Eat your heart out, Simon and Garfunkel

As I was cooking the other day, and chopping up deliciously copious quantities of fresh herbs, it occurred to me that there was, on my chopping board, parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme. Of course, that meant that I started humming Scarborough Fair to myself, and then couldn't stop. And now, writing about it, I can feel the section of my brain dedicated to long lost song tunes and lyrics (which is a large section, from what I can surmise) starting to kick into gear again. When you're wandering around the house, or trying to focus on who is trying to kill whom in the latest episode of Scandal, or trying to get to sleep, you can thank me profusely, as you gently hum.... all together now: "Are you going to Scarborough Fair? Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme...."

Seriously, there is nothing I like more than dishes containing a large selection of fresh herbs, and this is no exception. It is the first recipe I have tried from Martha Stewart's new book "One Pot". Don't worry, I am not going to go all Martha and start converting the spare bedroom into a gift-wrapping area, or making crafty gifts from old toilet rolls. Neither will any part of my house EVER look like ANYTHING seen in the pages of any of her magazines, (particularly Real Simple... I mean honestly, who can keep that tidy???). However, her recipes do often hit that spot, and this one certainly did. It isn't one for a quick crikey-I've-only-got-twenty-minutes-to-get-dinner-on-the-table weeknight, but it is worth the additional effort for day when you have a bit more time. Whilst it does claim to be a one-pot meal, if I didn't offer my boys some form of carbohydrate (and breadcrumbs do NOT count), then they would claim imminent starvation), so I served this with some Israeli couscous (also called pearl couscous), which I cooked, and then stirred in some shredded spinach, to up the veggie quotient.

Chicken, Sausage and White Bean Casserole
Serves 8

1 1/2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
3 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 TBSP + 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp thinly sliced fresh sage leaves
salt and pepper
4 oz pancetta (or chopped bacon)
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes (about 1 lb total)
1 1/2 lbs sweet Italian chicken sausage, casings removed
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes
1 cup low sodium chicken broth

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. Combine breadcrumbs, cheese, 1 TBSP each parsley and thyme, 1 tsp rosemary and 1/2 tsp sage, and season with salt and pepper.
3. In a dutch oven, cook bacon/pancetta over medium heat with some oil spray until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to soak up some of fat.
4. Add chicken to pot and cook until browned (about 6 minutes). Transfer to a plate. Add sausage and cook, stirring to break it up, until browned (about 5 minutes). Transfer to the plate with the chicken.
5. If you have a lot of fat in your dutch oven at this point, drain all of it except for about 2 TBSP. Add garlic and onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Add wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. Stir in chicken, sausage, beans, tomatoes and broth, plus remaining 2 TBSP parsley, 1 tsp each rosemary and thyme and 1/2 tsp sage. Season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.
7. Sprinkle breadcrumb mixture over the top. Cover and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes, until bubbling. Uncover and continue to bake for a further 10 minutes until golden brown. Sprinkle pancetta/bacon over the top and serve.

Salad days aren't over yet!

This time of year is confusing for us here in California: the evenings and mornings are chilly, but it can still reach into the 70s during the afternoon; you can get pretty sweaty running around outside or walking the dog in shirt sleeves, but the stores are full of winter sweaters or even ski gear. As for the supermarkets, they are full of root vegetables and squash and other such fall delights, and, alarmingly, some of them are already stocking eggnog and candy canes. Confusing indeed.

So, in order to embrace this season of mixed messages, here are two salad recipes - both of which are salady and cool enough to satisfy anyone still reeling from a warm afternoon and not up to sitting in front of a steaming bowl of wintery stew, but which also use classic fall ingredients, and therefore hark of the season to come.

