FOOD FOR THOUGHT...

"Good chefs, like artists, are visionaries. You have to have a vision of the taste, the look, the smell of your masterpiece; you hold it in your mind and make it materialize."

Onid Jatteri

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Potato Bug...

OK. So it's a CARROT bug.


But he's after those potatoes.



It's so fun to go out to the raised beds and pull carrots in the middle of winter. Sweet, tender, crispy.



And sometimes kinda funky.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Creme

With Christmas hard on the heels of Thanksgiving, this colorful, velvety soup is a great candidate for holiday dining. I took it to the family Thanksgiving potluck, and plan on a repeat performance at Christmas. It is delish! Easy and cheap, seasonal and satisfying. The Garlic Creme can turn it from Really Good to GRREEEEAT with a five-second garnish trick.l

Ingredients: medium butternut squash, carrots, apples, fresh herbs, and some seasoning.

Butternut Squash Soup with Garlic Creme (4 servings)
In processor (not blender) fine chop:
4 c. peeled, cubed butternut squash (one smallish squash; peel with veg peeler, split in two, scoop seeds and cube squash meat)
3 med. carrots
Transfer to highspeed blender (VitaMix) for smoothest soup. Or continue in processor. Add:
2 med. chopped apples, cored, UNPEELED
1 T. miso (0pt)
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1 clove garlic, mashed
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. curry powder
2 tsp. fresh rosemary (1 tsp. dry)
1 tsp. fresh thyme (1/2 tsp. dry)
1 tsp. fresh sage (1/2 tsp. dry OR use poultry seasoning)
Blend smooth. Adjust seasonings to taste.
If you want warmed soup, pour into a quart jar with screw-on lid; submerge jar in very warm water until soup is warm to touch. Can also be gently warmed in pot over low heat, or in double boiler; just don't overheat.
Garlic Creme
Blend smooth:
1 c. soaked raw cashews (soak at least 30 min., drain)
2 med. cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 c. water
Transfer into squeeze bottle.
To serve:
Pour soup into wide bowls (warm bowls first if desired). Squeeze Garlic Creme from bottle in 2 or 3 concentric circles on surface of soup. Using a toothpick or chopstick, draw lines from center of circles through rings to edge of bowl, forming a "webbed" pattern.
Sprinkle with a few pumpkin seeds.
Enjoy!