Late Summer Vegetable Puffs
Wednesday, September 8, 2010 at 2:38PM
[Your Name Here] in Appetizer, Parsnips, Summer, Vegetarian, pastry, potato, sweet peppers, tomato

makes 16-18 puffs

for the pate choux (puffs)
1 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup flour
pinch salt
4 large eggs

for the filling:
2 medium orange or red sweet peppers, seeded and diced
1 medium parsnip, peeled and diced
kernels from two ears of uncooked sweet corn
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 medium potato, peeled and chopped
1/2 fresh serrano chili, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon of Five Spice Powder

For the puffs:
Place water and butter in medium saucepan and place over medium high heat. Bring to boil. Butter should be completely melted.

Remove pan from stove. Add flour all at once. Beat with a wooden spoon until the flour and water have combined and the dough is shiny and elastic.

Return to heat and stir dough until less shiny and a small film appears at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and place dough in bowl of stand mixer.

Using the lowest speed, add salt and one egg and mix until egg is completely incorporated. Add remaining three eggs in the same manner. Let dough cool five minutes.
Place dough in pastry bag with round tip and squeeze on to parchment-lined baking sheet into golf ball-sized mounds. Press tips down to prevent burning. Bake in 425 degree oven for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake an additional 18 to 24 minutes, depending on oven and size of puffs. Let cool completely.

For the filling:
Place vegetables (except potatoes) on parchment-lined baking sheet. Stir and combine olive oil and salt and drizzle over vegetables.

Place vegetables in 425 oven and bake until softened, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Meanwhile, place potatoes in enough salted water to cover. Bring to boil and cook until just tender (and easily pierced with the tip of a knife). Drain completely.

When vegetables are cool, place in the bowl of a food processor and process until thickly pureed. Remove from processor and place in bowl.

Without cleaning processor, place potatoes and parmesan in bowl and process until pureed. Add potato mixture to vegetable mixture and add spice powder. Stir to combine well.

Cut hole in tops of puffs. Spoon in mixture.

Article originally appeared on The Hills Market: Columbus' Premier Specialty Grocer (http://thehillsmarket.com/).
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