Green oil

As a fair warning, the utilization of this post is for plating and finishing dishes and isn’t necessarily a staple you need to maintain. But anyway – GREEN OIL! In the professional world, we have a number of go-to color and flavor enhancing oils, of which the green variety is most used for plating accents. But if you use all herbs or scallion tops, it becomes its own flavoring agent, and the color becomes secondary.

Now, you don’t have to follow my specific recipe; however, I would suggest you follow my methodology. You can experiment by adding whatever you want to it in order to achieve the desired flavor or tint. The more you add, the more intense it becomes.

This method also blanches the product, making it greener. You can blanch in water and add to cold oil, or use this hot infusion method (which I prefer).

This oil will also maintain its color and flavor for about 3 weeks or so before the integrity starts going downhill, but it’s still good! Don’t throw it out after that point. It’s just not going to be the best product you’ve ever made, that’s all.

Anyway…

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 2 minutes

Ingredients:

2 cups oil (use neutral oil like grape seed, canola, or blended for this infusion)

2 cups parsley (or herbs of your choice) chopped

1 bunch scallion greens (chopped)

1 handful spinach

1 Tablespoon salt (or to taste)

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a pot until it reaches about 150 degrees. Use your thermometer to determine the heat OR start off with a low heat and slowly bring up the temp and feel it with your finger. It should be pretty warm, but not hot when ready.
2. Once oil is hot enough, transfer to a blender.  Add remaining ingredients.
3. Blend for a solid 3 minutes, or until everything is incorporated and the mixture turns a very dark green.
4. Find a container that is more than 2 cups (the amount of liquid) that can also fit inside a bigger container that you have. Put the small container inside the larger one and surround the smaller one with ice.
5. Suspend a strainer in your ice lined container; make sure it’s supported by the large container, while being suspended above the small one. This will cool the liquid down and stop the cooking process.
6. Pour your mixture into the strainer. Push through the oil through the strainer with a small ladle or rubber spatula until the green oil remains in the small container.
7. Remove and wash the strainer.
8. Remove the green oil from the small container and transfer to another container. Return the small container to the large one.
9. Return your strainer to its previous suspended position. Line the strainer with a coffee filter. Pour your green oil into the lined strainer and let strain through for about three hours.
10.  

Pickled spicy carrots

This week I found myself elbows deep in carrots. They were just everywhere! So, I decided that it was time we went on an adventure; and what better way to do that than with a pickle?! 

This recipe was influenced from a spicy Thai beef dish I did at The White Dog Café in Philadelphia. It's not the exact recipe at all, but I really like taking something sweet and turning it spicy. The complexity that results just dances across your palate. 

As mentioned before in previous posts (sweet-pickled jalapenos) pickling is a method of preservation that can extend the shelf life for months in an opened jar – even longer if it’s sealed properly. So this was my go-to method for utilizing these carotenoid packed roots.

This recipe calls for the hot pickling method (as opposed to a cold pickle) because the heat from the liquid not only preserves it through the acidity, but it blanches the product in the jar. I’ve found this to be beneficial with whatever I’m pickling that has the color red, orange, or yellow. You’ll see that once the heat is applied that the color intensifies and becomes super bright.

So what do you do with spicy pickled carrots?

Glad you asked!

To start off, simply add them with some pickled red onion and pickled Anaheim peppers to create a little pickled veggie salad. Toss in your favorite oil (make it Asian and use sesame!) to coat it; and season to taste. It’s not necessary to add anything to it though, they’re fantastic by themselves.

You can also serve these on the side or on the top of a dish; I’ve been favoring it with my eggs lately. I’ve found that they really bring out some wonderful characteristics when matched with a grilled or seared piece of beef or fish.

I would encourage you to substitute them in stir fry’s or any hot recipe where you see carrots. The vinegar, spices, and salt will provide a flavorful base for you to build off of.

