Recipes From A (Ladies) Night to Remember

Last month, The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market welcomed the Ladies Group of the Friends of Christopher Columbus Park (FOCCP) for a special Family Dinner Night. Led by Chef Cleo Bell, attendees prepared farm-fresh courses with local ingredients from the Market’s vendors. Follow the recipes below to create your own night to remember!

Nella’s Pasta with Romanesco Broccoli, Winter Squash, and Turkey Chorizo

• 1 lb. fresh pasta
• ¼-½ cup salt
• ½ lb. loose (out of the casing) turkey sausage
• 1 ½ cup Romanesco Broccoli or Brussels sprouts, cut into small bites
• 1 ½ cup winter squash, peeled and large diced
• 1 shallot, minced
• 4 T butter
• 2 T parsley or sage, for garnish
• ¼ cup Asiago cheese, grated

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Take winter squash, toss in a little olive oil, pepper and salt. Place in even layer on baking tray and put in the oven. Treat the broccoli or sprouts the same way, but put on a separate baking sheet.
3. Check and stir at 10 minutes. Check again every 5 minutes until vegetables are cooked through and slightly brown. Pull from the oven and set aside.
4. Meanwhile, put your largest pot of water over high heat, seasoned with salt until the water tastes like the ocean. Bring to a boil.
5. While you are waiting for the water to boil, place butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat. Stir observantly while the butter melts, froths, and then slowly separates while the fats begin to brown at the bottom of the pan. As soon as you see the fats begin to brown and smell a divine nuttiness, pull the pan from the heat and use a spatula to scrape the butter into a cool dish. Set aside.
6. Check the oven. Once vegetables are done, continue to step 7.
7. In a large, rimmed pan or pot over medium heat, drizzle a little olive oil and put the sausage into the pan.  Cook until the sausage is cooked through and slightly browned. Remove the sausage from the pot onto a plate with paper towels.
8. Return the pan to medium low heat and add the shallots. Cook until tender and then remove the pan from heat.
9. Now we are ready to cook the pasta. Once the water is at a rapid boil, add fresh pasta and cook for 2-6 minutes, depending on shape of the noodle. Drain pasta — but do not rinse! — and place immediately into the large pot with the shallots and sausage drippings. Stir gently.  If you are using dry pasta, follow instructions on the box.
10. Add vegetables, sausage, and brown butter to the pasta pot and mix gently, being sure to coat everything in the brown butter. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with parsley and Asiago. Enjoy!

Taza Chocolate, Coconut & Oatmeal Cookies

• ½ cup shortening
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tps vanilla extract
• ½ cup butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 1 tps baking powder
• 1 tps baking soda
• 2 cups rolled oats

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, cream shortening, butter, and sugars. Add eggs and vanilla until blended. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients, withholding the coconut until all other dry ingredients are blended. Add coconut.
4. Combine wet and dry ingredients until moist. Drop on greased cookie sheet about 1-2 inches apart. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven immediately; if overcooked cookies get HARD.