Seasonal Feast

I love the black beans burgers at The Vortex in Atlanta. I don’t think I have ever ordered anything but the black bean burger, topped with guacamole and jack cheese, and a side of onion rings in all the times I ate here during college. I am sure the rest of The Vortex menu is equally as delicious.

So last week, I had a hankering for a really good black bean burger. And I didn’t want one that was made with all sorts of preservatives and ingredients I couldn’t pronounce, because yes, I was considering frozen Morningstar Black Bean Burgers (which are pretty good). I asked myself, “Self, how hard can it be to make a tasty black bean burger reminiscent of The Vortex?”

In about forty minutes, I made some easy, healthy black bean burgers with ingredients from my pantry. Warning: eating these burgers require both hands and a fistful of napkins.

Tex-Mex Black Bean Burgers

- 2 15 oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained

- Half of one medium onion, or a single small onion, diced (red, white, yellow, even 2-3 shallots are fine)

- 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

- 1 tsp, plus 3 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil or canola oil, divided

- 1 tsp chili powder

- 2 or more Tbsp. taco seasoning (I prefer Penzeys Spices’ Bold Taco Seasoning. You can substitute any taco seasoning you find at the grocery store in the spice aisle)

- Salt, to taste

- 1 tsp chopped cilantro leaves (or not, if you prefer)

- 1 egg, lightly beaten

- 2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour

In a large bowl, mash the black beans using a potato masher. In a skillet on medium heat, heat 1 tsp of the oil and when hot, add the onion (or shallot) and saute until translucent, about  6-8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute, until fragrant. Remove from the heat. Add the onion/garlic mixture to the beans. Add the chili powder, taco seasoning and cilantro to the beans. Mix well and taste for salt and seasonings, adjusting to your preference. Don’t worry if the mixture is a bit dry at this point. When satisfied, add the flour and the beaten egg and mix well. With your hands, score the mixture into 6 portions and form 6 patties.

In a large skillet, heat the remaining 3 Tbsp. oil over medium-high. When hot, place the patties into the pan and do not flip (I repeat, do not flip) for 4 minutes. Flip after 4 minutes and cook for an additional four minutes on the other side. If using cheese, top patties with cheese for the last minute, cover to let cheese melt.

Meanwhile, prepare your toppings:

- Shredded or sliced cheddar or jack cheese

- Toast the buns

- Sliced red onion

- Shredded or torn lettuce

- Salsa

- Guacamole (I make a quick one: mash one ripe Haas avocado and add 1 clove minced garlic, a handful of chopped cilantro, a squeeze of lime or lemon juice, 1 tsp chopped onion, salt and pepper. Mash until smooth.)

Assemble your burger and enjoy!

It has been ages since I last posted…hmmm, what can I blame? Work? Junior League? Being five months pregnant? The weather? Band practice? Trying to organize the house? Oh well, better late than never is my motto for many things!

I just made this to-die-for dessert last weekend for a special girls’ lunch, where my “Baby Council” offered up tons of great advice and stories to prepare me for baby’s anticipated arrival in August. And surprisingly, I am not terribly overwhelmed.

This recipe is from the Barefoot Contessa and her book, Barefoot in Paris. It was divine and one of the easiest desserts you can make a day or two in advance of serving it. I call it  “Dome à la Creme” as I used a  7″ sieve and can’t be bothered with buying a special heart-shaped mold. I recommend you do the same. The sauce makes a lot so if necessary, you could cut it in half. Also, to double this recipe, which is easy, don’t double the ingredients, just make two domes. I don’t know about other Barefoot Contessa fans but just about everything of hers I make turns out delightful. And I can’t help being totally envious of her Hamptons lifestyle.

Coeur à la Crème with Raspberries

- 12 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature (I used Trader Joe’s, do not use low or non fat cream cheese)

- 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

- 2 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract (I used Trader Joe’s bourbon vanilla extract)

- 1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

- Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean (again, from Trader Joe’s)

-Raspberry sauce (recipe follows)

- 1 pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried

Place the cream cheese and confectioners’ sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high for 2 minutes. Scrape down the beater and bowl with a rubber spatula and change the beater for the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low speed, add the heavy cream, vanilla, lemon zest and vanilla seeds and beat on high until the mixture is very thick, like whipped cream.

