I backed my car into a cop car the other day. Well, he just drove off, sometimes life's okay...

It is pumpkin season, they are everywhere you turn...let's prepare soup of course. I even took the liberty of embellishing this soup for Halloween by creating a spider web design out of Greek yogurt (an excellent tactic to intice children to eat veggies...decoration). I combined curry, coriander, ginger, and cayenne to assist in cutting down the natural sweetness of the pumpkin. A warmness was generated by sauteing onions and garlic as a flavor base. For texture I diced focaccia into cubes and sauted the cubed bread in olive oil and sea salt for a crunchy crouton topping. If you are arranging this soup for a party, preceding serving you may place the hot soup into a hollowed pumpkin and utilize it as a serving dish. Another trick is to hollow a small pumpkin, prepare the croutons and position a bowl in the pumpkin opening with the croutons. Prior to putting the food in the pumpkins you could decorate the outside with flat black push-pins or black craft paint. These establish an adorable centerpiece.

Warm Pumpkin Soup

1 average sized  pumpkin, deseeded and cut into chunks

2-3 smaller potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 medium sized onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 tsp of curry powder

1 tsp of ground coriander 

1 inch fresh grated ginger

1/4 tsp of ground cinnamon

Dash of cayenne

6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Focaccia bread for croutons

Greek yogurt for garnish

In a large saucepan, on medium heat, gently saute 3 tbsp of olive oil with the chopped onions until soft.

Add the pumpkin, potatoes, garlic and the spices. Saute for about 10 minutes or until everything is starting to brown. Pour in stock (Begin by just covering the top of the pumpkin with the stock, you can add more later if you feel it is too thick) bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the pumpkin and potatoes are tender and soft, about 10-12 minutes. Using an immersion blender, puree the pumpkin and potatoes until smooth and creamy. Here is where you can add more stock if you like, depending on how thick you like your soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut the focaccia into cubes, or any crusty bread you have. Saute over medium heat in olive oil until crispy, season with sea salt. Use as a garnish for the soup along with Greek yogurt.   

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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I think it's time for a change, you may get disgusted...

This vibrant soup is a perfect addition to your fall line-up. I am sitting next to an open window.  The breeze in the trees is delightfully noisy... ideal soup weather. The ingredients are basic, but the combination of carrots, ginger and lemon is a welcome burst for your taste buds. The brightness of this soup would lend way for an excellent starter to a meal, as it would cleanse the palate prior to a main course. The ginger and lemon do an superior job of cutting the sweetness provided from the carrots. This soup freezes beautifully, I encourage you to make extra so that you will have it on hand for those busy holiday times quickly approaching. I do not think there is much that exceeds warm soup and a sandwich for lunch on a cool breezy day.

Carrot Ginger Lemon Soup

• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/4 pounds medium carrots, peeled, chopped (about 3 cups)
• 2 tomatoes, seeded, chopped (about 1 1/3 cups)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 3 cups (or more) chicken stock 

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (more for garnish)

1 small carrot, peeled, grated (garnish)

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onion; saute 4 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; saute 2 minutes. Add chopped carrots, tomatoes and lemon peel; saute 1 minute. Add 3 cups stock and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until carrots are very tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree soup in blender. Return soup to pot. Mix in lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Bring soup to simmer, thinning with more stock, if desired. Top with grated carrot, chives, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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You do a little dance then you drink a little water...

In my experience frequently corn soups have an abundance of ingredients, leaving way for the corn to get lost behind layers of bacon and heavy cream. My intention, to create a soup that allows the flavor of the corn to fully shine through.  Do not be discouraged by all of the separate components, you do need to start the cashew cream the night before but it only takes a few minutes to prepare. This cashew cream creates a divine silkiness throughout the soup. It achieves a much richer flavor than adding heavy cream. It adds the fall dimension that I seek this time of year as the temperature is cooling.  The roasted corn guacamole is bold and bright, it delivers the freshness needed to complete this soup. By using the cashew cream this becomes an excellent vegan option.(I had leftover corn from the summer in my freezer, if you do not have access to fresh corn frozen may be substituted.)

