Corny Squash Soup With Kale Chips

It’s squash and corn season at the farm, and in the last CSA batch I got a three lovely looking acorn and butternut squashes, a couple ears of sweet corn, and a bunch of kale.  As the temperature drops, nothing sounded finer then a rich bowl of soup. So, I combined these three things to make a sweet, salty, and savory brew perfect for the fall.

Ingredients:

• Bundle of kale
• 2 ears of corn Squash: 4 small acorn or 2 small acorn and a butternut, or 2 butternut
• 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• Dash of cinnamon
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Olive oil
• Butter or bacon fat
• Greek yogurt (optional)

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Peel the corn, wash the kale, and cut the squash in half and de-seed.
Spread a thin layer of olive oil on the flesh of the squash and lightly pepper and salt.
Place in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until the flesh yields easily to a fork.

Chop kale into to big chunks, toss with olive oil and sea salt.
Layer kale onto baking sheet; try not to overlap the leaves.
When squash is done place kale in the oven for 15 minutes, then flip over for another 15 minutes.

Scoop squash out of skin and chop up.
Dice onion and brown in soup pot with bacon fat, butter or olive oil.
Once onions are browned, add stock.
Bring to rolling boil.
Add squash to pot.
Simmer for about 15 minutes, then take an immersion blender and puree. You can also do this (carefully) in a blender or food processor.
Add spices to puréed soup.*

Slice the fresh corn off the cob and put kernels in the soup.
Let simmer for about 20 minutes.
Serve with crumpled kale chips on top and optional, a scoop of plain Greek-style yogurt.

*if soup seems thin, make a roux and add to pot.

A couple years ago I stumbled on this recipe for “False Mahshi: Layered Swiss Chard, Beets, Rice, and Beef” in the New York Times.  In an article about the Iraqi New Year, Joan Nathan had included this recipe, adapted from Esperanza Basson.  Well, even that seemed a bit labor intensive so I cut it down into a super simple, healthy, and yummy version.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice

6 Tbls olive or vegetable oil

2 medium white or yellow onions diced

1 bunch or 2 large beets grated

1 bunch of greens chopped (like Swiss chard or kale)

4 Tbls of dried mint

4 cloves garlic minced

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 Tbls salt

optional: 1 lb meat like smoked sausage, rib eye, chicken, and such, just cook on the side.

Preparation:

Cook rice separately, 2 cups water to 1 cup rice.

In a wok or large pan, sauté the onions and garlic in the oil.

Once translucent, add the beats and salt and simmer about 5 minutes.

If you want to add meat, this is a good time to do it too. A super simple meat to use is premade smoked beef sausage. I cut it into cubes and toss it in.

Add the rest of the ingredients, stir occasionally, and let simmer till greens are wilted, about 15 minutes.

Once rice is done, add to mixture and stir.

Voila!, a healthy, Middle Eastern style casserole that also works well for leftovers.

I adapted the recipe from Sandy Mitchell, on About.com.

Ingredients:

Filling:

3 cups Concord grapes, washed and stemmed

2 small pears, cored, and cut into small chunks, or, 1 medium apple, grated

1 cup sugar

4 Tbsp flour

1 1/2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

9″ pie shell, either homemade or prepared (I like the ones at Whole Foods)

Topping:

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup melted butter

Preparation:

Pop the grape pulp from the skin by pinching them out. Save the skins. Simmer the pulp in a small saucepan for about 5 mins. While still hot, press the pulp through a sieve or a food mill to remove the seeds.

Combine sugar and flour.

Add in the grape pulp, skin, and other fruit.

Next, add the lemon juice and melted butter.

Mix then pour into pie shell.

For the crumble crust, combine the topping ingredients.  It will be dry and form little balls, sprinkle the mixture all over the top, coating it. Use as much or as little as you want, but the more you use, the crisper it will be.

Put aluminum foil under pie for an easy clean-up, it gets kind of messy.

Bake the pie at 350 degrees for 40-60 minutes.

Cool before serving.

Inspired by Saveur’s April edition where Roman food was key, I decided to host my own empire styled meal using recipes from Anya Von Bremzen’s article. The results were fantastic, and not nearly as complicated as I thought.

The menu for my feast: Spaghetti alla carbonara, fagioli e tonno (white beans with tuna), finocchio con latte al forno (fennel baked in milk), and broccoli strascinati (broccoli with garlic and hot peppers).

Because I was serving 6 people, I  doubled the recipes, which was more then enough (in fact still eating leftovers and not complaining).  I started with the fennel, which took the most time since it needs to be cooked  in milk and butter for about 30-45 minutes.  While that simmered I cooked the pancetta for the carbonara sauce, which need time to cool.  Next up, steaming the broccoli.  Once I popped the fennel into the oven, I started water for the pasta, and presto, it all came together in perfect harmony.  As long as you follow that order, you can time all these dishes to finish at about the same time.

The simplest, and cheapest, dish to make was the white bean and tuna salad. Forgoing the recipe’s want of dried beans, I just stuck to the canned version and whipped it up in the end, though it can also be made the day before. Honestly, I would give more pointers here, but if you follow the recipes pretty religiously, everything will turn out perfect.  My meal sure did.

With hardly a thing in the fridge save for some sad looking carrots, onion, a block of tofu and half a jar of my favorite 505 green chile sauce, I was at a head with what to make for dinner.  Then, inspiration hit and the idea of spicy rice coated with the hot, rich green chile blossomed in my mind.  Now, the tofu, must do something with that tofu, I thought (after all its expiration date was a mere three days away).  So, I decided to try pan frying it. The result was a savory tofu square crunchy and peppery on the outside with silken center that melted in my mouth.  The tofu cooled the firey rice and green chile sauce making a succulent spice bomb of a meal (and VEGAN too boot) that I will make again and again.

