BUTTERNUT SQUASH--any creative recipes??(maybe something with bacon?)

I made butternut squash soup this week.

One medium squash, steamed.
One large onion, carmelized
celery and carrots (from what I could salvage in the frig), sauteed until soft
fresh ginger, sauteed with the other veggies

I combined the above in a stock pot, then added two cans of chicken stock and allowed ingredients to heat through for 20 minutes. I then blended it all with a stick blender and added curry powder and a cup of half-and-half. Continued to heat until the added cream was warm.

Baked Risotto with Butternut Squash, Sage and Almonds

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 onion, minced
Salt
2 cups Arborio rice
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh sage (or 3/4 teaspoon dried)
Pinch of nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon saffron threads (optional)
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 ounces parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)
Pepper

Bring broth and bay leaves to a simmer, cover and keep warm.

Melt butter in saucepan, medium heat, add onion and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cooking until lightly browned (about 9 min.). Stir in rice and cook until edges begin to turn translucent (about 3 min.) Stir in garlic, nutmeg and saffron, if using. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently until completely absorbed. Stir in butternut squash and sage.

Spread rice/squash mixture into 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour warm broth overtop. Bake at 400 degrees on centre rack of oven until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed and squash is cooked through (about 30 min.)

McKenzie, how're you doing, good to see you.

Butternut squash recipe in today's paper, looks good to me so plonking, but warning to farmerman: it has garlic.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/dining/10chefrex2.html


RECIPE
Butternut Squash, Pecans and Currants

Adapted from Balaboosta, Manhattan


Chefs’ Tips for the Thanksgiving Meal (November 10, 2010)
Time: 30 minutes

2 small butternut squash (about 2 pounds each)
7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5 thyme sprigs
Salt and pepper
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/4 cup currants
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes.
1. Heat oven to 450 degrees. Cut the squash in two at the base of the neck, discarding the hollow bulb end or reserving for another use. Peel the rest and slice into 1/2-inch disks. Toss the squash in a large roasting pan with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, thyme and salt and pepper to taste, and arrange in a single layer. Roast the squash, turning once halfway through, until tender and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, combine garlic and one tablespoon of the remaining olive oil. Sauté until fragrant and tender, about one minute. Add pecans and sugar, and toss until the sugar has melted and the pecans are lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Whisk the vinegar into the remaining olive oil. Add the pecan mixture, currants and chili flakes. Mix well, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Arrange the squash on a warm platter and top with some or all of the dressing.

Yield: 6 servings.

I love any sort of pumpkin. Some of these look great.

Question - what is half and half?

From the Cook's Thesaurus website

http://www.foodsubs.com/Dairyoth.html

It isnt garlic that I didnt care for in the last one, it just was,missing something. This one you posted seems more complex (Im thinking about the cinnanamnonnan in it , sounds good) I still have about 2 barrels of the goddam butternuts.


OH yeh, yesterday I picked some of the parsnips I planted (we had a nice cupla frosts so they are supposed to taste better after a heavy frost). ANYWAY, I masde a pot roast for supper (Mrs F was teraing down her booth and packing up her shawl kists for delivery to her customers so I was the cook of record).
I had not had a decent pot roast in like 25 years(since my mom last made it -as weve gotten plder, some of the more "homemade foods" of our kidihood have been recalled).
So the pot roats had potatoes, prsnips, celery onions and a bigass hunk of of meat that the butcher said was ideal for pot roast. (He was laughing that nobody has made potroast since the 60's and over the last 2 weeks he had about 20 reaquests for meat for pot roast-its like some group think thing-all the aging hippies and yuppies are trying to take up cooking some comfort foods)

The sauce fo the pot roast was a mess of herbs and broth and I just kepadjusting the flavor and heat until it was just right. HOWEVER, I dont think I could remember what it was I put in there. But it started with a bout a quart of Pennzys beef broth as a base. Then I started adding arrowroot, cinnamon, garam masala, bay, garlic, sugar, K salt and sea salt, lemon pepper, pickle spice, and a bunch more

Mmmm, I looooove parsnips.

I never really cared for any root crop cept potatoes and onions, SInce Ive been growing a number of em in my garden we learned recipes.
Parsnips have a neat texture and a big carroty like flavor that goes great in beef dishes

I like Parsnips too, very flavorful and nutritious.

Here are lots of butternut squash recipes, they look very yummy!!!
http://www.tastespotting.com/search/butternut+squash/1

butrflynet - thanks.

Re: adding cream or milk to hot soup mmixture - how do you prevent curdling?

Warming the cream or milk before adding it helps. Adding cold cream or milk to a hot soup increases the chance of curdling. You can also add it very slowly while briskly stirring the soup.

Basically, treat it as if you were adding eggs rather than the milk or cream. The same preventative measures apply.