The Last Squash

 Pardon me if I sniff a little as I communicate this. Our extended winter CSA share has just concluded and I won’t be getting any more boxes of beautiful vegetables until something like June. As the snow falls once again and the cold returns from wherever it went for a week or so (it’s mean and sneaky like that in this part of the country), I feel a little sad to think of how far away spring really is.

Well, I’d best just get over it. It’s not like there’s nothing to eat around here. I’ve got a refrigerator full of carrots, turnips and daikon radishes that need some creative attention. And I had one last whole Heart of Gold squash left.

Normally I’d just roast, puree and freeze this super sweet squash and decide what to do with it later, but I had come across this salad recipe on the blog smitten kitchen, and really wanted to try it. In addition to the squash, the salad has chickpeas and a thick and tart tahini dressing with lots of lemon juice. I had plenty of cooked chickpeas in the freezer, and an entire jar of tahini (sesame paste, in case you’re not on a first name basis with the stuff) that I couldn’t remember what I was planning to do with. This recipe looked like it was going to be an easy but flavorful way to send off that last lonely little squash.

Probably taking a cue from this stew, I decided that this salad needed some dried apricots. I happened to be right, at least to my taste (and to Harry’s). I prefer California dried apricots because they are more tart than Turkish apricots, and in this salad they seemed to form a flavor bridge between the sweet squash and lemony dressing. I also went out on a limb just a bit and added some za’atar seasoning blend, which was looking somewhat abandoned in my cupboard. The blend I had (from Penzeys, where they spell it “zatar”) contained sumac, thyme, sesame seeds, and a little salt. The slightly sour sumac blended in with the lemon juice and the thyme provided a little herbal back note. You wouldn’t have to use za’atar here or any spice, but I think a little something would be good, perhaps even just a bit of cumin and coriander.

This salad is best served a little warm, which makes it comforting in these still-winter days. I ate leftovers a bit cold, however, and they were still very good. The tahini dressing is quite thick, and does lose some of its smoothness when chilled. That nice thick dressing is really well suited to chunkier, starchier salads like this one, and I’m already starting to think of other salad combinations with which to drench it, or things I could dip in it. Hmmm….maybe I could start with all those carrots someone stored in my refrigerator.

Winter Squash and Chickpea Salad with Apricots and Tahini Dressing
Adapted from smitten kitchen, who adapted it from other sources.

A 2 to 2 ½ pound winter squash
2 medium garlic cloves, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¾ teaspoon coarse salt, divided
¼ cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste), well stirred
2 tablespoons water
1 ½ cups cooked or canned chickpeas (about a 15-ounce can), drained
¼ cup finely chopped red onion
½ cup sliced dried apricots
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ teaspoon za’atar (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 425 F. Peel and remove the seeds from the squash. Cut into 1- 1 ½ inch pieces. Place the chopped squash in a roasting pan or on a baking sheet.

2. Finely chop one of the garlic cloves and add it to the squash along with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Toss to coat the squash. Bake at 425 F for about 30 minutes or until the squash is tender. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Make a paste with the remaining clove of garlic and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt. Place it in a small bowl. Add the lemon juice, tahini, and water. Whisk together to make a smooth mixture. Whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl, combine the roasted squash, chickpeas, red onion, and apricots. Add the black pepper and za’atar if using and stir to combine. Add the dressing mixture and toss to coat well. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes about 4 servings. Chilled leftovers are best when allowed to return to room temperature. If time does not permit, eat it cold. It will still be good.

Other recipes like this one: Chickpea Stew with Dried Apricots, Chickpea and Olive Salad with Greek Flavors

Adapted from The Original

I had set aside a recipe for a pork stew with dried apricots to try soon. Actually, what attracted me to the recipe was neither the pork nor the apricots, but the generous amount of parsnips for which it called. I’ve been carefully storing parsnips from our CSA (okay, so they’re jammed somewhere amongst the other long-storing root vegetables on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator) for a few months and wanted to use them up.

I don’t remember exactly how it came to me, probably from reading Indian and vegetarian cookbooks, but I thought perhaps I could replace the pork with chickpeas. I had more dried chickpeas in the cupboard (a couple bags from the bulk bins totaling roughly three pounds) than I did pork in the freezer (roughly none), so this seemed to be the simplest (and most frugal) thing to do.

Since I was using dried chickpeas, I decided to cook them along with the other vegetables (onions, celery, carrots and parsnips). For me, the key to working with dried chickpeas is soaking them for plenty of time, at least overnight and usually for 12 hours or so, so that they are fully rehydrated. Only when they can be popped in my mouth and chewed like a vegetable rather than breaking my teeth like a rock do I put them to the heat.

I’ve heard from and read in many sources that beans should not be cooked with salt or acids until near the end of the cooking time. The beans can become tough and will never reach the creamy state we’re looking for. While I’ve never tested this myself, I’m sacrificing nothing by going along with conventional wisdom in this case (not always my preferred practice). I resisted the temptation to salt the vegetables while they sautéed, and waited until the chickpeas were nearly cooked to add the tomato paste.

