acorn squash with chile-lime vinaigrette
A firm believer in balance, or some fumbling approximation of it, if I tell you about the bewildered, exhausted and terrifying, it is only fair that I tell you that today — a day I was certain was Monday the whole day long (as in, “hey, why is the Times updating their food section a day early?”) — was a knock-it-out-of-the-park great day. Sparing you all the driveling details, suffice it to say there has been a raise, bragging rights and even the ability to make someone else’s day. I took this string of greatness to the store (not jeans, or course, I know better than to rub my luck in the face of the narrow-hipped crowd) where I found a sweater I suspect I love enough to wear it until it’s threadbare and a pair of heels that (crosses fingers that they will continue to) almost feel comfortable.
Although I initially eschewed our first taste of it in August, I am unbelievably excited that fall is here, especially now that September and October have been so very kind to let us hang onto an open-toed cardigan-ed existence for all of these bonus weeks. Guilty as charged, I’ve been busy cooking and eating things I haven’t photographed, and I’m here now to confess my food blogging sin so we can all move on to the things I wasn’t so remiss about.
Last Thursday night, in celebration of the arrival of two of the most fiercely sharp and stunning knives from two of the most fiercely sharp and stunning friends, I made Molly’s version of one of my favorite dishes, the mighty onion tart. The last time I made an onion tart, that time a la Julia Child, I diced in some bacon and gruyere, but this time there was none of that and I loved it more. Some people enjoy finding extra flavors to tuck into dishes; I get excited when I find out they taste just as good with less. The only thing I altered was that I added a pinch of cayenne, not enough to make you grimace but enough to occasionally prod you awake from your sweet, buttery coma. Being awake is important when your dinner tastes this good and there are crumbs, delicate crumbs!, that need attending to.
Sunday night brought us sweet potatoes and baby brussels sprouts from the Abington Square farmers market, as well as field greens so good in a salad I’m just going to announce right now that I’m going to at least try to not buy bagged or boxed ever again. The brussels were roasted with olive oil and salt until crispy and flaky like phyllo on the outside and nutty on the inside. The potatoes were wedged and sprinkled with this blend of spices that if you’re like me, you’ll probably assume you’ll hate, but then you’ll like it so much you’ll have to reconsider you’re relationship with fennel and cilantro. Only good things could come of this. It should be noted that everything we bought at the market was grown in New Jersey - like me! - so I must arrogantly presume that’s why they were so good in every way.
Now that we’re all caught up with the un-photographed and I’ve hopefully whetted your appetite, two more things to consider: roasted acorn squash wedges with chili-lime-garlic vinaigrette and roasted haricot vert with toasted acorn squash seeds. Finding a stash of energy where I was certain it was depleted, I cooked these things at an illogical 9 p.m. tonight while my husband played volleyball. (He didn’t win, don’t ask.) I know eating dinner at 10:45 p.m. is ridiculous, irresponsible and obviously badly planned, but you know what? I’ll take a perfect dinner at the very end of a perfect day over average take-out on a well-timed terrible day any time, and I suspect you would too.
Maybe even tomorrow, you know, because I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s your turn next for an uber-spectacular one.
Roasted Acorn Squash with Chile Vinaigrette
October 2006 Gourmet
This late-season squash is roasted to coax out its subtle sugars before being mixed with citrus juice, chile, and cilantro.
2 (1 1/2 - to 1 3/4-lb) acorn squash
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste
1 to 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh hot red chile, including seeds
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 450°F. Halve squash lengthwise, then cut off and discard stem ends. Scoop out seeds and cut squash lengthwise into 3/4-inch-wide wedges. Toss squash with black pepper, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons oil in a bowl, then arrange, cut sides down, in 2 large shallow baking pans. Roast squash, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until squash is tender and undersides of wedges are golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes.
While squash roasts, mince garlic and mash to a paste with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Transfer paste to a small bowl and whisk in lime juice, chile (to taste), cilantro, and remaining 1/4 cup oil until combined. Transfer squash, browned sides up, to a platter and drizzle with vinaigrette.
Makes 4 servings.
The recipes sound good, especially the onion tart and this one with squash, which looks like a good way to put more personality into an vegetable that needs some reinvention … not sure about the spice mix though, especially the fennel, since i´m 100% anti-anise.
About dinner at 10:30 p.m., it doesn´t shock me one bit. The usual dinner time here in Argentina is 9:30 during weeknights and more like 10:30 or 11 p.m. during the weekend, and now that I´m living on my own, I´ve eaten at 11 quite a few times.
I hear you about rather eating later, but decently. I mean, takeout is fine once a week or something like that, but it gets old soon and it can´t compare with a homecooked meal. Who would like to eat chinese takeout or pizza 7 days a week? Even pizza gets old like that!!! And yes, my Italian grandpa must be turning in his grave after that comment hahaha
I never liked onions much until I got married as was introduced to zwiebel kuchen… that’s the German version of an onion tart. Now my aunt-in-law lavishes it on me every time I visit. It’s the same basic filling of your lauded onion tart and each region or household has it’s own favorites for pastry type. It’s traditionally served this time of year with the new wine. Try seasoning your next one with caraway seeds, salt and pepper. Yummmmm
Marce - Hear, hear. I have this pet peeve about squash and sweet potato and pretty much most things with a mild sweetness - I loathe when sugar is added to them. It’s like taking the sweet and raising it to the sweet. So, I’m always looking for recipes that throw in contrasting flavors. This is another recipe that does a great job of balancing the inherent sweetness of squash. As for the fennel seeds, I was/am exactly the same way, but this was the essence of everything a spice blend is supposed to be: all the flavors wrap around each other and no one stands up too loudly. It adds an element to the blend, but you don’t taste fennel per se. Well, that’s my best effort to convince; it’s all I’ve got.
