Ratatouille

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons olive oil

4 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

1 ½  large onion, chopped

5 small eggplants, cubed

6 small bell peppers, coarsely chopped

4 pounds tomatoes, cooked, reduced and pureed (I use medium blade mouli)

1 handfull basil

few sprigs oregano

1 bay laurel leaf

Preparation:

In a 4-quart Dutch oven or saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add peppers  qne sauté another few minutes. Add eggplant; stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables from sticking.

Add tomatoes and herbs; mix well. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender but not too soft.

Serves 8.

Tabouli

Prep10 min.

Yield:8 servings .

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup fine cracked wheat (bulghar)

1 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 tomatoes, diced

3 ounces crumbled feta

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoons sea salt

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed. Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss with the mix. Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion, feta  and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well. Serve chilled

Tabouli

Total Time: 30 min.

Prep10 min.

Yield:8 servings .

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cup fine cracked wheat

1 cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

3 tomatoes, diced

3 ounces crumbled feta

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoons sea salt

Directions

In a large mixing bowl, pour the water over the cracked wheat and cover, let stand about 20 minutes until wheat is tender and water is absorbed. Add the chopped herbs and vegetables and toss with the mix. Combine the oil, lemon juice, garlic, onion, feta  and salt in a separate bowl. Add to wheat mixture and mix well. Serve chilled

Acorn Squash Bread

Ingredients

•2/3 cup all-purpose flour

•1/2  cup whole-wheat flour

•1/2  teaspoon baking powder

•1/4 teaspoon baking soda

•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

•1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

•1 cup squash puree, (see below)

•1/2  cup brown sugar

•1/4 cup butter

•2 eggs

1/2 cup crystallized ginger

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan.

Stir all-purpose flour, whole-wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves in a medium bowl until combined.

Beat squash puree, sugar and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs.

Add the dry ingredients and beat at low speed until combined. Stir in walnuts and ginger. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.

Bake the bread until lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. Serve warm.

To make your own squash puree, Peel, seed and cut one medium acorn squash. Steam until soft and mash into puree.

Acorn Squash Pie

Yield Makes a very large pie – cooked in oblong baking dish

Ingredients

4 1/2 cups acorn squash puree

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

4 large eggs

1/2 cup cream

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped crystallized ginger

Cornmeal Pie Dough

Directions

Cut squash (I used 6 large acorn squash) in half lengthwise; remove seeds and peel. Set a steamer rack inside a large pot with 2 inches of simmering water, and steam squash until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain squash and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Mash soft squash in a large bowl until smooth. Add sugar, salt, nutmeg and cinnamon. Add eggs, 1/2 cup cream. Mix with hand mixer until thoroughly combined. Mix in crystalized ginger.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough. Drape over pie pan. Pour filling into crust and fold edges over filling at edges. Bake on lower rack in oven, and bake for 10 minutes. Lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. and bake until filling is barely set, 25 to 30 minutes more; it will continue to cook as it cools. Place pie on wire rack to cool. Serve warm.

Yield: Makes a very large pie

Cornmeal Pie Dough

Ingredients

 1 cup all-purpose flour

 1 cup whole wheat flour

 1 cup yellow stoneground cornmeal

1 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

2  eggs, whisked

Directions

In large bowl, mix together flours, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Using your fingers, mix in butter until crumbly. Add eggs and 1/3 cup ice water to flour mixture. Using a fork, mix quickly and lightly. Knead dough lightly in bowl until dough holds together;. Chill until firm, about 30 minutes. 

Acorn Squash Pie in Cornmeal Crust