Diner anyone ?????

[justjohn]

Just got a call from my daughter. She is bringing home two nurses who work with her. I am to cook dinner, so, I decided to cook a turkey. I had one thawing in the fridge for this weekend.

BELL' New England Style Stuffing with cranberries will be the stuffing of choice.

Now I have a question about squash. I have a whole Hubbard Squash. About the size of a basketball. Never cooked one of these big baby's. Do you just break it open, peel out the meat and boil or what?

Since our cousins are dairy farmers down the road, I have made small amounts of cheese from raw milk. However, this process is labor intensive and requires more equipment that I wish to get
at this time. (Stanless steele and all that stuff- - ) So I am going to try and make 'Old Fashioned Buttermilk' from the raw milk.

Have any of you folks done this before?

[Mary]

JJ,

You're quite the cook!

I have made butter in the past. I would just put the cream in my food processor. We had a half Jersey/Guernsey cow called Buttercup.

Anyhow, as the butter forms the moisture is pushed out and I was always told this is the buttermilk. You just pour it off, keep churning the butter, adding cold water, pour off, more cold water, pour off. You get the picture. At the end, add the salt if wanted.

I suppose the first liquid poured off would be the best as there would be too much water in the rest. I never used the buttermilk, we just gave it to the dogs. But the butter was great!

Mary

[hollister]

Yep, that is pretty much how we made buttermilk at home. Watch the salt - you need some to bring out the sweetness - but do not over salt you can curdle it.

Our cow was Sam or Samantha by the way.

[justjohn]

hollister said:

Yep, that is pretty much how we made buttermilk at home. Watch the salt - you need some to bring out the sweetness - but do not over salt you can curdle it.

Our cow was Sam or Samantha by the way.

I wouldn't even try to name 78 cows. Just call them 'The girls'. Such as when you're driving into town and you pass the pastures:

"The girls are out tonight".

Anyway, the liquid from the butter churning, before you add water, is known as 'Old Fashioned Buttermilk' and is sweeter. The other is called 'Cultured Buttermilk' and is more acidic. What was the buttermilk we used to get when we were kids? It must have been Old Fashioned.

Anybody remember?

[rdywenur]

JJ ....what time is dinner? No one answered your squash question so I will try. The easiest way is to cut it in half and to bake it. Or peel it and scoup out the insides and cut up and boil in water. You do not need to cover in water maybe a 1/4 or 1/3 cup. Squash is one of my favorites. (I love veggies) I just do it in water and then thow a bit of butter and salt and pepper (lightly) and mash. Or you can either then take some brown sugar and bake it same with the halved...recipes are probably on line for other than the basic. I really don't care for sweet veggies so stay away from the brown sugar ideas. (but this is just my personal taste) I also have a great recipe for penne pasta with squash and cauliflower. I used penne it called for fettucine in the original.

Fettucine with squash and cauliflower sauce

INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 plump garlic cloves, crushed, peeled
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (1 cup slices)
• 3 cups butternut squash, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 3 cups cauliflower, cut in small florets (about 1-inch)
• 4 tablespoons small capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt or to taste, plus more for cooking pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
• 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
• 1 pound [dry] fettuccine or bavette
• 1 cup freshly grated pecorino


DIRECTIONS
Pour the olive oil into the big skillet and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and let it start sizzling. Stir in the onion slices and cook for a couple of minutes to wilt. Spill in all the cut squash and cauliflower pieces, scatter the capers, salt and peperoncino on top and with tongs toss all together for a minute or so. Pour a cup of water into the skillet, cover tightly and steam the vegetables for 2 or 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with a cup of water sloshed in the tomato containers. Stir well and cover. When the tomato juices are boiling, adjust the heat to keep them bubbling gently. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are softened, uncover and continue cooking to reduce the pan juices to a good consistency for dressing the pasta, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and keep at a low simmer.
While the sauce is cooking, heat the salted pasta cooking water to a rolling boil (at least 6 quarts water and a tablespoon salt) . Drop in the fettuccine or bavette and cook barely al dente. Lift them from the water, drain for a moment, then drop onto the simmering vegetables. Toss and cook all together for a couple of minutes, over moderate heat. Moisten the dish with pasta water if it seems dry; cook rapidly to reduce the juices if they're splashing in the skillet.
When the pasta is perfectly cooked and robed with sauce, turn off the heat. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, toss into the pasta and serve.

[justjohn]

That's what I was thinking also. My whole family loves veggies. Generally speaking nothing fancy with them but salt, butter and pepper. Sometimes cinnamon and nutmeg.

I'll peel and cut up the squash, Boil it, mash it, serve with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg.

[justjohn]

rdywenur said:

JJ ....what time is dinner? No one answered your squash question so I will try. The easiest way is to cut it in half and to bake it. Or peel it and scoup out the insides and cut up and boil in water. You do not need to cover in water maybe a 1/4 or 1/3 cup. Squash is one of my favorites. (I love veggies) I just do it in water and then thow a bit of butter and salt and pepper (lightly) and mash. Or you can either then take some brown sugar and bake it same with the halved...recipes are probably on line for other than the basic. I really don't care for sweet veggies so stay away from the brown sugar ideas. (but this is just my personal taste) I also have a great recipe for penne pasta with squash and cauliflower. I used penne it called for fettucine in the original.

Fettucine with squash and cauliflower sauce

INGREDIENTS
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 plump garlic cloves, crushed, peeled
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced (1 cup slices)
• 3 cups butternut squash, cut in 1/2" cubes
• 3 cups cauliflower, cut in small florets (about 1-inch)
• 4 tablespoons small capers, drained
• 1 teaspoon coarse sea salt or kosher salt or to taste, plus more for cooking pasta
• 1/2 teaspoon peperoncino flakes, or to taste
• 2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, preferably San Marzano, crushed by hand
• 1 pound [dry] fettuccine or bavette
• 1 cup freshly grated pecorino


DIRECTIONS
Pour the olive oil into the big skillet and set over medium-high heat. Scatter in the sliced garlic and let it start sizzling. Stir in the onion slices and cook for a couple of minutes to wilt. Spill in all the cut squash and cauliflower pieces, scatter the capers, salt and peperoncino on top and with tongs toss all together for a minute or so. Pour a cup of water into the skillet, cover tightly and steam the vegetables for 2 or 3 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.
Pour in the crushed tomatoes along with a cup of water sloshed in the tomato containers. Stir well and cover. When the tomato juices are boiling, adjust the heat to keep them bubbling gently. Cook covered for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the vegetables are softened, uncover and continue cooking to reduce the pan juices to a good consistency for dressing the pasta, about 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to taste and keep at a low simmer.
While the sauce is cooking, heat the salted pasta cooking water to a rolling boil (at least 6 quarts water and a tablespoon salt) . Drop in the fettuccine or bavette and cook barely al dente. Lift them from the water, drain for a moment, then drop onto the simmering vegetables. Toss and cook all together for a couple of minutes, over moderate heat. Moisten the dish with pasta water if it seems dry; cook rapidly to reduce the juices if they're splashing in the skillet.
When the pasta is perfectly cooked and robed with sauce, turn off the heat. Sprinkle over the grated cheese, toss into the pasta and serve.

rdywenur,

Dinner is at 7:PM. You're always welcome in my house.
Hors d'oeuvre starting at 5:PM with 'Happy Hour'.

I Just went and both a few bottles of Johannesburg Riesling . Hope they like it.

Have you ever heard of 'clotted cream'. It5 is an Englich product.

Leslie, you may chime in here.