Early Fall Produce

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I’m not going to lie, the end of Summer is sort of bittersweet for me.  The Summer just has so many great attributes that it’s hard to give up, like the pool, fresh berries, shorts and t-shirts!  But, the end of Summer comes with some of my favorites, THE START OF COLLEGE FOOTBALL, figs, heavy desserts and hoodies :-).  Obviously these are things I am passionate about and with these changing seasons you have to be cognizant  of the fact that fresh produce will also change!  So put away the tropical fruits, watermelons and fresh corn and get ready for squashes, arugula, horseradish and plenty of others.  I’ don’t know about you but I am a HUGE fan of roasted butternut squash and spaghetti squash.  In fact, I figured I would provide you with a few recipes to help you make the transition from everything that is good about Summer produce to Fall!   If you have any food related questions connect with me at facebook.com/chefbillyparisi or at twitter.com/chefbillyparisi.

Roasted Butter Nut Squash

• 1 medium sized butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
• 4 tablespoons of maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoons of mace or nutmeg
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 ounce of unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Serves 2 to 3

Procedures:

1. Place the diced butternut squash in a bowl and toss with syrup, mace or nutmeg, olive oil, salt and pepper until the squash is completely coated.  Spread the squash on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven on 425° for 15 to 20 minutes or until caramelized and al dente (slightly crunchy).
2. Once cooked, remove the squash from the pan and place in a bowl.  Adjust the seasonings and finish with butter.

Spaghetti Squash

• 1 spaghetti squash cut in half width wise
• 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons of finely minced fresh dill
• 1 ounce of unsalted butter
• Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Serves 2 to 3

Procedures:

1. Place the squash cut side down in a pan and pour the chicken stock around the squash.  Make sure the squash is laying evenly flat inside of the pan
2. Roast in the oven on 375° for 35 to 45 minutes.  Once cooked, remove from the pan and let cool.  Once slightly cooled use a fork to scrape out the inside of the squash.
3. When the squash is removed place it in a bowl and toss with dill, butter, salt and pepper and serve hot.