ENTERTAI

Squash Soup

This pureed soup is so elegant yet easy
enough to make often. If squash isn't your
taste, try making the soup with almost
any vegetable or root, such as carrots,
sweet potatoes or onions — even canned
pumpkin or frozen squash. Dress it up
with a luxurious garnish of blue cheese and
toasted walnuts.

3 Tbsp. butter
2 cups chopped onions
3 pounds peeled, cubed winter squash,
seeds removed (acorn or butternut are good
choices)
4 cups water or vegetable broth
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Kosher salt and ground black pepper to
taste
2 Tbsp. half-and-half

Place butter in a large saucepan or small
soup pot over medium-high heat. Add
onions and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes
or until the onions are softened. Add the
squash, water, nutmeg, salt and pepper
and bring the soup to a boil. Reduce the
heat, cover and cook the soup for about an
hour, until the squash is very tender (if the
squash in not very soft, the soup will not
puree smoothly).
Let the soup cool slightly and ladle
some into the bowl of a food processor or
the pitcher of a blender. Puree the soup
until very smooth. Place the pureed soup in
a clean pot and repeat the process until all
the soup is pureed. Taste the soup, adjust
the seasonings, add the half-and-half and
reheat until hot. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Potato Galette
with Crispy Garlic

3 lbs. Idaho or Russet potatoes, scrubbed
but unpeeled
2 Tbsp. chopped garlic
2 Tbsp. butter, melted
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450F. Brush a shallow bak-
ing dish with olive oil. Set aside.
Fill a large bowl with cold water. Set
aside.
Using a sharp knife, mandoline or
slicer, cut the potatoes into thin slices (just
thicker than potato chips) and place them
in the cold water. When all the potatoes
are cut, drain and dry the slices and arrange
them in the prepared baking dish, overlap-
ping them (but not completely covering the
previous layer). Sprinkle the potatoes with
the chopped garlic and drizzle the butter
and oil over the top. Season lightly with
salt and pepper.
Bake for 30-40 minutes until the edges
of the potatoes are golden and the potatoes
are tender when pierced with a fork. Serve
immediately. Makes 8-10 servings.

Brown Sugar-Roasted
Salmon with Chanterelles

Salmon:
1 boneless and skinless salmon fillet (about
2 1/2 lbs.)
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp. dried dill weed
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Mushrooms:
1 1/4 lbs. fresh chanterelles
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

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OCTOBER 2006 • JNPLATINUM

Place salmon on a large baking sheet or dis-
posable aluminum pan. Sprinkle the brown
sugar over the salmon and use your hands to
press it onto the fish. Cover with plastic wrap
and chill the salmon for several hours.
Preheat oven to 450F and situate the oven
rack to the center of the oven. Sprinkle the
salmon with dill, kosher salt and pepper to
taste. Roast the fish for 10-12 minutes until
just cooked through (do not overcook).
While the salmon is cooking, prepare the
mushrooms. Soak the chanterelles in warm
water and inspect to remove any additional
dirt. Cut off a bit of the stems then halve the
chanterelles lengthwise. Melt butter in a large
nonstick skillet on medium-high heat. Add
mushrooms and saute until tender, about 2
minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring,
for 3 minutes more. Drizzle lemon juice over
the top.
Using 2 large spatulas or a baking sheet
with no sides, transfer the salmon to a serv-
ing dish and spoon mushrooms around the
fish. Drizzle collected juices from the mush-
rooms and fish over the mushrooms. Serve
hot or warm. Makes 8-10 servings.

Cheesy Roasted Tomatoes

Roasted tomatoes can provide a color-
ful punch to any menu. Because these are
larger tomatoes (most recipes call for plum
tomatoes), cut them into six or eight wedges;
they'll be easier to serve and allow guests just
a few bites if they choose.

6 medium ripe (but not watery) tomatoes
(about 6 lbs.)
3 Tbsp. olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan (or crumbled
feta) cheese
1 tsp. dried oregano or herbs de Provence

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray a baking sheet
with sides with nonstick cooking spray.
Cut tomatoes into 6 wedges (if the
tomatoes are large, cut them into 8 wedges).
Arrange the tomatoes on the prepared bak-
ing sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Lightly
season with salt and pepper, then with the
cheese. Sprinkle the oregano over the cheese.
Roast the tomatoes, uncovered, for 30
minutes or until the cheese is melted, golden
and lightly charred. Serve the tomatoes warm
or at room temperature. Makes 8-10 servings.

Rosemary-Roasted
Haricot Verts

Haricot verts, thin French green beans, are
usually cooked and eaten whole. If you can't
find the thin beans, use regular green beans,
cooking them for a minute or two longer.

2 lbs. haricot verts or French green beans,
stem ends trimmed
3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
3 Tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves (or 1 Tbsp.
dried)
1/4 cup fresh minced parsley
Rosemary sprig, garnish

Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange the beans on
a baking sheet or roasting pan. Drizzle the
beans with olive oil. Roast, uncovered, for
10-12 minutes, until the beans are lightly
browned and tender-crisp.
Season the beans lightly with salt and
pepper and toss with the rosemary and pars-
ley. Arrange the beans in a serving dish and
garnish with the sprig of parsley. Serve warm
or at room temperature. Makes 8-10 servings.

Challah, Chocolate Chip and
Walnut Bread Pudding

This bread pudding differs slightly from oth-
ers for a couple of reasons. The sliced challah
retains its crust, which, when toasted, gives
the pudding a rustic look and flavor. Also,
the bread is not completely submerged in the
custard, resulting in an almost-baked French
toast quality and a more firm pudding. For
a more custard-like bread pudding, be sure
to press the bread into the custard to wet it
completely.

1 loaf day-old (or older) sliced challah bread
1 cup milk-chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup brown sugar
8 eggs, beaten with a fork
3 cups whole milk
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 Tbsp. (1/2 stick) butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9x12-inch
baking dish or equivalent with nonstick
cooking spray. Set aside.
Cut the bread into triangular halves.
Arrange the bread in the dish, cut ends
down, overlapping the slices.
Wet the nuts a bit and toss with the
brown sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle these
over the top and tuck them between the
bread slices. Sprinkle the chips over the top
while tucking some of them between the
slices.
Combine the eggs, milk, half-and-half,
sugar, vanilla and cinnamon in a large bowl
and whisk well. Slowly pour this mixture
over the bread and press the bread into the
liquid to absorb. Drizzle the butter over the
pudding. Bake for 1 hour or until the pud-
ding is puffy and golden and the custard is
set (if the pudding browns too quickly, cover
with foil for the remaining bake time). Serve
warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 or
more servings.

Cornmeal and Cranberry
Mandelbread

1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet
with parchment paper or silicone pad. Set
aside.
Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking
powder and salt in a medium bowl and whisk
well. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the but-
ter and sugar with an electric mixer. Beat in
the eggs, vanilla and zest until creamy. Mix
in the flour mixture until just combined and
mix in the dried cranberries until incorpo-
rated.
Using wet hands, shape this mixture into
one long log directly on the prepared baking
sheet. Flatten the log so that it is 2 1/2- to 3-
inches wide. Bake uncovered for 35 minutes.
Remove and cool to the touch (you may
wrap the log and chill it at this point for up
to one day). Cut the log into 1/8-inch thick
slices; place the slices (cut-sides down) on the
baking sheet. Bake for another 10 minutes.
Makes 24-30 mandelbread. ❑