Iceberg to Arugula

At my house, soup isn’t something we generally eat much in the Summer. Especially since the mercury tends to splash the 100 degree mark a bit too casually around here. However, that said, I find it much easier to overlook a steamy bowl on a broiling day when the luscious perfume of basil is flirting with my nose.

This recipe starts as a pretty straightforward vegetable/bean soup, but becomes sublime with the addition of pesto just prior to serving. The heat of the soup helps amplify the spicy fragrance of the basil which adds significantly to the charm of this dish. The soup and pesto are easily made ahead of time, so it can be served quickly as a busy weekday dinner. I serve this soup with thick, chewy French bread, cheese and fresh fruit. A substitution of vegetable stock for the chicken makes this soup suitable for a simple Meatless Monday meal.

Soupe au Pistou

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup cannellini beans, rinsed

1/2 c. dry elbow pasta

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced

1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, cored and diced.

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp pepper

Salt to taste

1 cup crushed tomatoes

1 recipe Basil Pesto (see below)

1. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot. Heat over  medium heat until hot and add carrots, onions, fennel, garlic and Italian seasoning. Stir to coat vegetables in the oil and herbs. Reduce heat to low, cover pot and allow to cook until vegetables are tender and translucent.

2. Add crushed tomatoes, beans, pepper and stock. Increase heat to high, bring soup to a boil and then down to a simmer.

3. Add 3 cups water to another pot, bring to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente texture. Drain pasta and set aside until ready to add to soup.

4.  When vegetables are fork tender, remove soup from heat, gently stir in the pasta. Add salt to taste.

5. Portion soup into bowls and garnish each with 2-3 tsp basil pesto and a few toasted pine nuts if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Basic Basil Pesto

1/4c. Pine nuts, toasted

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated, lightly packed

1/2 c. Olive oil

2c. Basil leaves, loosely packed

1-2 cloves Garlic (depending on how much you love garlic)

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1. In a food processor bowl add pine nuts, basil, cheese and garlic. Pulse until coarsely combined.

2. With motor running, add olive oil in a thin stream through top feed spout. Add more oil if the resulting pesto is too thick.

3. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Makes about 1 cup

I love coleslaw. Not the drippy, gloppy variety that no one ever owns up to bringing to the family pot luck. But the crispy, crunchy, thoughtfully accented and textured variety.

Is that too much to ask for?

Basic coleslaw is essentially a shredded cabbage salad in a mayonnaise based sauce, tossed together and left to sit until served. At its worst, its bland, limp, stinky and slimy. But at its best, it takes cabbage (a very healthy cruciferous vegetable), and elevates it to a point that makes you forget it’s good for you. You want to eat it simply because it tastes good. If you ask me, all foods should aspire to this.

Here’s a crunchy, fresh version that will stand up proudly next to Aunt Betty’s potato salad at the next family potluck. If you’re a card carrying member of the “I Hate Cilantro” Society, feel free to substitute fresh chives or another herb of choice.

Ginger Garlic Coleslaw

2 ½ c. finely shredded green cabbage

1 c. shredded carrot

1c. finely sliced sweet onion

½ c. mayonnaise

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp fresh ginger, roughly chopped

1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped

1 tsp honey

1/3 c. sliced almonds, toasted

1/3 c. cilantro, chopped

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp fresh ground pepper

1. Place vegetables, cilantro and almonds in a salad bowl.

2. In the work bowl of a food processor, add mayonnaise, vinegar, ginger, garlic, honey, salt and pepper. Process until fairly smooth.

3. Drizzle mayonnaise dressing over vegetables and toss until mixed thoroughly. Garnish with extra cilantro prior to serving.

Makes 4 side servings

I love basil. Not in the same way I love my family…but close. Each Spring, I get my plants going either from starts or seeds and then spend the Summer using this gloriously spicy herb in everything from soups, sauces, compound butters, salads and anywhere else I crave it’s delicious pungency. Bright, lemony and peppery all at once, these silky, lush leaves deliver bite sized bursts of Summer wherever they are added.

