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The Amazing Delicata Squash Served With Grilled Steak and Espresso Vinegar

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The gorgeous colors of fall. Golden Delicata squash sautéed to perfection.

Delicata is the perfect name for this lovely squash. It’s typically smaller than most robust fall squash, around 5-6″ in length, and it has a beautiful yellow color contrasted with dark green stripes. A fashion maven as well as a delight.

And it gets better- the skin is so fine that there is no need to peel! Taking a knife to a tough skinned fall squash can be a wrestling match sometimes, and that alone can be enough of a deterrent for me to just skip it altogether. The sweet delicata is my new best squash friend. Easy to slice, no need to peel, no need to lug some monster squash home from the market- and is just as bit delicious and healthy.

I tossed mine into a pan and they were done in just a few minutes. No need to pull out a baking sheet and roast, just a simple sautee and they are ready to serve. Delicata is also more delicate in taste too. I like my squash with a little bit of sweetness to it, so I added just a small touch of honey into the pan and finished with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.

Steak grilled to perfection is splashed with some espresso vinegar.

To accompany my squash I pan grilled off some sirloin steaks. The seasoning I kept to the classic, simply lots of salt and fresh ground black pepper. For the finish I splashed on some yummy espresso balsamic vinegar that I purchased last weekend when I was visiting my Mother in Greenport. There is a new store out there right on Main St. called Vines and Branches. It’s a gorgeous store stocked with rows and rows of flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars. Both regular dark and white balsamic vinegars are infused with some amazing flavors such as cranberry pear, tangerine and juniper berry. Mother, daughter Olivia, and I circled around the shop and taste tested tiny sips of vinegar. Sounds like an odd thing to do to take vinegar straight, but they were all pretty delicious just like that! Needless to say, I walked out with a small armload that I just couldn’t resist.

The dark espresso vinegar I used on the steak has a deeply intense coffee flavor. Startling and fantastic! The little bit of the sweetness from the vinegar mellows the bitter edge of the espresso and the acidity adds the right touch of zing for the beef. They do ship, so be sure to check out their site.

It doesn’t take much to add a little something extra to a standard dish and elevate it to a place that you wouldn’t have imagined. However, if you’re not inclined to try the espresso vinegar- try a splash of traditional dark balsamic vinegar- or just leave it out altogether. A good steak is a good steak, and there ain’t nothing wrong with that.

 
Delicata Squash and Perfection Grilled Steak w/ Espresso Vinegar
It took me only 15 minutes to get this meal to the table. The squash sautés quickly as the meat is grilling.  A side of polenta is a nice addition if you’re looking for a starch.
serves 4
 
2 average sized delicata squash
2 cloves garlic
2T honey or brown sugar
2T olive oil
3T water
4-6 sprigs of fresh thyme
Maldon salt to finish
 
4 4-6oz sirloin steaks, ~1″ thick, set out 30 minutes before cooking
 
 
Preheat a grillpan on the stovetop on medium high for 10-15 minutes.
 
Generously season the meat with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
 
Place the meat on a greased grill pan. Allow to grill for 5 minutes untouched. Then flip and grill another 5 minutes for medium rare. Add another 2 minutes for medium and 4-5 for well done.
 
After removing from the grill let the meat rest on the cutting board for a few minutes to allow the juices to settle into the meat.
 
Meanwhile, while the meat is grilling you can prepare the squash.
 
Wash the squash and slice in half. Scrape out seeds and slice into .5″ half rounds.
 
In a large frying pan add olive oil and swirl around to coat pan set on medium heat. 
 
Crush and chop garlic and add to the pan and sauté for 1 minute. Toss in squash and arrange so all pieces have contact with bottom of the pan.
 
After about 3 minutes add water, thyme and honey and cover pan. Allow the squash to steam until the water has evaporated.
 
Remove the cover and shake pan to keep the squash from sticking and burning. Flip after 2 minutes. If the pan gets too hot and starts to burn, add a little more water to the pan.
 
The squash will turn a little translucent when done. Do not overcook to mush. 
 
To serve, slice the meat and arrange on plates. Splash with vinegar. Add the squash to the plate and sprinkle with a nice healthy pinch of maldon salt.
 
Enjoy!

Rogue Creamery and Magical Moments: Broiled Tomatoes with Smoked Blue Cheese

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Rogue Creamery Smoked Blue and Roelli Cheese Dunbarton Blue (Cheddar Blue mix)

Right before I headed out to Portland for the IFBC conference, I was roaming around the Flat Iron District and got drawn into Beechers Cheese Shop like a magnet to metal. It’s a cheese lover’s play pen. At every turn is a gorgeous case full of delights, crackers, jams, books and displays. Wonderland! And in the back is a take out section for way too awesome grilled cheese sandwiches. I’ve been in before and walked out in bliss with a perfectly crusty hot gooey grilled cheddar with fig jam. Had you been able to see the look on my face you would have thought me tranced- which I was.

I had just come from the Union Square Farmer’s Market, which is only steps away, with a cache of New Jersey beefsteak tomatoes and a few yellow ones too. Man do I love August’s bounty. I’ve been trying to slim down a tad, so standing amongst rows of delectable cheeses is extremely dangerous.

