Autumn's Bounty Aflame

While we are up to our ears in a sea of the yellows, oranges, reds and greens of the season, it's fun to post some ideas that aren't about cooking. We are in the thick of squash season and they are so beautiful we can't help but pile them up on the counter top, bringing in a tsunami of color to the otherwise bland kitchen.

This got us thinking about other possibilities for decorating with this "end of season bounty". Happily many of these colorful squash and pumpkins are so hard shelled they have a long shell life when unrefrigerated. Additionally there are many that have no real purpose beyond decoration.




The first idea we had was to use them as candleholders. Smaller delicata or acorn squash can hold either a single short taper or a tea candle. Make sure the squash sits securely level and then using an apple corer, remove a small plug of the squash where a candle can fit snugly. Use a biscuit cutter if trying to carve out space for a tea candle. Consider laying a crookneck or large butternut squash on it's side and create a "natural" candelabra with 3 or 5 tapers grouped over the gourd.




Another idea we had was to slice open a small sweet dumpling or acorn squash, add some water and make small posey arrangements of fall dahlias. Carefully hollow out the squash and fill halfway with water. Arrange the flowers in a tight grouping and the squash tops look great leaning against the arrangement. Group several of them together, using a mix of varieties, as a centerpiece.

And then finally we are thinking that the very small mini pumpkins and squash could look great atop a napkin on a charger at a more formal autumn dinner. It would be easy to attach a place card or even a menu card if you wanted. There's only a few months to take advantage of these gorgous squash and gourds, so have fun.

Brussels Sprouts

Sometimes it seems we must be on a One Caterer Campaign to repair the damage done to the reputation of Brussels Sprouts. We're not sure how and when they came to be remembered as heavy, bitter and sulphurous, but we ARE sure they can be light, fresh, bright and delicious. At least that's what we hear from surprised clients when they come back for seconds.

Brussels Sprouts are some of the craziest looking vegetables around when they are growing in the garden. It's no stretch to imagine them in Fred and Wilma's Bedrock garden. Pretty prehistoric looking stuff.

But we're all more accustomed to seeing them cut from the stalk and packed in little cardboard cups, or loose in the farmer's market. Look for small to medium sprouts with tight heads of vibrant green. Any yellowing means they are not fresh. Whenever possible choose brussles sprouts that are all of similar size. Overcooking is the prime enemy of brussles sprouts so you want evenly sized sprouts that will cook at the same rate.

Part of DM Cuisine's success at winning over former detesters is by thinking of new ways to approach cooking and serving Brussels Sprouts. Our preferred methods are Roasting, Shredding and Separating.

Roasted Brussles Sprouts
This couldn't be easier. Trim stem ends and any discolored or loose leaves from the sprouts. If larger than 1 1/2 inches cut them in half or even quarters. What's important is that all pieces are roughly the same size. You may need to leave tiny ones whole, medium ones cut in half and large ones quartered. Preheat oven to 425*.
Place brussels sprouts into a large bowl, drizzle lightly with olive oil or herb infused oil. Season well with salt & pepper. Place sprouts on a baking sheet allowing plenty of room around the pieces. Don't crowd them or they will steam instead of roasting. Place baking sheet in oven and cook until JUST tender. This will vary depending on your oven and how small you cut the sprouts. Check them after 6 minutes. They should be tender to the bite but not soft.
Serve warm, just as they are.

Alternate Version with Pancetta
Brussels Sprouts have a natural affinity for bacon. Even more so with pancetta in our opinion. Pancetta is an unsmoked Italian bacon. We like to cut large pieces of pancetta about 1/4" x 1" and saute them until browned and almost crisp. Drain the pancetta and reserve the fat.
Proceed with roasting the brussels sprouts as described above, but combine a few spoonfuls of this pancetta fat with the olive oil needed to roast the brussles sprouts. When the sprouts come out of the oven, toss them with the pancetta. Enjoy and don't mention to your cardiologist.

Sauteed Shredded Brussels Sprouts
What you'll need:
Brussles sprouts, shallots, chopped toasted walnuts, olive oil, walnut oil.
Using a mandolin or V-Slicer, hold the brussels sprouts by the stem end and finely shred (carefully). Obviously this is a great use for large brussels sprouts the brussels sprouts. Stop as you get to the stem and discard. Once the sprouts are shredded set aside. Finely chop a few shallots.
Warm a saute pan over medium heat. Add a small amount of olive oil, the shallots, and cook a few minutes until translucent. Add shredded brussels sprout and toss to coat lightly with shallots. Saute briefly until the shredded sprouts just begin to wilt. Season well with salt & pepper. Add a few spoonfuls of walnut oil and the toasted walnuts. Toss well and serve immediately.

Stir Fried Brussels Sprouts Leaves
We usually make this presentation with an added vegetable (corn, green beans, carrots & parsnips) partially because it's a bit labor intensive to prep the sprouts. If you decide to do this, just stir fry the other vegetables however you wish and add the brussels sprouts leaves in for the last minute or two of cooking.
Trim the stem end of the brussels sprouts and carefully separate the leaves individually. It's slow going, but worth it, at least for a small group!
When you get to the tiny center, stop and use those for another recipe. Once the sprouts are prepped set them aside in a bowl.
Slice a small red onion into thin slivers. Warm olive oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Cook onion slivers until tender, just a few minutes. Add brussels sprouts leaves and salt & pepper. Stir fry until the leaves wilt. Don't worry if some leaves get e little charred edge. It adds great character.
Serve immediately.