TIP: If you add these at the beginning, they will break down further and caramelize. The vinegar will also reduce and become sweet. However, if you add them at the end of the cooking process, they will maintain their integrity and brightness and bring a little pop to the dish.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons pickling spice

2 Dried chiles

2 Tablespoons sea (or pink Himalayan) salt

¼ cup white vinegar

1 Tablespoon sugar in the raw (or honey)

2 cups water

3 carrots (shaved)

Directions:

1. In a medium sized saucepot or small pot, slightly toast the pickling spice and chilies on a medium heat. You should be able to start to smell the aromatics when it’s ready
2. Add your vinegar and water to the pot.
3. Add salt and sugar to the liquid and bring to a boil.
4. While the liquid is waiting to boil, shave your carrots down with a vegetable peeler. I took the top layer of skin off of them, then continued to shave down until there was hardly anything left.
5. Place the shaved roots in a jar. Place that jar on top of a dishtowel or something soft to act as a barrier with the counter and to catch any spills.
6. Once boiling, strain the liquid into a container and then pour it into the jar with the carrots. You can also strain right from the pot into the jar (if you feel so brave to do so).
7. Put the lid on your jar and pop it in the fridge. Allow to sit for at least 8 hours (ideally overnight) before using.

Squash and Sweet Potato Soup

Hi all!

Sorry I haven’t been posting as frequently as I usually do. Life gets the better of me every now and again; but I’m back with more delicious pumpkin recipes.

This dish is about as seasonal as it’s going to get at the moment. I hope you can also see that I’m linking thing’s I’m using with previous recipes so that you can follow along with my fridge. The idea behind this is to show you how much easier you can make your food and how much better it can be by simply setting yourself up and knowing how to use what you have on hand.

I’ve become a big fan of sweet and spicy combinations and I think this soup is a great introduction to the flavor combination. The soup itself is pretty simple to make, but I chose to serve it in a modern fashion where the soup is poured into a pre-garnished bowl; as opposed to having it on top. So if you want to skip the garnish, it’s really easy.

The soup is pureed at the end, so uniform cuts aren’t really important here at all. All these specifics of slices and dices are there for your understanding. Just know that you want to keep them all the same size so they cook evenly – that’s the key here.  

This is a great way to serve soup to guests! However, if you want to skip all the fanciness, just serve it straight with some fresh hearty bread and it will be sure to please.

Squash and sweet potato soup

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

Squash and sweet potato soup

2 Tablespoons olive oil

2 large Spanish onions (sliced)

2 large carrots (diced)

1 stalk celery (diced)

3 cloves garlic (sliced) or 2 T minced garlic (jarred)

1 Thai chili (or jalapeno) (diced)

1 tsp siracha

¼ tsp vanilla

1 Quart butternut squash (diced)

2 Quarts pumpkin (diced)

1 Apple (diced)

1 pinch celery seed

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp dark chili powder

2 quarts stock (vegetable or chicken)

4 sweet potatos (diced)

Salt

Pepper

Apple Ricotta

1 cup ricotta cheese

1 Tablespoon apple butter

1 tsp olive oil

2 leaves sage (fresh) (chiffonade)

Pepper garnish

1 Tablespoon pickled Anaheim pepper (diced)

2 Tablespoons pickled red onion (diced)

¼ cup sweet and salty pumpkin seeds (chopped fine)

½ Tablespoon parsley (chiffonade)

1 tsp olive oil

2 teaspoons dried cranberry (diced small)

Directions:

Squash and sweet potato soup

1. In a large pot over medium heat, sweat off carrots, onions, and celery until the onions are almost translucent; add the garlic and chili pepper until onions become clear.
2. Add vanilla and siracha and stir until incorporated.
3. Add your squashes and apple; stir occasionally until they begin to give off steam and begin to caramelize.
4. Add celery seed, sweet paprika, chili powder. Stir in until it coats everything.
5. Add your sweet potatoes and stock.
6. Allow to come to a boil and then bring the heat down to a simmer.
7. Cook soup until potatoes are fork soft (about 1 hour).
8. In small batches, blend in a blender until smooth and carry through a strainer to remove any fibrous strands that remain.
9. Once the entire mixture is blended, add back into the pot on low heat and season to taste.

