The Versatile Butternut
Butternut squash is probably one of the most versatile vegetables to be found in any kitchen. It can be cut into fingers, sprayed with oil and seasoned with salt and pepper, and roasted like potato wedges. Alternatively, it can be made into thick hearty soup; especially good in the winter. For a light summer meal these butternut burgers are great with a salad.
Easy Storage
Butternuts are harvested in the autumn and because of their very tough skins they can be stored through the winter. Butternuts should be kept in a cool, dry place for anything up to a month. They are usually thought of as a winter vegetable but are good any time of year. Butternuts freeze well. Just cut peel and remove the seeds and cut into one-inch cubes. You can either cook the squash or freeze raw. They keep extremely well.
A Healthy Option
This vegetable is also a very healthy choice being rich in vitamins A and C and minerals such as beta-carotene, potassium niacin, thiamine and manganese. They are also a rich source of fibre.
The following recipe makes eight burgers.
- 500 grams butternut
- 40 grams breadcrumbs or medium matzo meal (have some extra breadcrumbs handy in case the mixture is too wet to roll into burgers)
- 1 onion
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- Cooking Oil
- Plain flour (or matzo meal)
- 1 egg
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional:
- 100 almonds
- 1 carrot
- Grated Cheese
Method:
- Peel the butternut, remove the seeds and cut into small pieces
- Peel the onion and cut into small pieces
- Put the butternut and onion into food blender
- If using almonds or carrot add them now – the almonds give the mixture a slightly denser texture and enhance the nutty flavour
- Add the thyme and the breadcrumbs
- Blend until roughly pureed
- Divide the mixture into eight equal patties
- Put some plain flour (or matzo meal) onto a separate plate
- Beat the egg and leave in a separate dish, season with salt and pepper
- Dip each burger first into the egg and then in the flour
- Fry in hot oil until golden brown turning frequently to avoid burning
Suggestions:
When the burgers are cooked sprinkle with the grated cheese and serve piping hot. They go really well with mashed potatoes and any green vegetable. Since butternut has such a strong nutty flavour it goes well with plain foods, for example, nothing too strongly flavoured or heavily spiced.
The burgers are also good served cold as an accompaniment to a mixed salad and raw vegetable sticks such as celery or sugar snap peas. They are equally good preceeded by Borsht, and Home Baked Bagels or accompanied by roast vegetables and followed by Cheese Cake.
