Banana yucca gnocchi

Back in early September, I found this huge banana yucca (yucca baccata) fruit in Sedona. I took in home, and stashed it in the fridge for over a month.

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Eventually, I got around to cleaning and roasting it.

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The result was delicious - sweet like winter squash! I only had a bite, and stashed the rest.

I decided to try and make gnochhi, which I have never made before.

I thought I might try and keep it as local as possible, so I combined the pulp with mesquite flour. In addition, I added cornstarch, and an egg, and oil.

10423052183_c2d69009eb_b.jpgIn sticking with the local theme, after boiling the gnocchi, I browned it in butter, with malabar spinach and sage from the garden, and Chinese elm samaras from the backyard.

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I also tossed in some non-local toasted pine nuts and goat cheese. The gnocchi turned out quite sweet, and needed some salty and sour for balance.

Overall, it turned out pretty good! Could use some tweaks. Next time, I wouldn't use 100% mesquite flour. Maybe 50/50 with potato flour to lighten them up, and reduce the cookie like flavor.

You could probably do something similar with any squash. Here is the recipe, as best as I can recall:

Combine 1/2 cup flour of your choice, 2 Tbsp cornstarch or potato starch, and a little sea salt.

In another bowl, puree cooked squash (or what have you) until smooth, add 1 egg, and a tsp of oil.

Combine the two, and mix until it holds together and you can roll it up into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Toss a little stach on the counter and on your hands. Take the dough from the fridge and roll it with your hands into a 3/4" thick cylinder. Slice it up into pieces about an inch long.

Use your hands to roll the pieces into football shapes. Roll the back side of a fork over them to add the grooves.

Add to salted, boiling water, and cook until they float.

Pull them with a slotted spoon, and add to a pan on medium heat, with butter. Add veggies of your choice.

Makes 1 generous serving.

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Replies

  • What a fun recipe/experiment, Grrlscout!

    I've made Gnocchi/Spetzel noodles before (purists well tell you they are completely different, but they are very similar and invite experimentation like yours :-)

    FYI - the general recommendation on Mesquite flour is to use only about 1/4 to 1/6 of a substitution because of the sweetness and lack of gluten.

    • True true. As a challenge to myself, I was trying to make them gluten free. But since I don't have an actual gluten intolerance, next time I would certainly mix in some wheat flour!

    • Grrlscout, Deane's son is gluten intolerant so I find ways to make things which will hold up will without adding all of the recommended 'glues' like xanthan gum.  A couple of combinations I've found that work and taste well together are soy and cornmeal, and soy and brown rice flour (the legume has a consistency that seems to want to glue itself to other flours) plus the combination ups the protein factor.  Just a thought if you want to fool around with flour combos :-)

  • Now that's certainly a dish you won't see every day! Sounds and looks wonderful. As a native Arizonan I should have known about this fruit but it is a new one to me and should be a local standby. Apparently it grows in higher elevations but curious to find out if it will grow here in the valley. Thanks for sharing, how fun!

  • Looks great! Thanks for sharing!

  • this is very cool.

     

    I don't really love gnocci as every experience i've had ended up about like yours, something should be different then it would be perfect, but this is a really beautiful execution and worth attempting just for the "yes I made that" smug look you get to give everyone.

     

    beautiful!  

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