Apple Ricotta

1. Push ricotta cheese through mesh strainer before using.
2. Add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated
3. Hint: use your tabletop mixer paddle attachment to make this more fluffy and smooth.

Pepper Garnish

1. Combine all ingredients and mix until incorporated
2. Hint: Do a really fine chop on the seeds, or substitute with pepitas. 

Pumpkin Hummus

Hummus is one of my favorite things to make. It’s perfect for almost every kind of situation and by simply creating a seasonal blend; you can really “wow” your guests with different variations. Simply provide some fresh bread/pita or some nicely cut vegetables and use it as a dip. It’s quite filling and satisfying.

Hummus goes great in flatbreads, sandwiches, purees, and dips. With the combination of seeds and nuts in one element, I lean heavily on making hummus as a go-to simple dish that is sure to please everyone.  I suggest toasting some bread, pita, or naan with chive oil and cutting some fresh veggies down. I’d also accent this with a garnish of toasted seeds/nuts or pickled veggies. 

Traditionally this dish is based off chickpeas, but I’ve found restaurants all over the place using any legume and then calling it a hummus. I would not call this a classical dish at all. I cook American cuisine and it’s a melting pot of local cuisine influenced by an influx of immigration.

This will really be something unique for you to enjoy so do so irresponsibly with an adult beverage. Cheers!

Pumpkin Hummus

Prep time: 5-7 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

1 can cannellini beans

8 Tablespoons pumpkin puree

1 juice and zest of lemon or orange

2 Tablespoons Tahini

1 clove roasted garlic (or half clove raw, 1 teaspoons garlic powder)

Salt and pepper

Stock

Smoked paprika

ground cinnamon

sweet and salty pumpkin seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients (except salt, pepper, and stock) into a blender
2. Begin to blend.
3. Slowly add stock and thin until you reach your desired consistency.
4. Season to taste.
5. Finish with smoked paprika, sweet and salty pumpkin seeds, and cinnamon

Breakfast Quinoa - so much better than oatmeal!

I've been on a bit of a breakfast kicker lately! Between the weekend brunch shifts at work, and the 30 pounds of apples I’m trying to utilize from a few weeks ago, I’m really trying to explore different uses for these sweet fruits.

I’m not a huge oatmeal fan by any measure – but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate a good bowl when it comes around. One thing I do realize is that I love the sweet and savory aspects of traditional oatmeal; but not the heavy and sticky parts. So how else could I possibly set myself up with something easy to grab in the morning?

I recently came to a compromise and discovered I had already stumbled upon the solution! In one of my previous posts (fall brunch menu) I had a breakfast quinoa on the menu. It occurred to me that I could easily make something super yummy and very quickly since it acts like rice (concerning the cooking process) and it’s a lot fluffier and lighter (with more texture) than oats are.

Quinoa is also a super food, and much better for you than say rolled oats or something like that. Most of your grains don’t possess the fat content, nor omega-3 fatty acid count that this fluffy grain provides. It also serves as a complete protein by itself. You can get more information on quinoa here 

Breakfast Quinoa:

Suggested modifications/substitutions:

1. Substitute the fruit content with your favorite seasonal fruit or fruit preserve.
2. Use vanilla/chocolate flavored lacto-free milk such as a nut or soy milk. 
3. Make a batch of plain (no fruit) so anyone can grab some and add fresh fruit of choice. 
4. Throw a handful of your favorite nuts in (in the beginning with the apples will result in a nuttier taste with a softer nut after it absorbs liquid, adding in at the end will keep them crunchy). 
5. Boost your protein by adding some vegan chili or a fried egg. 

