Rutabaga and Butternut Squash Puree

4 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 cup (or more) canned low-salt chicken broth
3 pounds rutabagas, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter

Preheat oven to 400°F. Arrange butternut squash in single layer in 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish. Add 1 cup broth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover tightly with foil. Bake until squash is very tender, about 45 minutes. Drain squash. Transfer squash to processor.

Meanwhile, cook rutabagas in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain. Add to squash in processor. Process until mixture is smooth, adding more broth if necessary.

Transfer squash and rutabaga pureée to heavy large saucepan. Add butter. Stir over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer purée to bowl. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cool. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat.)

Serves 10.

Acorn Squash Puree

3 acorn squash, halved, the seeds and strings discarded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
freshly grated nutmeg to taste

Sprinkle the cavities of the squash halves with salt and arrange the squash, inverted, in one layer in a buttered baking dish. Bake the squash, covered with foil, in the middle of a preheated 375°F. oven for 1 hour and let it cool until it can be handled. Scoop out the squash pulp, discarding the skin, and in a food processor purée it with the butter. Transfer the purée to a saucepan and simmer it, stirring occasionally, until the excess liquid is evaporated. Season the purée with the nutmeg and salt and pepper. The purée may be made 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

Makes 6 servings.

Butternut Squash Pizza

Before baking, store squash in a cool, dark, dry place for up to one month. To peel, cut it in half length-wise, place it cut side down, and run a peeler along the surface.

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds), peeled
1 small yellow onion, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick rings
3Tb olive oil
1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
1 1-pound package refrigerated pizza dough
1 Tb cornmeal
1 Tb fresh thyme leaves
½ cup fresh ricotta

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the squash into ½-inch-thick slices, and then cut each slice into 1-inch chunks. Place the squash and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle with the oil, season with the salt and pepper, and toss. Roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a plate.

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees. Roll the dough out ¼ inch thick. Clean the baking sheet and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Place the dough on top. Scatter the squash and onion mixture over the dough, sprinkle with thyme, and add dollops of the ricotta. Bake until golden, about 25 mintues. Slice into wedges. Serves 6.

Sweet Potatoes and Greens and Honey Mustard Glaze

1 3/4 to 2 pounds red-skinned sweet potatoes (yams), peeled, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
2/3 cup minced shallots (about 4)
1 pound Greens, such as Swiss chard, stems trimmed, torn into bite-size pieces
Ground nutmeg

Steam potatoes until just tender, about 10 minutes. Cool. (Can be made 3 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.)

Blend mustard and honey in small bowl. Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shallots and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add chard; toss until barely wilted, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and mustard mixture; toss until heated, about 2 minutes. Season with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Serves 6.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Before baking, sweet potatoes should be stored in a cool, dry place and have a shelf life of 2 to 4 weeks. To prep the potatoes, scrub the skins or grab a peeler.

6 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled

6 Tb unsalted butter

½ tsp kosher salt

1/8 tsp black pepper

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place them on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes. Make a slit in the top of each sweet potat. Top with 1 tablespoon of butter and season with salt and pepper.

Variations: Baking sweet potatoes intensifies their sweetness, making them suprisingly satisifying with little embellishment. If you crave something over the top, try some maple syrup or brown sugar, a spoonful of sour cream, a pinch or ground cinnamon, some carmelized onions, a handful of pecans or walnuts, jarred applesauce or chutney, or grated orange zest. Serves 6.

Yam and Peanut Soup

3 yams (1 1/4 pounds), peeled and thickly sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth (or homemade)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
2 Tb chopped cilantro or parsley

In a medium soup pot or large saucepan, combine the yams, onion, broth, salt, cayenne, and 1 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook until the yams are very soft when pierced with a fork, 10 to 15 minutes.

With a slotted spoon, remove the yams and onions to a food processor. Puree in batches until smooth, adding extra liquid as necessary from the soup pot.