Line a 7″ sieve with cheesecloth (I used unbleached) so the ends drape over the sides and place it in a bowl so there is space between the bottom of the sieve and the bowl for the liquid to drain (about 1″). Pour the cream mixture into the cheesecloth, fold the ends over the top, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To serve, discard the liquid, unmold the cream onto a plate and drizzle raspberry sauce around the base. Serve with raspberries and extra sauce. Alternatively, slice pieces, drizzle with sauce and scatter with raspberries.

Raspberry Sauce

- 1 half-pint fresh raspberries, washed and dried

- 1/2 cup sugar

- 1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam

- 1 Tbsp framboise liqueur (I used kirsch)

Place the raspberries, sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 4 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam and the liqueur into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

One of my favorite things about winter is homemade soup. They’re easy to make, you can toss pretty much anything in them and with vegetable-based ones, you can leave them in the refrigerator and eat them for days. Add a hearty salad and bread and you have a complete meal. I recently challenged myself – it was a weeknight and I didn’t want to be in the kitchen more than one hour including clean up – to make a nutritious soup with only what I had in my kitchen. “Minestrone My Way” was born.

With relish, I put to use these ingredients that were lying around and had no obvious or near-term plans for consumption:

• - a 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes with basil I had accidentally bought a while ago
• - I think the last of my kale from the Sport Hill Farm CSA that I froze in September
• - the last cup of a bag of Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (Israeli style couscous, orzo, baby garbanzo beans and red quinoa)
• - my last can of cannellini (white Italian kidney) beans

Substitutions can easily be made and I have listed them in the ingredients below. I usually heat the broth and water to speed up cooking time. I am positive this soup freezes well. This is probably not even close to a minestrone but that’s what it reminded me of. As we ate our “Minestrone My Way,” a mixed salad dressed with a quick homemade balsamic vinaigrette and crusty, cheesy garlic bread, my husband and I looked at each other and both shouted out at the same time, “When you’re here, you’re family!” We’re apparently starring in our very own Olive Garden commercial.

Minestrone My Way

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped (substitute with red or white onion)

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tsp. dried oregano (substitute Italian seasoning or basil)

1 28 oz. can plum tomatoes with basil, cut into bite-size pieces and juices reserve  (substitute with plain or Italian diced tomatoes to reduce chopping)

1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed (substitute kidney beans)

1 cup Trader Joe’s Harvest Grains Blend (substitute with pastina, orzo, any small-shaped pasta or even spaghetti broken into bite-size pieces)

1/2 bunch kale, washed, stems removed and cut into ribbons or bite-size pieces (substitute with 6 oz. bag baby spinach)

32 oz. (4 cups) vegetable broth (substitute with water)

2 cups water

A few dashes of Tabasco (optional), salt and pepper to taste

Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven on medium. Once hot, add onions and saute until soft and translucent, 6-7 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add oregano, crushing it in your hand as you drop it in the pot (this releases the flavor of the herb). Add the chopped tomatoes and reserved juices, stir and raise heat to high. Add broth and water. Once boiling, add Harvest Grains Blend (or pasta) and kale. Reduce to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes. (If using spinach, add spinach at the end of the 10 minutes because it will cook much faster than kale.) Add beans and stir gently, taking care not to break the beans. Add Tabasco (if using), salt and pepper to taste.

I love kitchen gadgets. In some cluttered drawers and in an old glass vase – a very lovely, chipped Crate & Barrel one that held the first bouquet of deep red roses my husband gave to me in the early days of our courtship – you’ll find, among other things that I don’t even know about, a mushroom brush, a fondue pot scraper from my best friend, a corer, a wooden juicer, a cherry/olive pitter, serrated and regular peelers, decorative wine corks and wine paraphernalia, a wide variety of ladles, spatulas, whisks, tongs and spoons. These are my “savory” catch-alls. In my “baking” drawer, you’ll find whisks, gelatin, dry yeast, tons of cookie/biscuit cutters, non-stick mini tartlet pans, Silpat, silicone pie crust protectors, thermometers, baking pins, spatulas, colored sugars and other stuff.

My husband used to whine about how many gadgets I’d collect and wonder when I would ever use that mushroom brush my mother gave me. (My mother actually gives me many of my toys. My best friend also contributes to my collection and usually in a way where she knows my husband will benefit from the gift, such as a wine aerator. It would be rude to not accept their gifts. And using their gifts makes me feel like they are cooking alongside me in the kitchen.) But then, a few birthdays ago, he gave me a cookbook holder. And then a knife sharpener for Christmas. I felt freedom! No longer did I need to bury my latest acquisition and surreptitiously use it when his back was turned. He finally realized that I actually use every single one of my gadgets and appliances and decided he may as well feed my addiction. After all, he is the primary beneficiary of my cooking and baking. It’s a win-win.