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

1-2 apples (small dice, skin-on)

1 Tablespoon coconut oil or butter

½ tsp cinnamon (fresh ground)

Dash coriander

¼ tsp fennel seed

3 T maple syrup or honey

2 T Apple butter

1 cup quinoa

2 cups whole milk

Directions:

1. Put medium sized pot on the fire at a medium heat.
2. Once hot, put in your coconut oil or butter and allow to melt.
3. Place your apple, cinnamon, coriander, and fennel in the pot and sauté until apples begin to brown.
4. Pour in your quinoa and stir quickly to coat it in the fat.
5. Pour in your milk and stir, let cook on medium/low heat until quinoa is soft.
6. Stir occasionally to check when it’s done.
7. Serve hot or cold with fresh fruit and honey.

Apple-maple Granola aka “The Crunch Attack”

I’m nicknaming this granola “Crunch attack” because it is the crunchiest, most gnarliest granola EVER! It’s super easy to make and packed full of nutrients and protein.

I chose to us a wide variety of seeds and nuts based on their nutritional value; however you can substitute with your favorite variety as well. You can also substitute the dried fruit for whatever dried fruit you want. 

Just keep in mind that it comes down to a ratio of fat/sugar to the remaining product. I would suggest that no matter what you try and move around, that you keep the quinoa in it as it is one of the main crunch components.

As far as chopped nuts go, I did a pretty rough chop. The idea is that most of the large items besides the main garnish (apple) are the same size. This will allow for an easier cluster formation. You can also cheat and throw the nuts/seeds you want to use in a blender or food processer and buzz it up a few times (way faster and cleaner than doing it with a knife on the board).

Please enjoy with yogurt and apple butter/apple sauce. Store in a cool, dry place.

Ingredients:

2 cups oats

½ cup quinoa

¼ cup peanuts (chopped)

¼ cup almonds (chopped)

¼ cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

¼ cup soy nuts (chopped)

2 Tablespoons flax seed

3 Tablespoons hemp seeds

1 cup apples (dehydrated)

½ cup cranberries (dehydrated)

1/3 cup coconut oil

2 Tablespoons apple butter

2/3 cup maple syrup  or honey

Pinch dark chili powder

Pinch pink Himalayan salt

Directions:

1. Heat coconut oil, apple butter, and maple syrup in small sauce pot until coconut oil is melted.
2. Take remaining ingredients and combine in a large mixing bowl.
3. Add liquid and mix until incorporated.
4. Place the mixture on a sheet  tray line with parchment paper or foil.
5. Bake in the oven at 225 for 2 hours.

Curried Apple Jasmine Rice

Continuing on with my apple extravaganza, I decided to make a curry spice soup and add jasmine rice to it. 

However, I used too much rice, or too little liquid (depending on what side of the line you’re on) and it really turned out to be more of a rice dish than a soup. Anyway, my loss is your gain because I turned it into this savory dish with a sweet note guaranteed to accent any protein quite nicely.

This dish is not particularly spicy, however, it does have some spices in it to heighten the flavor and allow the sweetness to cut through it. Combined with the fragrance of jasmine rice, this dish is a total plunder of your senses.

I would say that if you want this to be more of a soup that you cut the portion of rice down to 2/3 cup or double the recipe and maintain the same amount of rice. You can even throw some chicken/beans in there as well if you want to make a complete meal out of it.

Keep in mind that this recipe will be blended, so uniform cuts won’t really matter here. You are just looking to make it as easy as possible to break down the vegetables.

I highly suggest enjoying this rice with my veganchili  on top. Take it a step further and a piece of grilled meat, or two fried eggs with a healthy sprinkle of a mild cheese on top. Maybe even shaved fennel salad?

Anyway, enough jibber-jabber, TO THE INGREDIENT LIST!

