Cheddar Butternut Squash Ravioli in a Sage Pasta

So two nights ago I had roasted a butternut squash and eaten a bunch with my dinner. I was left with about 2 cups of roasted butternut squash leftovers and was inspired to make this fantastic pasta to use up the left overs create a yummy dinner for myself and  some to freeze back for quick healthy meals for the next month or so of hectic holiday stuff.
This is also the time of year that I am cutting back my sage so that it does well over the winter. So I went outside to gather the sage and use it to make the pasta even more special.

Ingredients
Regular Pasta 
4 eggs
200g semolina flour
200g all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

Sage pasta 
1/5th the regular pasta dough
2 cups sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
50g semolina flour

Cheddar Butternut Squash Filling 
2 cups leftover roasted butternut squash ( if starting from uncooked squash about 1/2 a large butternut squash roast till soft in 400 degree oven and then mash )
4 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt

How to make regular pasta
1. Weigh out semolina and all purpose flour for regular pasta.Then mix together in a bowl.
2. In food processor with dough blades put the four eggs and pulse just 2 or 3 pulses just enough to mix the yolks and eggs.
3. In three or four batches add in flour and then mix to combine.
4. Add in salt. Process until dough has incorporated all the flour and is a ball rolling on side.
5. Put in ziploc bag and allow to rest.

How to make sage pasta
1. Boil the sage leaves for 5 minutes  to soften.
2. Drain and add to food processor with chopping blade.
3. Add olive oil and process until very fine chopped will almost look like pesto about 1 min
4. Add in 1/5th the regular pasta and process  30 seconds pulsing to mix
5. Add in extra flour and process again until fully incorporated and dough is ball rolling along sides of processor
6. Put in ziploc bag to rest

How to make Cheddar Butternut Squash filling
1. In food processor mix together all ingredients
2. Pulse repeatedly to combine

Putting it all together.
1. Using your pasta rolling attachment roll out your pasta on the #1 setting and then fold in thirds and reroll five or six times until the pastry is smooth.
2. Repeat with the sage pasta

3. Cut strips of sage pasta and place on regular pasta in a nice pattern push down lightly

4. Run through the #1 setting again twice
5. Run through the #2 setting twice
6. Run through the #3 setting twice and the #4 setting twice.
7. Put on ravioli mold pretty side down add a teaspoon of filling and then brush water in between the raviolis and place the top layer of pastry on (pretty side up)
8. Remove from ravioli from mold and cut using pastry cutter.

9. Boil 7 minutes or freeze in single layer and then ziploc and keep in freezer for up to 3 months.
10. Enjoy!!

My Pin Fail Nautical Painted Pumpkins

So let's all admit we look at Pintrest and think to ourselves humm that does not look so hard I can do that. Yup that is me. For a year or two now I have seen people repinning cute painted pumpkins in preppy nautical paint jobs. Since Blue-green and orange look very good together and humm how hard could it be to paint an anchor I decided to try it. Somehow, I expected it to look more like the ones I see truly talented people produce. So here is my pumpkin for the year and it is nautical but less then adorable.

Nautical Pumpkin

However I am proud that I grew the pumpkin myself and that I tried. Now if you want to see cute ones go over to the blog Sand & Sisal they have some darn adorable ones for those of you with some better art skills.

Concord Grape Jelly

A few years ago my gate to my fence going from the driveway to the backyard broke. Replacing the whole fence was out fiscally and doing just the gate was going to look odd and not match I decided to put in an arbor and planted Concord grapes and Niagara grapes. Well the Concord grapes are ripe and purple.
I had 1.8 lbs of grapes.
Ingredients
1.8lbs concord grapes
1.8 cups sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon

Prep
Cover Jars with 2 inches of water and boil 10 minutes to sterilize.
Put a plate or two in freezer to test jam later


Recipe
1. Remove the skins for the grapes .
2. combine the skins and 1 cup sugar together in a blender or food processor till skins pureed
3. Over medium heat combine grape insides, remaining 0.8 cup sugar, juice of 1/2 lemon, and skin sugar mix. Simmer until grapes are broken down about 15 minutes
4.Strain through a fine mesh sieve or food mill
5. Return jam to pan to simmer 15 minutes
6.Start testing by putting a dollop on the cold plate and then see if it runs.When not running jam is done may take up to anther 25 minutes of simmering
7. Pour Jam into jars and place lids on  finger tip tight
8. Place under water and boil 10 minutes remove from water and allow to cool

Strawberries

Sorry for the delay in posting I have been visiting my folks down NC and some family things. I will be back posting again. In the mean time I harvested my first strawberries of the season this morning. Just a few and simply rinsed and eaten.