I decided to then just innocently do a little reconnaissance, you know, for FUTURE posts, and then just like that- I became overcome with lust. My little eye spied a gorgeous cheese from Oregon- the above pictured Rogue Creamery Smoked Blue. After a small tease of a taste, I had to have a chunk. While standing at the counter I overheard another cheese fool wax poetically about the Dunbarton Blue, which is not only beautiful like a watercolor, but remarkable in ways I promises to explain in an upcoming post.

Tomatoes and Cheese ready for the broiler

What was even MORE remarkable though, was just a few days later, during a speed tasting even at the IFBC conference- who came ambling over to our table, but one of the owners of Rogue Creamery with this EXACT same cheese! Such a sweet woman, who so sweetly and quietly promoted her cheese, that I had to jump up and start blathering away about it (my NYer comes out at the most interesting of moments). I think I startled her a little bit- but seriously- this is good stuff and and should NOT be underplayed in my opinion.

Presenting the Smoked Blue Cheese
I’m a bit of a sucker for coincidences- so I took this as a sign from the heavens that this cheese and I are meant to be. I know this is a silly statement- but in a way, it’s very true, and I am grateful.

I think what’s best about this story is that it’s just affirms for me that the good things in life are not that complicated. Once I stopped putting things off, or restraining myself for made up reasons- that the goodness began to generate it’s own natural flow.

One of my favorite quotes about success is: “Success is when opportunity meets preparedness”. I’ve always attributed this to the work place, but I am being reminded on a daily basis, in myriads of small ways, that successes are all around us.

I used to be very successful in business, and had all the attributes that come with that- but I didn’t have these quiet, soul fulfilling moments. What’s even more exciting is that they come one after the other! I don’t seek them out, I have no intentions when I walk out the door, or click on a new blog, or start a conversation while standing on a line somewhere- but the riches are spilling out all around me constantly.

After returning home with my tomatoes and cheese I set about making this simple afternoon treat. Great on it’s own or as a side dish, but I think it’s also great to serve with cocktails or a glass of wine.

I simply sliced my tomatoes nice and thickly, sprinkled them with some of the cheese and ran it under the broiler for a few minutes- just to warm and sweeten the tomatoes, and melt the cheese. A quick sprinkle of flaked salt and a grind of pepper went down before topping it all off with some paper thin sliced red onion.

Delving into serendipitous bounty.

I hope these little magical moments happen for you. I want this to happen for you. As the school year begins and we start hurtling toward the end of the calendar year- my wish is that we are able to enjoy these moments of joy and deliciousness.

Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa

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Juicy sliced steak served with crispy tomatillo salsa, grilled corn and string beans.

The summer days are skittering towards Labor Day and it’s soon back to school in the Northeast. This time of year always puts a panicked rush in my step to get to the grill while the gettin’ is good. Of course, this is silly, since we dedicated New Englanders are sometimes known to grill in the snow- but you know what I mean.
It’s the long shadows of late summer sunsets, accompanied by the sound of birds and a far off hum of a lawnmower. It’s sitting on a stoop while shucking corn, it’s the smell of charcoal and smoke. Bare legs, sticky fingers, sprinklers, ice pops and bug bites on your ankles.
Of course, all of THAT is even pretty silly, since I write to you from my tiny NYC apartment with not a patch of lawn in sight- but I can conjure up a memory just as good as anyone, and the smell of corn silk is as powerful as Proust’s madeleines to me.
I do have great memories as a kid when the biggest challenge was getting sand out between my toes after the beach, or beating my brother to the last cherry Ice Pop. This summer has come as close as I’ve come in years to those care free days. I’ve spent more time traveling this summer than at home- a total of 10 weeks out of the past 14 have been without boundary, without schedule or demand- with full time enjoyment and exploration. I think that was what I loved best as a kid- exploring.
Some kids play sports and spend their summers in motion. I was more of a dreamer. I would write stories and make them into little books. I was the kid that would spend hours glueing shells that I had collected onto boxes and mirrors. My brother and I would dress up and act out plays we invented, and even as a kid- I cooked and baked.
I hope you try making this tomatillo salsa to go with your steak. It’s super quick to put together and it has a  tangy taste that sets off the fat in the meat perfectly. It’s really more of a relish than a real salsa- no real bite or kick, but rather an accent to the beef.
The summer days are fleeting- but still many delicious days ahead.
Grilled Steak with Tomatillo Salsa
serves 6
 
2# quality steak
1# tomatillos
.5c EVOO
.5c fresh basil, minced
.5c fresh cilantro, minced
.25c white onion, fine diced
juice of 1 plump lemon
Salt to taste
 
For the perfect steak- first season the meat with ground black pepper and allow to come to room temp for about 30 mins.
 
Next: heat your grill and get it HOT. Sear the meat for 1-3 mins on each side to get that heavenly umami flavor. Not sure about the sealing juices thing- there is debate on that- but to be sure- DO NOT press down on your meat as it cooks and DO NOT pierce it with a fork to turn it- use a spatula or tongs.
 
After the sear move the meat to a lower temperature area of the grill and close the lid. Allow it to slowly “bake” for another 5 minutes- longer for medium or well done.
 
Poke the meat for doneness. If it feels springy, it’s still on the rare side. If it yields some but still has some bounce, it’s medium range. If it is so tight it slaps you back when you poke it- you’ve reached well done.
 
Allow the meat to rest for a good 5 mins before slicing.
 
For the salsa, simply combine everything in a bowl and stir together. You can make this earlier in the day and allow it to marinate a bit. Just serve it at room temperature, not too cold or straight from the fridge.