She starts with 1 pound of yams, slicing them in half, rubbing them with a little olive oil, and roasting them, cut side down, in a 475-degree oven for 45 minutes, or until they are very soft. (If they are still stringy when you try to scrape out the flesh, then they are not done enough, she says. And if they’re done, the skin will almost separate form the flesh by itself.) The cut side will be browned, so scrape down for the orange flesh and scoop it all out. Then mash it in a bowl until smooth — it should be about 1 cup of yams. At this point, Amy adds 1 T of butter, 1/2 T of brown sugar, a pinch of pumpkin pie spice, and mixes until blended. The she adds 1/2 cup of goat cheese (softened for a few seconds in the microwave), and mixes it all together until it is very creamy and fluffy — and she adds a dash of white pepper to taste.

She then takes a package of wonton wrappers and a little water and gets ready to assemble them. Put a little mound of filling in the center of a wonton wrapper, brush the water around the edges, put a second wrapper on top and press the edges together well to seal. (A tight seal is very important.) Amy makes 3 – 4 ravioli per person for an appetizer portion, more for an entree, so keep assembling as many as you would need for your guests. As she finishes each one, she dusts it with a little bit of cornstarch so they don’t all stick together. To cook, drop them in simmering water and leave them for 3 – 4 minutes. Remove them with a slotted spoon and drizzle them with a little olive oil so that they don’t stick together at this point, either.

Meanwhile, for the sauce, finely mince 3 – 4 shallots and chiffonade 1/3 cup of sage leaves. Pre-heat a saute pan over medium high heat, then add 1 T olive oil and saute the shallots until translucent, then add 1/2 stick of butter, cook until it melts, being extra careful not to burn the butter. Add the sage leaves and cook for another moment, then toss the ravioli in the sauce to coat and place on the plate. Drizzle with sauce and top with shaved parmesan. So elegant and so delicious!!

Today was a big day at the market in general since Thanksgiving is coming up, and many people who don’t ordinarily cook are trying their hand at it this week. Everyone was stocking up on vegetables for their side dishes for the Big Meal, and green beans were at a premium. How many people had this dish on their Thanksgiving table growing up? (It was one of my Dad’s favorites.)

In the Green Booth today, Anna Cummins, of Algalita Marine Research, was on hand to keep all of us aware of the state of our oceans and just how many floating plastic pollutants there are clogging it all up. It’s horrible to think of all that plastic being eaten by marine animals, and I hope their work helps us all be more mindful of what consequences our actions have.

This is an original post by Sarah Auerswald.

{FULL DISCLOSURE} {I’ve attended Amy’s Underground Dinners before and have always paid for my own ticket; “Cheese, Please” will be no exception. I have received no compensation for any aspects of this blog post.}

Photos of ravioli in process courtesy of Amy Jurist; used with permission.

The plums she likes to use are the kind with red flesh, not the yellow. Yet they are deceptively similar from the outside, as you can see, so be sure to ask the vendor.Amy caters all kind of events, works as a personal chef, and also does these cool underground dinners about one every month — the next one has an Italian theme and will take place on July 11th. There are still a few spots left and you can get info about all of her services here at her website, Amy’s Culinary Adventures.

Amy’s Caramelized Plum Almond Upside Down Cake

Makes one 10 ½ -inch cake  Serves 8

For the topping:

6          tablespoons unsalted butter

3/4       cup packed light-brown sugar

5          ripe red hearted plums, such as flavorosa

1          tablespoon of light corn syrup

 For the batter:

1 1/2    cups all-purpose flour

2          teaspoons baking powder

1/4       teaspoon salt

8          tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter

1          cup granulated sugar

2          teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 1/2    teaspoons almond extract

2          large eggs, separated

1/2       cup whole milk

1/4       teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Make the topping: Melt butter in the bottom of a 10 1/2-inch cast-iron(or other heavy ovenproof) skillet over medium heat. Add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add corn syrup and stir to form a nice syrup. Swirl to coat the bottom; remove from heat, and cool slightly. Cut plums into 1/4-inch-thick wedges, and arrange them in a circular pattern over the brown-sugar mixture to cover completely; set aside.

2. Make the batter: Preheat the oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and almond extracts; beat to combine. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating to combine.

4. Alternating with the milk, gradually add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and mix, on low speed, just until the flour is incorporated.

5. In a large bowl, beat reserved egg whites and the cream of tartar with a hand mixer until stiff but not dry. Using a rubber spatula, fold egg whites into the batter. Transfer to skillet. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly, being careful not to disturb the plums.

6. Bake until well browned on top and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Run a knife around inside of pan, and immediately invert the cake onto a serving dish. Serve warm or at room temperature.

 Note: This recipe also works very well with pears and apples!

Recipe Developed by Chef Amy Jurist

An original post by Sarah Auerswald. Photos by me and by Amy Jurist.