Curried Apple Jasmine Rice

Ingredients:

1 green chili (chopped)

1 carrot (chopped)

2 medium onions (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (sliced)

½ pickled Anaheim pepper

1 dried chili (chopped)

2 apples (grated)

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3 ½ tsp curry

1 cup milk (whole)

4 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)

1 ½ cup jasmine rice

Zest and juice 1 lime

¼ cup cilantro or parsley (chiffonade)

Season to taste

Directions:

1. Put a medium pot on the fire on medium-low
2. Once pot is hot, pour in your oil 
3. Add chili, carrot, onion, garlic, pickled pepper, and dried chili. Continue cooking until onions are translucent. 
4. Add curry spice and allow to dissolve in remaining liquid for a few minutes, then add your apples.  
5. Allow to cook more until apples become tender and start to fall apart. 
6. Pour in your milk and stock and allow to come to a simmer. 
7. Using a blender or immersion blender, puree contents until smooth. 
8. Add Jasmine rice and continue to cook until rice is tender. 
9. Finish with lime juice and herb and incorporate into the rice. 

Crock-pot Apple Butter

This past week I went apple picking and got a little too excited with the festivities and went a little overboard. Needless to say 28lbs of apples later I basically had to approach it on a colonial scale. So, I wound up doing around 7 different ways and this is probably one of the best, without a doubt. I’d even go as far as to say that this is one of the best recipes I’ve released thus far!

I chose to use the crock-pot method as a way to start exploring the possibilities with these great little guys. I know a lot of you out there probably have one lying around and I want to encourage you to get full use out of any equipment you have. This particular recipe takes about 12 hours to complete, so feel free to just pile in some ingredients and let it go while you continue with your day.

As far as uses are concerned, I would say that you should treat this as a sauce substitute (add a little cold butter to the warm apple mixture, maybe a little rosemary – call it a day), or simply as a sweetener in recipes (think adding to yogurt, toast, bagel, vinaigrette's, marinades, stuffing, or soup).

Keep in mind that apples have a very high moisture content and add a lot of moisture to any recipe when baking. It also contains a lot of pectin (natural plant-based thickener) in the core, so by adding that to a jelly/jam you can sweeten and thicken in the same step.

Crock-pot apple butter

Ingredients:

6-8 apples quartered with the seeds cut/scooped out (enough to reach the indent on the pot)

2 tsp cinnamon (ground)

½ tsp nutmeg

1 clove

1 Tablespoon(ish) pickled ginger (I like a good zip of ginger)

1/8 cup honey (a floral variety like rosemary/lavender works well here)

1 shot whiskey (I suggest the Irish variety)

1 cup water

3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar 

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients into crock pot and cover for about 6-8 hours. 
2. Once it reaches the point where it looks like the picture below, leave uncovered and cook for another 4 hours, stirring occasionally. 
3. 
4. Once it reaches this color, puree it up in a blender. It should be about this dark when compared to regular apple sauce. 
5. 
6. Enjoy! 

Potato Salad with no Mayo

Potato Salad

By looking at this picture, I’m sure you realize this is not your typical drowned in mayo potato salad that notoriously shows up at a summer barbecue or someone brings to a party. I hate mayo – absolutely hate it. 

So that being said, you will never see any of that on here!

This particular salad is usually served cold, but that doesn't mean that you can’t heat it up in the pan and serve it as breakfast potatoes. It’s super versatile! I've even been caught throwing it on naan bread with some roasted veggies and smothering it with cheese (of which I highly suggest you do).

Anyway, as you compile this recipe and mix it together, you will notice that the natural starches from the potato will break off from the main cube and act as a binder for the salad. I also chose to leave the skin on for this application. The skin of the potato is full of additional nutrients and if you wash it properly, it’s tasty – not dirty.

Ingredients:

8 Yukon gold potatoes

6 Tablespoons olive oil

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 medium onion (diced small)

1 stalk celery (diced small)

1/2 green pepper (diced small)

½ pickled Anaheim pepper

Juice and zest 1 lemon

¼ cup of chopped (chiffonade) parsley

1 tsp sweet smoked paprika

2 tsp Dijon mustard

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Put potatoes in a pot big enough that water will cover all the potatoes by at least an inch.
2. Salt the water to the point where it tastes close to the ocean.
3. Put the flame on high and bring to a boil.
4. Continue to boil until a fork can break apart the potatoes.
5. Remove potatoes and let them cool (you can do this the day/night before).
6. Dice potatoes and transfer into a mixing bowl.
7. Add remaining ingredients to a mixing bowl with potatoes.
8. Once incorporated, allow to sit for one hour, mixing occasionally.

