Roasted Pumpkin, Apple and Fennel Pollen Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter Sauce

For the raviolis:
1 pie pumpkinsRavioli (about 2 cups pureed, cooked pumpkin)
2 apples
1 shallots
2 cloves garlic
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
¼ cup maple syrup
1 heaping tsp fresh grated ginger
½ tsp fennel pollen
½ tsp salt
¼ white pepper
1 package wonton wrappers
 
For the sauce
¼ cup chopped fresh sage
2 tbs butter

Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees.  Poke a few small holes in the pumpkin.  Place the pumpkin, shallots, garlic, and apples onto a roasting pan.  Drizzle with olive oil and salt and roast until soft.  The pumpkin will take about an hour.  The remaining ingredients about 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Place the roasted pumpkin, apple, shallots, and garlic into a blender and blend until smooth.  In a mixing bowl, add the puree along with the ginger, fennel pollen, salt, maple syrup and white pepper.  Fold in the ricotta and parmesan cheese.

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.  Place two wonton wrappers onto a plate.  Moisten the inside of the wrapper with water.  Add a heaping tsp of the filling to one wrapper and then place the second on top.  press firmly together to seal. Repeat. Place filled ravioli onto the baking tray and store in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.  Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large sautee pan until it begins to brown.  do not burn!!!  add the sage and stir until the sage is aromatic. turn off the heat. Add the ravioli to the boiling water and cook for 1-2 minutes until the ravioli floats to the surface.  Place the ravioli into the sage brown butter sauce and toss to coat.

enjoy!

recipe notes: For more information please watch the video "Reaping Fall's Bounties" and "Fun with Fennel Pollen"

Pasta with Wild Mushroom Sauce

pasta with wild mushroom sauce1 lb ground beef
2 medium Vandalia (or other sweet onion), chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups red wine
1/2 cup dried mushrooms, broken into small pieces
2 large cans (28 oz) whole peeled plum tomatoes
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped
2 tsp fresh basil, chopped

1 lb spaghetti or linguini

Heat a Dutch over or a large pot over medium-high heat.  Add the ground beef and stir regularly until the beef loses its raw appearance.  Add the onion and garlic.  Cook for about 12 minutes, until the onion is translucent and tastes sweet.  Add the salt and pepper.  Carefully add the wine to the pot and stir to deglaze the bottom of the pot.  Cook for about 4 more minutes so that the wine begins to reduce.  Add the tomatoes, oregano, mushrooms, and bay leaves.  Bring the sauce to a simmer and then reduce the heat to maintain a consistant, gentle simmer.  Cook the sauce for 1 hour until it is thick and flavorful.  Taste and adjust seasonings.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Add plenty of kosher salt and the pasta.  Cook until the pasta is al dente.  Toss the pasta in the sauce and sprinkle with plenty of freshly grated parmesan and the basil.

Recipe notes:  I used a mixture of crimini and porcini mushrooms, but really any combination will do.  You could also use fresh mushrooms, although I would still add the dried mushrooms to give the sauce a depth of flavor.  If you use fresh mushrooms, chop the mushrooms and add the mushrooms after you cook the onion and the garlic.  The mushrooms will release a lot of water, so make sure the onions and the garlic are cooked before you add the fresh mushrooms.  You can also make this sauce ahead of time and then reheat it when you are ready to eat.  If you have leftovers, it freezes beautifully.

Gazpacho with Aged Goat Cheese Crosatini

For the Gazpacho:

4-5 medium sized tomatoes, quartered
3 medium cucumbers, peeled and quartered
1/2 orange pepper, quartered
1/2 yellow pepper, quartered
1 small sweet onion, quartered
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp fresh thyme ( I love thyme, but tarragon or basil would be great substitutes)
1/2 tsp fresh oregano (don't use oregano if you use tarragon instead of thyme)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2-1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and puree for about 30 seconds.  Resist the urge to overly puree the soup--it should be a little bit chunky.  Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Allow to chill for at least 2 hours.  serve with crosatini (recipe is below) or croutons.  It is also delicious with lump crab meat or smoked salmon or trout.  Thanks to the acidic nature of the soup, it will last in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Recipe notes: I have a very powerful blender (a Vitamix.  I love it).  If your blender is not as powerful, you may need to peel the tomatoes.  Don't worry, this is easy. core the tomatoes and, using a knife, make an "x" in the bottom of the tomato.  Submerge the tomato in boiling water for about 30 seconds (you should see the skin peeling away) and then immediately submerge it in ice water.  The skin should easily peel off.  Squeeze the tomato to remove the seeds.  Even if you do have  a powerful blender, you may find the tomato seeds bitter.  If so, follow this step.

If you find this soup too thick, add some tomato juice.  Just be careful not to make the soup too salty.  Store bought tomato juice is very high in sodium.

For more information, see the blog post "Eating for Three."

For the Crosatini:

1 Loaf French bread, sliced
olive oil
aged goat cheese ( l used the Cherry Clen Crottin.  it's delicious)

Move a rack to the uppermost shelf in your oven and turn on the broiler.  Lay the bread in a single layer on a baking sheet or broiling pan and lightly drizzle or brush both sides with olive oil.  toast the bread for about 30 seconds per side until the edges are golden brown.  Grate some goat cheese over one side of the crosatini and return to the broiler for 10 seconds.

Recipe Notes:  If you don't like goat cheese, parmesan cheese would be a great substitute.  

Roasted Red Pepper Pesto

4 Red PeppersRoasting the Red Pepper on Top of the Stove
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 clove garlic
1 tsp kosher salt

Wash the peppers.  Place the peppers directly over a gas burner or under the broil.  As the skin blackens, rotate the pepper.  Continue rotating until the skin of the pepper is black.  Place the pepper under running cold water to remove the skin.  Cut pepper in half and remove the stem and the seeds.

Place all of the ingredients into a blender.  Blend until smooth. 

Recipe Notes: This pesto is delicious sauce for pasta or gnocchi.  It is also a great marinade for chicken or fish.  For more information see, "I hate Potatoes."

My Grandmother's Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup always makes me feel better!1 Whole Chicken, cut up
2 Lbs Flanken style beef short ribs
1 large onion, sliced
1 cup carrots, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 cup parsnips (about 5), peeled and sliced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1 Tbs kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 cup dried lima beans
sachet filled with 1 Tbs Fresh dill, 1 Tbs fresh parsley, 1 tsp fresh sage, 1 tsp fresh thyme, 5 peppercorns, 5 whole cloves, 1 bay leaf)

Put all of the ingredients into a large Dutch oven.  Add just enough water to cover the chicken by 1/2 inch.  Bring to a simmer uncovered.  Skim the foam off the top of the soup.   Continue to simmer covered for about 1 1/2 hours until the lima beans are tender.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper.  Remove the satchel of herbs.  Serve with egg noodles and enjoy!

Recipe Notes: It's important not to add too much water.  This soup is even better the next day.  Refrigerate Soup--the fat will float to the top and solidify.  Once this happens, you can skim it off the top of the soup.  For more information see, "A Perfect Day For Chicken Soup."