Whisk the peanut butter into the remaining stock in the pot. Using a rubber spatula, scrape the yam puree back into the soup pot. Reheat, stirring to mix well. Season with additional salt and cayenne to taste. Garnish with cilantro or parsley.

Butternut Squash Soup with Fresh Ginger

1 large butternut squash
2 tsp olive or vegetable oil
1 medium onion, sliced
2 1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth (or homemade)
2 1/2 cups milk
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne
1 tsp butter
Pinch allspice
1/4 cup sour cream

With a sharp knife, cut the stem off the squash; then cut the squash lengthwise in half. With a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Cut each half in half again to facilitate peeling. Peel the squash carefully with a small, sharp knife and cut them into 2-inch chunks

In a medium soup pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is softened and translucent, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add the ginger, garlic, squash, broth, milk, salt, and cayenne. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium. Cook until the squash is very soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Puree the soup, in batches if necessary, in a food processor until very smooth. Pour the soup back into the pot. Add the butter and allspice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Season with additional salt and cayenne to taste. Serve hot, topped with a dollop of sour cream.

Source: One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes

Bean and Kale Soup

1 bunch kale, trimmed
1 teaspoon coarse salt, plus additional to taste
2 flat anchovy fillets
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves or dried
1/3 cup (80 ml) olive oil
2 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 cup (225 g) cooked small white beans or drained and rinsed canned
beans
4 cups (1 liter) chicken stock
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup (60 g) small shell macaroni
freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

In a medium saucepan, cook the kale with 1/2 cup (125 ml) water and the

salt over medium heat until tender. Drain the kale, reserving any liquid

that remains. Coarsely chop the kale. Very finely chop anchovies together with the rosemary.

In a medium saucepan, stir together the oil and garlic over medium-high

heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic is pale gold, about 10 minutes. Stir in the anchovies and rosemary. Cook, stirring for 1 minute. Discard the garlic. Stir in the kale and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring to thoroughly coat it with the oil. Stir in the beans. Cook for 3 minutes.

Stir in the reserved cooking liquid and the stock. Season with salt and

pepper. Bring to a boil and stir in the macaroni. Boil for 6 minutes, or

until the pasta is tender. Adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Pass Parmesan cheese at the table.

Source: Soup: A Way of Life

Gorgonzola and Fresh Thyme Sauce for Pasta

1 1/2 cups half and half
6 ounces gorgonzola (or blue) cheese, crumbled
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg or white pepper

Combine half and half, crumbled cheese, thyme and nutmeg. Cook gently, stirring frequently, until mixture reduces by one-fourth. Add white pepper to taste. Toss with steaming pasta. (You may add sliced, peeled apples and walnuts to the above.)

Source: A Kitchen Garden

Mushroom Pesto with Parsley and Thyme

10 ounces white mushrooms, sliced 1/4 -inch thick
9 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper
3 medium unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated in 1/2 cup boiling water until softened, about 5 minutes, hydrating liquid strained through damp paper towel–lined sieve and reserved)
1 small shallot, chopped coarse
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/4 cup packed parsley leaves, washed and dried thoroughly
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan

Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees; line rimmed baking sheet with heavy-duty foil. Toss sliced mushrooms with 2 tablespoons oil and salt and pepper in medium bowl; spread evenly on prepared baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and crisp, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, toast garlic in small dry skillet over medium heat, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and spotty brown, about 8 minutes; when cool, remove anddiscard skins.

In a food processor, process roasted mushrooms, garlic, porcini and liquid, shallot, thyme, parsley and remaining 7 tablespoons oil until smooth, stopping as necessary to scrape down sides of bowl. Transfer mixture to small bowl and stir in cheese; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Beef Pot Roast

Cuts of beef that perform well for pot roasting go by many names –blade roast, cros-rib roast, and boneless chuck roast are all acceptable cuts for this traditional recipe.