Ingredients:

1 package of tofu, extra firm

1 cup white rice

1 small white onion, chopped

1 tsp cyanne pepper

1 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp garlic powder

2 Tbs olive oil

1 jar 505 all natural green chile sauce

salt

Procedure:

1)  While the rice is cooking sauté the onion in 1/2 Tbs of olive oil. When it starts to look translucent, add the cayenne pepper. Mix in and remove from heat.

2) In a separate bowl combine pepper, garlic, and bread crumbs.  For the tofu, cut into 1/2 inch rectangles.

3) Set the oven on medium-high and heat remaining oil in pan (I used a sautée pan, but any shallow, small pan works).  Dip the tofu into the bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat each side.

4) Fry tofu in oil until it’s light to medium brown and flip, about 4-6 minutes each side.

5) Mix the cooked rice with the onions, salt and add more spice as desired, then plate.

6) Heat green chile in a pan and pour over the plated rice, add tofu on top.

Who doesn’t love a pile of spicy, smoky, diced tomatoes with cilantro, lime, jalapeno, and onion, all mixed together and placed on top a corn chip, burrito, or taco?  In Colorado, you go to a Mexican restaurant and immediately they serve you a ramekin of garlicky tomato puree, rarely the bowl of fresh pico de gallo you get in New York (which people mistakenly call salsa).

But as New York Times writer Julia Moskin dives into the new Mexico chic cuisine that has popped up all over the city, she finds that a lot of places are getting this simple sounding, but not so simple dish, right.  Surprisingly, as a Mexican food snob, I totally agree with this article.  There are some great places to get some unique and tasty salsas.  Her list includes: Cascabel Taqueria, La Superior, Hecho en Dumbo, and more.  I would definitely add Cabrito, one of my personal favorite taco spots here, to the list.

Who has your favorite salsa?  And, what is the best way to make it?

Here is my quick and easy recipe:

Take one large can of whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounces) and put in food processor with:

2 garlic cloves

1 small onion (chopped before going in food processor)

1/4-cup fresh cilantro

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño pepper

2 tsp Tabasco brand chipotle sauce

Dash of cayenne pepper

Dash of salt

One recent Friday afternoon, I found myself with an hour to kill and was conveniently located near Union Square and its fabulous greenmarket.  Normally I just rush about, wanting and craving everything I see, but either I have no cash, or don’t want to carry my bounty around town.  This time, while the fresh veggies, eggs, and meat tempted me, what really pulled me in was the goat stand.  For about 20 years, Ellie Hushour has owned and operated the Patches of Star Dairy in Nazareth, PA, and her goaty goods are found every week at the green market.  She sells goat milk, yogurt, and cheese, all packaged fresh, with no preservatives, and at reasonable prices.

Given that I had a bundle of beets at home, I instantly started craving roasted beet and goat cheese salad, one of the simplest things to make.  So, I strolled over to her stand and asked which cheese would go best.  Hushour recommended the honey chevre ($5 or $8 for two) and boy was she right.  When I got home, I whipped up my meal and marveled at how the light honey in the cheese complemented the sugariness of the beets.  Together they rounded off nicely and I ate the whole, healthy thing.

I love Rick’s Picks, especially their Smokra‘, a delightfully spicy, paprika spiked pickled okra.  But what, pray tell, do you do with the wonderful brine leftover after you finish these addictive beauties?  The other day I was faced with such a conundrum, I didn’t want to throw it out, but saving it, really?  Well my answer was right on the jar: use as a meat marinate.  Yum.

So, I stopped by Whole Foods and bought a thick cut pork chop ($6.30) from the meat counter and brought it home.  There, I cut the piece of meat into six large chunks and plopped them into the jar.  Nothing could have been easier.  I let the pork sit for a couple days before I cooked it up in a frying pan.  No oil, no spice, just some heat to cook the meat.  After it browned in the juices on medium heat, I drained it and added some quartered Brussels sprouts.  That’s it, an easy, no mess meal.  When the meat was done, the spice of the brine shone through with a peppery tang.  Because it had sat in the marinate for so long, the pork was super moist.  Next time, I might try to put two pork chops in the jar and share, but I guess that means I need a new jar of Smokra’…oh darn.

I am not good at taking time to upkeep this awesome blog.  However, I am VERY good at making mini pecan pumpkin pies.  This, I just discovered last night.  I originally saw the recipe while pumping away on the elliptical machine at my local YMCA.  Usually, as long as Top Chef isn’t on Bravo, I turn to the Food Network to give me motivation to burn calories.  After all, it’s because of food (and too much wine I’m sure) that I have to be at the gym in the first place.

Near the end of this particular jaunt, I caught the beginning of Cooking For Real, Sunny Anderson’s perky show about good, homey food.  Usually she doesn’t do much to inspire me, but this time, I was blown away by these tiny, pop-in-your-mouth pies (recipe here).  They were made with pecan and pumpkin, the best of both holiday dessert worlds.

So last night for my mini holiday get together, I decided to try these babies out.  Since I am not a natural baker, I didn’t have high hopes they would turn out well, but thank goodness I was wrong.  Each tiny pie tasted just like a pecan pie, but with a squishy pumpkin kick.  Not to sweet, not to rich,  and easy to make.  These are perfect for any party.  And, lucky me, I have enough ingredients to make another batch.

The other night I made stuffed pork chops.  It was a lot of food and I couldn’t finish it!  So, today I took the leftover meat, stuck it on the grill with a sliced brioche roll, toasted both and BAM! Deliciousness.   I also had another apple to eat, so I cut it up and served it along side the sliders. A perfect combo and a perfect way to use up the leftovers.