I haven't really been cooking much at all and that's basically the reason I haven't been updating the blog. But an even more realistic reason- I haven't had one moment to sit and write for the blog. Since the last post, I was working on another post plus 2 other dishes- both for the same dinner. But what's even more exciting (or maybe frightening), I moved to Berkeley for the internship in Oakland. I am interning with the Oakland Food Policy Council, check it out, they do a lot of great stuff with implementing policy changes and supporting the local community surrounding food justice issues. And the best part? Lunch, every day. Free. Homemade. Fresh. Amazing.
Most of this week and last week, one of the full-time employees has been cooking. Everything she makes is amazing. We had mung bean soup with rice last week, zucchini "crab" cakes yesterday with spicy green beans/peas, pasta with tomatoes, and more. The development director cooks a few times, too, usually a pasta dish with tomatoes. There's always salad and an abundance of tomatoes right from the garden. The whole front yard is a garden, Food not Lawns would be proud. Amongst the tomatoes is a lemon tree, a last push of raspberries, basil, a barrel of sad mint, lemon verbena, and even an apple tree. Last week, while I was at an OFPC meeting, the other interns planted beans in one of the beds. It's absolutely magical!
I've been here now a week and a half. My last few days in Claremont were chaotic- I can't remember what happened at all, it all happened so fast. I remember looking for houses and jobs in berkeley/oakland on craigslist for hours at a time, posting an ad for a ride up to the bay area with my bicycle and getting in a strangers car for the 7 hour ride. I stayed at a hostel the first couple of nights. I brought some left over pilaf with me, but ended up skipping breakfast and dinner those 3 days in exchange for a huge lunch and snacks. I met quite a slew of characters in the hostel. My first night, I stayed in a shared room with, surprisingly, another intern from Food First, a French masters student, and an Aussie yogi chick who told me about a website for bed and breakfasts where people rent out rooms in homes for a night, a week, or even a month! I found a nice looking place to stay and by day 3, i was ready to leave the hostel as fast as I could. I had a woman in my room the second night who was running away from her abusive boyfriend. She said she was trying to go to San Diego asap, but she was still lingering around 2 days later. I didn't know what to do, other than give her hotline phone numbers, of which she told me she's been to counselors, called hotlines, homes, but always goes back. I think that's what she was waiting for at the hostel, too.
Last night, sick of my diet of eggs, yogurt, peanut butter and bread (not all at once), I went over to the magical Berkeley Bowl. Such an inspiring place, I can't ever decide what to put in my trail mix, something salty, something (or two) sweet, something fruity, something nutty, something savory, something spicy- another addition to my diet. I was picking up some stuff for the woman who's room I'm renting out- oh. I forgot to mention, I moved in with a great woman who graduated from Cal in the 60s. She's a real member of the free speech movement and has great stories to tell, great advice to give, and makes great art, specifically photography. She has been incredibly helpful in my chaotic movements around the area. I can't even seem to sit still here, but her groundedness (which she told me, she just recently found after 69 years of moving around) helps me come back to right here, right now. She can't eat sugar or flour, which is a bummer for me as a cook and baker, but after my terrible diet, I gave in and went for the veggies.
I bought a butternut squash and a large heirloom tomato. I have been eating tomatoes nonstop. The garden out front of my internship is just blooming with them and I snack all day on grape tomatoes, enjoy several slices at lunch and even bring some home to add with my eggs. Last night, I decided to go for a red and green stripey one, which I roasted whole with the butternut squash, and 4 cloves of garlic, still in their skin. I lightly oiled the pan with olive oil and cut the end off the squash and then cut it half and scooped out the seeds. I removed the green leaf off of the tomato and put it all in the oven to bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
The tomato finished roasting before the squash, I took it out when it was oozing from all sides and let it cool. I cut the tomato into small pieces and put it into a bowl with all the juice/water. I then heated up about 2 tbsp of butter until it was browned and smelled nutty. With the butter, I added some cumin, salt and pepper and waited for it to toast. In the meantime, I turned on a pot of boiling water for the gnocchi.
When the butter was browned and the spices toasted, I added the tomato plus all of its water and about a tbsp and a half-2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar. I peeled the garlic and added it, mushing it a little with my fingers. I turned the heat down to low and let the flavors combine and also added in a fair amount of dried basil (I would have added fresh, but didn't have any). Once the squash was done, i took it out and peeled and cubed just one half. I added it to the tomato mixture with about 1 tsp of nutmeg.
The water had reached a boil by then so I added the gnocchi and in just one minute, the gnocchi surfaced in the water and I took each piece out as they floated. I put the gnocchi in a bowl and added the sauce and mixed well. I then sprinkled a bit of parmesan for good measure and devoured my first home cooked dinner in weeks.
Ingredients
1/2 roasted butternut squash, seeds removed, cubed and peeled
1 large roasted tomato
4 cloves of garlic, roasted and peeled
1/2 pound fresh gnocchi
water for the gnocchi
2 tbsp butter
salt, to taste
pepper, to taste
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil for the baking sheet
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