squash and sweet potato purée in a zucchini basket

February 10, 2014 • Nancy Wolfson-Moche

This may look like a mini flower pot, but it is actually a sliver of zucchini rolled to simulate a vessel. Aside from its charm, there is something wholly satisfying about a dish in an edible container. 

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serves 3

INgredients

1 medium to large zucchini

4 ounces buttercup squash

4 ounces White Delight (white fleshed) sweet potato

1 Tablespoon EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil)

pinch sea salt

1 Tablespoon maple syrup (optional)

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Process  I had about a quarter of a buttercup – aka kabocha – squash  in my fridge. It was not enough to make the amount of purée needed to fill  three zucchini “baskets” so I added an equal amount of white-fleshed sweet potato (also in my fridge). The result is delicious, but you could use pure kabocha or pure sweet potato for a similar result. Peel the squash and sweet potato.  Cut each into inch-square cubes.

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Place in a medium-sized pot and cover with water.

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Bring to a boil; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes, or until the squash and sweet potato are soft. Drain most of the water from the pot, leaving about a quarter-inch.  Add the maple syrup if desired. Use an immersion blender to puree the squash and sweet potato together until consistency is smooth but not too watery.

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Allow to cool a bit. Wash the zucchini by immersing it in water.  Slice it lengthwise into 3 or 4 third-of-an-inch-thick strips. Use a pastry brush to rub olive oil onto one side of each strip.

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Heat a cast iron or stainless steel skillet for about 20 seconds. Add as many of the strips as will fit flat in the pan (here, 2), olive-oil-brushed side down. While one side is cooking, brush the other (up-facing) side with the remaining olive oil.

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Turn the strips over when they begin to pucker and pan-side turns a golden brown. Cook the second side until it is golden browned. Remove from pan and dredge on a brown paper bag.  Roll each zucchini so it forms a cylindrical shape; place each one on a plate.

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Spoon the squash-sweet potato puree into the center of the zucchini “basket”.

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Sprinkle with cinnamon (about ¼ teaspoon for each basket) and serve.

©Nancy Wolfson-Moche 2014

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Icing on the Cake: Testimonials

I loved Ms. Nancy’s cooking class so much.! I have been in this cooking class for two years and I would love to sign up for another one. I tried a lot of new foods like winter squash, cardamom, Brussels sprouts and kale. My favorite salad was the kiwi, carrot, radish salad.
Not only did we cook and eat, we also did labs about food. We used rulers to measure the size of plants. We also explored stone fruits and their ripe season. Now in my house we have window boxes and I am growing cherry tomatoes and basil.
I learned that we can use a lot of different tools to cook, not just our hands and senses. We used safety knives, potato peelers and a carrot sharpener (I wonder if you could sharpen a pencil with it?) !!!
Because of this class I can help papi make dinner and I will try any new food at least once to see if I like it. Thank you, Ms. Nancy for making cooking fun and interesting and helping me be excited about food.

- Love, K (a 7-year-old boy).