Reader Recipes featuring Sigona’s products

Our friend Luisa Ormonde of Luisa’s Catering in San Carlos submitted these recipes from her friend, Dawn. Luisa sends Dawn, who lives in Wisconsin, Sigona’s Fresh Press extra virgin olive oil and balsamics, and in return, Dawn shares her recipes. We think it’s a wonderful and mutually beneficial exchange of which we’re happy to reap the benefits for you, our customers!

Dawn’s Fig Crostini

“This recipe is from my childhood friend, Dawn, now living in Wisconsin! I made tweaks so I’ll give it to you in original form + with tweaks :)” – Luisa Ormonde.

Time 15 mins, Serves 8. You can also find the recipes posted here on GroupRecipes.com.

Fig topping:

• 1 c. dried black mission figs (6 oz)
• 1 t. lemon juice
• 2 c. water
• 2 T. maple syrup
• dash of salt

Onions:

• Sigona’s Fresh Press Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 c. vertically sliced yellow onions
• 2 T. chocolate balsamic vinegar
• 1 t. chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 t. salt

Remaining ingredients:

• 1/2 c. (4 oz) gorgonzola cheese, softened (or brie)
• 24 (1 inch thick) slices diagonally cut French bread baguette, brushed with olive oil + toasted (12 oz)
• 1 t. fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

• To prepare fig topping, remove stems from figs. place fig and juice in food processor; process until figs are coarsely chopped. Place fig mixture, 2 c. water, syrup, and dash of salt in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 25 minutes or until thick. Cool completely.
• To prepare onions, heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray or oil over medium heat. Add onion, vinegar, 1/2 t. thyme, and 1/4 t. salt; cover and cook 5 minutes. Uncover and cook 20 minutes or until onion is deep golden brown, stirring occasionally.
• Spread 1 t. cheese over each baguette slice. Top each slice with about 1 t. jam + 1 t. onions. Sprinkle evenly with thyme leaves.

Notes from Luisa: I didn’t use the food processor to chop the figs, just chopped them coarsely by hand. I used about 1 c. onion instead of 2 c. because I used mini baguettes for an appetizer size. I used brie cheese (because it’s what I had on hand, and I accidently grabbed gorgonzola cheese instead of goat cheese-shoot!). I adjusted the amounts of everything on the bread because they were smaller. I also topped the cheese with a little bit of store bought fig jam, but next time I’d probably skip it!

Butternut Squash Lasagna With Truffle Oil

“My friend Dawn, who lives in Wisconsin, made this gorgeous lasagna for her family’s Thanksgiving, adding some of the white truffle oil I had mailed her. It reminded me that I had made this exact lasagna before and that it is absolutely delicious.” – Luisa Ormonde.

Time 1 hr 25 mins. Serves 8. You can also find the recipes posted here on GroupRecipes.com.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (1 1/2 to 2-pound) butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Sigona’s White Truffle Oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 3 Amaretti cookies, crumbled
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 cups whole milk
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 3/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh basil leaves
• 12 no-boil lasagna noodles (or fresh lasagna noodles)
• 2 1/2 cups shredded whole-milk mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan
• minced parsley, for garnish

Directions:

• Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squash and toss to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour the water into the skillet and then cover and simmer over medium heat until the squash is tender, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly and then transfer the squash to a food processor. Add the Amaretti cookies and blend until smooth. Season the squash puree, to taste, with more salt and pepper and white truffle oil.

• Melt the butter in a heavy medium-size saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in the milk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the nutmeg. Cool slightly. Transfer half of the sauce to a blender*. Add the basil and blend until smooth. Return the basil sauce to the sauce in the pan and stir to blend. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, to taste.

• Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Lightly butter a 13 by 9 by 2-inch glass baking dish. Spread 3/4 cup of the sauce over the prepared baking dish. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles on the bottom of the pan. Spread 1/3 of the squash puree over the noodles. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese. Drizzle 1/2 cup of sauce over the noodles. Repeat layering 3 more times.

• Tightly cover the baking dish with foil and bake the lasagna for 40 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses over the lasagna. Continue baking uncovered until the sauce bubbles and the top is golden, 15 minutes longer. Let the lasagna stand for 15 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with parsley.