Baked Butternut Squash

1lb/450g Butternut Squash, peeled, medium dice in uniform shapes and sizes.
Olive oil
Salt, pepper
1/4 tsp/1ml Cinnamon
1/8 tsp/0.5ml Cardamon, ground
2 tbsp/30ml Brown Sugar
2 tbsp/30ml Lemon Juice
2 oz/60g Melted Butter


1. Preheat oven to 350F. Place diced squash in mixing bowl, coat evenly with drizzled olive oil and approx half of melted butter. Coat squash with salt, pepper, cinnamon, cardamon evenly After diced squash is evenly coated, place squash on baking sheet.
2. Drizzle lemon juice, olive oil and remaining melted butter over the top of squash.
3. Bake uncovered in 350 F oven until tender, approx 50 minutes.

Squash should be brightly colored and slightly crisp, and show little moisture loss when done.

Squash Blossoms (As featured in Redlands Daily Facts Food Column)

For additional information about squash blossoms, see my food column in Redlands Daily Facts or view www.redlandsdailyfacts.com search "squash blossoms' in search field)

ingredients
12 fresh squash blossoms
Goat Cheese (or sub with ricotta)
Fresh Herbs (thyme, basil, any fresh herb you like)
Olive Oil
Sea Salt

tools
piping bag
sheet pan

Preheat oven 300 F. After selecting herb, cut herb leaves in fine cut, mix in bowl with goat cheese (or ricotta(). Mash herbs into cheese with fork. When herbs are well mixed with cheese, place in piping bag. Pipe with wide tip on bag, into the top of each individual flower. Lightly separate flower pedal opening on each blossom. Place piping bag inside blossom and fill blossom with herb cheese mixture. Lightly touch blossom flower back together to seal cheese interior. Place single layer of flowers on baking sheet, lightly drizzle olive oil on blossoms, then bake Bake in oven just long enough to melt cheese inside blossoms, watch closely. Bake 4-7 min max. Remove flowers serve on platter alone. Or place inside a panini!

Food Column This Saturday.... again!

Just making the final edits for this Saturday's Food Column in The Redlands Daily Facts. Be sure to see this week's entry or read on-line at RedlandsDailyFacts.com. The article will run on Saturday September 11, 2010.

New Culinary Column !

I'm writing a new culinary column which will run this weekend in the Redlands Daily Facts and on-line at RedlandsDailyFacts.com. The purpose of the column is to educate the home chef with recipes, cooking techniques and information about culinary products--- with a focus on sustainability.

Upcoming Redlands Daily Facts Culinary Column

I am pleased to tell you that I will be writing a new culinary column for the local Redlands Daily Facts newspaper. A similar column will appear on RedlandsDailyFacts.com but will include additional content (i.e. recipes, cooks tips, etc). Plans are to make the on-line portion interactive (i.e. ask the chef, equipment questions, etc) First article will appear early September! Stay tuned, more details soon!