Pumpkin Soup

It's time to get ready for Thanksgiving and all the fun cooking and culinary traditions that have special food memories for our family.  One frequently requested dish is Pumpkin Soup.  This is spectacular when served in a scooped out pumpkin, using it as your soup tureen.  Enjoy!!

Pumpkin Soup

16 ounces canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)

3 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca

10 cups chicken stock

1/8 teaspoon Nutmeg, freshly grated, to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon Sugar, to taste

2 cups half-and-half

Curry powder (optional)

Toasted pumpkin seeds for garnish (optional)

Sauté the celery and onion in the butter until tender, but not brown.

Simmer the tapioca in 2 cups of the chicken stock until tender, about 8 minutes.  Stir this regularly while cooking.  Set aside.

Method A:  If using an immersion blender:  Place the pumpkin into a 6 quart soup pot.  Add the celery and onion along with a bit of the chicken stock and puree until smooth

Method B:  If using a blender:  Blend the celery and onion with 1 cup of the stock until smooth.  Add this to the pumpkin into a 6 quart soup pot.   

Into the kettle with the pumpkin, celery and onion, add all the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer.  Be careful that you do not burn this soup.

Add the tapioca, nutmeg, salt, pepper and sugar, all to taste. 

If using curry powder, this is the time to add to the pot. 

When hot and ready to serve, add the half-and-half and correct the seasoning. 

This is spectacular when served in a scooped out pumpkin, using it as your soup tureen. 

NOTE:  if you want to use fresh pumpkin, use 2 ½ pounds fresh pumpkin, cleaned and peeled.  Cut into large pieces and steam until tender, about 45 minutes.  Or, you can bake the pieces until tender.

Lamb Cacciatore

Are you ready for a "hit out of the park" dish???  This is it.. so enjoy!  (wish I had a picture, but we ate it too fast!)

Lamb Cacciatore

Kathleen Barnett

Serves 6

This is a classic stew from Italy and a favorite for the fall.  It is a braised dish and the sauce is flavored with anchovies.  Don’t let that put you off as they finish the sauce and your guest will say…”this is great!”.

3 lbs boneless lamb

Kosher salt

Black pepper

Flour for browning

½ cup olive oil

2 large carrots, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

1 medium yellow onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, rough chop

3 fresh sage leaves, chopped,  or 1 teaspoon dried sage

1 long sprig fresh rosemary, chopped

1 cup beef stock

¼ cup red wine

¼ cup red wine or balsamic vinegar

6 anchovy fillets OR 2 teaspoons anchovy paste

Pre heat oven to 375°

Cut the lamb into 2-inch cubes.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Dredge the lamb in flour.  Heat the olive oil in large casserole or dutch oven, and in batches,  brown the lamb on all sides.  As done, transfer into a holding plate. 

Into pan, add carrots, celery and onion and cook for 3-4 minutes.  Add garlic, sage and rosemary and continue to cook for 1 minute.  Add stock, wine and vinegar to deglaze pan.  Bring to a boil, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan; then add lamb into pan.  Cover and braise in the oven until tender.  Check at 45 minutes and every 15 minutes thereafter, about 1 ½ hours maximum.   

Mash anchovies, or stir in anchovy paste into small about of the sauce.  Return to the casserole, stir well and continue to cook another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and taste for seasoning before serving.

Hip Huggers

 Yuppp… these just go right to the hips.  Not only because they are so calorie laden, but because you can’t stop eating them!  This is a recipe I developed in the early 1980’s for school bake sales.  They were a hit then and now.  ENJOY!!

Hip Huggers

By Kathleen Barnett

Cradle Mountain Kitchen

1 (14 oz) can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk

6 tbsp. butter

6 oz (small package) chocolate chips

Dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1 ½ cup brown sugar

¾ cup butter, melted

1 egg, beaten

¾ tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

1 ¾ cup flour

1 3/4 cup oatmeal

1 tsp. vanilla

Optional:  ½ cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350°.  Grease a 9 X 13 inch baking pan.

Heat milk, 6 tablespoons butter and chocolate chips together until melted.  Add dash salt and 1 teaspoon vanilla.  Set aside.

Mix together all remaining ingredients (except nuts).  Press 2/3 of oatmeal mixture into the greased pan.  Top with the chocolate mixture (try to put more in the pan than you taste!). 

Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture on top.  If desired, add ½ cup chopped nuts.

Bake 25 minutes then cool for a few hours before cutting into small squares.

Red Bell Pepper Bisque

September has an abundance of beautiful, fresh red bell peppers in the grocery stores and farmers markets.  They are at their height of sweetnes so load up on them!  (Also full of vitamin C)

Here is a great easy way bisque to make and pop into your freezer for a yummy soup on a cold winter's night!  Make it a little more substantial by adding some cooked shrimp or crab!

Red Bell Pepper Bisque

Serves 4 as a main course

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, peeled and chopped

1 celery stalk, peeled and copped

1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

4 red bell peppers (about 1 ¾ pounds total), seeded, de-ribbed, chopped into 1 inch pieces

4 cups chicken stock

¼ cup heavy cream

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

2/3 cup crème fraiche, or sour cream, for garnish

Heat heavy 4 quart pot over medium high heat.  Add the olive oil and carrot, onion and celery.  Sauté until carrot turns bright orange and onion is translucent, about 8 minutes.  Stir in 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper and the bell peppers.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until peppers start to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add enough stock to cover vegetables and bring to a rolling boil.  Reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer until all vegetables are soft, about 30 minutes

Removed from heat and blend using an immersion blender or a stand blender.  (Use caution as the mixture is very hot.  Start with a low speed and gradually increase.)  If desired, strain pureed soup through a medium-mesh strainer. 

Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt, pepper and additional cayenne is desired. 

If necessary, gently reheat the soups over low heat, stirring constantly.  Garnish with a drizzle of crème fraiche or sour cream.

COOKS NOTES:  If you are going to freeze, do not add the cream.  Just add when you thaw and serve. 

Also, don't strain and the soup has a little more texture. 

Kathleen’s Basic Rice Pilaf

Kathleen’s Basic Rice Pilaf

This is a family favorite.  It works wonderful with and grilled or roasted meat.  It also holds well for an hour or two in the oven while you finish making dinner!

On medium heat in sauté pan w/ lid

Melt                 1 cube of butter

Add                 1 cup crushed vermicelli

Brown until golden

Add                 2 cups white rice (or basmati rice which holds it’s shape better)

                        3 – 103/4 oz. Cans of broth (chicken, beef, or vegetable)

Simmer 30 – 40 minutes

May also add chopped and sauté mushrooms or onions

Serves 6 – 8

Kathleen Barnett

Quick Chicken Supreme

This is such a good recipe for a rushed week night or a crowd on a Saturday night.  I don't remember where the original recipe;e came from.... but I found it about 30 years ago!!!!  Add this to your recipe collection!!!

Quick Chicken Supreme

Serves 4

 

½ cup bread crumbs

4 Tablespoons finely chopped parsley

3 cloves minced garlic

1 lemon rind, grated  grated

 Salt & pepper, to taste

4 tablespoons Dijon mustard

4 skinned & boned chicken breast

2 tablespoons melted butter

Pre-heat oven to 375º.

Mix bread crumbs, parsley, garlic, lemon rind and salt & pepper. 

Coat chicken with mustard.  Pat on bread crumb coating

Place in baking pan.  Drizzle with melted butter

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until cooked through.

 (This is a post from my garden blog, CradleMtKitchen.blogspot.com and I wanted to share it here.  Red peppers are in abundance right now, so if you find some on sale or in quantity at the farmer's market... try roasting them!!)


Looking at these beautiful red peppers.... I feel like a proud mama!  These have been a huge success.  With the weather staying consistently warm, these red peppers are coming into their own.  If you have the room, make a note to yourself to plant red bell peppers next spring.  When you slice into a fresh from the garden pepper, it makes a "crack" sound unlike anything you'll ever get from a grocery store pepper.... and the smell..... yummy!

I'm grilling these and freezing for 'fire roasted red peppers' all year long.

*** Grill or roast in a hot oven.  Then put into a paper bag and close tightly for 20 minutes.  Remove the skins and seeds.  Lay flat on cookie sheet to freeze.  Place in zip seal bag once frozen and don't forget to label the bag.  Another option:  instead of freezing, put into a jar with Extra Virgin Olive Oil and keep in the frig... eat or use within a few weeks....YUMMY.