Becky - Sounds delicious. And now, after trying to convince Marce to try fennel seeds, I have to admit that I’m not mad about caraway (the seed) but I like the flavor (ground). I suppose I’ll save that yammering for rye breads, next.
roasted brussles sprouts and creamy, buttery caramelized onions are indeed, unflinchingly good things!
there must be some cosmic food fog floating about the city….
and if that squash tastes only half as good as the picture is beautiful, I’m game to try them.
So do you like these knives better or the global ones?
Congrats on your good day, so lucky!
Hi Deb! I just wanted to let you know that I have been with you since ivillage & I absolutely love your blog & all of the delicious pictures! Also, my husband & I have just moved into our first place together and I am a novice cook at best, do you recommend any cooking websites and/or books that will help me navigate my way around the kitchen a little better? Thanks so much!!
I know we wax on about summer vegetables … but there is sure something about FALL’s … lovely post, all around … AK
Ann - The smell of caramelized onions is better than bacon. That’s the highest compliment I can give it and it’s one of my hands-down favorite flavors on earth. The cayenne (and I do mean the tiniest pinch) is completely mild in there, but manages to brighten up the whole thing. I wish I had more right now.
Tammi - I could never pick favorites! As far as I’m concerned, one can never have enough shiny sharp things. Though, at five now, plus an inexpesive bread knife, I think we’re good for a while.
Theresa - Aside from (ahem! right here! waving arms…) the world of food blogs, what are you looking to learn? I love answering questoins. If it’s simple, untimidating recipes you are looking for, I think Mark Bittman’s How To Cook Everything is one of the best first cookbooks I’ve ever seen, my Joy of Cooking included. Blashphemy, I know, but he really leads you through the basics and more elaborates with a minimum of steps and aggravation, great for a newbie.
Alanna - I always pick fall over summer because it’s my favorite, but for cooking especially, the climate in the kitchen is so much better when you don’t have A/Cs running. And squash is so pretty! And filling! And healthy! (Yes, I just finished my coffee.)
Definitely due for a fantastic day and tomorrow might just be mine- I’ll be in Mexico! :)
Looks great, you’ve got a new fan. Delicious!
Is haricot vert a fancy name for green beans? :)
Cilantro, lime, and chile pepper are not the accompaniements that immediately leap to mind when I consider acorn squash but it sounds delicious. And it LOOKS so good, how could it not taste good? The acorn squash is gorgeous!
When I loaded the page and saw the picture, drool just started forming.
Now that the acorn squash is in season I’ve been buying 2-3 a week at the market. I just split them, scoop out the seeds and goo, drizzle a little olive oil over them, salt/pepper and roast for 25 min. . .scoop them straight out of the shell. . .sometimes adding cumin (I’m a junkie for the cumin). . .but this looks like a delish alternative for me. Thanks for sharing:)
Speaking of shopping, do you mind if I ask where you got those shoes in your leaf photo? I’m grooving on them. Are they flats? Wedges? Is it okay if I have nothing to say about squash?
Yvo - Mexico! Please, get enough sun and summer weather in for all of us. Also, tequila, but that’s really just for me.
Howard - Yes, well, thinner ones. They do that just to mess with you. :)
Julie - Ditto, which is why it drew me in. Anything but brown sugar or cinnamon or honey. It really works though, a lovely contrast.
Beth - Cumin junkie! Me too. I was convinced this recipe wasn’t going to be good, and was just going to do the cumin/s/p thing. I hope if because we loved it, it means you will too.
Frostine - No, there is no squash-only rule in the discussions! Heh. Those were actually the shoes that got me to the store in the first place. I don’t know how, but somehow after 2+ years of near-incessant wear, they’re now giving me blisters. Huh? They were from 9 West, they have a tiny kitten heel, and I’ll miss them. New, unpictured ones are from Aldo, which actually had some shoes that looked somewhat like these.
The mighty onion tart conquers again! Those caramelized onions, that butter - it is a thing of beauty, I have to say. And I’ll have to try your cayenne trick next time. I love the idea of a filling with a little bitty kick.
Ooh, and the acorn squash? I had bookmarked that recipe and am now bumping it to the top of the list…
Great post, as always, Deb!
roasted haricot vert..
yeah, I was gonna ask the same thing. I think I will try to find those b/c regular green beans gross me out. Weird.
Deb, not to throw a “you’re so great party”, but how nice was that of you to tell Theresa she could turn to you. What a dear girl you are, and the photo of you with your shiny black shoes and dark jeans and houndstooth check coat (which I always thing of a Chanel plaid :) is so…..gosh, just so….insouciently classic New York style. Loves it.
I hate the cold, so the only upside to the weather for me when we move to Long Island is going to be wearing such stylish gear. Here in Fl, it’s tanks and jeans and sandles almost year round.
I love your new site. The photos are great and the ideas and recipes give me much needed inspiration for my kitchen endeavors. I’m looking forward to trying the potatoes and squash and I love baked brussel sprouts. I’ve baked them (I cut the brussel in half) in butter, salt and a drizzle of maple syrup and then broil them at the end until they’re crispy city on the outside.
I just tried the roasted acorn squash the other night - wow! I will be using this vinaigrette on other squashes as well!
I made this last night and it was fabulous. I was a little worried the flavors of the vinaigrette would be too strong or “unusual” for some of my guests, but everyone seemed to love it. My acorn squash never really browned on the bottom (because I used glass dishes to bake it in?) so it wasn’t as pretty as your gorgeous photo, but it was still so nice looking with the various bright colors. Definite company food — time consuming to make but yummy and pretty. :-)