A mainstay of many Summer herb gardens, basil is easy to find during the warm months. Look for it at your Farmers Market, in CSA boxes or better yet, your own back yard. Basil plants are happy in the ground or in pots if you don’t have much room. They love full hot sun as long as they get ample water in the morning.

If you’re growing your own plants, watch them carefully. In optimal conditions, if they get too happy, they’ll begin developing long stalks with buds that will eventually flower (see picture). Once this happens, that particular branch of the plant will no longer produce leaves, but flowers instead. Frankly, as cute (and edible) as the flowers are, they make crappy pesto.  Pinching off the flower buds as they develop will encourage the plant to make more leaves. Be aware that in the deepest heat of Summer, you may need to pinch back newly formed buds daily.

In historical lore, basil can mean very good things (love and affection) or very bad things (scorpions and evil spirits). My favorite bit of basil lore is the Eastern European tradition of a suitor presenting a sprig of basil to his love as a request for her hand in marriage. (Though as much as I adore basil, if it was my hand being asked for, there had better be a diamond chillin’ out somewhere on that sprig…)

While basil is frequently associated with Italian cooking, it’s actually thought to have originated in Asia where it shows up in many Asian soup and salad dishes (Pho anyone?). The foodie part of me can’t help but wonder if early Italian explorers encountering basil for the first time, tossed aside the silks and spices they were probably there for and broke out into a spontaneous happy dance after their first taste.

Arguably the best known use of basil in the West is in traditional basil pesto. It’s a simple recipe which makes it extremely important to use the very best ingredients you can afford. I prefer to use real Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and the best olive oil I can find. I’m partial to the deep green/gold California varieties (I’m liking Bariani and the UC Davis Silo blend oils the most right now.*)  There are MANY varieties of basil to choose from, but in my opinion, the Sweet or Genovese basil varieties tend to make the best pesto.

Once your pesto is made, it can be used in several delicious ways (see below for suggestions). Be sure to refrigerate and use it up within a week.

Basic Basil Pesto

1/4c. Pine nuts, toasted

1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated, lightly packed

1/2 c. Olive oil

2c. Basil leaves, loosely packed

1-2 cloves Garlic (depending on how much you love garlic)

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1. In a food processor bowl add pine nuts, basil, cheese and garlic. Pulse until coarsely combined.

2. With motor running, add olive oil in a thin stream through top feed spout. Add more oil if the resulting pesto is too thick.

3. Add pepper and salt to taste.

Makes about 1 cup

Serving suggestions for Basil Pesto:

• Toss with freshly cooked pasta of any type.
• Mix some with mayonnaise or on its own for an incredible sandwich spread.
• Mix with ricotta cheese and add as a layer to lasagna.
• Mix some in with eggs to make a frittata base or unforgettable scrambled eggs.
• Add a dollop to a summer vegetable soup just before serving.
• Add 1 cup white beans, 2 tbsp pesto and 2 tbsp oil packed sundried tomatoes to a food processor and whirl until combined. Spread on bruschetta and top with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh sliced tomatoes and a grinding of fresh pepper.
• Fresh tomatoes and basil are magical together. Try sliced tomatoes slathered with a bit of pesto as a salad.

Pesto can be made ahead and frozen, just be sure to leave out the cheese, oil, salt and pepper until ready to prepare. Be sure to use within 3 months.

*No compensation was received for the mention of these products. I just really like them. Of course it probably helps that I live smack dab in the middle of Bariani olive country and UC Davis is my Alma Mater…….

I’m hungry.

Fortunately, I happen to be in my community garden which tends to inspire me come dinnertime. This evening, surveying the pretty pagoda like pepper plants, I notice some fairly rotund specimens begging to be picked. However, before doing so, I realize I’m faced with a big question.

Green or red?

Many peppers are considered immature and unripe in their green  stage, though we can eat them anyway. If left on the plant, they go on to mature to their final color: glossy red, orange, yellow or even purple. The mature peppers are generally sweeter with a more rounded and balanced flavor than in their green form.

