something old...something new

we got a new csa basket this week...

i am excited about the fall bounty. we got broccoli and chard in the last basket but cauliflower and butternut squash were basket newbie and they piqued my autumnal kulinary interests. tonight, i made a (new to me) butternut squash recipe along with an (old-as in, i have made this before) swiss chard recipe.

something new: butternut squash gratin with blue cheese and sage
holy cow. seriously. this dish was appealing to every sense. the butternut squash was vibrant to look at and had that distinct gourd smell (reminds me of pumpkin carving, which i'm doing tomorrow). the sage brought its own unique smell. nothing better than fresh herbs when cooking. the sweetness of the squash and the richness and sour of the blue cheese combined so perfectly.
something old: sauteed swiss chard with parmesan cheese
good and good for you. the garlic, white wine, and lemon provide and a great juice for this green. the red onion and the parmesan cheese (as with the last dish) are this yin and yang of taste.
and these two are very visually appealing parts of my dinner. i love lots of color on my plate--it means lots of vitamins and minerals (k, a, c, e, potassium, iron).
now onto the cookies... :)

(not so secret) family recipe

my aunt carol lee makes the best beef stroganoff. period.
my mom and my grandma have made beef stroganoff but both of them will step aside and readily admit that my aunt makes the best. so i sent my aunt a note (like a real note on paper in the mail) asking for said recipe. she shared the recipe. but as most family recipes go, it was not written down with specific quantities, making it a little difficult to replicate.

tonight was my first attempt, and it was not a bad showing at all. i figure it will take a number of times to get it right. it looks like stroganoff and tasted liked stroganoff (it was actually very tasty) but it was not quite my aunt's. that's ok. i'm up for the challenge.
(side note: it took me years to get my mom's potato salad down, but it is worth every attempt now that i have it.)
guess i will have to make a trip to colorado to visit them, so that i can taste it again and makes some notes of my own...r&d trip sounds good to me.

i'll snicker your doodle...anytime

snickerdoodles are not just for christmas anymore. not like they were limited but with their cinnamon-sugar deliciousness, i only see these cookies around the holidays. like most goodies, only around christmas. but i say snickerdoodles at any time. all you need to help make these cookies more festive for one holiday or another is different colored sugars.

 

i made some of them black and some of them orange...and then i mixed the black with the orange for this last batch. not only were they scrumptious, they were so fun to look at (for the 5 seconds before you ate them). you can always make these with white sugar crystals for "no color" at all, but what about yellow or light blue for spring? a favorite color for birthday treats? or match to a theme for a shower or party? i highly recommend williams-sonoma, they have lots of colors to choose from, but you can find lots of colors at your local grocery store.