Happy Fall

There are a lot of choices for the "first day of fall."  There's the autumnal equinox, which, of course, is the only right answer; there's the day after labor day, which, in my opinion, is pushing the matter; there's the day when all the TV shows come back on; and then there's today.  What is today you might ask?  Well, it is the full harvest moon (that might have been yesterday...), but more importantly it is the first day that I want to curl up on the couch with a brandied, spiced apple cider.

I love fall.

I'm pretty sure that you can go back over each change of the season and find a post where I said "I love X.  X is my favorite season."  So I won't say that anymore.  All of the seasons are good.  All of the seasons have their good sides.  Even winter in Wisconsin can be glorious.  I love snow.  I enjoy sweaters.  I own about 20 more winter coats than is necessary for any human being, so I must enjoy that...  Even the terrible Wisconsin winter has it's benefits.

I think that one of the things that makes Fall in Wisconsin so special (and spring for the same reason) is that it's so short.  It's pretty hard to get sick of something that's less than a month long.  Summer is awesome and amazing and I love being warm all the time, until the fifth or sixth 90 plus degree night, and then I'm basically done with that shit.

Fall brings into play some of my favorite foods.  Stews, and braises, and pumpkin.  It's a good time.

It's not quite time to take the gardens down yet, but we're almost there.  I've got a nice crop of spinach and kale coming up in the back porch container garden.  I'm hoping that, when it gets even cooler, I can move those containers into the greenhouse I've got going on the back porch.  Maybe with the help of a light bulb I can grow my own spinach through most of the winter.  It's worth a try at least.

I've got four nice sized pumpkins out in the garden, hardening off on the vine, and two that I already picked.  I think I've picked (and pretty much eaten) all of the spaghetti squash.  I've got no way to know how many acorn squash are twisted among the green tomatoes.  I thought I planted butternut squash too, but I'm not finding any so I guess I didn't.  I'll have to pick some up at the farmer's market.

If you were around this time last year, I gave a bit of an ode to pumpkin.  I enjoy squash much more than I ever did as a child.  It's so versatile - there's really nothing you can't do with it.

I don't know if I can explain it, but I feel like there's also something that's just really appealing about squash.  It resonates with my inner food hoarder, I guess.  Here's a food that preserves itself - no canning required.  And then there's the fact that one seed can get you 25 acorn squash that will last all winter.  And on top of that, it tastes good.  But maybe even better, it doesn't taste like much, which means you can do whatever you want with it.  Creamy, mild, butternut squash soup?  Done.  Pie?  Of course.  Fiery hot spice to work out a head cold?  Why not!

This year, the pumpkin festivities started out with a pumpkin chicken curry, which unfortunately I do not have a picture for because I made it for the belly dancers at Tribal Union last weekend.  I'm not great at remembering to photograph when I'm hurrying to serve a large group (and getting changed into costume, stretching, applying large quantities of eyeliner, etc).  Plus, since we were mostly all eating it out of to-go containers, I probably wouldn't have gotten a great shot anyway.

But please don't let the lack of a photograph dissuade you.  This was a lightly curried dish with just a little bit of spice, balanced with the sweet of the pumpkin and the bitter of the kale.  The chicken is totally optional, and actually since you cook it ahead of time, you have the option of keeping it separate and letting people chose if they want to add it in.  I cooked it separately so I could use bone-in chicken breasts and thighs without the risk of bones in my curry.  Using the bone-in chicken as opposed to boneless helps the meat stay moist, and also it costs less which is a good thing when you're shelling out for the high quality meat.

If you want to make this vegetarian, just skip the chicken part, and replace the chicken stock with veggie stock.

My name is Miss Kitty, and I approve of this pumpkin.

Pumpkin Curry with Chicken and Kale
Serves 10-12

For the chicken:

• 4 bone in chicken thighs
• 2 bone in chicken breasts
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• salt, pepper, and garlic powder 
• 1 cup apple cider
• 4 whole cloves
• 1 star anise
• 4 allspice berries

For the curry

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Thai bird chilies, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed if you're a wimp
• 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp of your favorite curry powder (I prefer the hot Madras curry powder from the Spice Hut)
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• 8-10 cups cubed pumpkin
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 cups apple cider
• 6-8 cups kale, stems and veins removed, and torn into large pieces

• Brown rice for serving (optional)

Season chicken generously with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

In a heavy skillet over medium high heat, warm the oil.  Once hot, add the chicken and brown in batches.  Transfer to a slow cooker, add apple cider and spices, and cook on low for about 8 hours or until the chicken is falling off the bone.  Allow the chicken to cool and then shred.  This step can be done up to a few days in advance.

In a large skillet over low heat, combine olive oil and onion.  Sweat the onion (it shouldn't get brown or sizzle - just release water) until it is softened, about 20 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium high and add the garlic, chilies, mustard, curry, and ginger.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Saute until spices are fragrant - about three minutes.  Add the pumpkin, toss to combine, and transfer the whole mixture to a large slow cooker.  Add chicken stock and apple cider and cook on low for 8 hours, or until pumpkin is soft and the whole dance studio smells like delicious curry.  About 30 minutes before serving, stir in kale.  Serve over brown rice, if desired.