Which brings me to my latest prize. I love doing dishes (another post for another time) but absolutely DETEST when food leftovers, especially cheese and egg, get caught in the strands of the sponge. Recently, I discovered a nifty little gadget at Crate & Barrel – a bamboo pot cleaner. It’s eco-friendly, it’s tiny and it works beautifully! I no longer worry about scraping the pan or getting food caught in the sponge. And at $1.99, it’s a steal. The pot cleaner makes doing dishes a breeze. I’ve even got the husband now using it. Clearly, I am easy to please. Just buy me a little kitchen gadget and I am yours forever.

Thanksgiving to me is…mismatched chairs. A dining table extended by a card table, with an uneven break between the two. No elbow or leg room. Days spent planning which delicious dishes to make. Surrounded by family, friends, food and fun. It’s my absolute favorite holiday of the year.

For the past 20 years (give or take a few), we have celebrated Thanksgiving at my parents’ house in Augusta, GA. Our table each year includes the same group of friends, who are really considered family at this point. Spouses and children have joined the gang in the past ten years. Guests arrive around 6:30pm and dinner is served at 8:00pm. Nobody in this household sees the point of waking up at 6:00am to begin cooking.

There is a clear division of labor for our Thanksgiving prep. My mother is the executive chef. Mom oversees everything, tasting and adjusting along the way and giving the final stamp of approval. She is a terrific baker and usually bakes a pumpkin pie with the flakiest pie crust. My brother, Birju, roasts the turkey and makes the gravy and helps with the mashed potatoes, discovering a new turkey recipe and testing the latest, tastiest turkey technique. I make sides: sweet and spicy yams, savory Brussels sprouts, buttery mashed potatoes and a killer cheddar-jalapeno cornbread. Guests bring bean chili and salads to round out the meal for the vegetarians. My husband, Kumar, selects the beer and wine to pour that evening and with Dad, jumps in to do the dishes and empty the trash as soon as things start to pile up. Kristy, my sister-in-law, helps Kumar set the table and lends a hand where needed. Dad gently reminds us to take a break for lunch, not to start drinking too early (how could noon be too soon?) and that it is time to take our annual Thanksgiving walk.

This year, I gave Mom a break as head baker by baking what I hoped would be a scrumptious pumpkin pie rich in brown sugar and made by my friend Kirstin for a harvest dinner Kumar and I hosted a few weeks ago. This recipe may have come from a Williams-Sonoma cookbook; I can’t quite tell. All I know is that Kirstin’s pie was delicious and it looked relatively easy to make, as far as pies made from scratch go.

Thanksgiving this year was interesting. Our carefully planned prep quickly went to the wayside as we all competed for the attention of my gorgeous and precocious one-year old niece, Ariane, who has each of us wrapped around her teeny finger.

The pie didn’t quite turn out as perfectly as I’d hoped. The filling was a bit too spicy (maybe it was the Penzeys spices I used, which are pretty potent) and the crust stuck to the fluted pie dish. I also burned the crust a tad; I should have covered the crust at 40 minutes. Next time, I’ll reduce the spices by half and use a 10-inch pie dish. I’ll also reduce the flaky sea salt in the crust by half. Despite the pie’s shortcomings, it was still tasty, especially with fresh whipped cream. Hey, I’m not Martha Stewart. I wonder how many pies it takes her to get it perfect. I don’t have that luxury but I am blessed to be surrounded by lovely people who will eat just about anything I serve and enjoy it. Life is too short to pass up not-so-perfect homemade pie.

Brown Sugar Pumpkin Pie with Toasted Pecan Crust

1/2 cup pecan halves

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg yolk

1 Tsp. flaky sea salt

1¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus flour as needed

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 Tsp. ground cinnamon

2 Tsp. ground ginger

1 Tsp. freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 Tsp. ground cloves

1/2 Tsp. salt

1 can (15 oz.) organic pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 large eggs

Sweetened whipped cream for serving

Position one rack in the bottom of the oven, another rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350° F.