Corn Cashew Soup with Roasted Corn Guacamole

For the cashew cream:

2 cups raw cashews

water to cover by one inch

For the soup:

6 ears of sweet corn

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion diced

3 cloves of garlic

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon salt

For the roasted corn guacamole:

1 medium avocado pitted and diced into cubes

1 jalapeno finely diced

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

3 cups reserved corn kernels from the soup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

pepper to taste

To make the cashew cream:

Soak the cashews overnight with enough water to cover by an inch.  Let sit 8 hours or overnight.  Pour the mixture into a blender and blend for 3 minutes until you get a smooth creamy mixture.

For the soup: 

In a dutch oven or large pot heat the olive oil over medium heat, add the onions and cook for 4-5 minutes until they are translucent but don’t let them brown, add the garlic and paprika and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the mixture is fragrant.  Cut the kernels off the cob into a bowl and using the back of your knife scrape the cobs to release any additional corn “milk” Add the cobs and 3 cups of the corn and 2 quarts of water to the pan.  Cook the mixture for 15 minutes uncovered. Remove the cobs from the mixture and in two batches puree the mixture in a blender until smooth.  Strain the soup through a fine sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.  Whisk in the cashew cream, taste and adjust the seasonings if necessary.  

For the roasted corn guacamole:

Pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or aluminum foil.  Put the corn kernels on the baking sheet with the tablespoon of olive oil, 1/4 teaspoon of salt and black pepper to taste.  Roast the corn for 20 minutes until the corn is golden brown and caramelized.  To finish combine the corn with the jalapeno, lime juice and avocado and toss gently.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Faces look ugly when you're alone...

Imagine, if you will, you wake up in the morning and step out you door early in the morning. Everything is damp and fragrant, and vividly glowing green. The ferns and grass and weeds are sweet and sharp, lemony and herbaceous. The smell of wet earth mingles with the smokiness from a nearby chimney puffing. That’s what this soup is like! Except that it’s vividly pink, not green. The sweet earthiness of the beets, the smokiness of Spanish paprika, and the fresh green aromatic tarragon are lovely together. The carrots and tomatoes add a creaminess, that lends a helping hand to temper the strong beet flavor. I served  this with feta cheese toasts that had been liberally peppered. They contributed a nice contrast to the sweetness of the soup.

Beet,Carrot, and Tomato Soup 

2 T olive oil

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup carrots, cut into bite sized pieces

2 large tomatoes diced

1 1/2 cup beets diced (about 1/3 in pieces)

1 t thyme

1 t basil

1/2 t fennel seeds, crushed or chopped

1 t smoked paprika

1 T fresh tarragon

1/4 cup white grape juice

1 t balsamic vinegar

salt & plenty of pepper

Warm the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the shallot. Cook till it’s just soft and turning brown. Add the garlic, fennel, thyme and basil. Cook for a few minutes. Add the carrots and beets, stir to coat, and cook until the carrots starts to soften and brown. Add the grape juice, paprika, salt and tarragon. Cook for a few minutes, until the juice is reduced and syrupy. Add tomatoes and water to cover by about 1/2 an inch (for me it was 3 cups of water, but it will depend on the volume of your veg.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until the beets and carrots are quite soft. Add the balsamic (and a tablespoon of butter, if you’re not interested in keeping it vegan). Puree carefully in small batches till it’s smooth and creamy. Taste for salt and add plenty of freshly ground pepper.

I ate this sandwich with my soup, and thought I would share the idea. It is a simple grilled cheese (fontina and goat), roasted red peppers, drizzle of balsamic, salt and pepper, finished with fresh basil. The cheese and smokey peppers complimented the bold beet soup perfectly.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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So, when you hear this autumn song remember the best times are yet to come...

If you only have love for your own race

Then you only leave space to discriminate

And to discriminate only generates hate

And when you have hate then you're bound to get irate

-Black Eyes Peas

When I think of potato soup I tend to jump to the notion of a bland bowl of heavy starch. The other day I was contemplating ideas on how best to reinvent this classic to contain fresh bright elements. Herbs, miracle workers, were the perfect fix to a boring problem. I chose the combination of dill, parsley, and mint. Dijon mustard, cider vinegar, cayenne, and fresh spinach also added to this beautifully bold herb potato soup. There was a slight silkiness added from a touch of mayonnaise (I know it sounds strange, but trust me on this one). A toasted baguette rubbed with garlic and olive oil topped with fresh tomato slices rounds the soup out for an elegant lunch. This is a potato soup that would stand up to any entertaining challenge. A beautiful option is to add pomegranate seeds as a garnish (perfect holiday party soup).

