Tasteful Recipe
I suspect that the last thing Markos could have imagined when he started Daily Kos is that it would someday be taken over by cats and recipes. One of the first manifestations of recipe mania was the use of them to overwhelm trolls. They were used in an innovative way:
"the standard response to a troll diary is to post comments containing recipes for tasty dishes. Plenty of examples can be found in the Troll Diary tag. An entire cookbook of recipes has been collected and is being sold as a fundraiser."
Nowadays recipes, often accompanied by enticing photographs, can appear anywhere, in comments and diaries. I love reading them in the same way I love reading Bon Appetit. From time to time I get ideas and inspiration from them but very seldom do I sit down and follow an entire recipe, even though the poster swears it's the best thing ever.
However. I am going to present a recipe which creates the best dish ever, and it's even vegetarian so it's appropriate for everyone (except breatharians). Now I realize that not everyone cooks but if you do you must make this dish. People don't often, if ever, do what I say, but this is mandatory. And if when you do, and serve it to family or guests, they will request it again and again.
Butternut Squash Gratin
3 1/2 cups butternut squash, peeled, cut into 3/4 to 1 inch cubes (8 cups)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 stick butter
3 cups chopped leeks or onions, or half of each
1 1.2 teaspoons sage
6 oz cream cheese
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup chopped nuts We've used walnuts and pecans
11 x 7 buttered baking dish
Preheat oven to 400
Place squash cubes in a large bowl and toss with oil, salt, and pepper
spread on rimmed baking sheet and roast until just tender and beginning to brown (approx 35 minutes)
Saute onions/leeks in butter until tender, sprinkle with salt,pepper and sage
Layer 1/2 onions, 1/2 squash, 1/2 cream cheese. Repeat. Can be done 1 day ahead.
Preheat oven to 375. Pour cream evenly over dish and sprinkle with nuts. Bake until heated through and bubbling, approx. 40 minutes
On another topic, our frightening drought, I have benefitted in one way. I have been able to take my tractor into areas which normally are mud, and impassable for the whole winter. I am this far ahead on next year's wood supply. I moved the splitter into the barn so I can split in any weather.
Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate.
Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.