A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 4

On a Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 3, I received the following comment from 'Amateur Chef':  "No more pumpkin, please.  I'll puke."

To that, I have only one response:

Though I pity your predicament, pumpkin provides the perfect possibility for a pretty pop when peckish.  Plus, not my problem pal.

So, this post is totally dedicated to "Amateur Chef."  Because of the above, and also because he/she told me that I couldn't make a "real meal" in a crock pot only.

I don't just write a food blog.  I also like to read food blogs.  They're interesting, and educational, and a good way to steal recipes (...I mean... use recipes for which I totally give the original party credit...)

One of the blogs that I find myself on a lot is "A Year of Slow Cooking."  This girl knows what she's doing.  Some of the recipes are completely nonsensical and ridiculous, but if I'm looking for how long to slow cook anything, I'm pretty sure I can find it there.  That is an important step in learning how to cook: Even if a recipe isn't the recipe that you're making, it can teach you important things about your recipe.  A pork loin, for example, cooks for the same amount of time in a crock pot (or on a grill, or in an oven, or whatever), no matter what else is in there with it.

This recipe uses the leftovers of my pumpkin dip, specifically the top of the pumpkin itself.

Disregard the big chunk of pumpkin in the front.  We're just
using the lid here.

I had another commenter (I love comments, btw.  Thanks, Shannon!), say that a "one pot meal is called a casserole."  That's true, and casserole is delicious, but it's November in Wisconsin, and I prefer a stew.  Plus, I'm not sure how casserole works in a crock pot.  A stew, on the other hand, is just as filling, just as delicious, and just as "one pot-y."

I feel like there really was nothing missing here.  Meat, carbs, green leafy vegetables.  It was warm, and had good flavor, and heated up well.  I will be making this one again.

A perfect one pot fall meal.  Nothing else needed.  If you want to, you can add more meat to this, but I felt like the mix was perfect.  Jeff, on the other hand, was picking meat out and leaving behind just the other stuff.  So, if you want, add more meat.  Three pounds would probably be the "norm."

Beef and Pumpkin Stew:
(modified from The New Slow-Cooker)

• 1 lb beef stew meat (L)
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, finely chopped (L)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme (L*)
• 3 bay leaves
• 4 cloves garlic, minced (L)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1/3 cup dry red wine
• 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp red wine vinegar 
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into chunks (L)
• 3-4 large red tomatoes, diced (L)
• 1 lb wild mushrooms, sliced (L)
• 1/3 cup beef, chicken or vegetable stock - I actually used the cooking liquid from the spinach from the pumpkin dip (L)
• 1 lb pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (L)
• 1 lb celery root, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch chunks (L)
• 1/2 lb kale (L)

Season beef with salt and pepper.  Heat olive oil, in a crock pot with a "brown" setting, or in a pan over medium high heat.  Brown in batches to avoid overcrowding, and saute until golden brown on all sides.  Remove to a plate.

Pour off any extra fat from the slow cooker and return to medium high eat.  Add the onion, thyme sprig, and pay leaves, and saute until onion starts to brown - about 6 minutes.  Add the garlic and cinnamon, and cook for 1 minute more.  Pour in the wine and vinegar, and scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Add carrots, tomato, mushrooms, and stock.  Add beef, cover, and cook on the low setting for 6 hours.

Add the pumpkin, celery root, and kale.  Continue to cook for 4 additional hours.  The beef and pumkin should be very tender.

Remove thyme sprigs, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf before serving.

A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 2!

This post is a continuation of "A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 1, posted yesterday.  If you haven't read that yet, you should probably start here.

When I chopped up and baked my pumpkin, you may have noticed, I had quite a bit leftover.  What to do with it?  Pumpkin soup!

I actually made this soup while I was making the pasta dish, and then heated it up the next day.  It was super quick, super easy, and amazing.  Best of all, it kept well.  I made this on Sunday, had it for dinner Monday, and have been eating it for lunch every day since.

I was surprised, because even Jeff liked it, and he generally does not care for soups without "stuff" in them.  He's a stew kind of guy, and there are few of this style of soup that will appease his manly appetite.  But this he seemed to really like.

I agree.  This soup may not have any "stuff" in it, but it's still very thick and filling.  In fact, I've been surprised at how little I need to take to work for lunch in order to get full (especially if I drop a few fancy mushrooms in it!).  I would have loved to have had this recipe at this time last year, since it's a smooth soup and feels like a real meal!!

(For those of you who don't know me personally, last winter I had jaw surgery.  I wasn't able to eat any solid food for 6 weeks.  I lost 15 lbs.  I also watched a lot of Food Network/Travel Channel and spent many a lazy afternoon on the couch shouting violent, albeit muffled curses at Adam Richmond through a wired shut jaw!  Man vs. Food is not the best TV programing choice when you are starving...)

This is not a lunch portion, nor is it a mushroomed portion.  I did
cut up a few sage leaves and sprinkle them on top, which added a
nice additional layer of flavor.  The sage was from my windowsill
spice garden. 

