Recipe: Trio of Pureed Vegetables

TRIO OF PUREED VEGETABLES
Source: Country Living Magazine
Makes 10 cups (about twelve 3/4-cup servings)

This dish of pureed green peas, gingery butternut squash, and creamy mashed potatoes is made a day ahead, refrigerated, and then baked prior to serving. Or, if you wish, the dish can be baked immediately upon assembly, thus reducing the baking time to 30 minutes.

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter
1 cup chopped green onions
2 packages (16 ounce each) frozen green peas, thawed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 1/2 pounds baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
2/3 cup milk
1 (2 1/2 pound) butternut squash, peeled, halved, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

In 3-quart saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat. Add green onions and saut 1 minute. Stir in peas, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cover and cook until heated through -- about 5 minutes. Transfer pea mixture to food processor fitted with chopping blade and set saucepan aside. Puree peas, adding water a tablespoon at a time if too thick to process, until smooth, stopping frequently to scrape side of container. Set pea puree aside.

In same saucepan, heat potatoes with enough water to cover to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook potatoes until tender. Drain potatoes; using potato masher or back of fork, mash potatoes with 2 tablespoons butter until smooth. Stir in milk, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Set mashed potatoes aside.

In 4-quart saucepan, heat butternut squash and enough water to cover to boiling. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook squash until tender. Drain squash; using potato masher or back of fork, mash squash with remaining 2 tablespoons butter until smooth. Stir in brown sugar, ginger, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Grease shallow oval 2-quart baking dish. Alternately spoon dollops of each vegetable around edge of dish and swirl vegetables decoratively toward center. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to bake.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover dish and bake vegetables 45 minutes or until heated through and top is lightly browned.