Chicken, Pomegranate and Roasted Squash Salad
Serves  4

1/2 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
4oz crumbled soft goat cheese
5 cups baby spinach leaves
5 cups arugula (rocket) leaves
1 butternut squash, peeled, and cubed
oil spray
1 whole roasted chicken, stripped and shredded (you won't need the whole thing)
4 baby turnips, peeled and cut into thin strips (julienned)
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Dressing:
2 tsp Dijon mustard
2 TBSP pomegranate vinegar
1/3 cup canola oil
salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Put the butternut squash in a large rimmed baking tray sprayed with oil spray, spray the squash well with more oil spray, and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes until soft and turning brown on the edges. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
2. Make the dressing by combining the ingredients in a leak-proof jar and shaking to combine.
3. Toss the leaves, cooled squash, chicken and turnip to combine. Pour over dressing and toss to coat.
4. Sprinkle goat cheese, pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds over the top.

Kale, Hazelnut and Squash Salad
from Martha Stewart
Serves 6 as a side

1lb (about 4 cups) of cubed butternut squash
6 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper
4 large shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 bunches of lacinato kale (the curly leaved kale)
4 oz crumbled soft goat cheese
1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Toss the butternut squash with 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil and salt and pepper on a rimmed baking sheet and then bake in the oven until soft and starting to brown (about 40 minutes). Set aside to cool.
2. Toss the sliced shallots on a separate baking sheet with another 1 1/2 TBSP olive oil, salt and pepper, and roast in the oven for 30 minutes (you may need to toss them in the middle of the cooking time). By this point, they will be golden brown and soft. Set aside to cool.
3. An hour before you want to eat, prepare the kale. Cut the long central spine out of each of the leaves, and then cut the remaining leaves into thin strips and put into a large bowl. Combine the lemon juice and remaining 3 TBSP olive oil with a whisk and pour over the kale. Use your hands to rub the dressing into the kale so that all the leaves are coated. You will feel the leaves start to tenderize. Cover the bowl and leave for at least 30 minutes, and up to one hour.
4. Toss the cheese, nuts, roasted squash and shallots with the kale and serve.

Pumpkin, how do I love thee..

...let me count the ways.

OK, confession time: I don't like pumpkin pie. I know, shock, horror, I realize it's amazing they agreed to grant me American citizenship. It's a texture thing, I think. Can't explain it, just don't like it. However, you can put pumpkin in pretty much anything else, and I will gobble it up, particularly given the usual blend of spices that go alongside our 'squashy' fall friend. It is an American custom I have 99% (the remaining 1% being the pie) adopted with a smile, so bring on the muffins, cupcakes, cookies, cakes, even the lattes (and yes, I know that they haven't been anywhere near a real pumpkin, and that Starbucks is the devil incarnate, yada yada yada. I can't help it if they still hit that spot).

You find pumpkin featuring more rarely in savory dishes though, it seems to me. This dish is an example of why we should probably allow our squashy friend to branch out more often. It is also a dish where the pumpkin lends a substance but not a strong flavor, making it very kid-friendly. In fact, I could easily have billed this dinner as a new recipe Mac 'n' cheese and certain tablemates would have never guessed they were eating pumpkin (helped no doubt by the fact that they eat so fast that the food can hardly touch the sides on the way down).

The original recipe came from one of those waiting-for-the-kids-again-in-the-car-so-I-may-as-well-read-recipes-online-on-my-phone moments. Its a quick fix for those among us like me who are cookbook-addicted, but miles away from their stash, our own emergency little nicotine patch, if you will. Creds for the untweaked version go to Cooking Light online - however, the tweaks are all mine.

Rotini with Pumpkin and Pancetta
Serves 6

1lb rotini
6oz pancetta or bacon in a small dice
4 TBSP finely chopped fresh sage
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling!)
1 cup grated parmesan
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
4 TBSP heavy cream (double cream)
4 TBSP chopped fresh parsley

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain over a bowl, reserving 1 1/2 cups of cooking liquid. Set aside.
2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook for 4 minutes or until nearly crisp. Add 2 TBSP of the sage and the garlic, and cook for 1 minute more, stirring constantly.
3. Stir in pumpkin, parmesan, salt and pepper.
4. Add the pasta, reserved cooking liquid and cream and toss to combine.
5. Serve sprinkled with remaining sage and parsley.