Tim Sullivan
Executive Chef of Venues, Great Performances
greatperformances.com
Dad of three girls, ages six, four and five months
Thanksgiving thoughts: “When I was young, my family and I traveled to my Uncle John’s home in Boston Corner, Columbia County, New York. My uncle, a carpenter, was also an exceptional hunter and great cook. He always had a great spread including turkey with gravy, stuffing, roasted butternut squash, roasted sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green beans with caramelized onion and always a red wine braised meat stew. The stew was often deer if he caught one early in the season and if not was beef. He would talk about Thanksgiving being “a feast of organization” and he made the stew a day or two prior so he had oven space for everything else. Today my five siblings along with their families and in-laws still gather at Thanksgiving (we’re 30 to 40 people) and celebrate a similar menu. I am not a hunter and therefore we serve beef stew along with everything else. It’s a tradition for us and since not everyone is a fan of turkey the stew is a make-ahead alternative that is also a great taste counterpoint to the big bird!”
Recipe
Butternut Squash & Apple Puree
Serves 8
1 large butternut squash, split down center, seeds removed
4 sweet apples, peeled, cored and quartered
1 medium onion, finely choppd
5 Tbsp butter
Water
Coarse salt & fresh ground pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roast squash flesh side down in a glass baking dish until tender, about 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile saute onion in two tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook until soft, stirring occasionally, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. When squash is tender, remove from oven. Allow to cool a bit and then peel the skin. Cut-up squash into large pieces and place in food processor. Add apples and puree. For youngest Thanksgiving guests like my five month old, remove a small serving portion and adjust to desired consistency with water. For older children and adults, add sautéed onion to food processor, along with the remaining three tablespoons of butter and puree quickly until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
photo: Tim Sullivan