Pickled Peaches and Anaheim Peppers

Pickled Peaches and Anaheim Peppers

So summer is ending (we’re all sad), but there is still an abundance to be had! Late summer produce is still available and technically in-season. I think pickling some fruit is in order is it not?

I did this probably a month and a half ago and I think I’ve got about a week to two weeks of shelf life left in it before I have to toss it or freeze it now – I can’t stand throwing food out. However, I should mention that the produce I used was kind of on the verge of spoiling within a few days (that’s why I preserved it). So if you use some ripe fruit and peppers, you should be able to add a few more weeks on there… hey that’s basically Christmas. Just saying, times are tough and quality food is hard to come by these days. It’s really visual and if you put it in a tall or big jar, it looks amazing.

Ok, so uses. I’ve used this in cold salads, soups, sauces, and sauté dishes. First you have to understand a bit about the flavor that you’re working with here and that is sweet and hot. This is basically going to elevate your senses in any dish and should be used on the sparing side as an additive into a dish.

Curiously enough, within the first few days, the peach is still quite sweet and can truly be utilized as a puree, base for a drink, even peach salsa works here.

Cold dishes – I’d lean more towards using the peppers since you can straight substitute them in any recipe. Keep in mind that you are still dealing with a pepper or a peach here and should be treated as such. I’ve added the peach in a few dishes, but it winds up being more pickled than peach as it progresses through the aging.

Soups – this may surprise you, but I use the liquid in soups before it starts to simmer. The vinegar adds acidity and reduces down to sweetness so depending on what time you put it in depends really on how it will add to it. But, it will add such a dimension of flavor to your soup that it’s insane. This little trick will blow your socks off and give you a great use for the liquid.

Sauces – Same thing as mentioned before with the liquid. You can also utilize the pepper for some added complexity (almost as you would a pepper sauce) in your sauce building. You will tend to get a bit more concentrated flavor if you cook it. The sugars from the apple cider vinegar will also reduce and create a sweet aspect (be careful not to burn it!)

Sautés – I use both for this application. I would say to add them right at the end though. The bigger the cut, the more concentrated the flavor is within the pickle; but if you cut/slice it small it tends to become a part of the natural juices. I love pairing the peaches with pork, fresh peppers, sliced onions, garlic, and some dark leafy greens. The pickled peppers also go very nicely with some sautéed kale, or braised collards. They really bring out some notes you usually skip over when you don’t include this level of acidity.

Ingredients:

4 peaches (pitted and cut into 12 portions)

6 Anaheim peppers (sliced in half - color doesn’t matter)

1 sprig sage

2 tsp cumin

4 Tablespoons pickling spice

¼ c sea salt

1 ½  quarts apple cider vinegar

½ quart water

Medium pot

Jar(s) that will fit all the product enough to be covered

Directions:

1. Place pan on med/high heat.
2. Begin slicing your peppers in half while you wait for the pan to warm.
3. Once the pan is hot, put your spices in.
4. Toss the spices around in the pan until you can start to smell them toasting (about 1-2 minutes).
5. Add your vinegar, water and salt. Bring to a boil
6. While you are waiting for this mixture to boil, cut down your peaches.
7. Place product in container(s). IMPORTANT NOTE: if using glass, put a towel underneath it so it doesn’t get too hot that it cracks the counter (I’ve seen it happen at home).
8. Once boiled either strain or keep the pickling spice in the liquid.
9. Pour liquid into containers, enough to cover product.
10. Let sit in the fridge for 36 hours ideally before enjoying.

