Very near the top of the list of ‘Things I Miss About Living in California’ is my dad’s massive garden. He’s got 8 raised beds and several huge pots…plus whatever volunteers to grow in the compost heap. Mom & Dad canned what seems like several hundred pints of tomatoes this summer, but it’s probably somewhere closer to 30 pints and a dozen quarts. Then there’s his cucumbers for pickling, beans both for drying and eating fresh, neverending zucchini, bushels of potatoes and whatever cabbage/sprouts/other catches his eye at the local seed bank.
When I lived in California, I got to share in his bounty. Here in Hertfordshire, I have to make do with a few big pots, a tiny rasied bed, and not nearly enough sunshine for my liking. This year, like many folks, we took advantage of the lockdown-imposed hometime to dedicate some time & energy to our backyard garden. Nothing to my dad’s of course, but we had tomatoes enough for our salads & sandwiches, and the single zucchini we planted kept us (and the neighbors) very well supplied.
If I had more time (& energy) and a greener thumb, I think I’d really like to have an allotment garden. There’s a place up the hill from us that occasionally has plots open up for adoption. Happily, we have several friends that are generous with the fruits of their labors.
Literally.
This week I was gifted two lovely butternut squash. One was turned into a really nice curried squash soup, but I wanted to do something a little special with the other. Gluten-free gnocchi can be pretty hit or miss, but these turned out nicely. Not gummy or spongey. I did them in a browned butter with sage sauce, but GingerHubby and I agreed it needed a little something more. Maybe garlic? Ooh, or bacon. Tonight was our Meatless Monday, so the bacon will have to wait for another night. Luckily, this recipe feeds 6, so we’ve got leftovers to play with.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Mix squash*, potato, parmesan , egg, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. I used a dough whisk, but a wooden spoon would work.
- *Steaming your squash yield a dry sort of puree, very similar in texture to cooked potato. If your squash is baked, it might be too wet for our purposes. You can cook any excess moisture out in a saucepan over medium heat. Should only take a few minutes. Let it cool again and proceed with the recipe.
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Gradually beat in 175g GF plain flour until it's uniform in color and texture. The mixture will be moist, but not sticky. Kinda like fresh playdough.
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On a lightly floured work surface, roll small portions of your dough into little snakes. They should be about as big around as your index finger. If the dough cracks while you're working, just pinch the cracked part together and keep going. Try not to work too much extra flour in.
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When you've rolled out all your dough, cut each snake into 1-inch (or so) pieces.
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With a gentle touch, roll each little gnocchi down the back of a fork, creating ridges on one side.
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Spread your freshly formed gnocchi onto a baking tray lined with parchment. Cover the tray loosely and chill for about an hour. If you're making these more than 2 hours ahead of time, go ahead and cover the baking tray properly so they don't dry out.
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In a large pot of boiling salted water and working in batches, cook your gnocchi for 3 or 4 minutes. They will rise to the top and float. Leave them floating for about a minute, then skim them off the top and set back on your parchment covered tray. At this point you can hold the cooked gnocchi at room temp for up to an hour, or cover the tray and put it in the fridge for up to 3 days.
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When you're ready to eat, warm your sauce then add the cooked gnocchi. Stir very gently until they are heated through. Avoid letting things come to a simmer. You don't want to end up with a pan of gluey potatoey sadness.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.