Roasted Heirloom Squash

Recently at the Hollygrove Market there has been an abundance of both passion and heirloom squash.  Passion is an uncultivated emotion for purity, and heirloom squash are honestly cultivated vegetables.  What does heirloom mean?  It seems to be a debated upon topic, but at then end of the day, the seeds of the vegetable are old.  Here are two ways to cook the squash, heirloom or not, it's about technique.

Roasted Squash

PREP
Cut the squash to about the same size, keeping in mind uniform size allows the vegetables to all cook at the same rate.  Smaller vegetables cook faster than larger vegetables.  Toss with a little olive oil, salt, pepper, chopped garlic, and fresh thyme.  The thyme doesn't necessarily have to be picked, just remember to remove them in the end, no one I know likes to eat bark, except of course for cinnamon, but that is a story for another day.

COOK
Heat oven to 400F.  Place all of the squash on a sheet pan and place in the oven.  Depending on size the cooking times will vary, but for the squash pictured roasting time should be around ten minutes.  Just look at them, brown colorization is the key to roasting, otherwise it is just baking.  When the kitchen smells amazing the squash are done.

Saute Squash

PREP
As noted above, cut the squash into similar size pieces.  Do not salt the squash before cooking.  Season with pepper or any other spice based on desired flavor profile.

COOK
Heat oil in skillet over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer (waves).  Test oil with one squash, if it sizzles, it's ready.  Do not overcrowd the pan, or the result will be steamed squash instead of saute squash.  Flip or toss and season with salt and chopped garlic

And if you make a mistake, make sure it only happens once.  The best way to learn how to cook is trial and error, and in the beginning there is more error than trial...No Worries.

Shrimp Fried Rice

Shrimp (Enough)
Onion (1 each)
Eggs (3 each)
Celery (2 Stalks)
Peas (.5 Cup)
Rice (Old)
Soy Sauce (.25 Cup)
Sugar (2 Tablespoon)
Sherry (Enough)
Garlic (3 Cloves)
Ginger (Fresh)
Bean Sprouts (.25 Cup)
Oil (Enough)
Green Onion or Scallion (.5 Bunch)

Oil > Onion > Celery > Ginger/Garlic/Scallion > Shrimp > Sherry > Eggs > Peas >  Rice >
Soy Sauce/Sugar > Sprouts > Smile.

Above is more of a technique than a recipe. Substitute or omit any of the items, it is now your dish, so own it.  It is our goal at YoBreaux Receipts to help people think about food, as opposed to just regurgitating memorized ingredients in chronological order.  Fried rice is pretty much the Jambalya of the Orient, using leftover rice and whatever else might be lying around to create a healthy well balanced meal (or amazing side dish).  It is important to have all of the ingredients prepared before you start cooking, because the cooking time should be around five to seven minutes.  Here we go.

PREP
Peel the ginger and garlic.  Cut the scallions, then make a small pile and chop the ginger, garlic, and scallion until it is a fragrant pile of goodness.  Cut the onion and celery into bite-size pieces, keeping in mind that the ingredients must fit onto a spoon or fork in each bite. Crack the eggs into a bowl, and whip like scrambled eggs.  Peel shrimp.

COOK 
Heat oil in a skillet until it begins to smoke.  Add the onion, stir.  Add the celery, stir.  Add ginger/garlic/scallion, stir.  Add the shrimp, toss or stir.  Pour enough sherry to cover the bottom, and let the alcohol cook out. Add the egg, stir and scramble.  Add the peas, stir.  Add the rice, and stir to combine all of the ingredients well.  Mash the rice on the bottom, and let sit until you start to hear little cracking sounds (Fried rice, usually requires some rice to be fried).  Remove the pan from the heat, add the sprouts and combine until well mixed.  You have just made fried-rice, amazing.

The dish can be eaten alone, but tastes better paired with conversation.  If a mistake is made, relax, and then try again.  Eventually it will become easy, we promise.


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