A Bit of This and A Dash of That: Anniversary Weekend

Chris and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary on Friday. We went out for dinner to Vie in Western Springs. We did the 5 course tasting menu with wine pairings. It was delicious, here is what we had:

long of naples squash beignet, smoked pear butter,butter roasted klug farm pears, pickled kohlrabi, marinated pumpkin
yukon gold potato gnocchi, wilted local spinach, organic crème fraiche, house cured guanciale, lovage, lemon oil
crispy baby barramundi, braised nichols farm salsify, wood-grilled porcinis, toasted bread sauce, radishes, wild watercress, pickled celery vinaigrette
wood-grilled dry-aged slagel farm beef loin with braised beef and potato gratin, stout braised onions, wilted local greens, wood-grilled brussel sprouts, crème fraiche beef jus
prairie fruits farm “moonglo” raw goat’s milk, champaign, il
cider sorbet with cranberries
red kuri squash gooey butter cake pear squash chutney, pear ginger sorbet, whipped cream

The dessert was amazing. I actually had never heard of red kuri squash until a couple weeks ago when we got one in our CSA delivery. When I first saw it in our bushel I thought maybe it was just an oddly shaped pumpkin. I actually had plans to make a dish with my squash tonight so it was interesting to see the same vegetable used in two entirely different meals.

So the traditional gift for the 5th wedding anniversary is wood. I tried to be as creative as possible other than buying Chris a two by four. So this is what I came up with. It's wood board for bread with a dipping cup. Chris loves sliced bread with olive oil and cheese so I thought it was appropriate.

Tonight's menu
Turkey Breast
Swiss Chard with Cremini mushrooms and shallots
Gratin of Red Kuri Squash

I found the Gratin of Red Kuri Squash recipe on line but it was originally published in the Boston Globe Food Section.

Butter (for the dish) 1 small red kuri squash (a generous 1 pound), seeded and sliced 2 baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 2-inch pieces 1 small zucchini, grated 2/3 cup ricotta 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for the top 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1/2 cup grated Fontina or crumbled blue cheese Salt and pepper, to taste 1 tablespoon butter, cut up (for the top)
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. In a large saucepan fitted with a steamer insert, combine the squash and potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and steam over high heat for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a skewer.
3. Using a food mill or ricer set over a bowl, work the vegetables to form a puree. Or mash them with a potato masher until they are coarsely pureed. Add the zucchini, ricotta, nutmeg, parsley, 1/4 cup of the Fontina or blue cheese, and plenty of salt and pepper.
4. Transfer the mixture to the baking dish. Smooth the top. Add the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, butter, and a sprinkle of nutmeg.
5. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden. Let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving.

For the turkey I used a 4lb turkey half breast with ribs. I seasoned both sides generously with salt and pepper. I then browned the breast on both sides in a dutch oven that was heated with about 1 tablespoon of canola oil. I cooked the skin side for about 10 minutes and then flipped it and cooked the other side for about 5-7 minutes. I added about 1 cup of chardonnay and let it cook down and then added 2 large garlic cloves, smashed, 1 bay leaf, a sprig of fresh tarragon and about 4 sprigs of thyme. I then added 1 cup of chicken broth and brought it to a slight bowl. I then added everything to the crock pot and along with about 20 pearl onions. Cook on low for about 5 hours. I added an additional cup of chicken broth while it was cooking.

For the greens and mushrooms, I simply heated a small amount of olive oil in a pan, added the diced shallots, sliced cremini mushrooms, and then added the swiss chard. Cooked until the greens wilted.