Squash and Apple Compote

Squash and Apple Compote

Adapted from Kim Boyce’s Good to the Grain by My Little Blue Heron

Cold weather is settling in: Time to get your compote on. This gorgeous compote can accompany a main dish, veggies, grains, poultry, veal or can be part of breakfast, topping pancakes, waffles or hot cereal.

I chose an organic butternut squash and a variety of apples. If you don't do dairy, you can sub vegan butter (I like “Myokos” brand, and if brown sugar isn’t your jam, try some coconut sugar.

The flavors are pure, and you won’t need cinnamon unless you absolutely must and can’t do without. A rarity, I don’t add spices to this recipe.

You'll have to stay with this one. It requires "being there", being with it. Think of it as a meditation!

This recipe will make a few cups. It’s best served warm or at room temperature. Keep it in the fridge for up to a week. This will be a great addition to the usual accompaniments at your next gathering. And this is a great dish to bring to a pot luck!

Sending love,

jane

Squash and Apple Compote

Equipment: 12 inch sauté pan, kitchen scale, measuring spoons and cups

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter (or for dairy-free, “Myokos” brand vegan butter)

15 oz. peeled and cut into ½-3/4” pieces, butternut squash (preferably organic)

½ tsp. scant kosher salt

1 ½ lb. peeled and cut into same sized as squash (1/2-3/4”) pieces apples, tart or

of your preference, (preferably organic or local)

6 Tbsp. dark brown sugar (or substitute coconut sugar)

3 Tbsp. (or to taste) apple cider vinegar

Procedure:

Melt butter in 12-inch sauté pan over med-high heat

Add squash and salt and toss to coat with butter and let cook without stirring for a few minutes.

Toss and let cook for another few minutes without stirring until you see the squash is beginning to brown. If it’s not, the heat isn’t high enough. If the butter is browning, the heat is too high. Make adjustments.

Add apples and sugar and toss to coat. Let sit for a minute and then reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 10 minutes. Apples will release liquid.

Increase heat again to medium high and cook, stirring every couple of minutes for about 20 minutes. If it's drying out, add water, 1 Tbsp. at a time, as needed. Salt to taste.

The apples and squash should become dark and look caramelized.

Add apple cider vinegar, the final elixir that lifts the flavor from the butter. Beautiful.

Serve warm or at room temperature. 

Apple Butter Loaf

Apple Butter Loaf

Adapted from Bruce Stone by Blue Heron Kitchen

Dedicated to School-Related Professionals

Apple butter rules!  This morning, I found it ruling my fridge, with two opened jars.

I opt for unsweetened and unseasoned apple butter. If you use (or make) apple butter that has added spices, please adjust the spice profile in this recipe accordingly. (I’d leave out all spices, or all that aren’t on the label.)

I baked this loaf for an annual breakfast at school that celebrates and honors our school-related professionals. Without our secretarial staff, custodial staff, our nurse, aides and assistants, kitchen staff, transportation and grounds staff and security guards, we'd be - no, we wouldn't be. This recipe is a symbolic gesture of thanks to our colleagues.

I added a splash of Calvados (apple brandy) to the raisins for a fun SRP breakfast. (Come on, be a sport, two teaspoons of booze in a loaf doth not constitute a trip to the Principal’s office.)

Enjoy this loaf during the cooler and colder days ahead. 

with a smile and song,

jane

Apple Butter Loaf

Ingredients: 

1 ½ c. unbleached, all-purpose flour

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

½ tsp. ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/3 c. cup unsalted butter, softened

1 c. granulated white sugar

1 egg, size large, room temperature

1 ¼ c. unseasoned apple butter, room temperature

2 tsp. Calvados (apple brandy) (optional)

1/2 cup raisins (organic are best!), covered in hot watered for 10 minutes and then drained

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350º F. (175º C). Grease an 8x4x2-inch loaf pan.

If using Calvados, after draining the raisins, add Calvados and set aside.

Measure apple butter. Truc: To measure apple butter (or other soft stuff like sour cream or cooked pumpkin) in a liquid measure cup, put a piece of plastic wrap on top and smooth down the top with your hands. This way you can ‘see’ if you’ve measured out the correct amount.

Measure oil.

Measure sugar.

Truc: Have all ingredients “ready.” (Pretend you’re filming a cooking show!) Seriously, this is called mise en place, where everything is prepared and all you have to do is throw it all together.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon in a bowl. (It’s always best to freshly grind your nutmeg. You can buy who nutmeg in jars. Nutmeg grinders are easy to find in kitchen stores, on Amazon.com and Microplane makes a spice grater.) You’ll be astounded at the difference and those whole nutmegs last for at least a year.

Now it’s simple:

Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a separate large bowl until smooth and fluffy. It should become really ‘fluffy.’

Add the egg and continue beating until smooth.

Mix in the flour and apple butter alternating, flour/apple butter/flour/apple butter/flour, until just incorporated. Truc: When you alternate wet and dry ingredients, you always end with the dry.

Fold in the raisins and walnuts, by hand, mixing just enough to evenly combine.

Transfer batter into prepared loaf pan and bake in center of preheated oven until toothpick, inserted in center, comes out clean. Depending on the size of your loaf pan, and how your oven is calibrated, this will probably take from 40-50 minutes. (Start checking for readiness on the early side of 40 minutes and after you’ve had a few sips of Calvados.)

Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.

yield: 1 loaf