Good morning, fare companions. A trend watcher, who chooses to remain anonymous, visited Chattanooga recently and asked about composing charcuterie boards. "I have heard that the new trend is butter boards, where you spread softened butter on a board and cover it with food in a creative design, then provide spreaders for your guests. If anyone knows how that works, I would like instructions."
An experienced home cook named Christopher joined the male contingent of Fare Exchangers. His current experiment, "one that so far has not been successful, is roasted caramelized Brussels sprouts. I tried both frozen and fresh sprouts, and my glaze of maple syrup and balsamic vinegar hasn't worked either, as the Brussels sprouts are soft not crispy."
Would the experts among you weigh in?
SAUCE AND BAKE
Diane Marrs began cooking her applesauce cake, from a Minnesota community cookbook, a quarter century ago.
She explained, "This apple cake, with the most amazing brown sugar icing, was a hit at every church potluck and neighborhood gathering. It's a lazy cake because there is no peeling and chopping of apples."
Applesauce Cake
2/3 cup butter or margarine
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
1 3/4 cups thick, unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup water
3 cups sifted flour
1/3 teaspoon baking powder
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 3/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chopped dates
Cream butter, sugars and eggs. Add applesauce, mixing well. Stir in sifted dry ingredients, alternating with water. Stir in nuts and fruits. Pour into greased and floured 9- by 13-inch pan (If you intend on removing whole cake from pan, line bottom with wax paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 55 to 60 minutes. Cool, remove from pan and frost with Penuche Frosting (recipe follows).
Penuche Frosting
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar
Walnut halves (garnish)
Combine brown sugar, milk and butter in top of double boiler. Cook over rapidly boiling water for 3 minutes. Cool to lukewarm, and add vanilla extract. Beat in powdered sugar to correct consistency. Frost cake, and decorate with walnut halves.
PEEL, CHOP, BAKE
Jenny Hopkins' apple cake calls for peeled and chopped apples of any kind. She has been baking this autumn delight for years.
Apple Cake
4 cups peeled and diced apples (any baking variety, or mix it up)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 3/4 cups sugar (often I use half brown and half white)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups flour (you can use half white and half wheat)
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
3/4 cup canola oil
Put all ingredients into a large bowl, and mix by hand with a large spoon or spatula until combined.
Bake in a lightly greased 9- by 13-inch pan, and bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.
This cake does not need icing unless you choose to top it off.
THANKSGIVING OFFERING
Tim Threadgill answered the call for creative additions to Thanksgiving dinner.
"We have made this recipe several times, and it never disappoints. It presents beautifully and the flavors work with each other. You get the sweetness of the squash and the bright, tart citrus flavor of the pomegranate pearls, while the toasted pecans play up the natural nuttiness of the black rice. Black rice may be found at higher-end grocery stores, like Publix and Whole Foods, or online. I made it this weekend using wild rice, and it was excellent and still very pretty. Since butternut is a pain to peel, I think using smaller sweet potatoes would work (they tend to be sweeter).
"The smoked paprika and salt is a perfect complement to the squash's sweetness. Our squash are bigger than what's needed in the recipe, so we usually snack on it besides what we put in the salad."
(You will find his hint for pomegranate seed picking below in Just a Dash.)
Black Rice Salad With Butternut Squash and Pomegranate Seeds
Dramatic-looking black rice -- which has a mellow, sweet taste -- comes from several places in the world, including Thailand and Indonesia. If you can't find it, wild or brown or red rice would also work.
2/3 cup black rice
1 pound butternut squash
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/2 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 tablespoon maple syrup
Pepper to taste
2 tablespoons sliced green onions
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (see Just a Dash below)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rice, adjust heat to maintain a lively simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 30 minutes (or according to package directions). Drain and rinse with cool water.
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Peel and seed squash and cut into 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, toss squash with paprika, salt and 1 tablespoon oil. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer, and roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and tender, about 40 minutes. Let cool. Spread pecans on another baking sheet, and toast until fragrant, stirring once, 6 to 8 minutes.
Whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the lemon juice, maple syrup and pepper in a serving bowl. Toss with reserved rice, roasted squash, green onions and most of pecans and pomegranate seeds. Sprinkle with remaining pecans and pomegranate seeds.
Makes 3 servings as a main course, or 4 to 6 as a side (serving size: 1 cup)
Nutrition information per serving: 244 calories (53% calories from fat), 3.8 grams protein, 14 grams fat (1.7 grams saturated fat), 29 grams carbohydrates, 4.9 grams fiber, 69 milligrams sodium.
JUST A DASH
Tim Threadgill makes pomegranate seeds an easy harvest. He explained, "To avoid the mess of pomegranate juice, I usually cut pomegranates in half and then peel the pearls out of the husk in a bowl of water. After draining in a colander, it is easy to remove any remaining pith."
Thank you for coming -- and do come back.
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