AUTUMN SQUASH/SWEET POTATO MASH
I've been making a squash/sweet potato mash recently that is inspired a bit by
Barefoot Contessa's soup recipe. I take Acorn squash or Butternut Squash and slice into big chunks (better to cut so that flesh side is completely covered by the pan and only skin is exposed to open oven air/I think this helps with cooking and making flesh easier to remove from skin), remove seeds, slather the flesh side with olive oil. I place the pieces skin side up on a sheet pan. At the same time I chop up sweet potatoes and onions to the same cube size (inch cubes) slather with olive oil and throw on the sheet pan in a single compact layer. 400F oven for about half an hour or until onions and sweet potatoes begin to brown (you don't want them burned). Once squash is soft, remove with spoon from flesh and throw into food processor with roasted sweet potatoes and onions. Add a tablespoon or two of butter, salt to taste, two tablespoons of herbs (rosemary, thyme and/or sage), and pepper. Puree until it's a mash potato consistency that you like to eat. Top with parmesan cheese and serve warm. I have also thrown the leftovers into a ramekin topped with mozzarella and baked at 375 until the cheese is melted.
I've been making this with store bought sweet potatoes because my garden ones are still not an adequate size.
HERBY PORK LOIN (TRADER JOE'S)
Puree any combination of parsley, thyme, oregano, sage, and/or rosemary with garlic, dried breadcrumbs, sauteed mushrooms/onions in a food processor. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add two ground cloves and scrubbed orange or lemon peel for a different taste. Take the pork loin and cut in half to have two four inch long cylinders. Take one of the pieces and poke the front of the loin with a knife to form a "C" that pierces the loin the whole way through so you can stuff the loin from the front and the back. The goal of the C is to maximize flavor into the pork. Try to keep the same width of meat around the C as is left inside if possible. Using a teaspoon spoon the filling into the "C" shape from the front and back. Remove some of the fat at the top of the pork loin if it has uneven sections (it needs a nice even cover of fat). Score the fat side top with a crosshatch going through the entire fat thickness just touching the meat. Salt the outside of the pork and cover with wrap or container and set in fridge for a few hours or up to a day. This will allow the pork to absorb the salt and some of the flavors. Sear the outside of the pork in vegetable oil on a stovetop before placing into the oven at 375F for about an hour or until a thermometer piercing the inside reads 165F. The fat at top should be nice and crunchy. Allow to rest before slicing into 1/4 inch thick slices.
ASIAN FLAVORED PORK LOIN
I have also altered the filling for the pork loin to take on a more "asian" flavor by sauteing equal parts shiitake and cremini mushrooms in vegetable oil with onions, garlic and ginger. Let those brown and add sake to reduce. Finally add in soy sauce and a small drop of sesame oil to taste. I pureed this mixture with miso and a little bit of parsley to create a paste. I spooned this into the pork loin and followed recipe as shown above then served over a bowl of noodles. I heated some of the filling in a pan and used that to sautee the noodles for additional flavor.