Curried Pumpkin Soup

•  4 Tbsp butter (L)
• 2 medium onions, minced (L)
• 4 cloves minced garlic (L)
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp ground coriander 
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 6 cups chopped, seasoned, roasted pumpkin (See recipe here), pureed (L)
• 5 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth (L)
• 2 cups milk (L)
• 1/2 cup buckwheat honey (L)
• Up to 1/2 cup heavy cream, as needed (L)

 Melt butter in a 4 quart saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes.  Add spices and stir for one additional minute.

Add pumpkin and chicken broth and blend well.  At this point you could transfer to a blender or use a immersion blender to blend up the onion pieces and get a completely smooth soup.  I chopped mine small enough that I wasn't worried about it and skipped this step.

With the soup over low heat, add honey and mix.  Slowly add milk while stirring to incorporate.  Taste, and if the soup is too spicy for your taste, add cream to reduce the heat. 

You could top this with toasted pumpkin seeds, sage, sour cream, a sprinkle of nutmeg, or any other number of things.

A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 1

Pumpkin: It's not just for pies and Jack-o-Lanterns!

Really.

I like looking at the recipe slide shows and featured recipes on sites like epicurious.com and foodnetwork.com.  Recently, obviously, they've been featuring a lot of fall foods and flavors.  Like squash.  I am a fan of squash in all of its forms, so I am not complaining, but I was surprised at how few recipes there are for pumpkin that aren't dessert recipes.  Pumpkin is just a kind of squash.  It is not sweet on its own and, in my mind, is not any more suited for pie than any other squash.

Okay, I take that back.  I guess it's a little less stringy than some other squashes, so maybe it's a consistency thing.  I guess a spaghetti squash pie might be kind of disgusting.  Or excellent.  If it were a savory pie...

That's a try for another day!

Anyway, my point is, pumpkin is good for anything that you might use another kind of squash in.  Pumpkins themselves also have kinds - just ask anyone who has ever made a pumpkin pie from scratch.  You don't want to cook with the same kind of pumpkin that you make a jack-o-lantern with.

I believe this is either a Blue Lakota pumpkin, or a Jarrahdale pumpkin.  I'm not in any way positive about either, but it matches both of the descriptions I found online.  The shape leads me to think it's a Jarrahdale, because the Blue Lakota are supposed to be pear shaped, however the Jarradales are grown in Australia, and the Blue Lakota's are supposed to be grown in the Midwest...
 

Either way, this pumpkin is excellent.  The thick flesh means that you get more to work with, and it's smoother than the Jack-o-Lantern pumpkins.  It also has an exceptionally thick skin, which means they should keep well in storage.  This was my only one, so I'm going to see if I can find another one (and maybe find out for reals what it was).

This is a Jack-o-Lantern.  These kinds of pumpkins have names too, but I don't know what I had.  Big orange.  I made a Cylon from BSG because I'm a big nerd:

Anyway, so I cut up the peeled and chopped up the pumpkin (the blue one, not the Cylon) into 1 inch cubes, and coated the cubes with salt, white pepper, nutmeg, cloves, and cinnamon.  I also tossed in a full head of garlic, separated into its individual cloves, peeled, and slightly crushed.  I then baked it for 30 minutes, until the pumpkin was nice and soft.  In theory, you could easily just eat the pumpkin like this as a side dish.  If I was doing that, I probably would have added a bit more salt at the time of roasting.

But instead, I decided I wanted to make a pasta sauce.  I took six cups of the pumpkin and threw it in the food processor, and turned it into a puree. It was really good at this point, too. Kind of like smooth mashed potato pumpkin.  I added 1/2 of a container of mascarpone cheese, and blended that all together.

For the record, this was way too much for two people.  If I made this pasta again, I would probably use half as much or even less.  However, I did save the pumpkin/mascarpone mixture that I didn't use, and do have a plan for it if I get to it before it goes bad.

Meanwhile I made up some pasta, and chopped up some chanterelle and shitake mushrooms and sauteed them in butter.  I also chopped up a bunch of kale and steamed it.  Once everything was done, I added the pasta and sauce to a big frying pan, and stirred until the pasta was well coated.  It was a little thick, so I ended up adding a few splashes of half and half as well.  I stirred in the kale and mushrooms, and when it was all mixed together I topped the whole thing with a few nice sized flakes of smoked trout from Rushing Rivers.

Overall, 100% local, except the spices.

I absolutely loved this, and thought it was even better heated up the next day which is rare for pasta.  Jeff, however, did not care for it at all.  Because of this, I had more leftover than I could eat on my own before it went bad, so I picked out all of the mushrooms (I'm not letting chanterelles go to waste!) and added them to my pumpkin soup.

What's that?  Pumpkin soup you say?  Better wait for "A Plethora of Pumpkin, Part 2!"

According to my friend/co-worker who is sitting behind me and reading over my shoulder, this should have been actual pumpkin pasta, not a pumpkin pasta sauce.  Direct quote: "uh, I want to be eating that, so you should probably get on it right now."  Check.  Don't make her angry!

That will have to be a "Plethora of Pumpkin Part X."