On a rimmed baking sheet, toast the pecans on the middle rack until fragrant and lightly browned, 5-6 minutes. Pour onto a glass plate to cool, then finely grind in a food processor; take care not to overprocess them by turning them into a paste.

In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, beat the butter and granulated sugar until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg yolk and flaky sea salt. Add the ground pecans and 1¼ cups flour and stir, working the dry ingredients into the butter mixture by smearing it against the sides of the bowl, until the dough comes together in large, shaggy clumps.

On a lightly floured work surface, press the dough into a mound and knead it until it just comes together. Press the dough into a flat disk, then transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Press the dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the dish. Use the bottom of a metal measuring cup dipped in flour to smooth and even out the dough. Crimp the edges with the tines of a fork, the freeze the pie shell for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, using a food processor, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves and salt and process until smooth. Add the pumpkin puree, buttermilk and whole eggs. Process until combined.

Place the frozen pie shell on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the filling into the shell and bake on the middle oven rack for 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the baking sheet and transfer directly to the lower oven rack. Bake until the center jiggles only slightly when the tie is tapped, 10-15 minutes longer. Let cool completely on a wire rack.

To serve, cut into wedges and top with whipped cream.

In a town where it seems like one out of every three restaurants serves Italian food and half of those are pizza joints, you have to be pretty good to even consider entering the market. The eagerly anticipated Pizzeria Molto Wine Bar opened last month in Fairfield, CT and judging by the wait for a table and crowded bar, it is a hit.

My husband and I decided to try Molto last Friday night, knowing we were facing at least an hour-long wait. (We waited an hour and 10 minutes, to be exact.) Molto’s ambience is quite nice. It features deep, red leather booths, low lights and tons of dark wood everywhere. A gorgeous black and white marble bar runs about 2/3 the length of the restaurant. Finding a spot at the very end of the bar behind a couple eating dinner at the bar and close to the open kitchen, we grabbed a wine list. Not having much room to read it (the bar was three people deep the entire length and servers were running up and down behind us), we went with a Cabernet Sauvignon recommended by the very patient bartender. Two delicious glasses later for each us, our table was ready. The wait went by quickly, aided by the bartender’s heavy pours and interesting people watching.

The dinner menu was more extensive than I thought, featuring not only pizza but also other classic Italian specialties. We went for the pizza. After all, this was a pizzeria. We ordered the fried artichokes and calamari mediterraneo appetizers to start, a Caesar salad to share, a veggie pizza with cherry peppers and spinach for my husband and a burrata pizza for me. Burrata is a fresh, sweet, creamy Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream. The name means “buttered” in Italian. The artichokes were lovely and crispy, a perfect little bar snack. The calamari mediterraneo, which consisted of grilled calamari, white beans, tomato, olive oil, garlic and chili pepper, was okay. Honestly, it was neither here nor there for me. I would not order the Caesar salad again. We were served a plate of limp, chopped romaine lettuce and croutons with what was clearly bottled supermarket dressing on the side. I am not the type of girl to ask for dressing on the side and especially for a Caesar salad, it needs to be properly dressed. The salad really doesn’t matter, though. The brick oven thin crust pizzas were amazing. They were well worth the wait and getting through a sub-standard salad. These pizzas, each sized at 12” to serve one person, arrived piping hot and bubbling over with melted, gooey cheese. Both pizzas had red sauce and the burrata one also had fresh basil sprinkled over it. The crusts were divine and incredibly crispy and chewy at the same time, even after sitting on my plate for 20 minutes (I am a notoriously slow eater). We were stuffed with appetizers and salad, so neither of us finished our pizza. And we like leftovers so no issues there. We eat pizza quite frequently. It is my husband’s favorite food and if he could, he would eat it morning, noon and night. Our in-town favorites are Nauti Dolphin and the legendary Pepe’s Pizzeria Napoletana. Kumar’s comment about Molto’s pizza, which should not be taken lightly, “This is going to be my new place for takeout pizza.”

My only complaint is that Molto does not take reservations for large parties. Side note: Molto is open for lunch and even then, the restaurant appears to be busy. Prices are comparable to what you’d find in other restaurants of the same caliber in Fairfield. The staff was friendly, efficient and accommodating. I was happy about this because some of the reviews I read said otherwise. Perhaps the restaurant just needed a month to work out its kinks. Overall, we truly enjoyed dining at Molto, wait, crowds and all. I suspect, and hope, the buzz continues for a while. I’d like to see Molto succeed so I can return for another slice of their mouth-watering, perfectly baked thin crust pizza.