Unfortunately, as I’m contemplating this question I notice I’m starting to salivate uncontrollably at the thought of Peperonata, a tender dish of sautéed or stewed sweet peppers. Since I think this dish is equally as good with green or ripe peppers, I excitedly snap 4 gorgeous specimens from their stems and hightail it home.

In addition to the ubiquitous bell peppers, there are Sweet Italian and Banana Peppers as well as some of the hotter Jalapeno and Thai varieties. The Italian sweets were responsible for bringing the Peperonata to mind. For dinner this evening, I selected a mix of bell peppers and Italian Sweets. The base recipe I use calls for thinly sliced sweet peppers (any color will do, though it looks best when multiple colors are used), thinly sliced sweet onion, olive oil, salt and black pepper. The vegetables are coated in the oil and cooked slowly over medium to medium high heat (without browning) until tender. Once done, peperonata can be used as a pizza topping, a sandwich filler (it’s fabulous in a hoagie roll with grilled sweet or hot turkey sausage) to top polenta or on it’s own as a vegetable accompaniment.

It also makes an incredible addition to eggs as in this recipe for a frittata. Along with a green salad and a wedge of good European style bread, this frittata makes a wonderful light lunch or dinner meal without heating the house up too much during these hot Summer months. 

Peperonata Frittata

2 sweet Italian or 1 bell pepper, sliced into thin (1/4”) strips

1 small sweet onion, sliced into thin (1/4”) strips

4 eggs, beaten slightly

1 tbsp chopped mixed herbs (basil, chives, parsley, marjoram)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt, Freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp fresh grated parmesan cheese (optional)

1. Add oil to a 8-10 inch nonstick omelet pan or skillet.

2. Heat oil over medium high heat and add peppers and onions. Stir to coat all vegetables with the oil. Cook 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are very tender. Reduce heat if needed to prevent browning.

3. In a small bowl, crack eggs and add garlic, salt and pepper. Whip with a whisk until thoroughly blended.

4. When vegetables are tender, arrange them in an even layer on the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and pour the egg mixture evenly over the peppers.

5. Run a heatproof rubber spatula, gently around the sides of the frittata to keep it from sticking to the pan. During cooking, gently pull the edges of the frittata away from the pan and tilt it slightly to allow any liquid egg on top to run underneath where it will cook when it contacts the pan directly. 

6. Briefly (30-60 seconds) cook the other side of the frittata to ensure doneness. You may flip the frittata in the pan or you may slide it onto a plate and transfer back (topside down) to the pan.

7. Slide frittata out of the pan and sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs and cheese if desired. Slice into wedges and serve immediately. 

Makes 2-3 servings.

                                                                                    I know I’m not alone. Millions of women are out there just like me, juggling career, children and sanity on a daily basis. Yet, no matter how frenzied the day is, one thing is always true….there MUST be dinner.

In and amongst all the cooking I do, I have a few standby “go-to” recipes for busy evenings. To qualify as “go to”, recipes need to be tasty and pull together very quickly. Here’s one of my favorites: my own version of the Indian inspired Mulligatawny Soup. Simple, quick, slightly exotic and along with some warm bread (try Naan) and fresh fruit, deeply satisfying.

Mulligatawny Soup

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts.

1 tbsp olive oil

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced

1 large yellow onion, sliced

32 oz low sodium chicken stock

12 oz light coconut milk

1/2 cup long grain fragrant white rice (try Basmati)

1 1/4 cup water

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

Salt and Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Place chicken in a lightly oiled oven proof dish, sprinkle on salt, pepper and cayenne. Place dish in oven for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

3. In a small pot, or rice cooker, add rice and water and cook until done and tender. Cover and hold until needed.

3. While the chicken and rice are cooking, add oil to a 3-5 quart pot, over medium high heat. Add onion and carrots, reduce heat to medium, cover and allow vegetables to soften slightly.

