if I only read...

​In all things fall, it’s time to enjoy the bounty that the fall harvest brings. In the November 2021 issue of “Southern Living Magazine” a recipe for Sausage-Stuffed Squash caught my eye. Had I prepared my shopping list better i.e., title of the recipe, followed by the list of ingredients, I would have purchased the correct type of squash for this dish, but I didn’t.  For the recipe you’ll need delicata squash, olive oil, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, hot Italian pork sausage, red onion, fresh garlic, fresh oregano leaves, rainbow chard, water or chicken stock, day old cornbread, toasted and chopped pecans and pecorino Romano cheese.
 
As this was my dinner plan, for that evening, I decided to use the spaghetti squash I purchased for another recipe. The delicata squash is a much smaller vegetable than the spaghetti squash, sweeter and you can eat its skin. Despite my error, I plunged ahead and roasted the squash until it was tender.

While that was cooking, time to make the filling. I took the sausage out of its casing before browning. Once the sausage was cooked, finely chopped red onion, garlic, thyme and oregano are added. Fortunately, my herbs are still going albeit the shorter days and cooler nights. Also, in the filling is chopped chard, the liquid and seasoning. I substituted white wine for the water as I didn’t have any chicken stock on hand. Once the stuffing was complete it went into the squash halves and topped with a mixture of crumbled cornbread, pecorino Romano cheese and pecans.
 
While the filling was quite tasty, the squash was dry, it needed more liquid to flavor the strands. I think this recipe needs another try, with the correct squash, of course. For my husband and I, it was an okay meal.
 
Another recipe that had a tryout this week was Melissa Clark’s recipe for Wine-Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Leeks. This recipe is from her column, “A Good Appetite,” that appeared in The New York Times, December 2021. I had prepared this recipe back in January of this , but neglected to write a review. In going back to my Instagram post of January, here's what I said, "Combination of garlic, shiitake mushrooms, leeks, rosemary and white wine elevate this dish." I'll take it as we loved it and you will too!

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​Sausage-Stuffed Squash
Southern Living Test Kitchen
Published October 21, 2021& in magazine issue November 2021
 
Active: 20 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Serves 4
 
Ingredients
2 medium delicata squash, halved lengthwise, seeds and stems removed and discarded
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon black pepper, divided
8 ounces ground hot Italian pork sausage
½ cup finely chopped red onion (from 1 medium onion)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
1 bunch rainbow chard, stems removed, leaves cut into 1-inch strips (about 4 cups)
¼ cup water or chicken stock
¼ cup crumbled day-old cornbread
2 tablespoons finely chopped pecans, toasted
½ ounce pecorino Romano cheese, grated with a Microplane grater (about ⅓ cup)
 
Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush squash with 1 tablespoon of the oil; season with ½ teaspoon of the salt and ¼ teaspoon of the pepper. Place squash, cut sides up, on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake, uncovered, until almost tender, about 30 minutes. Remove squash from oven; set aside at room temperature.
2. While squash roast, heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium. Add sausage. Cook, using a spatula to break apart pork into small pieces, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, thyme, and oregano. Cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chard, water, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chard is wilted and liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Remove skillet from heat.
3. Spoon sausage mixture evenly into squash halves. Stir together cornbread, pecans, and cheese in a small bowl until well combined, and sprinkle evenly over pork mixture. Bake stuffed squash halves at 375°F until squash are tender and topping is golden brown, about 10 minutes; cool 5 minutes before serving.

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Wine-Braised Chicken with Mushrooms and Leeks
Melissa Clark, “A Good Appetite”
The New York Times, December 29, 2021
 
 
Time: 1 hour
Yield: 4 Servings
 
Ingredients
1 (3 1/2-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 3 1/2 pounds bone-in chicken parts)

​2 teaspoons kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
 
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
 
4 garlic cloves
 
2 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
 
1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms (preferably specialty mushrooms, such as king, hen-of-the-woods, chanterelles or black trumpet, or a combination)
 
2 large leeks (4 cups), halved and thinly sliced into half-moons (use white and light green parts)
 
2 to 3 rosemary sprigs
 
¾ cup dry white wine (or use a dry red or rosé)
 
¼ cup crème fraîche, plus more for serving if desired
 
2 tablespoons chopped chives
 
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest, plus more for serving
 
½ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, leaves and tender stems
 
Preparation

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Finely grate, pass through a press or mince 2 garlic cloves. Set aside half the grated garlic for finishing the dish. Rub the rest all over the chicken pieces. Set aside the chicken while preparing the other ingredients.
2. In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts, add chicken in batches and cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If the pan dries out, add a little more oil as needed. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
3. Add remaining tablespoon each oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, add mushrooms and cook undisturbed until well browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer.
4. Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in sliced garlic, leeks and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and golden brown, 7 minutes. Add rosemary and wine to the pot and let simmer, scraping up the browned bits, until liquid reduces by half, about 1 minute.
5. Nestle chicken, skin side up, into the pan and pour in any accumulated juices from the plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.
6. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Pluck the rosemary sprigs from the pot. If the sauce looks thin, turn the heat to medium-high and let simmer until it thickens slightly, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining grated garlic, the crème fraîche, chives and lemon zest. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Spoon sauce over the chicken and top with parsley, more lemon zest and a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like, and serve.

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