CSA Pick-up October 26 & 27
As I write, our toddler is wobbling around the yurt with a paper bag on his head and making monster noises. He doesn’t know too much about Halloween at this age, and so perhaps the fun of dressing up (or is it the fun of peek-a-boo) precedes the desire for candy. Personally, I’m more excited for pie than candy, and with winter squash and apples and pumpkins, pie season is certainly upon us.
Before dessert comes dinner, and soup season comes right along with pie. I’ve been making lots of carrot soup (this is my go-to soup–start with oil, onions and garlic, then add chopped carrots and potatoes, salt, and seasonings such as curry or thyme. add water and bring to a boil, then simmer until roots are soft. puree with an immersion blender for a creamy soup, and add cream if desired–though the potatoes do a wonderful job of making this soup creamy without the addition of dairy).
Last night I returned to another favorite, butternut squash soup. This began with olive oil and chopped onions and garlic, a healthy dose of salt, and a sprinkling of nutmeg and cinnamon. I cubed and peeled the squash, added water to the pot and steamed the squash above the onion garlic mixture. When the water was mostly evaporated, I added the softened squash to the pot with some chicken stock and pureed it all together, again ending with heavy cream. The chicken stock can be omitted to make this vegetarian, though I find it does add a lovely silkiness to the soup.
When I first began cooking, I followed recipes often. Now I use them more for inspiration, and let the vegetables at hand lead me along. When I get a certain recipe down close to memory, like the soups described above, the experience of cooking is as grounding and relaxing as reconnecting with a dear friend; and just like being with an old friend again, there is a process of both discovery and sinking into a comfortable, known rhythm.
How do you like to cook? What meals feed your soul even as you cook? I’d love to know, and I’ve love to try cooking them, too.
We hope you all have a warm and cozy weekend, with many delicious moments.
In Good Heart,
Katie and Edge
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| photo: watermelon radishes
This Week’s Harvest: The magic soup starter comes from Edge’s winters on an Alaskan farm, where they called this the “magic stuff.” It’s a veggie-salt preserve perfect for starting soups when you don’t have vegetable stock on hand. Use one heaping tablespoon per quart of water; sauté in oil for a few minutes, then add water. What the heck is celeriac? Also called celery root, this ugly vegetable tastes quite lovely, like a cross between celery and parsley. It’s great in soup, grated fresh on salad, and in coleslaw. Check out this recipe for Celery Root and Apply Remoulade , and Maple-Bacon Roasted Apples & Celeriac. The Watermelon Radish is a mild winter radish, great for fresh eating as well as roasting. For fresh eating we recommend slicing and sprinkling with salt (black salt makes it look like a watermelon with seeds!). The skin is on the tough side, so either peel or eat like a watermelon slice to the rind. |