Creamy Squash Pasta Sauce

Yesterday I was casting about for something to do with the squash from our last couple of CSA boxes. I wasn't in the mood for roasted or sauteed squash (though both are tasty); I wanted pasta. Last year we picked up a couple of jars of butternut squash pasta sauce at Costco, and it was delicious stuff. I figured it couldn't be too hard to replicate, and it wasn't!

Creamy Squash Pasta Sauce

Olive oil
1 cup minced onion
2 tsp kosher salt
2-6 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tbsp dried basil
4 cups (approximately) peeled and cubed squash (I used a mix of butternut and festival squash because it was what we had - you could use pretty much any kind you have around)
1-2 cups chicken or vegetable broth, or water
1 cup half and half
Black pepper

Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium low heat. When it's shimmering, add the onion and salt and cook, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes.

Add the garlic and herbs and stir until combined. Cook for about one minute.

Add the squash and stir until combined.

Add the broth/water - you want enough so that all of the squash bits are touching liquid, but not so much that it's all submerged. Stir. Raise the heat to medium high, bring to a gentle simmer, and cover.

Simmer until the squash is easily pierced with a fork, adding more liquid if needed. (Be sparing with the broth - you want enough that the squash isn't burning or getting dried out, but not so much that it looks soupy.)

Turn off the heat and allow the squash to cool a bit before pureeing. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree it right in the pan; otherwise, transfer the mixture carefully to a regular blender or food processor and puree until almost completely smooth - don't worry if there are a few chunks (unless you don't like them, in which case you can of course puree until entirely, velvety smooth).

Turn the heat back on low. Slowly add the cream, while stirring, and heat gently for a few minutes until it's all uniform. Season with black pepper to taste.

Serve over any type of pasta.

Garlicky Beef Stew

After a few glorious days of unseasonably warm weather, a cold front blew in and it feels much more Novemberish. So I decided to make some beef stew, to use up some of our delicious CSA veggies. This would be equally delicious with mushrooms in place of the beef for a vegetarian option.

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons olive oil
About one pound of stew meat
Kosher salt and pepper

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 small head of garlic (about eight cloves), pressed or minced

2 cups of beef broth or stock
2-4 cups of water
1 bottle beer (optional)

1 tablespoon Worchester sauce
6 large carrots, sliced on the diagonal
6 medium potatoes, diced
4-6 large kale leaves, finely chopped

1/2 cup beef broth or stock, or warm water
2 tablespoons flour

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven. Add the stew meat and cook over medium low heat until browned. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and black pepper. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, then add liquid and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 hours or until meat is tender.

Add Worchester sauce, carrots, and potatoes and cook until vegetables are tender. Season with additional salt and pepper as needed. Add kale and cook for 2-3 minutes or until tender. Shake broth/stock or water and flour in a small container and slowly add to stew while stirring (if the stock seems sufficiently thickened at this point, you may want to omit the flour mixture).

Taste and adjust seasoning as needed with additional salt and pepper.