and that is the chiles.  We've got six varieties growing in amongst the tomatoes, three of which are flourishing--jalapeno, cayenne and serrano. Our friends Billie and Eddie know of Anson's love affair with hot sauce and they gave him a hot sauce making kit that contained bottles, spices and recipes.  It sat on top of our fridge for a couple years until this weekend when it all came together.

We made a simple Louisiana-style sauce which contains only chiles, vinegar and a dash of salt and sugar.  We're calling it 13th Street Hot Stuff.  It has to sit a week before we try it, so we're not sure how good it will be, but I'm pretty sure it will be hot.

Here's our version of the recipe (and I'm not sure who to give credit to except Vino Corporation, the manufacturer of the kit):

Lousiana-Style Hot Sauce
18 mixed hot chiles, give or take a few
2 cups of distilled white vinegar
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. sugar

Blanch peppers in vinegar. Let cool, then add peppers and 1 cup of the vinegar to blender along with salt and sugar. Puree and bottle, let stand one week.

We noticed the sauce could have been strained, but that's up to you.