Valerie Gordon is the woman behind Valerie Confections and Valerie at the Market. She sells sweet and savory baked goods using farmers market ingredients at the Sunday Hollywood Market and the Saturday Santa Monica Market (at Arizona).
Butternut Squash Bread Pudding8 Servings
2 lbs butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
6 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
1 1/2 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
2 1/2 tsp salt
7 eggs
2 cups heavy cream
1 day-old baguette or rustic bread, cut into 11/2 in. pieces
5 leeks ,white and tender greens sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bunches hearty greens such as kale or chard
10 oz Gruyere, grated
½ cup milk
Preheat Oven to 375F
Mix squash, 3 tablespoons olive oil, butter, and 1 tsp salt on a baking sheet. Bake until the squash is tender but not soft, approximately 20 minutes.
Whisk eggs, cream, 1tsp salt and ½ tsp ground nutmeg in a large bowl. Add bread cubes and stir thoroughly. Let sit for 30-60 minutes or until the bread appears soaked wit liquid. Incorporate 2 oz (approx 1/3 cup) grated cheese.
While the bread and cream mixture is soaking, pour 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large pan. Heat the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium high heat, add leeks and garlic stirring frequently until the leeks soften. Raise the heat slightly and add hearty greens and 1/2 tsp salt, stir until the greens wilt. Remove from heat.
Take half of the roasted butternut squash and spoon into a food processor, add milk and pulse until it becomes a puree.
Prepare a 13x9x2 or 2-9”round baking dishes with butter. Spoon half of the bread mixture into the baking pan, it should cover the bottom. Spread the squash puree evenly over the bread. Evenly distribute hearty greens over the puree. Cover the greens with 6 oz (approx. 2/3 cup) grated Gruyere. Spoon the remaining bread mixture over the cheese. Top the bread mix with cubed and roasted squash. Finally, sprinkle the remaining cheese over the squash and finish with nutmeg.
Using a spatula, gently press down on the bread pudding until it seems slightly compressed and even on the top. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional twenty minutes.
Allow the pudding to sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Sandra Newman-Davis of Forbidden Fruit sells organic blueberries at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. Right now she has sapphire blueberries which have a low chill point. She also sells honey, jam and syrup.
Music Break: Keep On Eatin' by Memphis Minnie