Easy Vegetarian Chile Rellenos

Late last month, I was driving home after a soul and belly-nourishing weekend with friends in Stamford, NY when I stopped at a little farm stand outside of Woodstock. The stand had tons of gorgeous, locally grown apples, butternut squash, pumpkins, onions and potatoes, among other things. The glossy, deep green poblano peppers caught my eye. I was surprised to see them – I had thought it was too late in the season for peppers. Poblanos, often called pasillas, are mild chile peppers sold at some supermarkets, specialty food stores, farmers’ markets and Latin markets.

My husband adores chiles rellenos so I thought I would make a healthy, non-fried version for him that week once he returned home from a business trip. I wanted to amp up the protein for the peppers so instead of using a traditional cheese filling, I opted for a filling made with black beans and Morningstar Farm’s “Veggie Crumbles,” a textured protein/soy alternative to ground meat. Crumbles cook up super quick and adapt well to many recipes where you would use ground meat. They take on the flavor of whatever spices you are using in your recipe. My favorite way to use Crumbles is in tacos. If you haven’t tried these yet, I highly recommend them. They’re available in the freezer cases of most supermarkets and health food stores. (Hint: Target sells Crumbles for about $3 a bag in their freezer cases, while grocery stores offer them for about $5 a bag.) The current debate about the health benefits vs. risks of soy has not deterred me from eating Crumbles. My vote: eat soy in moderation.

You will undoubtedly have leftover filling; use it  in quesadillas or stuff more peppers. The prepared and baked peppers freeze well.

4-6 fresh poblano peppers, washed and dried
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion (white, yellow or red), diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 bag Morningstar Farm’s Crumbles (do not defrost)
1 15/16 oz. can organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1 14.5 oz. can organic fire roasted diced tomatoes and juice – I prefer Muir Glen. If you can’t find Muir Glen, substitute regular diced tomatoes
1 small can sliced black olives, drained
1 cup frozen roasted corn (do not defrost) – I use Trader Joe’s. If you can’t find frozen roasted corn, substitute kernels from 2 ears of fresh corn, 1 small can of canned corn or 1 cup of regular frozen corn kernels
Up to 3 Tbsp. taco seasoning – I prefer Penzeys Spices’ Bold Taco Seasoning. You can substitute any taco seasoning you find at the grocery store in the spice aisle
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack, pepper jack or Mexican blend cheese
1 cup bottled enchilada sauce – I use Trader Joe’s

For the peppers:

Preheat your broiler on high or if you have a gas stove, turn on 2-3 burners. Under the broiler, place the peppers on the rack. On the stove and using tongs, place the peppers directly on the burners, 2-3 per burner depending on size of burner. For both broiler and burner methods, roast peppers for 3-5 minutes on each side, carefully watching them so they don’t burn. Using tongs, turn them every few minutes to ensure even roasting on each side. You are looking for the peppers to have mostly a black, charred, waxy skin; at this point, they are done. Immediately place peppers in glass bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, gently remove and discard charred skin. Lay the peppers flat on a surface and gently, with a sharp paring knife, cut a slit down the length of the pepper, being careful not to cut through the bottom of the pepper. You are creating a “boat,” in which you will place the filling. Set prepared peppers aside on a plate or cutting board.

For the filling:

Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Once shimmering (it’s hot enough at this point), add diced onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute, being careful not to burn the garlic. Add Crumbles and stir. Cook for about 5 minutes, until Crumbles begin to soften. Add 2 TBsp. taco seasoning, reserving the last Tbsp. for the end, and stir to coat evenly. Add drained black beans, corn and olives and combine. Add fire roasted diced tomatoes and juices and combine. Cover and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until Crumbles have completely softened and resemble ground meat. Taste and add up to 1 Tbsp. taco seasoning, salt and pepper as necessary. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove mixture from stove and place in bowl to cool for 15 minutes (use this time to clean up or check email).

Spread 1/2 cup enchilada sauce on the bottom of a 8×8 glass baking dish. On a cutting board or plate, gently fill peppers with 3-4 Tbsp. filling so they are bursting but not overflowing and are easy for you to move to the baking dish. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 enchilada sauce across the tops of the peppers. Sprinkle the shredded cheese evenly over the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and seal tightly. Bake the peppers for 25-30 minutes, until cheese melts. Remove foil and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes, until cheese browns and is bubbly.