The pork may not be essential to this pork and apricot stew, but the dried apricots sure are. They add a sweet and tangy fruitiness that I enhanced with some lemon juice. I like to use California dried apricots as opposed to the Turkish variety. They are darker in color, more leathery, and less plump, but they are also more tart, fruity and flavorful. I think the Turkish apricots, which are probably both easier to find and more economical, would also work in this stew. The result is likely to be a little sweeter.

After I replaced the sage, thyme and black pepper with a little oregano, lots of cumin and some hot red pepper flakes, this dish no longer much resembled the original inspiration recipe. After a few spoonfuls, however, my interest in the pork stew diminished to mere fleeting curiosity. The chickpeas are hearty and the broth is sturdy but light and a little tangy. The carrots, parsnips and chewy bits of apricot make it a little sweet, but by no means cloying. I served it with a homemade naan flatbread (a recipe I hope to post later this week) that was great for dipping in the yummy broth and sopping up all the last little puddles at the bottom of the bowl. This recipe makes a huge pot of stew, and I’m looking forward to revisiting it a few more times this week. I don’t expect the pork to show up any time soon.

Chickpea Stew with Dried Apricots

12 ounces dried chickpeas (aka garbanzo beans)
water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
2 cups chopped peeled parsnips (about 1-inch chunks)
2 cups chopped peeled carrots (about 1-inch chunks)
6 cups water
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup chopped dried apricots (preferably California apricots)
2 teaspoons salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
chopped fresh parsley for garnish

1. To prepare the chickpeas, rinse them well, remove any debris or bad-looking chickpeas and place in a large pot or bowl. Fill the vessel with water to cover the chickpeas by a few inches. Cover and let stand at room temperature at least 8 hours (no more than 24 hours). When the chickpeas are completely rehydrated, drain them well and discard the soaking water.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, parsnips and carrots. Saute until the vegetables begin to soften and the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes, stirring often.

3. Add the drained chickpeas, 6 cups water, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and cook at a low boil for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the chickpeas are almost tender.

4. Add the tomato paste, apricots, 2 teaspoons salt, cumin, oregano and red pepper flakes. Return to a boil and cook uncovered for 30 minutes or until the broth has thickened somewhat and the chickpeas and vegetables are very tender.

5. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste the stew for saltiness. Add more salt if desired. Remove the bay leaves. Serve garnished with chopped parsley.

Makes about 8 servings.

Study Food: Apricot Almond Oatmeal Cookies

It's the end of semester

For college professors

As well as for those whom they teach.

It's final tests

And little rest

And lots of work for each.

I began a tradition

To help this condition

Though it makes my apron a mess:

Cookies I'll bake

For the students to take

To aid in relieving their stress.

Harry (my husband) teaches astronomy and physics at St. Mary's University of Minnesota here in Winona, and at the end of the semester, I bake cookies for his students (and for him.) These Apricot and Almond Cookies with White Chocolate are some of his favorites. They also go over well with the students, but then again, college students are usually hungry and tend to be grateful for any homemade foods.

Classes at St. Mary's are small, so there are always leftover cookies that Harry shares with me (one for you, two for me...one for you, three for me.) We like California dried apricots in this recipe, which are quite tart and offer a nice contrast to the sweet white chocolate. (Sun Maid brand markets them, and you can find them at the supermarket with the other dried fruit.) Turkish apricots are a fine, if sweeter, substitution, and you're sure to be able to find them.

I offer instructions here for using a heavy-duty stand mixer, but there is no reason you couldn't make cookies with a bowl and a spoon. Stirring cookie dough by hand probably builds character anyway!

Apricot and Almond Cookies with White Chocolate
adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup regular oats
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
¾ cup packed brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter (3/4 stick), softened
1 tsp almond extract
1 large egg
¾ cup chopped dried California apricots
½ cup chopped white chocolate (or white chocolate chips)
½ cup chopped almonds


Preheat the oven to 350 F

1. Combine flour, oats, baking soda and salt; stir together with a whisk.

2. Place sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer; beat at medium speed until well blended. You want this to be nice and creamy-looking, with no large lumps of butter.

3. Add the almond extract and egg. Beat until well combined. Gradually add flour mixture, beating until blended. Stir in the apricots, white chocolate, and almonds.

4. Form balls out of the dough, about 1 tablespoon each and place them 2 inches apart on lightly greased cookie baking sheets. Bake at 350 F for 12 minutes or until lightly browned.

5. Place the cookie sheet on a wire rack and cool the cookies on the pan for 1 minute. Remove the cookies from the pan and cool completely on wire racks. Well, okay, you’re probably going to want to eat some while they’re still warm. They need to be quality-tested before you share them with anyone else, right?

Makes about 30 cookies.