Cambridge Food Co-op Blog

A recipe for the season
Recommended by: Connie Brooks, Battenkill Books

This great recipe comes from one of my current favorite cookbooks, Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year by DeeDee Stovel (Storey, $12.95), and it uses several ingredients that are very plentiful this time of year. We, of course, carry the book at Battenkill Books if the recipe whets anyone’s appetite for more great pumpkin recipes.

Creamy Kale Pumpkin Soup
Kale packs a nutritional wallop that is hard to beat. Pumpkin makes it even better. But the best part of this fall soup is its mild and smooth pumpkin potato flavor, spiked with a bitter hint of kale. Serve with sourdough bread for a wonderful fall lunch or supper.

Ingredients
3 slices bacon
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth, homemade if possible
2 medium new potatoes (about ¾ pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
½ pound curly kale, stems and ribs removed, finely chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups canned unsweetened pumpkin, or your own!
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
¾ cup half-and-half

1.       Cook the bacon over medium heat in a large Dutch oven until brown and crispy. Remove it from the pot, crumble, and set aside. Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the fat.

2.       Heat the olive oil in the same pan and add the onion. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and onion starts to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute longer.

3.       Pour two cups of the broth into the pan and stir to loosen browned bits on bottom of the pan. Add the potatoes, kale, and salt; bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until the potatoes are easily pierced with a fork and the kale is wilted.

4.       Puree the potato mixture with a hand-held blender or in a standing blender. There will be flecks of green from the kale. Be careful not to let hot soup splatter on you. Return the soup to the pot.

5.       Stir the remaining broth and the pumpkin, nutmeg, and pepper into the soup. Taste and adjust the seasonings, if desired. Add the half-and-half and heat through, but do not boil.

6.       Sprinkle each steaming bowl with the reserved bacon and serve.

-From Pumpkin: A Super Food for All 12 Months of the Year by DeeDee Stovel (Storey, $12.95).

Veggie Burgers

You can find all these spices in the Co-op’s spice collection.

200g chickpeas, mashed
1 carrot, shredded
1 parsnip, shredded
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 egg
1 chili, finely chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. Mix all the ingredients well and shape into 6 Burgers.
2. Shallow fry on each side for 7 minutes, then drain on kitchen paper.
3. Serve with lime Wedges.

Crock Pot Corned Beef and Cabbage Recipe

With St. Patrick’s Day upon us, I thought to share a simple way to to prepare a traditional favorite. I like this
method of cooking the cabbage outside of the crock pot at the end because it keeps the Cabbage from getting
soggy and remains nice and crisp.

SERVES 6

3-4 lb. corned beef briskets
water
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
1 head cabbage
3 small red potatoes, unpeeled (about a dozen for 4 servings)
2 cups baby carrots
3 medium size onions

You will need a large crock pot for this. Put the potatoes in the bottom of the crock pot, pierced once with a fork.
Put the corned beef on top of the potatoes along with the juices from the bag.
Run water in the bag and measure one cup and add to the pot.
Quarter 3 medium sized onions and put on top of the meat and add carrots. Put lid on pot and cook on low 8-10 hours .
Cut cabbage into about 6 wedges.
Pour broth from crock pot over cabbage and steam until tender in a large frying pan 20 to 3o minutes.

Warm and Hearty Veggie Soup

ingredients
2 carrots, sliced
2 parsnips, sliced
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free broth (homemade veggie stock is best, but I also use Kitchen Basic’s Vegetable Stock)
1/2 small green cabbage, diced
1/2 cup green beans
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried basil1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1 small-ish zuchini, diced

directions
1. Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, and heat.
2. Saute the carrots, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened – approx. 5 min.
3. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano and salt
4. Bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
6. Stir in zucchini and heat fo 3-4 minutes.

Double recipe for 4.5 Qt. Crock Pot

Tips: Adjust the seasoning to your taste
Be creative with the veggies you use or add beans
Freezes Well

Crock Pot Onion Soup

1 Qt. beef stock
3 cups thinly sliced yellow onions
1/4-cup butter
1.5 tsp. salt
1/4-cup sugar
2 Tbls. flour
1/4 cup dry vermouth or cognac
1 cup granted Parmesan cheese (optional)

In large skillet cook unions slowly in butter; cover and cook for 15 min.

Uncover and add salt, sugar, flour, and stir thoroughly

Add to crock-pot, cover and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours (on HIGH of 3 hours)