Stuffed To the Gills!

This little guy was inspired by the giant brown mushrooms 

that grew this fall beneath one of our pine trees.  

I was captivated by the cracked brown patches covering the caps,
  similar to a tortoise shell.

Sewing ruffles and pleats through the quiet evening hours

filled my heart with giddy anticipation of more to come!

 Feeling a little hungry, I ventured into the kitchen 
and look what I made! 

Alton Brown's

Butternut Dumplings with Brown Butter and Sage. 

Briefly, here's the process:

 Roast potatoes and butternut squash. 

 Use a hand-held potato masher and mash well. 

Mix in an egg, nutmeg and salt.

Gradually add the four until a soft dough forms.

Easy so far, right?

 Next, working in batches, scoop out a handful of the dough and 

roll into a rope. Cut 1/2" pieces and set them on a floured tray (above.)

They can be frozen at this point, but I was hungry....

 Again, working in batches, drop these little gems 

into boiling salted water. They'll float when they're done. 

Place them directly into an ice bath, 

dry on a towel (above), move to a dish and toss in oil.

 Once all of the dumplings are boiled and cooled

they can be finished in a brown butter and sage sauce

by first melting butter in a skillet. 

Once brown and frothy, add a bunch of sage leaves chiffonade

quickly followed by about a cup of the dumplings. 

I let mine brown up on a few sides. 

Topped with a little parmesan, these tasty treats didn't stand a chance.
Seasonal comfort food well worth the effort.
I highly recommend this recipe, 
and it's the first time I've successfully made dumplings. 
If you'd like the recipe, click here.

Happy Halloween!