What has happened to southern weather?

Yesterday was crazy. A foggy start and then the temperature 

shot up to 76F by mid-afternoon.  A one day heatwave!

This morning I've moved my flowers into the kitchen. Why?

Because I plan to spend a few hours here. Will enjoy them while 

cooking some comfort foods in readiness for yet another storm.

Yes, we're in the path of cold front which could bring a wintry mix of 

sleet and freezing rain later as the temperature will drop below 

freezing by mid-afternoon - my heart goes out to the evening commuters.

What a winter! I don't think I recall one this long, this cold, this 

miserable in the almost 38 years I've lived here in the southeast.

Perhaps 'south' needs to be dropped - it sure doesn't feel or look

southern around here lately.

Nutty Pasta Dish. . . . . . . . .

I made a tasty pasta dish a couple of days back - recipe from Brian Glover's 

great little cook book ~ Cooking with Pumpkins and Squash ~

(pub. 2008 Ryland Peters & Small)

Brian has always been my favorite British chef having written food articles 

and shared recipes in many UK magazines besides his published cook books.

Chef Glover's dish above ~ my bowl below.

Pasta with Pan-Fried Squash, Walnut, and Parsley Sauce

Perfect for the cooler season when walnuts and orange-fleshed squashes are 

at their best. Traditionally, a version of this walnut sauce is served with pappardelle 

pasta in northern Italy, but you can use other shapes successfully if you don't have 

that particular one on hand. I used Trader Joe's Lemon Pappardelle which is great, 

and a butternut squash.

To serve 4

1-1/4 cups fresh walnut halves

3 fat garlic cloves, peeled

5 Tablespoons olive oil

1 Tablespoon Walnut Oil

5 Tablespoons heavy cream or creme fraiche

Small bunch flat leaf parsley

1-1/2 lbs. peeled squash, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices or chunks

1-2 pinches dried hot pepper flakes, crushed

14 oz. pasta of your choice

Freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese to serve

Preheat oven to 350F. Toast walnuts on a baking sheet for 5-6 mins. 

making sure they don't burn!

Rub vigorously in a clean tea towel to remove as much skin as possible.

Roughly chop 1/3 of nuts and set aside. Put remaining nuts in a food processor.

Blanch garlic in boiling water 2 mins., drain, rinse and add to food processor.

Add 2 Tblsp. olive oil, the walnut oil and cream. Whizz to make a paste. 

Set aside a third of the parsley, then whizz remaining two-thirds into the sauce. 

Chop reserved parsley and set aside.

Leave sauce in processor until needed.

In large frying pan heat the remaining olive oil over medium heat,

add the squash and hot pepper flakes and cook, turning squash now and then,

until tender and lightly browned, about 10-12 mins.

Meanwhile bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and cook pasta 

according to package directions.

When pasta is cooked, drain, reserving 4-5 tablespoons of the cooking water. 

Whizz enough of this water into sauce to make it creamy, then season with salt, 

pepper, and a little nutmeg. 

Toss pasta with the sauce, squash, remaining chopped walnuts and parsley.

Sprinkle with cheese at the table.

I was able to grab two copies of this cook book on Amazon recently. One went to 
my newly married, extremely creative granddaughter Cassie who's a great cook - visit 
her fabulous blog HERE. I'm loving my copy and plan to be rustling up more 
hearty dishes from this little cookery gem soon.

Buon appetito!