1 tsp olive oil
1 (3lb) boneless chuck raost, trimmed
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups coarsely chopped onion
1 cup dry red wine
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 (14oz) can fat-free, low sodium beef broth
1 bay leaf
4 thyme sprigs
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2inch pieces
Fresh thyme leaves
4 large carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1inch pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chuck roast with salt and pepper. Add roast to pan; cook 5 minutes, turning to brown on all sides. Remove roast from pan. Add onion to pan; saute 8 minutes or until tender. Return browned roast to pan. Add the red wine, thyme sprigs, chopped garlic, beef broth and bay leaf to pan; bring to simmer. Cover pan and bake 350 degrees for 1 ½ hours or until roast is almost tender.

Add carrots and potatoes to pan. Cover and bake an additional 1 hour or until vegetables are tender. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf from pan; discard. Shred the meat with 2 forks. Serve roast with vegetable mixture and cooking liquid. Garnish with thyme leaves, if desired. Serves 8.

Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup

This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold days!

1 large onion, cut ito large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, peeled and cubed
Cooking spray
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup of evaporated milk
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.

Place veggies in a large pot. Add broth and milk; season to taste. Copk over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to alow flavors to combine. Transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Serves 6.

Creamy Turnip Puree with Walnuts, Anchovies, and Parsley

6 pounds medium turnips, peeled, quartered
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/4 cup olive oil
6 anchovy fillets
1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

Cook turnips and garlic in large pot of boiling salted water until turnips are very tender, about 30 minutes. Drain. Return turnips and garlic to pot; stir over medium-high heat until dry, about 2 minutes. Working in batches, puree turnips, garlic, 1 1/2 cups cream, and butter in processor until smooth. Return puree to pot. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add more cream if necessary to reach desired consistency. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)

Heat olive oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add anchovies and cook, mashing with back of wooden spoon until dissolved, about 1 minute. Add walnuts and cook until slightly crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in parsley. Rewarm turnip puree over medium heat, stirring frequently. Transfer to serving bowl. Spoon walnut mixture over.

Cream of Turnip and Potato Soup

4 tbl spoons butter
2 large turnips, peeled and chopped
1 large onion peeled and chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1 tbl spoon of cornflour
4 1/4 cups of warm chicken stock (vegetable if preferred)
1 bay leaf
Freshly grate nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup cream
1 medium carrot, finely grated

In a large casserole, melt butter over a medium heat. When froth disappears, add chopped turnips, onion and potato. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 to 7 minutes, until onion is tender and translucent but not golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove vegetables from casserole; reserve.

Away from heat, stir flour into casserole juices, until smooth. Slowly pour in chicken broth, stirring. Simmer for 3 minutes, until slightly thickened. Transfer reserved vegetables back into casserole; add bay leaf and sprinkle with nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lower heat; simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally.

Remove casserole from heat, discard bay leaf and puree soup mixture, a little at a time, into a blender.

Pour puree back into casserole; return over low heat. Stir in cream; simmer soup for 4 minutes, until hot. Do not boil. Remove casserole from heat; pour soup into 4 individual bowls. Sprinkle each bowl with a little finely grated carrot and serve.

Turnips Braised with Mustard and Lemon

1 lb (450 g) small white turnips
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp (5 ml) mustard powder (dry mustard)
1/2-2/3 cup stock
2 tbsp chopped parsley
juice of 1/2 lemon

Heat the oven to 350. Scrub the turnips and cut them into thin crosswise slices about 1/8 in thick.

Melt the butter in a flameproof casserole or dutch oven on a low heat. Stir in the turnips, cover them and let them sweat for 10 minutes. Sprinkle in the mustard, fold it into the turnips and let everything cook gently for 1 minute. Pour in the stock and bring it to the boil.

Add the parsley and lemon juice. Cover the pan and put it into the oven for 45 minutes.

Turnip French Fries

Chop the turnip into french-fry strips and (if you wish) lightly coat with oil.

Place on a flat baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt.

Bake at 350-375 for 20 minutes.

