Cassandra, I haven’t looked at Chez Panisse in years. Gonna have some fun reading it tonight. Thanks for the tip.

The basic thesis of Pollan’s book is “eat food, real food, not too much, mostly plants.” It’s a pretty interesting look at our food system. Bittman’s book has a similar theme, but it’s more the how to from Pollan’s book. Bittman’s basis thesis is to reduce your amount of animal protein (1-2 lbs. of meat/week) and increase your whole grain & veggies. It has a lot of practical advice on recipes, what to keep in your pantry, etc. I’m starting out with the breakfast recommendations. I bought rolled oats to make granola and couscous to make breakfast meals. I also bought a lot of fruit to make smoothies. I’ll give you an update on how it’s going next week.

Acorn Squash Stuffed with Wild Rice, Apples, Sage, and Celery

2 acorn squash, halved top to bottom, seeds and strings removed
3 cups cooked white rice, cooked with vegetable/chicken stock instead of water
2 cups cooked wild rice (about 1/3-1/2 cup uncooked) cooked in vegetable/chicken stock
3 apples, peeled, cored, diced to 1-2″ pieces
2 stalks celery, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons dry sage or 15 fresh minced sage leaves
enough olive oil to brush or drizzle on squash lightly
20-30 walnut halves (no shell)
1 egg
4 tablespoon butter, divided
2 teaspoons brown sugar
salt, pepper
4 teaspoons maple syrup

Cook the white rice as you would normally, using stock instead of water. Use 2 cups stock to 1 cup long grain white rice.

Boil raw wild rice in 2 cups simmering stock for about 30 minutes or longer until tender. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Put the squash cut side up on a cookie sheet and brush or drizzle with olive oil lightly. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium high heat, melt two tablespoons of butter, and saute the apples, celery, walnuts and sage. After about five minutes, add the brown sugar and toss to coat. Continue to saute until the celery and apples begin to soften. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Mix the skillet contents with both rices in a big bowl. Scramble the egg, slice into thin strips and mix with rice. Taste and adjust seasonings.

Pull the acorn squash out of the oven after 10-15 minutes. Fill the squash with rice stuffing and put 1/2 tabelspoon of butter on top of each half and return to oven for 10 minutes or until a knife goes easily into the flesh of the squash along the top.

If any rice mix is left you can bake it in a separate bowl or heat it in a skillet and serve alongside.

Pull the squash out, drizzle just a very little maple syrup on top and serve to what will no doubt be an appreciative audience.

You can make the rice stuffing beforehand or even pre-bake the squash in advance leaving the final 10-15 minute bake before serving.

I have left out the egg, especially if this is meant to be a sidedish.

This came from some food blog a few years back and I don’t have that noted on my recipe, sorry about that…

2 TBSP olive oil on medium-high heat
A few shallots, GRATED into the olive oil
2 28-oz. cans crushed tomatoes
1 can vegetable broth — bring to a boil.

Add 1 cup of heavy cream. Simmer for 20 minutes.
Take about 20 chopped basil leaves. Throw into soup. Let simmer another five minutes and serve. Delicious.

I served the soup with Grilled Cheese Three-ways. The first was just plain ‘ole Cheddar. The second was Cheddar and apple. The third was Cheddar, apple, and Virginia-baked ham.

1. Cut up some chicken in bite-size cubes or thereabouts.
2. Brown chicken in a big skillet.
3. Add container of salsa and sour cream.
4. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes or so.

Add noodles or rice on the side to serve with this delicious and easy meal.