Dorie suggests plating these sealed vegetable packets and letting each guest have the pleasure of savoring the first fragrant puff of steam when the seal is broken. My friend, Ruth, enjoyed the moment.

Dorie suggests plating these sealed vegetable packets and letting each guest have the pleasure of savoring the first fragrant puff of steam when the seal is broken. My friend, Ruth, enjoyed the moment.

My! My! My!

Everything about this week’s FFWD recipe was a delicious, winning, you-must-make-this, choice. Let’s just forgeddabout last week’s not-so-good and race quickly on to better and best: Brown-Sugar Squash and Brussels Sprouts** en Papillote.

 

The cubed squash, apples, halved Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper are  easily and simply mixed together.

The cubed squash, apples, halved Brussels sprouts, olive oil, salt and pepper are easily and simply mixed together.

 

Dorie echoed my original thought when I first read this recipe. “I don’t think I’d ever have put the squash and Brussels sprouts together if they weren’t packed into the bin side by side,” she said. “And it was just a stroke of luck that I had both an apple and fresh sage, which is perfect with the vegetables and fruit.”

 

Divide evenly between four non-stick, 12-inch squares of aluminum foil.

Divide evenly between four non-stick, 12-inch squares of aluminum foil. Frankly, this was the hardest part and, yes, I counted!!!

 

To my surprise and Dorie’s, what pleased her most about this serendipitous side was ‘the play between earthy and sweet’.

 

I sprinkled brown sugar over each bundle and topped with fresh sage.

I sprinkled brown sugar over each bundle and topped with fresh sage. Earthy. Sweet.

 

Although this is really a recipe for your Fall menus, it is tasty in Winter also. Once again, our Doristas who live in South America and Australia, where it is Summer, are very, very good sports.

 

I sealed the packets, leaving room so the ingredients can steam, and put them in the refridgerator.

I sealed the packets, leaving room so the ingredients can steam, and put them in the refridgerator.

 

 

Because I am particularly busy right now, I bought a pound package of pre-cut, cubed squash so it took only 15 minutes to throw this together. I also made the packets in the morning, refrigerated them and added a few minutes to their baking time.

Luckily my veggie-lovin’ Colorado friends, Peter and Ruth Frey, joined me for this week’s successful taste testing. The Freys, enroute to a two-month stay in Cambria, California, stopped to observe my January 31st house-closing (or to “manage” my emotional fall-out if there was a closing glitch).

 

To accompany this week's FFWD recipe, I served a green salad and Yotam Ottolenghi's "Very Full Tart", a delicious recipe from his cookbook, "Plenty".

To accompany this week’s FFWD recipe, I served a green salad and Yotam Ottolenghi’s “Very Full Tart”, a delicious recipe from his cookbook, “Plenty”.

 

Fortunately we enjoyed two sunny days of exploring Nevada’s outdoors fueled by wonderful food, drink and friendship. Plus, we were able to celebrate yesterday’s successful house closing/sale before their leaving for Callie this morning.

 

The reason Peter is not smiling is that he had already begun to open his packet before Ruth and I scared the hell out of him by telling him to STOP. I needed a photo, of course. A long-time professor at Northwestern University, he understands 'learning experiences' and patiently re-sealed his packet for picture-taking. But, he's all-business, he wouldn't smile.

The reason Peter is not smiling is that he had already begun to open his packet before Ruth and I scared the hell out of him by telling (well, yelling at) him to STOP. I needed a photo, of course. A long-time professor at Northwestern University, he understands ‘learning experiences’ and patiently re-sealed his packet for picture-taking. But, he’s all-business so couldn’t smile.

 

Peter's silent compliment to the cook.

Peter’s silent compliment to the cook.

To see how my FFWD colleagues handled their tinfoil this week, go to our group link.  If you want to try this recipe, and I urge you to try it, go here.

 

I enjoyed introducing my Colorado friends to Nevada's outdoor hiking opportunities. Nevada is over 80% public land,  forty-eight million acres of that land is  administered by the Bureau of Land management.

I enjoyed introducing my Colorado friends to Nevada’s outdoor hiking opportunities. Nevada is over 80% public land, forty-eight million acres of that land is administered by the Bureau of Land management. Since Ruth and I are both volunteer forest rangers in Colorado’s High Country, she especially enjoyed our hikes at Lake Mead, the Red Rocks National Conservation Area and Black Mountain, a totally different experience from hiking in the Rockies.

 

** These tiny cabbage-like vegetables are named after the Belgian city of Brussels, which has an “S” on the end. The correct spelling is “Brussels sprouts.”