Servings: 6
Ease of Preparation: Medium
This recipe is part of the One BIG Recipe: Veal Roast Dinner [1]
ROASTED BABY BUTTERNUT WITH SALSA VERDE & GOAT CHEESE
Ingredients:
Salsa Verde:
- 4 cups (1 L) chopped tomatillos
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (remove ½ of the seeds)
- 3 serrano peppers (canned ok), chopped (remove ½ of the seeds)
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 Poblano pepper, chopped
- 1-2 tablespoons (15-30 ml) olive oil
- Salt
- ½ bunch of cilantro, chopped
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) chopped garlic
- ½ lime, juice
Roasted Baby Butternut:
- 3 very small (mini or baby) butternut squashes
- 6 teaspoons (90 ml) olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Garnish:
- ¼ cup (60 ml) sunflower seeds
- 3-ounce (85 g) piece of goat cheese
Method:
For the Salsa Verde:
Preheat a broiler to high heat.
In a medium bowl, combine tomatillos, onion, jalapeño, serrano, bell pepper, and Poblano peppers.
Drizzle olive oil into the veggies, season with salt.
Toss all to combine, transfer to a baking tray in an even layer.
Broil the veggies for 10 minutes until well charred, tossing every 2 minutes.
When ready, remove the veggies from the broiler and set aside to cool completely.
When the charred vegetables are cool, transfer to the bowl of a food processor.
Add cilantro, add to the bowl.
Add garlic and the juice and zest from ½ lime.
Pulse to make a fairly smooth salsa, taste and adjust seasoning with salt.
Transfer to a container and refrigerate until needed.
For the Sunflower Seed Garnish:
Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C).
Spread sunflower seeds on a baking sheet in an even layer.
Roast in the oven for 3-5 minutes, or until aromatic and starting to colour.
Remove from the pan right away to stop the cooking, reserve at room temperature until needed for plating.
For the Roasted Baby Butternuts:
Inspect 3 very small (mini or baby) butternut squashes and clean as needed.
Slice each in half, lengthwise, and use a sturdy spoon to scoop out the seeds.
Drizzle the cut sides with olive oil (about 2-3 teaspoons per piece), season with salt and pepper.
Arrange the squashes, cut side down on, on a lined baking tray.
Roast for 20 minutes until charred and soft.
When done, remove from oven and keep warm.
To Serve:
Pull the Salsa Verde and goat cheese from the refrigerator to come to room temperature.
Lay out 6 small plates, transfer one half of each (warm) roasted baby butternut onto each, cut side up.
Garnish each with Salsa Verde, crumbled goat cheese, and toasted sunflower seeds.
Serve immediately.