Butternut squash

With some inspiration from Jamie Oliver (The Naked Chef), I did some butternut squash in the oven a couple of days ago. A quick, easy dish that works well in the winter. I served it along with a flank steak that had been rubbed with Nonya spices from Penderrys (oops spelling might be an issue here) and then grilled to medum rare on the cast iron griddle. It was too miserable to hke to the end of the yard and tun on the outdoor grill.

Ingredients
1 large butternut squash
3 T vegetable oil
1 1/2t garam masala (an Indian spice blend)
a sprinking of large sea salt crystals

Method
Pre-heat the oven to 375F and place a rack on the center shelf. Cut the squash into 3/4" chunks - no need to peel it. Spread the squash chunks on an ovenproof dish in a single layer. Dust with the garam masala, and then sprinkle with the oil. Bake for 20 minutes in the oven, and then turn the heat up to 425 until they are cooked (about another 15 minutes). The dual oven temperature was because I misjudged the time that Madame would be home and needed to speed up the process.
Remove from the oven and immediately sprinkle with salt crystals. Serve as an appetizer or a side dish.

Note: I like the skin of butternut squash when cooked this way, so I always eat it. Madame does not, so she discards it

What to do with left over vege trays?

We hosted a wedding shower a week ago. Lots of food, including the mandatory vegetable tray (lots of cut up raw vegetables with a dipping sauce of some kind). There are always left over vegetables, and even the rabbits get sick of them after a while, it seems.

So, what to do?

They are not cut conveniently for cooking - they won't all cook at the same rate. However with a little ingenuity, something tasty can be done

Ingredients
1 T vegetable oil
3 Oz salt pork/pancetta/guanciale/bacon chopped into small pieces
1 Medium onion peeled and cut into wedges (do not mince finely)
8 Small red potatoes cut into equal sized pieces
1 Sprig of rosemary
The vegetable assortment - long strips broken in half
Put the baby carrots with the potatoes and onions
Other vegetables in a heap together
1 Can Italian tomatoes - flesh only, no juice
Some tarragon leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
In a large skillet heat the oil and add the pork product. Cook gently until the fat has rendered and the meat is a bit crispy - about 5-7 minutes.
Add the potatoes, carrots and onions and fry over medium high heat getting some brown coloring on the potatoes. You will need to stir to prevent sticking, but move the contents around as little as possible.

Leaving the heat on medium high and add all the rest of the vegetables (except the tomatoes). Now you do want to keep the vegetables moving so they pick up the flavors in the pan. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and tarragon. Break the tomatoes up with a spatula, bring almost to a boil, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. The potatoes should just about be cooked. Leave the dish uncovered, and evaporate some of the liquid - the dish should be almost dry. This will finish the cooking of the potatoes. Season as necessary with salt and pepper - remembering what the FDA has just started telling us about salt!

Serve as a side dish - we did it with some grilled strip steaks that our neighborhood grocery store had reduced to $4.99/lb. So we weren't expecting magic, but they came up pretty tasty!