The last butternut squash marks the end of winter.

Over this winter, I've kept a butternut squash on the counter since it was harvested in October. I liked pretending it was a lart resort, in case we get stranded food. So here we are, a cobbled together recipe for the final chapter of this squash life:

Braised Butternut Squash over Baked Polenta.
(adapted from 2 different Mark Bittman recipes)

In a deep pan, brown minced garlic until golden. Add 1/4 cup stock (or water) and cubed (1 1/2 - 2 inches) pieces of 1 pealed and seeded butternut squash. Add pepper and a touch of salt, then cover and let steam for 15 minutes. Check for tenderness, and likely steam for 15 more minutes.

In a medium sauce pot bring 2 cups water and a half cup almond milk to just boiling. Then whisk in 1 cup of polenta (course corn meal). Consistency will equal soupy oatmeal. Don't let this mixture bubble as you whisk (this will prevent lumps). At the end add a bit of goat cheese if you've got it.

Pour polenta into a casserole dish. Remove butternut squash with a slotted spoon and spread on top of polenta.

As a last step I whisked some leftover pesto into the remaining squash liquid and poured it over. Next time, I'd like this a little thinner or just plate the pesto. It's not best visual effect.

Enjoy! I think this is a good bag lunch leftover. Nothing too exciting but a bit more vivid than PBNJ.

-Bittman, M. (2007). How to Cook Everything Vegetarian. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p355.

Cooking Television yields Delicious Yams

Have you had a chance to watch A Chef's Life? It's a reality style profile of a restaurant fantasy land. I mean this in a good way. Yes the restaurant work is super hard but meeting the people who grow your food -- it's pretty close to utopia! The main protagonist, Vivian whisks you through a recipe at some point during each episode. The sweet potatoes looked slightly less intimidating so I came up with a vegan alternative. The vegan adaptation is circumstantial; I didn't have bacon or butter. Actually I didn't have anything remotely suggesting the Southern qualities of this dish besides the yams. Se la vie, results were delish!

Here's the recipe from Farm to Table

Try this adaptation. The spinach was calling to be cooked and served as a fair backdrop for the Yams,

Two large yams. Pricked all around with a fork. Cooked for 45 minutes at 450 degrees F. Let the yams rest and cool for a few minutes.

While the yams cool, prepare the sauce. Melt 1/2 cup butter or vegan spread in a pot. Whisk in a scant 1/2 cup brown sugar, at least 1/2 lemon and season with cayenne pepper. Keep this at a low heat so it reduces. Throw in a few handfuls of pumpkin seeds. At the very end add 2 small scallions to the sauce, shut off the heat. Now start to pan fry the yams. Carefully slice yams into 3/4 inches with the skins on. Pan fry the slices in hot peanut oil to give them a crust and caramelize the edges slightly. Plate 2-3 slices then pour a generous amount of sauce over each.