4. Add curry, coriander and cumin to vegetables and stir until coated.

5. Add chicken stock and coconut milk to vegetables. Increase heat back to medium high.

6. Cut cooked chicken into cubes and add to soup as well as the cooked rice.

7. Add cilantro and stir well. If soup is too thick, extra stock or coconut milk may be added.

8. Adjust flavors to taste with salt, pepper or more of the spices if desired.

Anyone have any “go to” recipes to share?

I teach culinary courses at my local food co-op and Whole Foods store. The most recent class I taught was Braising Basics. It had been a while since I’d done a braise, but I found myself falling in love with this technique all over again during my prep. The steps are so simple and if done correctly, produce a meltingly tender, richly flavored (yet relatively cheap) meal that only gets better with time.            

Braising is perhaps deceptively simple. After teaching my class, I read through the students evaluations and noted one that sniffed that the topic was “far too simplistic for me.”

I guess she missed the point because in the simplicity lies the beauty of braising. Unfortunately, for many hard nosed foodies fortified by a steady diet of “Iron Chef” and “Hell’s Kitchen” braising may indeed appear boringly elementary.

The point that is easily lost here is that the the simpler the dish, the less flash and dash there is to hide behind. Simple dishes ask for solid skill and technique, not complicated recipes or ingredients. 

In that spirit, I give you the technique for perhaps the most well known and loved of braised dishes: the Pot Roast.

Braising is a long, slow method which involves cooking the meat in a covered vessel while it’s partially submerged in a flavorful braising liquid. Meat cuts that braise well include any part that was hard working during the animal’s life such as the shoulder or leg muscles.  Look for these cuts that braise well:

As a bonus, these cuts boast more pronounced flavor and because they’re generally fairly tough they are relatively cheap as meat goes. Braise-worthy meats are generally loaded with connective tissue which melts down during the long slow cooking process. The end result is that after losing it’s structure, the meat simply falls apart and becomes irresistibly tender.

Simple steps:

1. Heat 1-2 tbsp Vegetable Oil over medium high heat in a heavy ovenproof pot with a tight fitting lid.

2. Blot the meat with a paper towel to remove any surface moisture that may impede browning.

3. When oil is hot, (sprinkle a bit of water in the pot, if it sizzles, it’s ready) add the meat and allow it to brown over medium high heat until it no longer sticks to the bottom of the pot. This should take about 6-8 minutes per side. As the meat browns, it will release itself from the bottom of the pan. You can test periodically to see how well the meat is coming away from the pan but be careful not to force it, you may tear the meat and remove all the great flavors you developed by browning. 

4. Remove browned meat from pot and cover with foil.

5. Remove all but about a tablespoon of fat from the pot. You will find that the bottom of the pot is now coated with browned material from the meat. This is really flavorful stuff that will enhance the flavor of the final dish. The French call this “fond” and the goal is to scrape it up off the pan and incorporate it into your dish.

6. Keeping the heat at medium high, add a variety of aromatic vegetables to the pot (diced carrots, onions, celery, fennel, leeks and/or peppers) For this dish, I like to use about a cup of classic Mirepoix… though here I had no celery because my husband ate it all without telling me prior to starting the dish….grrrrrr.

7. Stir the vegetables around to coat with the fat in the pan, if it’s too dry you can add a bit more vegetable oil. As the vegetables heat up, they will begin to release their water and start to dissolve and pick up the fond. Using a wooden or non metal spoon, scrape the fond off the bottom of the pan and stir the vegetables, you will notice your vegetables getting darker and more fragrant as they pick up the fond.

8. Add the meat back to the pan on top of the vegetables and add a braising liquid. The liquid should come up 1/2 to 3/4 of the way up the side of the meat. Avoid totally submerging the meat. When I make pot roast I like to use straight red wine (Burgundy, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot). But you can also use 1/2 wine, 1/2 beef stock or all beef stock if you prefer.