Herb Packed Potato Soup

3-4 cups mini white potatoes, boiled in salted water and diced (skin on)

3/4 cup loosely chopped herbs: dill, parsley, basil, mint (your choice)

1 tsp pepper

2-3 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

2 garlic cloves

1/2 cup chopped sweet onion

1 1/2 cups spinach

2 celery stalks diced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar or seasoned rice vinegar (adds a sweeter edge)

2-3 tbsp mayo

a few dashes of cayenne 

Garnishes: 

Olive oil, fresh herbs, dash of cayenne

Directions:

Boil potatoes in salted water, until tender. In a dutch oven saute onion and celery. Once veggies are tender return cooked potatoes to the pot. Add remaining ingredients except mayo, warm through but there is no need to bring to a boil. Remove from heat blend in a blender or use an immersion blender. Stir in mayo. Garnish as desired.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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Saturday night I was downtown working for the FBI...

Cauliflower,  it's name is from Latin caulis (cabbage) and flower. Today I present you with curried cauliflower soup. The warmness received from the almond and coconut milks lights the way for a delightful soup on a cool fall afternoon. Cauliflower on it's own can be rather bland, but paired with ginger, curry, and garam masala it is transformed into an ethnic pleasure. A sharp bite from the chive garnish rounds out all the flavors your palate craves. A simple grilled cheese serves as a striking accompaniment to this brazen soup.    

Cauliflower, Almond and Coconut Soup

1 medium head of cauliflower, chopped

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

2/3 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3 tablespoons butter 

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup unsweetened apple juice 

1 tablespoon curry powder 

1 teaspoon garam masala

1 inch fresh ginger grated

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground coriander

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan.  Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for about 35 minutes or until the cauliflower is completely soft.  Puree the soup in a traditional blender, or with an immersion blender right in the pot.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with chives if desired.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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She's calling a cab, while he's having a smoke and she's taking a drag...

Early fall still produces copious amounts of eggplant, sweet peppers, and zucchini with these fresh delights ratatouille is an obvious choice. Obvious or not, on its own, ratatouille is not always overly exciting. However, when the vegetables are chopped, oven-roasted and then nestled into the middle of buttery, flaky pastry, it becomes something very worth talking about. As the vegetables are roasting, you can decide how far you want to take them depending on whether you want a completely tender ratatouille or one with some texture. But, I have to say, once they are in the tart along with the goat cheese and Parmesan  they will be delicious no matter how they are cooked. This was one of those crusts that shatters in the loveliest way as a knife slices into it. It was rich, crisp, and golden which created an excellent vehicle for the ratatouille.

Roasted Ratatouille Tart

Pastry:

1 eggs 

2 1/2 C plain good quality white flour

1 C unsalted butter 

1 teaspoon of salt

2 teaspoons of ice cold water

Filling:

1 eggplant, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 zucchini, diced

1/2 pint cherry tomatoes

1 jalapeno (optional)
1 onion diced

3 garlic cloves minced
fresh thyme

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

squeeze of lemon

grated Parmesan

goat cheese (optional)

Sift flour and salt to a large bowl, add the butter.  Use your hands to rub the butter into the flour until the batter looks like bread crumbs. Whisk one egg and add iced water to bring the dough together.

Knead for a minute to form a smooth pastry, shape into a flat ball and wrap with saran.

Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes. 

Place all vegetables and thyme on a roasting sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Roast to desired consistency.  I left mine with a little crunch (they are going back in the oven once placed in the pastry). 

Flatten pastry, this does not have to be perfect...go for a rustic look. Place roasted veggies in the center, fold edges toward the center. Brush edges with oil, top with goat cheese if using. Grate Parmesan over entire tart. Bake 400 until golden and bubbly, about 15-20 min. Once out of the oven squeeze a dash of lemon juice over the top to brighten the roasted veggies.

Until tomorrow...Peace.

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