Try some different seasonings: dried parsley and basil, a little sea salt or a touch of cayenne and sea kelp.

Celeriac and Potato Latkes

1 large celeriac (1 1/2 lb), peeled with a knife
1 1/2 lb large (baking) potatoes (about 3 large)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 lb onions, quartered
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground celery seeds
About 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 250°F.

Coarsely grate celery root into a bowl using the 1/3-inch-wide holes of a box grater. Peel potatoes and coarsely grate into a large bowl. Add lemon juice and toss. Coarsely grate onions into same bowl.

Transfer to a clean kitchen towel, then gather up corners to form a sack and twist tightly to wring out as much liquid as possible. Return potatoes and onions to cleaned bowl and stir in celery root, flour, eggs, salt, pepper, and celery seeds until combined well.

Heat 1/3 inch oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Fill a 1/4-cup measure (not tightly packed) with latke mixture and carefully spoon it into skillet, then flatten to 3 inches in diameter with a slotted spatula. Form 3 more latkes in skillet, then fry until undersides are deep golden, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn over using 2 spatulas and fry until deep golden all over, 1 1/2 to 3 minutes more. (If latkes brown too quickly, lower heat to moderate.) Transfer to paper towels to drain briefly. Keep warm in 1 layer on a metal rack set in a shallow baking pan in oven. Make more latkes in same manner. Use a second rack and baking pan to keep last batches warm.

Butternut Squash, Rosemary, and Blue Cheese Risotto

7 cups (or more) low-salt chicken broth (or veggie stock)
3 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 cups finely chopped onion1 2-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch dice (about 3 cups) (You can pre-cook this a bit in the oven or microwave)
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
2 cups arborio rice (about 13 1/2 ounces)
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups (packed) baby spinach leaves (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup whipping cream (or less, to taste)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)

Bring 7 cups broth to boil in large saucepan. Cover and reduce heat to low.

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add squash and 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary; sauté 4 minutes to coat with butter. Add rice and stir 2 minutes. Add wine and simmer until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 7 cups hot broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered until rice is just tender and risotto is creamy and slightly soupy, adding more broth by 1/4 cupfuls as needed to maintain consistency and stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Stir in spinach, cream, and Parmesan cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer risotto to large bowl. Sprinkle with blue cheese and remaining 1/2 teaspoon rosemary and serve.

Butternut Squash Soup with (optional) Roasted Red Pepper Puree

For Soup:

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onions
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 2 1/2-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups (or more) vegetable broth
3 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

For Roasted Red Pepper Puree (optional):

1 cup coarsely chopped roasted red peppers
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

For Soup: Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions; sauté until tender, about 12 minutes. Add garlic; stir 1 minute. Add squash and 5 1/2 cups broth; bring to boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer until squash is soft, about 40 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return puree to pot. Add 1 teaspoon thyme and orange peel. Thin soup with more broth if desired. Simmer 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving, thinning with more broth if desired.)

For Puree: Heat broiler or oven to at least 400. Slice two peppers in half lengthways and pull out the core, seeds, and stem. Place the pepper halves skin side up on a broiler pan or baking sheet. Place the peppers in the broiler or in the oven with the rack close to the heat source. Broil until the skin buckles and chars, about five to eight minutes. Cool, peel and chop. Puree all ingredients and season with salt and pepper to taste

Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl 1 tablespoon red pepper puree into soup in each bowl. Sprinkle with remaining 2 teaspoons thyme and serve.

Butternut Squash

To bake butternut, wash the skin, cut the squash in half, and scoop out the seeds. Pierce the skin several times with a fork and bake in a 350 oven for about 45 minutes.

You might brush on a little melted butter mixed with brown sugar after baking. Or try this delicious blend: 3 tablespoons butter, softened; 1 tablespoon lime juice; 1 teaspoon chili powder; and salt and coarsely ground pepper to taste. Mix ingredients and then spoon into the baked squash halves.