Kasey Passen spent ten years focusing on dinner parties as a restaurant chef and caterer before becoming OneTable’s Associate Director of Hubs.  Her passion is making people happy through food, so she’s sharing some of her “WOW” recipes and favorites by other chefs with the OneTable community. 

In this blog series, I’m focusing on seasonal cooking within a budget – your nourishment budget! Three awesome courses that serve 10 people, all for under $150 at Whole Foods. (Check out the Instacart shopping list I’ve created for you here, linked to Whole Foods, to make your Shabbat dinners party a breeze.)

Fall is definitely my favorite season, not only because the leaves are stunning and there is absolutely no humidity in Chicago, but because I am obsessed with Fall ingredients. The gorgeous pumpkins, countless varieties of squash, chestnuts, fresh pomegranates, and exotic root vegetables popping up at my local Whole Foods fill my mind with endless possibilities of savory and sweet flavor combinations. Here are some delicious ingredients and recipes that will elevate your Shabbat dinners and certainly impress your guests this season.

FALL FEAST SHOPPING LIST

Produce:
2 Butternut squash
3 Delicata or Acorn squash
5 oz. container of arugula
2 pomegranates
1 shallot
1 head of garlic
2 bunches of asparagus
1.5 lb. Crimini or Shitake mushrooms
3 lemon
10 firm pears (Bosc pears work great)

Other:
8 oz. walnuts
½ lb. crumbly blue or goat cheese
5 oz. shredded Parmesan
1.5 cups of sugar
1 quart heavy cream
1 bottle sherry vinegar
1 bottle extra virgin olive oil
1 jar dijon mustard
20 oz. dry linguini or spaghetti pasta
1 small jar of truffle oil
1 bottle dry white wine
1 Tbs. cardamon pods
1 vanilla extract

ROASTED SQUASH, WALNUT, AND POMEGRANATE SALAD

Recipe and photo by Kasey Passen

Ingredients:
3 small Delicata squash (can substitute Acorn squash), cored and thinly sliced
2 large Butternut squash, cored and small diced
3/4 cup olive oil
5 oz fresh arugula
1.5 cups walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
6-8 oz. crumbled blue or goat cheese
1 cup fresh pomegranate seeds

Sherry Vinaigrette:
5 Tbs. sherry vinegar
1 shallot, minced
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
2/3 cup olive oil
Kosher salt and ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. On separate sheet trays, lay out the Butternut and Delicata squash. Toss each squash with olive oil and sprinkle with Kosher salt. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until caramelized and tender, depending on the thickness of the squash. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sherry vinegar, shallot and mustard. Slowly drizzle in the oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. In a medium sized bowl, add 1/3 of the cooled squash. Delicately add the arugula, walnuts, blue cheese and pomegranate seeds and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Continue this process (two more times) with another layer of squash topped by the other colorful and delicious ingredients.

Drizzle the vinaigrette over the top and season with freshly cracked pepper and sea salt.

LINGUINI PASTA WITH SHITAKE MUSHROOMS,
ROASTED ASPARAGUS, AND TRUFFLE OIL

Recipe and photo by Kasey Passen

Ingredients:
6 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 bunches asparagus, stems trimmed off
1.5 lb. Crimini mushrooms, sliced thin
20 oz. dried linguine (if you have gluten-free guests, try Jovial pasta, your guests won’t taste the difference)
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2-3 Tbs. Truffle oil
2/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the asparagus in 1 Tbs. of olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 8-10 minutes. Let the asparagus cool down and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. Set aside.

In a large saute pan, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and let it cook for 7-9 minutes, stirring occasionally to break up clumps. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water in a cup. Drain the pasta under cold water, toss with a little olive oil and set aside.

In a large saute pan heat the remaining olive oil for 30 seconds and then add the garlic and saute for another 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms, season with salt, and saute for 5-8 minutes (the water should release from the mushrooms and get reabsorbed). Add the asparagus, pasta, lemon juice/zest, truffle oil and 1/4 cup of reserved pasta water. Season with Kosher salt and lots of black pepper.

Cook over moderate heat for 3 minutes, stirring with tongs to let all of the flavors come together. Mix in the Parmesan cheese, still the pasta together until it melts and serve immediately!

CARDAMOM POACHED PEARS WITH CINNAMON WHIPPED CREAM

Recipe and photo modified from: Bon Appetit’s Poached Pears with Cardamom and Saffron

Ingredients:
1 Tbs. cardamom pods
1 bottle dry white wine
1.5 cup sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Pinch of kosher salt
10 firm pears (Bosc work great), peeled, stems intact
1 pint heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gently crush cardamom with a rolling pin or the bottom of a skillet to slightly crack open pods without releasing seeds. Combine cardamom, wine, sugar (reserve 1 Tbs. for whipped cream), lemon juice, and salt in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer. Add pears; add water if needed to completely submerge pears. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer, turning occasionally, until pears are tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer pears to a plate. Increase heat and boil poaching liquid until reduced to 1.5 cups, 10–15 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead.

Before serving, whip the cream with 1 tablespoon of sugar and vanilla until it forms soft pears. Rewarm the pears and reduced syrup. Plate each pear with a large spoonful of whipped cream and garnish with reduced syrup.

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