Earthy Elegance From the Heartland

We have now accepted a fact that some European countries have long understood about excellent cuisine. High-quality ingredients are an essential element in culinary chemistry; it’s impossible to create a great dish without them. And the simpler the preparation, the more critical these high standards are.

These recipes, developed by Ron Blazek, the talented chef at Chicago’s Gordon restaurant, are so simple and straightforward that they require very good ingredients; be sure to buy the finest quality and freshest ingredients you can find.

While the recipe specifies three different types of squash, you can substitute either acorn or butternut exclusively (spaghetti squash is too fibrous to be used alone) as long as the pureed squash measures 5 1/2 cups.

SQUASH

SOUP

1 large (1 3/4-pound) acorn squash

1 medium (1 1/4-pound) butternut squash

1 medium (2-pound) spaghetti squash

3 tablespoons hazelnut or light-tasting olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried

1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 to 5 cups chicken stock or broth

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Cayenne pepper

Cut each squash in half. Use large spoon to remove seeds and fibers from cavities. Rub cut surfaces with 1 tablespoon oil. Place cut side down on jellyroll pan. Put rack in center of oven. Bake at 350 degrees until tender, about 45 minutes.

Place remaining oil in 3-quart pot over medium heat. Heat until hot. Add onions and garlic. Saute gently until tender but not browned, about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add thyme, rosemary, nutmeg and 4 cups stock or broth.

When cool enough to handle, scoop flesh from squash shells and measure 5 1/2 cups, solid packed. Add to pot and simmer, covered, about 30 minutes, stirring often to prevent sticking. Puree soup (in batches) in blender or food processor until very smooth. If soup is too thick, thin with remaining stock or broth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. (Can be made 3 days ahead and refrigerated or frozen up to 6 months.) Serve hot or chilled. Add more stock if serving soup chilled. Makes 12 servings, about 10 cups.

This delicious “lasagna” is made not with pasta but distinct layers of grilled vegetables that are held together with only a thin spread of an herb-ricotta cheese mixture.

VEGETABLE LASAGNA

WITH ARUGULA PESTO

1 large (18-ounce) eggplant, unpeeled

3 medium (1 1/4 pounds) yellow squash

3 medium (1 1/4 pounds) zucchini

1/2 cup light-tasting olive oil

Salt

Freshly ground pepper

2 large shallots, minced

1 large clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh herb mix: rosemary, parsley, thyme, oregano

1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup thinly sliced mushrooms

2 medium tomatoes, thinly sliced

Arugula Pesto

Grease 2-quart loaf pan and line with foil, allowing flaps to extend 6 inches beyond sides of pan to cover lasagna as it bakes and to easily remove it from pan.

Trim ends of eggplant, yellow squash and zucchini. Cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss in large bowl with 7 tablespoons olive oil until well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Grill vegetables until completely tender but still intact, about 10 minutes, turning once.

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil in small saucepan. Add shallots, garlic and herbs. Cook until shallots are tender but not brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

To assemble, use about 1/3 cup herb-ricotta mixture per cheese layer. Line bottom of prepared pan with 3 eggplant slices. Spread ricotta mixture evenly over eggplant. Cover with layers of yellow squash, then zucchini, ricotta cheese and all of mushrooms. Repeat layering, using all grilled vegetables and ricotta. Top with overlapping tomato slices. Cover with foil flaps.

Place pan on baking sheet and place in center of oven. Bake at 400 degrees 45 minutes. Fold back foil to uncover lasagna. Decrease oven heat to 300 degrees. Bake 15 minutes longer. Cool on rack. Cover again with foil flaps. Place similar-size bread pan on top of lasagna. Weight down heavily with heavy objects to compress lasagna. Cool to room temperature.

Remove pan and weights. Pour off excess juices in pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Use foil flaps to remove from pan. With electric knife, cut into 12 (1/2-inch-thick) slices. Overlap 2 slices on each serving plate (use wide spatula to transfer to plate and reshape slices as required). Season lightly with salt and pepper. Drizzle with Arugula Pesto. Makes 6 first-course or side-dish servings.

Arugula Pesto

2 ounces arugula leaves, stems removed

1 medium clove garlic

2 tablespoons pine nuts

2 tablespoons grated imported Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup light-tasting olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

Blanch arugula in boiling salted water 30 seconds. Drain, then rinse under cold water to keep green color. Wrap in towel to squeeze out all water. Mince garlic in food processor or blender. Add arugula leaves, pine nuts, Parmesan, olive oil and salt. Process until smooth. Adjust salt to taste. (Can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before using.)

This is a dessert pairing made in heaven.

GOAT CHEESE AND

GLAZED APPLE TART,

APPLE-THYME SORBET

18 ounces soft goat cheese, at room temperature

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup whipping cream

3 large eggs

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 baked 10-inch tart pastry shell, cooled

Glazed Apples

Apple-Thyme Sorbet

Blend goat cheese, unsalted butter, whipping cream, eggs and sugar in food processor until smooth. Pour mixture into tart pastry. Place pan on baking sheet and place in center of oven. Bake at 325 degrees until puffy around edges and just barely set in center, about 35 to 38 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on rack. Chill overnight or at least 45 minutes.

Remove tart from pan. Overlap Glazed Apples attractively in spiral pattern, covering surface. Brush warm caramel sauce from Glazed Apples over apple slices. Chill until ready to serve, not more than 5 hours. Serve with small scoops Apple-Thyme Sorbet on side. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Glazed Apples

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed

4 large tart apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

Melt butter in 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar and cook over medium-high heat until foaming and sugar granules are dissolved. Add apples. Toss to combine. Cover and cook until slices are just tender but still intact, about 2 to 3 minutes. Cool slightly. (Can be made day ahead and refrigerated. Heat until just warmed through before using.)

If you are serving the sorbet alone as a dessert, you may want to add two tablespoons sugar.

Apple-Thyme Sorbet

8 sprigs fresh thyme

1 1/2 cups water

4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

Several fresh thyme leaves

Boil thyme sprigs and water in small skillet, uncovered, until “tea” is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 5 minutes. Strain and chill.

Place apples in small saucepan with lemon juice and sugar. Toss to combine. Simmer, covered, until apples are very tender, about 15 minutes, stirring often to avoid sticking. Process apple mixture until very smooth. Makes 2 1/3 cups pureed apple. Chill.

Make sorbet in ice cream machine according to instructions. Add thyme leaves at end when sorbet is almost frozen. Transfer to container and freeze. Soften slightly before serving. Makes 3 cups.