KABOCHA SQUASH, ARTICHOKE, AND FENNEL SAUTÉ
This side dish has the yellow smoothness of squash, the crunch of roasted fennel, and the natural sweetness of the artichokes in a rich cinnamon butter.
Ingredients:
2 Kabocha squashes (a spring yellow squash), steamed and diced
2 fennel bulbs, roasted and sliced
1 package frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and sliced
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions:
Scrub the squash clean, cut it into quarters, steam for 20 minutes and cool. When ready, spoon out the seeds and dice the squash. The rind can be eaten. Taste it to make sure it is tender enough or cook it a little longer. If the skin is not wanted, then scoop out the flesh into a large bowl.
Prepare the fennel by rinsing it, cutting off the base of the bulb, and trimming off the dried ends of each stalk. Slice the bulbs into sixths, and lay them out on an oiled roasting pan. Brush with a mixture of the sunflower oil and balsamic, and roast in a 400°F (200°C) oven until wilted and the tips are just starting to caramelize, for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove and cool. Thaw the artichokes and slice into bite-size pieces. Remove any leaves that are tough.
When ready to serve, heat all the vegetables together in a large saucepan with the butter, chopped parsley, cinnamon, celery seed, and garlic powder. Give an extra dash of balsamic and serve hot.
Correspondences:
The butter is of water, and the fennel is water of air. The artichoke, squash, sunflower oil, and cinnamon are all of fire, and the dried garlic is air of fire. Celery seed with similar properties to fennel seed is fire of air.
