Butternut Squash Coins with Cilantro Salsa

This recipe is from an ancient copy (1995 to be exact) of Food & Wine. And truthfully it’s all about the salsa. This salsa is great over lots of other vegetables, like grilled eggplant as well as chickpeas and white beans.

For the butternut squash:
Use only the neck.
Peel and slice into 1/4-inch thick “coins”

Work in batches. Heat 3 Tbsp. of olive oil in a wide skillet over medium high heat. Put in a single layer of squash. Cook about 5 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned.

Salsa:
makes about 1 1/3 cups

1 large bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, coarsely chopped
3 medium cloves garlic, peeled
Fresh ginger, 2-inch piece, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 serrano chile, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
—
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice
1 Tbsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1/4 tsp. salt

In a food processor, combine the cilantro, mint, garlic, ginger, chile and 1/4 cup water and puree until a smooth sauce forms. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to combine.

The salsa can be prepared up to 4 hours ahead. Cover and let stand at room temp.

Old-Fashioned Pound Cake

This is from Ratio a cookbook for the mathematician in every cook.

The ratio = 1 part butter : 1 part sugar : 1 part egg : 1 part flour
by weight

The following makes enough for one 9″ loaf pan. The books says it will mix better if doubled to the pound ratio. I have only made it as follows but I am sure it will mix better with more ingredients, unless you have a small mixer.

Pound Cake
8 ounces butter, at room temperature, plus enough to butter the pan
8 ounces sugar
1 teaspoon salt
8 ounces eggs, at room temp. (about 4 large eggs, plus 1 large yolk), lightly whipped to combine
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tsp. vanilla extract
8 ounces flour (about 1 3/4 cup)
1 tsp. baking powder (optional, but I hedged my bet and added it)

For the citrus glaze:
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. lime juice
1/4 cup sugar

Preheat oven to 325F. Butter a 9-inch loaf pan.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter with paddle attachment for a minute. Add the sugar and salt and beat on med-high until the butter becomes very pale and volume has increased by about 1 third, 2-4 minutes.

Add the eggs slowly, so that they are gradually beaten into the batter, another minute or so. (If the batter appears to break, it should be ok when the flour is added.)

Add a tablespoon of each juice, all the zest and the vanilla.

Reduce the speed of the mixer to med-low. Add the flour. Mix only to incorporate the flour.

Pour batter into pan and bake 1 hour. Test, if blade or toothpick comes out clean remove and let rest 5 min. Turn out on rack to finish cooling.

Meanwhile, for the glaze combine the citrus juices and sugar in a small pan over med-high heat; stir until the sugar is dissolved. Taste to check the sweet-sour balance and adjust if necessary.

Brush cake with glaze on all sides.