9. Add aromatic ingredients to further enhance the flavors. I like to add cracked peppercorns, thyme sprigs, a bay leaf and 3-4 crushed, peeled garlic cloves. You can enclose these ingredients in a cheesecloth bag to make a bouquet garni or simply add them to the pot if you are going to strain the braising liquid later.

10. Bring pot to a boil, cover and place in a preheated 350 F degree oven. The larger the piece of meat, the longer it will take to fall apart. Start checking after an hour for smaller pieces (less that 2 pounds) and 2 hours for larger pieces (more than 2 pounds). Stick in a fork and see if the meat comes apart easily. If the liquid level has dropped, add more to the pot.

11. When the meat has reached desired tenderness, remove it carefully from the pot and cover to keep warm.  Strain the braising liquid through a sieve and use it to accompany the meat or place it in a saucepan and boil it down (called “reducing”) by half to thicken and concentrate the flavors. In either case, you will want to add salt and pepper to taste prior to serving.

The end result is rich, go easy on the portion sizes, shoot for a meat portion no bigger than your fist. Load the rest of the plate with roasted vegetables, pour a glass of the same wine you used for the braise and enjoy.

Hmmmm……11 steps for this simple technique??? Would you agree they are fairly easy steps? The great thing about learning a technique is that once you learn it, you can apply it to make your own recipes. That’s why when I teach my classes, I teach technique and not recipes.  I’ll be doing more technique posts in the future….any requests???

On any given day I can pratter on endlessly about certain foods: gelato that makes my taste buds pirouette in anticipation, stinky cheeses that stop just short of making me wince or plump, sweet blackberries just plucked from creek fed beds on a hot day.

Today? It’s lentils.

Lentils you say?? Aren’t those a bit uhm….boring in comparison? Allow me to backpedal a bit. I like beans and we eat them fairly frequently in our house in soups, dips and stews. Most of the time, I use the canned varieties for the sake of speed in pulling a meal together. However, I do find that beans cooked from the dried (or fresh) state tend to have better flavor and texture than the canned ones. However, dried beans need to be soaked for a time before using and even the quick soak method can be longer than I want to wait when I’m making dinner on a busy weeknight. (Though if you do happen to have the time check out the dry bean cooking tips over at Kitchen Therapy).

The lentil has something great going for it that beans don’t: they are the Speedy Petes of the legume world. From a nutrition standpoint, much like beans, lentils have a lot going for them. They’re loaded with folic acid and fiber (trust me, your heart LOVES that!)

There are several varieties of lentils, some of which are pictured above (red, French Green and brown). Like beans, lentils themselves have have a very mild flavor. The magic happens when they are cooked with other ingredients, they take on the flavors of the rest of the dish. Since they are small and lens shaped, they also contribute welcome texture to many dishes and in true speedy fashion, there is no soaking required. Just add them during the cooking process as you would pasta and cook until tender. Before using lentils, spread them out on a white dish towel or plate and remove any non-lentil interlopers such as tiny stones or other grains.

During the winter months, I like to keep my freezer stocked with hearty soups and stews to help get dinner on the table quickly during the week. This Lentil Soup is generally camping out somewhere near my Ben and Jerry’s stash. I like to serve this as a dinner entree with fresh fruit or salad and a really good loaf of bread with garlic spiked butter.

Lentil Soup

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 carrots, trimmed, peeled and sliced

2 ribs celery, trimmed and sliced

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes

2 tsp dried thyme

1 cup dry lentils (any kind will work)

4 cups low sodium beef or vegetable stock

1 smoked ham hock (optional)

1 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

1. In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add onions, carrots, celery, garlic and thyme. Cover pot. Stir occasionally and if vegetables begin to turn brown, stir and reduce heat to medium-low.

2. When vegetables are tender, add tomatoes, stock, lentils and ham hock (if using)

3. Stir soup and turn heat up to high until soup is boiling, then reduce heat and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30-40 minutes.

4. Remove soup from heat and extract the ham hock if using. Cut as much meat from the ham hock as possible, cut into bite sized pieces and add back to the soup.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir in Balsamic vinegar.

