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Apple and Pumpkin
Soup Recipe
Serves 6-10
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, diced
2 large green apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups
homemade pumpkin puree, or use
equal amount of canned puree
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 cup half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
Melt
the butter in a large saucepan over low heat. Add the
onions and apples and cook until soft. Add the flour and
stir until flour is blended and onions and apples are coated,
2-3 minutes.
Add
the stock, stirring well. Add the pumpkin puree, brown
sugar and spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and
simmer, partially covered, about 25 minutes.
Transfer
the hot soup to a blender or food processor and puree until
smooth. Return soup to the saucepan and stir in the
juice, half-and-half and salt and pepper.
Adjust
spices to taste. Add a little more juice to thin soup if
necessary. Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds and serve
warm.
Homemade Pumpkin
Puree
Preheat the oven
to 400 degrees F.
Peel, seed and cut a large pumpkin into 2-inch chunks.
Put the pumpkin in a 5-quart casserole, add 1/4 inch water,
cover with aluminum foil and bake until tender, about 20
minutes.
Remove pumpkin from oven and pour off any water and excess
moisture.
Puree the pumpkin in a food processor fitted with a metal
chopping blade
Tip: Be sure to
use "pie pumpkin" because other types are
excessively stringy and tough.
Make
Ahead
Pumpkin soup can be made 1-2 days in advance. Flavors
will meld and intensify. Store well covered in the
refrigerator
Pacific
Pumpkin Curry with Zucchini and Red Pepper
Pilaf
Serves 4-6
4
dried hot red chiles
1/4
cup chopped shallots
2
teaspoons chopped garlic
2
stalks lemongrass (discard tough outer leaves and chop 3-inches of the
tender lower stalk)
1
1/2 tablespoons peanut oil, more as needed
1
1/2 teaspoons high-quality ground curry powder
2
teaspoons ground coriander
1/2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1
teaspoon
paprika
3/4
cup canned unsweetened coconut milk, well stirred
1/4
cup chicken broth or water
1
1/2 pounds pumpkin (flesh removed from 1 large), butternut squash or sweet potatoes, peeled and/or
seeded and chopped into 2-inch chunks
2
cardamom pods, crushed
Salt
to taste
1
small red bell pepper, seeded and julienned
1
1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1
1/2 teaspoons light brown sugar, packed
1
1/2 teaspoons lemon juice or more
Cilantro
leaves for garnishing
Stem
the chiles and shake out the seeds. Cut the chiles into
pieces. Soak in warm water about 10 minutes. Drain well.
In
a small food processor (or mortar and pestle), process or
grind the chilies, shallots, garlic, and lemongrass to a rough
paste. Add a little oil if necessary.
Heat
the peanut oil in a heavy medium-sized saucepan over
medium-low heat. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring,
until it is fragrant and no longer tastes raw, about 5 minutes.
Add the curry powder, coriander, turmeric, and paprika and
stir 1 minute. Add the coconut milk and simmer,
stirring, about 5 minutes
Stir
in the stock and simmer. reduce heat to low, add the pumpkin,
cardamom, and salt to taste. simmer, partially covered,
until the pumpkin is tender and the sauce is reduced, about
25-30 minutes
Add
the bell pepper and cook for 3 minutes. Add the soy
sauce, sugar, and lemon juice and cook for 2 more
minutes.
Make
Ahead
Curry can be made 1-2 days in advance. Flavors
will meld and intensify. Store well covered in the
refrigerator
Zucchini
and Red Pepper Pilaf
Serves 4-6
1
1/2 cups basmati rice
3
tablespoons butter
1
medium onion, chopped
2
small zucchini, diced
1
small red pepper, diced
1/2
teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4
teaspoon ground red pepper
2
3/4 cups hot chicken stock or broth
Salt
to taste
Melt
butter in a medium heavy pot over medium heat. Add the
onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5
minutes. Add the zucchini and bell pepper and cook
another 5 minutes.
Add
the zucchini and red pepper and cook another 5 minutes.
Stir in the turmeric and ground red pepper and stir until
fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
Add
the rice and stir until the rice grains are coated with the
butter and spices. Add the hot stock and bring to a
boil. Add salt and reduce the heat to low. Cover and
cook until rice is tender and liquid absorbed, about 15
minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 10-15
minutes. Fluff with fork and serve
Make
Ahead
Rice can be made 1 day in advance. Keep well
covered in the
refrigerator. Moisten rice with a small amount of stock,
broth or water and reheat in the microwave
briefly.
Cucumbers
with Yogurt and Mint Sauce
Serves 4-6
2
cups plain whole milk yogurt, drained
for 30 minutes
2
garlic cloves, finely minced
2
teaspoons chopped fresh mint
2
teaspoons chopped fresh dill
2
teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2
to 3 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1
tablespoon (or more) extra virgin olive oil
Salt
and freshly ground pepper to taste
2
large cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced. You
can leave the peel on for a prettier presentation, be sure to
wash cucumber thoroughly. If time allows, place cucumber slices in a colander. Sprinkle with salt,
cover and let
stand for 1 hour. This removes excess moisture from the cucumbers.
Pat cucumber dry with paper towels.
Drained
Yogurt and Yogurt Cheese
Creamy, tart yogurt cheese can be used in place of sour
cream. Use whatever yogurt you prefer, but avoid brands
with gums and gelatins as it will deter the whey (liquid) from
separating from the yogurt.
Draining yogurt involves the same process as making yogurt
cheese, but does not take as long.
You can purchase yogurt strainers or you can place a double
piece of cheesecloth into a strainer. Add the yogurt.
Put the strainer over a bowl to drip not allowing the strainer
to touch the draining liquid. In a pinch, you can
also use a coffee filter in place of the cheesecloth.
Let it drip until the yogurt is as firm as you would
like. For lightly drained yogurt, 25-30 minutes. Scrape
out of the cheesecloth and store covered in the refrigerator.
Combine
the drained yogurt, garlic, herbs, pepper and some of the
vinegar. Taste for salt and vinegar.
Layer
the sliced cucumbers in a serving dish and top with a little
of the yogurt sauce. Drizzle the olive oil over the
sauce just before serving. Serve remaining sauce on the
side
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