Butternut Squash with Goat Cheese Truffle

By LeeBoruchow

Ingredients

• Green Olive Pesto:
• 8 ounce Fresh soft goat cheese
• 1/2 cup Finely-chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 cup Green Olive Pesto
• 1 medium Butternut squash; peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2" cubes -; (abt 2 cups)
• 2 teaspoons Extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
• 2 Scallions from white to green; thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Black mustard seeds
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly-ground black pepper; to taste
• 1 1/2 cups large or jumbo green olives, such as ascolane, pitted
• 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cups pine nuts
• 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, approximately

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

For the pesto:
In a food processor, combine olives, onion, pine nuts and garlic and blend 1 minute. With motor running, slowly pour in olive oil until a thick, smooth paste is formed. texturally resembling rough bechamel. Allow to stand 1/2 hour before using.

Roll goat cheese into four balls roughly the size of golf balls. Roll balls in a plate covered with Green Olive Pesto, tapping and rolling so that pesto adheres in a thin layer. Roll olive pesto-coated goat cheese balls in a plate covered with chopped parsley, until coated. Set aside.

Bring two quarts of water to a boil. Drop squash cubes into boiling water and cook until soft yet still firm (about 5 to 6 minutes). Drain in a colander over sink and refresh with cold water until cool. Toss squash cubes with the extra-virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, scallions, and mustard seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Divide and arrange squash salad in center of four plates. Place one goat cheese truffle in center of each plate and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.