As Jon and I hunkered down to weather the blizzard of 2011, which turned out to be a heavier-than-normal-snowstorm and not the snowpocolypse as originally forecast, we didn’t turn to milk, bread and eggs. No way. Jon would have none of that. He stocked up on organic beef, gouda cheese, bacon, avocado, squash, and cauliflower and produced two perfect-for-a-snow day meals.

First up, Organic Beef Burgers with Gouda, Avocado and Bacon. Because it was snowing Friday evening, we grilled them on our indoor grill. There is only one word for these burgers… yummy.We usually don’t invest in organic beef, but after tasting this burger, it’s going to be hard for me to go back. The texture, the flavor, everything about this burger was delicious.

 

For the official snow day, Jon whipped up Butternut Squash and Radicchio Pappardelle with Cauliflower, White Bean and Feta Salad. The Butternut Squash dish receives a “just ok” rating on our scale. The pine nuts definitely redeem the dish, so don’t skimp here if you can’t stomach the price of pine nuts. They are worth it. We also spruced it up with some salt and pepper to taste. The cauliflower salad receives an “ah-maz-ing” rating. Though, we are partial to recipes with loads of citrus in them.

 

Butternut Squash and Radicchio Pappardelle

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/3 cup pine nuts
• 1 pound butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes (about 2 1/2 cups)
• 3/4 pound radicchio, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 (8 t0 9 ounces) package of pappardelle (preferably egg pasta) broken into large pieces
• 1/2 cup coarsely grated ricotta salata or Parmigiano Reggiano

Melt butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat, then continue to cook until it is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add oil, then nuts, and cook, stirring, until nuts are golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a plate.

Add squash to skillet and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until golden and just tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add radicchio and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until wilted and just tender, about 3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook pappardelle in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoon salt for 6 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain pasta. Add pasta to radicchio mixture with 1/2 cup cooking water and toss over low heat until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Add more cooking water to moisten if necessary.

Serve topped with nuts and cheese.

Cauliflower, White Bean and Feta Salad

 

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 medium head of cauliflower, trimmed, cut into small florets (about 3 cups)
• 1 (15-ounce) can white beans (such as Great Northern or navy beans), drained
• 2 large heads of Belgian endive, trimmed, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced crosswise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 3 ounces)

Combine oil and rosemary in small saucepan. Stir over medium heat just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool.

Whisk lemon juice, vinegar, lemon peel, salt, and pepper in small bowl.

Combine cauliflower, beans, endive, chives, parsley, and rosemary oil in medium bowl; toss. Mix in cheese. Add lemon juice mixture and toss to coat. Season salad with salt and pepper.