Serve with warmed tortillas and beans. In the photo above, I served a can of Trader Joe’s Cuban black beans alongside the peppers and tortillas. These yummy beans are already seasoned so all they require is a reheat on the stove. (It was a Friday night, I was tired!)

Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup

Despite today’s unseasonably warm weather, I was inspired to do something with those leftover Halloween pumpkins. Over the years, I have learned to buy my pumpkins with the primary goal of turning them into something yummy. For me, there is no point in buying humongous pumpkins; I am far too lazy to carve scary faces into them and don’t have the physical strength or patience to break them down for soup, bread, pie, etc. So, here I was with an 8lb organic pumpkin and two apples from a farm stand just outside Woodstock, NY (late October visit and yes, apples do keep that long but just barely), plus some Vidalia onions and apple cider. One of my favorite and super easy ways to use fresh pumpkin is in a curried apple pumpkin soup. And no need to worry about slicing that pumpkin (or my fingers), thanks to my lovely husband!

For the pumpkin
Any size pumpkin which will yield roughly 6 cups roasted pumpkin chunks (according to The Victory Garden Cookbook, a cooked pumpkin yields half its original weight)
Extra virgin olive oil

For the soup
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 Vidalia or sweet onion, diced
2 apples, peeled and cored, diced (any variety)
2 tsp. sweet curry powder (I use Penzeys Sweet Curry Power)
1/2 cup apple cider
Roughly 6 cups roasted pumpkin
4 cups organic low-sodium vegetable broth
up to 3 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. (I used the convection roast feature on my oven, set to 450 degrees F.) Thoroughly wash the pumpkin and remove all dirt. Cut around and remove the crown of the pumpkin. Cut the pumpkin into large, wide slices (2-3″ wide). Scoop/cut the seeds out of the slices. Don’t worry if you can’t get all the strands out; you can easily cut them out once the pieces are roasted. Place the slices on foil-covered, rimmed baking sheets (you may need up to three sheets, depending on how big your pumpkin is). Drizzle olive oil across the slices of pumpkin; no need to fully cover; just a drizzle is sufficient. Roast for 40 minutes. If you are not using convection roast, rotate sheets halfway through. Roasted pumpkin should be soft enough to run a sharp knife through. Cool, about 30 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, use a sharp paring knife to remove the peel from the pumpkin slices. Also, remove any burned bits off the top of the slices and any strands. Cut trimmed slices into 1″ pieces. Set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. When shimmering (about 4 minutes), add diced onion and lower heat to medium-low. Cook onions until soft, stirring every few minutes, about 8 minutes. Add diced apple and saute for 2 minutes. Add cider, raise heat to medium-high, and cook for 4 minutes, stirring, until cider is thick and syrupy. Add curry powder and stir to coat onion and apple, 2  minutes. Add roasted pumpkin and stir to combine. Soup should appear thick and mushy at this point. Heat vegetable broth in a separate pan or in microwave. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring to make sure mixture is not sticking to the bottom of the pot. Add vegetable broth and stir. Taste for salt, add 2 teaspoons, reserving the last teaspoon. Once soup comes to low simmer, reduce to low and cover. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Using an immersion blender, blend until smooth. Add white pepper and blend. Taste for salt and add 1 tsp., if necessary. Blend. Serve.

Notes:

• This soup freezes superbly. Cool to room temp, store in freezer-proof containers. Freeze up to 3 months.
• What do you do with the leftover roasted pumpkin? Mash it and freeze it for up to 3 months. After defrosting, drain the liquid before using.
• This soup is delicious as a vegan soup but if you want to add some richness, blend in some cream. Blend 1/2 cup heavy cream, whipping cream or half and half at the end. Don’t use milk; it will curdle. You need something with some fat.

Ok, I’ve finally done it. I’m blogging! They say writing is done best when you write about what you love. So this is my space to write about what I love – to cook and to eat. Disclaimer: I am neither a professional cook nor a professional eater (no all-you-can-eat-insert-food contests in my future, thank you very much).

Why the name “Seasonal Feast?” I love the play on words…”See Sonal Feast.” Aside from being what I think sounds clever, I have discovered how much I enjoy cooking and eating seasonally, and I’m delighted to share.

Here, I’ll post recipes, restaurant reviews, foodie experiences and related. So grab a glass of wine (or beverage of choice) and join me for a Seasonal Feast!