Ingredients:
6 cups thinly sliced onions
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon sugar
1 3-pound winter squash
4 cups well-seasoned chicken stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 to 8 slices French or Italian bread, toasted
1/2 cup grated Swiss cheese
Directions:
1. In a heavy saucepan, saute the onions in the butter over medium heat until they are golden. Sprinkle with sugar and continue cooking until they just begin to brown.
2. While the onions are cooking, peel the squash, remove the seeds and stringy core and cut it into half-inch cubes. Steam until it is tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Puree with a little of the stock in a blender or food processor. Better results are obtained in a blender.
3. Add the squash puree and the remaining chicken stock to the onions, bring to a simmer and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4. Just before serving, preheat a broiler. Top each of the toasted bread croutons with some of the cheese. Divide the soup among six ovenproof ramekins, crocks or bowls and float a cheese-topped crouton on each. Place under the broiler just until the cheese melts, then serve.
(makes 45 biscuits)
Ingredients:
4 medium onions
3 large eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Lightly grease 2 baking sheets. Coarsely grate the onions in a food processor.
2. Beat the eggs in a large bowl until fluffy. Beat in the oil, poppy seeds, salt, and pepper. Fold in the flour and baking powder until just combined, then fold in the grated onions.
3. Drop the soft dough by tablespoonsful onto the baking sheets to make 45 biscuits. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until browned.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds potatoes, thinly sliced
1 pound leeks, trimmed, rinsed well, and thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme, or several pinches dried
1 cup bread crumbs (preferably whole grain)
2 tablespoons butter, melted.
Directions:
1. Heat the oven to 375 F. Put the potatoes and leeks in a large (9 x 13 or 3 quart) baking dish and toss them well with the oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and nestle the thyme sprigs among them (or sprinkle with dried thyme). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake until the vegetables are just tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the dish from the oven, uncover, and raise the oven temperature to 425 F. (Note: You can make the gratin ahead to this point. Leave covered and refrigerate for up to a day; bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
2. Toss the bread crumbs with the melted butter, sprinkle them over the vegetables, press down a bit, and return the pan to the oven. Bake until the bread crumbs and vegetables are nicely browned, 15 to 20 minutes more. Serve hot or at room temperature.
serves 6
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
5 large onions, halved and thinly sliced (about 3 pounds)
3 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
6 cups roasted vegetable broth or 6 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar or white wine vinegar
6 slices sourdough bread, toasted
2/3 cup gruyere or 2/3 cup jarlsberg cheese, shredded
Heat butter and oil in heavy, large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions, garlic and salt, and cook 5 minutes, stirring often. Reduce heat to very low, and cook, stirring occasionally, 50 to 60 minutes, until onions are very tender and brown.
Stir in flour, and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Blend in broth, sherry and mustard. Cover, and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in sherry vinegar.
Preheat broiler, ladle soup into six heat-proof bowls. Top each with slice of toast and grated cheese. Broil until cheese is bubbly and golden, about 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
*recipe is for a single parchment package; alter recipe according to number of people to be served
½ cup winter squash, cut into ¼ inch cubes
2 to 3 tablespoons leeks, chopped into ½ inch squares or smaller
¼ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 piece baking parchment, about 12 by 15 inches
1 to 2 teaspoons butter
2 fresh sage leaves
Toss the squash, leeks, garlic, and olive oil together, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Preheat oven to 425 F. Fold the parchment paper in half to make a crease. Open it up and generously butter the bottom half, covering all but an inch from the edge. It is important to coat the surface thoroughly, or the sugars in the squash will stick to the paper and burn. Heap the vegetables into the center of the buttered area and tuck in the sage leaves. Lay a few small pieces of butter on top. Fold the top half of the paper down and tightly roll the edges over onto themselves to make a half-circle. Give the paper a good twist at the end to hold the packet firmly closed. Bake for 25 minutes. Serve hot.
Tips on cooking winter squash:
An easy way to cook winter squash is to bake it in the oven, whole, at about 375 F, for about 40 minutes or until it can be easily pierced with a fork. Remove from oven, let cool until you are able to handle it, and then cut in half and scrape out the seeds and stringy bits. Drizzle with honey or sorghum.
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