Butternut Squash and Sesame Purée

From Preserved: Vegetables, by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin

Excerpted with permission from Preserved: Vegetables; by Darra Goldstein, Cortney Burns, and Richard Martin; published by ‎Hardie Grant Publishing, October 2024

Credit: David Malosh

Butternut squash and sesame purée

Yield: About 2 cups

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces / 340 g fresh winter squash, such as kabocha or butternut

• 10 ounces / 280 g Fermented Winter Squash 

• 2 ounces / 56 g sweet potato

• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and stem ends removed

• ¼ cup / 64 g tahini

• 1 ½ tablespoons white miso

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 ¼ teaspoons ground coriander

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

• ½ teaspoon onion powder

• ½ teaspoon fennel pollen (or use ¼ teaspoon each aniseed and fennel seed, toasted and ground) 

• ¾ teaspoon hot paprika or ground cayenne pepper

• ½ teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons brine from Fermented Winter Squash 

• ¼ cup / 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil

• Toasted pumpkin seeds (optional), for garnish

• Roasted pumpkin seed oil (optional), for garnish

Procedure:

1. Peel the fresh squash and sweet potato and cut them into 1-inch / 2.5 cm chunks. Fill a large pot with 1 to 2 inches / 2.5 to 5 cm of water and fit a steamer basket inside, making sure the water isn’t high enough to seep into the basket. Cover the pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat.

2. Steam the fresh and fermented squash, sweet potato, and garlic together, covered, until they are soft enough to mash, about 20 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and leave to cool for about 10 minutes. 

3. Transfer the vegetables to the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times to break them up slightly. Add the tahini, miso, lemon juice, salt, spices, zest, and brine and continue to process until smooth. With the processor still running, slowly stream in the oil to make a silky, emulsified purée.

4. Let cool to room temperature and taste for seasoning, adding more salt if desired. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. The purée will keep for 2 to 3 weeks.

5. To serve as a dip, spoon the purée into a bowl and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and pumpkin seed oil.