Bake for 15 minutes, until softened. With a spatula, turn over the squash slices and brush on the melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar and with nutmeg or cinnamon if you wish. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
INGREDIENT NOTES In place of brown sugar, you can use maple syrup. Add it to the melted butter.
To safely cut a whole acorn squash in half, place it on a cutting board, finding the best position to avoid rolling. Use a long sharp knife. With both hands on the knife, one grasping the handle and the other flat (fingers straight) on the tip end cushioned with a pot holder or towel, place the center of the blade lengthwise along the middle of the squash. Lean onto the knife, using your body weight for leverage, and cut through the squash, making sure all of your fingers stay above the blade.
serving & menu ideas
Try next to Cranberry Bulghur Pilaf, Sesame Tofu with Spinach, or Moroccan Spiced Fish, to name just a few good pairings.
miso-glazed eggplant
This way of cooking eggplant makes the flesh soft and creamy. The miso glaze sweetens it with a Japanese flair.
SERVES 6
TIME: 40 MINUTES
MARINADE
2 tablespoons sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
3 small thin eggplants, 5 or 6 inches long (about 1¼ pounds)
GLAZE
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or cider vinegar
¼ cup light miso
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, whole or ground
Preheat the oven to 400°. Whisk together the marinade ingredients.
Cut the eggplants in half lengthwise, leaving the stems on. Using a sharp paring knife, score the flesh of each half in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to puncture the skin. Place cut-side up on an oiled baking pan. Drizzle marinade over the eggplant halves. Cover with foil and bake until tender to the touch, 15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, to prepare the glaze, stir the sugar and vinegar into the miso.
When the eggplant halves are tender, remove them from the oven, spread generously with the glaze, and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Return them to the oven and bake, uncovered, for about 5 minutes more. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature.
serving & menu ideas
Serve Miso-Glazed Eggplant on rice or noodles with Easy Baked Tofu and a spinach salad. For a snack, scoop out the soft interior with a spoon and serve with crackers. To make a meal of it, add Mushroom Miso Soup.
peppercorn citrus marinated feta
Sour citrus and spicy peppercorns are perfect foils for salty feta. (See photo)
SERVES 6
TIME: 10 MINUTES
1 8-ounce block of feta cheese
16 black peppercorns
1 lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
Slice the block of feta into ¼-inch slabs and then into wide strips. Place on a plate or in a shallow serving bowl.
Crush the peppercorns. Place them on a cutting board and press down hard on them with a flat-bottomed pan (a pie plate works well), rocking the pan back and forth. You can use a peppermill or already cracked black pepper, but the freshly crushed peppercorns are really nice. Lightly grate the lemon peel and then juice the lemon.
To make the marinade, mix 2 teaspoons of the zest and 2 teaspoons of the juice with the olive oil and the crushed peppercorns. Drizzle the marinade over the feta and toss gently. You can eat the feta right away, but it’s even better when marinated at room temperature for 30 minutes or more.
serving & menu ideas
To tide you over until supper is ready, serve marinated feta with crackers, wedges of toasted pita or bread, and fresh fruit. Marinated feta is a good topping for Pasta with Olives Piquant or fish with Sauce Niçoise. Make a Mediterranean-style summer meal of marinated feta and Sicilian Chickpea Spread with crusty bread and olives and tomato and cucumber slices. And, of course, it’s delicious on tossed green salads, too.
Carrot Salad with Raspberry Vinaigrette
broccoli tomato salad
This vitamin-rich salad pairs well with an unfussy egg dish, seafood, or cheesy pasta. It can be a very simple salad, or dress it up with extras and make it into a meal on its own.
SERVES 4 TO 6
TIME: 15 MINUTES
12 ounces broccoli crowns
2 tomatoes
⅓ cup olive oil (extra-virgin is nice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of dried oregano or thyme (optional)
Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets (6 to 7 cups). Cook the broccoli florets, either directly in boiling water or in a steamer basket, until tender. Set aside to cool.
Cut the tomatoes into wedges. (If they aren’t juicy summer tomatoes, sprinkle lightly with salt.) In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, salt, and herbs.
In a serving bowl, toss the broccoli and tomatoes with the dressing.
serving & menu ideas
Serve next to Pasta with Caramelized Onions & Blue Cheese or Mussels with Sherry & Saffron. Or to make a meal of the salad, pile the broccoli on salad greens, arrange the tomatoes around the edge, and add as many extras as you like: olives, sweet onion rings, grated feta, ricotta salata or Parmesan cheese, and toasted pine nuts, almonds, walnuts, or pecans. Drizzle with the dressing and have fresh bread on the side.
tomatoes & onions with mint
This salad goes with almost any dish. Make it when tomatoes are at their peak.
SERVES 4
TIME: 20 MINUTES
(INCLUDES MAKING VINAIGRETTE AND CUMIN SALT)
Versatile Vinaigrette
Cumin Salt
2 large tomatoes
1 small red onion
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
If you don’t have any on hand, make the Versatile Vinaigrette and the Cumin Salt.
Remove the core from each tomato and cut the tomatoes in half from stem end to blossom end. Cut each half into thin slices and place on individual plates. Peel the onion and cut it in half. Cut into very thin slices and place on top