Makes about 8 cups. Freezes well (use within 3 months).

OK, so at one point I was toying with the idea of writing a cookbook with this name. But my husband in all his wisdom made me rethink that. Awwwww….

This time of year, many of us are making plans and preparations for the holiday season, all culminating in one perfect morning of celebration. But what if I told you you could have perfect mornings of celebration all year round? Let me introduce you to the Sunday morning brunch.

In my humble opinion, Sunday morning is the perfect part of the weekend. It lies in between Saturday, which if you did it right, allowed you to shake off enough of the workweek to really relax and before the “oh-man-I-gotta-start-getting-ready-for-next-week” dance.

As opposed to other meals of the day where preparing scratch dishes may be more daunting for those with limited kitchen skills, breakfast foods are pretty straightforward. The ease of preparation makes it easy for all members of the family (even children) to take part. The key here is to keep in mind that the group preparation is as important as the meal itself. It’s an unfussy, gather around the dining room table time to set the tone for the rest of the day.

Take the time to mindfully enjoy more decadent foods you may not normally eat, that’s part of what makes it a celebration!

Leave the TV off and play some music everyone can agree on. On Sundays, we generally stick to light classical music. Or check out www.pandora.com to create your own breakfast celebration radio station for free.

Start with some fresh seasonal fruit. This time of year, citrus fruits, pomegranates and persimmons make frequent appearances at my table.

Add waffles, scrambled eggs, pancakes or my recipes below and pots of coffee, tea or hot cocoa and you’re good to go!  

Vanilla Custard French Toast with Butter Pecan Syrup

4 slices thick white or sweet French bread

1/3c. Half and Half

1/3 c. Heavy cream

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

4 eggs

1 whole vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped

1/4 tsp salt

Butter- to grease pan

• Add all ingredients except bread to bowl and whisk together.
• Heat a nonstick pan greased with 1/2 tsp butter over medium high heat.
• Add one slice bread at a time to the egg bath and flip to coat both sides. Soak at least 5 seconds per side. The longer the bread soaks, the longer it will take to cook but it will be more custard-like.
• Add soaked bread to hot pan and cook until golden brown on each side. Reduce heat to medium if needed to avoid burning.
• Add more butter to pan as needed.
• Serve immediately with 2-4 tbsp Butter Pecan Syrup.

Makes 4 servings

Butter Pecan Syrup

1/3c. raw shelled pecans

1-2 tbsp salted butter

1/2-3/4c. pure maple syrup

• Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place pecans on cookie sheet and place in oven. Bake about 10 minutes or until browned and fragrant.
• Meanwhile, place butter and syrup in a small saucepan over medium low heat until butter is melted and then hold warm.
• Remove pecans from oven, let cool, chop coarsely and add to the butter and syrup.

Skillet Potatoes and Onions with Thyme

This is a very simple recipe with only 4 ingredients not including salt and pepper.

6-8 small to medium new potatoes, scrub, (no need to peel), slice lengthwise and then slice each half into 1/4 inch slices.

1 medium yellow onion, chopped into 1 inch chunks

1 1/2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

• Add oil to a nonstick pan and heat over medium high heat until hot and fragrant.
• Add remaining ingredients to pan and stir to arrange onions and potatoes in a flat layer in the pan to allow for browning.

• Stir every few minutes to allow as many potato pieces as possible some time against the hot pan to brown. (You’re not going to get all of them and that’s ok.)
• Continue cooking and stirring until potatoes and onions are fork tender. That is, there is no resistance or crunchiness when pierced by a fork. Be patient, this process takes a while, about 10-15 minutes. Adjust heat up (high) or down (medium) as needed to keep the sizzle and avoid burning. If you want your potatoes browned more or the onions sweeter and caramelized, feel free to continue cooking.
• Serve immediately.

Vanilla Custard French Toast with Butter Pecan Syrup and Skillet Potatoes and Onions with Thyme

Do you remember the Super Bowl commercial a year or two ago that featured a dowdy woman being hotly pursued by legions of men that found her somehow irresistible despite her “monobrow” and perma-wedgie? How did she get all the male attention?