Curried Butternut and Acorn Squash Soup with Apples and Potatoes

Fall is officially here! I don’t know if you can tell… but I’m super excited for fall/winter squashes, as well as the massive variety of apples that are on hand. Fall is also a great time to sit outside on the porch in a sweatshirt and enjoy a hearty soup that warms you from the inside out. So, I’ll explore a semi-spicy curry soup that’s sweetened with apples and fortified with potatoes.

I’ve been really into curries as of late, and this squash soup pretty much sums up why I like curry powders. Now I know some of you curry fanatics will inform me that this is not true curry – I know this! However, this recipe is probably one of the best I’ve come up with so far. It’s so exciting to make something this good on the first try!

The idea behind the multiple cooking methods is that the squash will break up slightly (as will the potato) and create a natural chowder consistency. This stew is vegan, so obviously there is no dairy. However, I think it replicates the consistency quite well and is really a great treat to have your soup thickened naturally with roasted squash.

This recipe is a bit more complicated than my previous ones. I chose to do this to really hit on some fundamentals of soup making. I’ll probably be go over some real basic stuff to help you build flavor in your soup so you can great soup from scratch all the time. I make soup to utilize little bits and things hanging around in the pantry or fridge. So, understanding these principles and how great you can make something is important. Pay attention!

Please take note as well that you will be making your own stock here. Stock/broth at the store adds up in cost and contains a lot of salt/preservatives – even when you get the organic low-salt variety. I should say that the stock should be on the fire for about 4 hours to really benefit from the flavor. Otherwise you’re just going to get a whole bunch of lame stock.

I also chose to cut the vegetables with a very small dice. If you want to save time cutting, simply toss it in a food processor or grate it on a box grater on the side with the largest holes. But, given the amount of time you will have with the stock, I suggest pouring yourself a drink and refining your cuts.

If done correctly, this soup should have the following experience: You taste savory with a hint of building spice. Once you think the spice is going to heat up your palette, it drops off completely (cut by the sweetness) and leaves you on the edge of your seat for a moment. Then, a slow heat starts to reside on the tip of your tongue that slowly builds as you eat more. It’s truly a fantastical roller coaster that will dazzle all your friends. 

Ingredients:

1 acorn squash (peeled, seeded, and diced medium)

1 butternut squash (peeled, seeded, and diced medium)

1 apple (any one with a sweet and crisp taste profile)

3 stalks of celery (small dice)

2 medium sized carrots (small dice)

1 large sweet onion (small dice)

2 garlic cloves (sliced thin)

1 orange

10 medium Yukon gold potatoes (skin on, diced medium)

1 tsp thyme or 3 sprigs of fresh time

2 bay leaves

¼ cup cilantro (chiffonade or chopped fine only once)

2 tsp of your favorite curry powder

½ tsp cinnamon

1 Tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 ½ tsp smoked paprika

2 tsp mustard (whole grain preferably)

1 Tablespoon hot sauce (your favorite variety will work here)

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Directions:

1.       Preparation

a.       Peel the squashes and place scraps into a stock pot.

b.      Keep the seeds separate in a container filled with water.

                                                               i.      Seeds will be easier to separate once wet.

                                                             ii.      Set seeds aside on a sheet pan, spread out evenly.

                                                            iii.      Allow seeds to dry while you prep.

                                                           iv.      Toast seeds with olive oil, salt, pepper in the oven at 300° F until super crunchy (about 1 hour).

c.       Remove bottom and tops of celery stalks and add to stock pot.

d.      Remove outer layer of skin on onions (learn how here) and add to stock pot.

e.      Peel carrots and cut off ends. Add scraps to stock pot.

f.        Remove outer skin of garlic and add to stock pot.

g.       Fill stock pot up with water – enough so that the scraps float up an inch.

h.      Add thyme and bay leaf.

i.         Put the pot on the stove and bring to a full boil.

                                                               i.      Reduce the heat to low and allow to barely simmer.

                                                             ii.      Keep on the stove for 4 hours.

2.       Roast the squash

a.       Acorn squash

                                                               i.      Medium dice the acorn squash. and transfer to a mixing bowl.