She dabbed cashews behind her ears. 

Now, I have to say, I’m sure this doesn’t work. Because if you’re craving masculine attention, the thing you really need to dab behind your ears is….wait for it….

Pumpkin pie.

Mind you, I have absolutely no scientific evidence to back me up on this.  However, I remain convinced that there’s something hardwired on the Y chromosome that renders men helpless in the face of this silky pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon and clove cocktail. 

That said, we have just entered the time of year when I start getting questions from random folks in my life about how to make a pumpkin pie using an actual pumpkin rather than the canned stuff.

The question that begs to be asked is: Is it worth it to go to the trouble of cutting up the unwieldy orange orb and wade through lots of ooky pumpkin innards in order to get my pie fix?

Yep.

I do think that solid pack canned pumpkin has quite a bit going for it, so I’m not dissing the can. Consider the following:

• Solid pack pumpkin usually is a one ingredient item, meaning no artificial colors, flavors or stabilizers have been added.
• Pumpkin is loaded with beta carotene, your body converts this to Vitamin A which it uses to help bolster your immune system. Great for this time of year when most of us are playing dodge ball with cold and flu viruses. 
• Overall pumpkin is low in calories and fat.
• Opening a can is faster.

However, nutrition aside, from a culinary standpoint using fresh rather than canned pumpkin frequently just tastes better. Not to mention that in many circles, it will also qualify you for bragging rights. (“What?!?! You used a real pumpkin to make this pie! Wow! You rock!”)

First, start with the right pumpkin. The large pumpkins used for carving Jack O Lanterns at Halloween will NOT work. The flesh contains too much water and not enough sugar, generally pies made with these pumpkins are bland and don’t have a good texture.

Look for pumpkins that are intended for cooking. Most of the time they are called “sugar”, “pie” or “cheese” pumpkins. The one I used for these pictures was called a “Sugarpie”. Usually they are about the size of a medium cantaloupe and weigh about 4-5 pounds. In the photo below, you can see the Sugarpie pumpkin is significantly smaller than the Jack ‘O Lantern variety.

Wash the pumpkin prior to cutting and with a very sturdy, sharp and heavy knife, cut the pumpkin in half and remove the seeds and stringy interior.

You will find that pie pumpkins frequently have A LOT of seeds relative to their size. One 4 pound pumpkin should provide about 1 cup of slick, plump seeds. Be sure to reserve the seeds for a healthy roasted snack:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rinse seeds and place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Sprinkle with coarse kosher salt and roast 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  

Check out Jessica Levinson’s post at Nutritioulicious on pumpkin seed nutrition.

Cut the pumpkin in 8 wedges (leave skin on) and place 1 cut side down on a cooling rack positioned over a low rimmed sheet pan. This helps ensure even roasting and catches any water that may be released which would impede the roasting process.

Roast about 40-45 minutes at 375 degrees or until pumpkin is fork tender, that is, if you pierce the flesh with a fork, there is little resistance. Let wedges cool until they can be handled comfortably by hand.

Pull skin off wedges, this is fairly easy to do by hand when the pumpkin is roasted. Remove any hard parts such as the stem, etc.

Cut into 1 inch chunks and place in food processor. Pulse and add water sparingly (no more than about 1/3 cup if you’re going to use this for a pie or custard) to work pumpkin into a smooth puree.

Be patient, fresh pumpkin stubbornly takes a while to puree well.

You will find that the fresh pumpkin will be lighter in color than what you may be used to out of the can. Here’s a color comparison:

Fresh puree is on top, canned puree on the bottom. Despite the color difference, pies made with the fresh puree have the same color as those made with the canned puree.

The flavor and smell of the fresh puree is delicate and complex making for a much more sophisticated end product. In comparison, the canned product looks “curdled” with a more one dimensional aggressive “yammy” scent. I’d never really noticed that until I started roasting my own pumpkins. Despite the more pronounced scent of the canned pumpkin, pies made with fresh pumpkin generally are more flavorful.   

One 4 pound pumpkin should yield about 3 cups puree.

Pumpkin Pie

Makes one 9 inch pie

1 1/2 cup fresh pureed pumpkin

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 1/2 cups evaporated whole milk

1/2 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

½ tsp ground cloves

1 recipe for basic pie dough to make 1 shell for a 9 inch pie or use the equivalent in premade dough.

· Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

· Line pie plate with dough

· Mix remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

· Pour pumpkin mixture into prepared pie plate.

· Place pie in oven on lower rack of oven and bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle of the pie comes out clean. Jiggle the pie, it should wiggle a bit.

Allow to cool and serve garnished with whipped cream as desired.

For some additional fabulous non-pie pumpkin creations check out these recipes from some of my blogger friends:

Tram’s Pumpkin Walnut Muffins at Nutrition to Kitchen

Linda’s Pumpkin Custard at Kitchen Therapy

Marsha’s Pumpkin Stew at A Weight Lifted

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving!

I love roasting vegetables, there is really no better way in my opinion to coax full bodied and well developed flavor out of even the most humble veggies than to roast them. If you happen to be in the Sacramento area on October 24th, consider taking my class at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op. Click on this link here for more information.

For those of you who will be nowhere near Sacramento on that date, here is the basic technique:

1. Select veggies of choice, some that are non fussy and work well include beets, carrots, parsnip, winter squashes, carrots, onions, garlic, sweet potatoes and new potatoes.

Roasted red and golden beets: A bowlful of edible jewels

2. Removing the peels of some veggies such as carrots, parsnips and potatoes is entirely up to you as they are edible. Others such as the winter squashes, beets and garlic should be removed after roasting. When roasting garlic, be sure to to slice off the upper 1/4 of the bulb BEFORE roasting so that it’s easier to remove the roasted garlic pulp by squeezing the base of the head. If you try cutting after roasting, you’ll end up with a big mess. (ahhh….personal experience speaking here)

3. Though it’s not necessary, I like to foil wrap beets and garlic prior to roasting. Simply, trim the vegetable as needed, foil wrap tightly and place in the oven using the time and temperatures listed below. You may drizzle with a bit of olive oil prior to wrapping if you like the added flavor.

Trimmed and seasoned beets ready for roasting.

4. When roasting other veggies, make sure pieces are cut roughly the same size. Place in a roasting pan and toss with some olive oil to coat all the pieces lightly. Sprinkle with kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper. I’m also partial to sprinkling with some dried thyme as I like the added savory element it adds. Be sure to select a roasting pan large enough that the vegetables can be arranged in a single layer. This helps ensure they all get evenly roasted. Roast at 400 degrees for about an hour or until the pieces are fork tender (stick your fork in, the vegetables should give a slight resistance, but you should not have to struggle to get the fork in.) The pieces should also be nicely browned on the surface.

5. The resulting vegetables can be eaten on their own or used in soups, casseroles and sandwiches. I like to use roasted onions as an accompaniment to roasted meats such as chicken or beef. Roasted garlic spread on good European style bread is so good I sometimes think I could live on that alone for the rest of my days.

Roasted Red Potatoes

4 medium red potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 inch pieces

2 medium yellow onions, quartered

1-2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra as needed.

2 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried rosemary

2 tbsp freshly grated parmesan

2 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped

1 tsp kosher salt  

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place all ingredients into a bowl and toss together until everything is coated in oil. It’s ok if the onion sections separate.

3. Spread potatoes and onions out evenly onto a lightly greased baking sheet and roast for 40-45 minutes or until browned and tender. Halfway through roasting, use a spatula to turn potato pieces over for even browning.

4. Remove potatoes from oven and place in serving dish. Sprinkle with grated cheese, fresh herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and additional salt and pepper as needed. Toss gently and serve immediately alongside eggs or roasted meats or vegetables.