                                                             ii.      Add oil to the mixing bowl and toss the squash in it. You’re looking to just coat the squash.

                                                            iii.      Continue to toss and pour into the mixing bowl 2 tsp curry powder and juice of a quarter of the orange.

                                                           iv.      Add a generous amount of salt and pepper.

1.       I’d say it’s probably going to be around 2 tsp worth of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. But use your judgment and season to taste.

2.       Seasoning while roasting allows for quicker moister evaporation and a quicker caramelization process on the plant matter.

                                                             v.      Place in oven at 400° F until edges of squash begin to brown.

b.      Butternut squash

                                                               i.      Medium dice the butternut squash and apple.

                                                             ii.      Transfer to a mixing bowl.

                                                            iii.      Coat with oil as mention previously with acorn squash.

                                                           iv.      Add the cinnamon, paprika, and champagne vinegar.

                                                             v.      Season to taste.

                                                           vi.      Roast in the oven at 400° F with the acorn squash until it begins to brown.

3.       Cut your veggies

a.       While all this is going on cut veggies (carrot, celery, onion, garlic)

b.      They will break down throughout the cooking process, but it’s important to have them small. You don’t have to be super precise with your cuts here.

4.       Making the soup

a.       Wait until the squash is done roasting and the stock is about 3 and a half hours in or so.

b.      Put a large pot on the stove over a medium heat.

c.       Put some oil in the pot, enough to lightly coat the bottom

d.      Add in your raw onion, celery, carrot, and garlic.

                                                               i.      Keep this on a medium/medium-low heat.

                                                             ii.      I add a little salt at this point to add to the dynamic of the flavor. Salt aids in extracting the flavor from the product (which is the goal of sweating). I don’t do this when I am sautéing. I always season that at the end.

                                                            iii.      Stir occasionally until onions become translucent.

e.      Add both squashes to the stock pot, straight from the roasting pan.

                                                               i.      Any juices or remaining oil is a plus!

                                                             ii.      Make sure you soak roasting pans after the transfer so they aren’t hard to clean

f.        Allow ingredients to incorporate and heat up.

g.       Add mustard and hot sauce.

h.      Continue to cook ingredients until you start to see a little browning on the bottom of the pan.

i.         At this point, strain the stock into the soup pot.

j.        Allow to come up to a simmer

                                                               i.      While this is happening, start cutting your potatoes

                                                             ii.      It doesn’t matter if you add them all at once or simply as you finish cutting them. You want some to break down.

k.       Add potatoes into the simmering soup.

l.         Reduce heat to low (a light simmer)

m.    Cook until potatoes are fork tender.

5.       Finishing the soup

a.       Once the potatoes are ready, add remaining juice of the orange and cilantro.

b.      Season to taste.

                                                               i.      You shouldn’t really have to season much at this point. The flavor complexity should be showing through by this point.

                                                             ii.      Since you seasoned all the ingredients and you have a really great, flavorful stock – you shouldn’t need the extra few grams of salt.

6.       Serving the soup

a.       Serve with bread, crostini’s, or naan to dip with. I’d also recommend ethnic Indian crackers to eat with the soup. You could also get a little weird with it and use ginger snap cookies.

b.      Match with a fizzy or acidic drink.

                                                               i.      The heat may be too much for you to handle. However, you can make it spicier by adding dried peppers to the stock or when you roast the squash.

                                                             ii.      The bubbles in beer will help lift the heat off and cool your palate.

                                                            iii.      I would match this as well with either some kind of vodka and ginger beer cocktail. The ginger would both cool and accent the complex flavors here.

                                                           iv.      Steer away from gin in this application, it will have too much of an aromatic competition.

                                                             v.      White wine is a lot cleaner than red, so I think that the light fruit/acidity that it has to offer would complement this nice.  However, that’s not to say that if you have a lighter tasting red wine that it wouldn’t work.

                                                           vi.      Non-alcoholics will enjoy matching this with ginger beer/ale or a citrus based drink. Think orangeade/limeade base.