Who knew I could feed myself from a front yard garden alone? Other than the flour, I grew everything for this dish in my small, urban yard; potatoes, garlic, chard, tomatoes and squash. I may have mentioned my front yard transformation last spring. With the ...
I had this realization at the grocery store the other day. It's something I've obviously not given enough thought. I mean, I know why people have food restrictions and I know that there are many reasons. There are people in my family are allergic ...
JANUARY The citrus obsessed that I am decided away with diets and and that pink grapefruits were way underused: Red Grapefruit Curd Filled Donuts Every winter likes the cold and every winter I battle it with something extra warm:...
Dinner, oh dinner. Yeah, this is the big one. It's also the one that by experience has proven that planning ahead, pop it in the oven kind of dinners are waaaay more enjoyable than missing out on events while slaving away in the kitchen. Plus, ...
Stuffing is easily the highlight of most Holiday dinners. It's what turns Sunday dinner in to a Holiday feast and there are about the same amount of people who eat it that there are ways of making it. Here, I've combined a few of my favourites with a little seasonal flare, creating something scrumptious, festive and memorable. What would be lovely on it's own, shuffled up beside stewed cranberries, I originally thought I would stuff red onions. Upon a quick search, I found that the beautiful site, Smitten Kitchen had already done just that but with much different stuffing. Having a surplus of onions and one lonely pumpkin still left from Halloween, I decided to march forward and give you all one more pumpkin dish. Naturally the stuffing can be baked up on it's own, or in any other found cavity, but I really liked the moisture and the sweetness of this little pie pumpkin. It really complemented the dried persimmons and roasted chestnuts headlining the dressing. ...And I still had a little left over for a few onions after all. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thank you for all your kind words and encouragement. Enjoy the day, your friends, family and your dinner.
The purée overflowith and another Holiday to eat pumpkin pie is fast on my heels, I just couldn't be happier. Pumpkin pie is one of those things rarely eaten but certainly loved. Perhaps it's absence is why it's so cherished by so many. I don't care really. It's the highlight of Thanksgiving dinners everywhere and a terrific way to eat pumpkin. This year having so many varieties to search for the ultimate pie pumpkin, I wanted got the urge to try out a few different ideas stemming from the same great end result. With the scraps I made these super Pumpkin Pie Poppers. It was a perfect way to taste test and to say I ate the whole pie, so with the winner, I made a fresh batch. Of all the pumpkins collected from the patch, I found some that were fabulous in soups, some that were great for pasta and of course pie. In the top three, the all classic Sugar Pie Pumpkin is always standard. It has a good texture, dense and creamy for pies. Next, silky with a hint of melony sweetness was the Rouge Vif D’Etamps. This Cinderella pumpkin is not just charming for it's good looks. Once it's prepared for pie, it'll make you and your guests all feel happy forever after. Last it's the queen of Venice. I know I just when on and on about how I love the Marina Di Chioggia but, as far as pumpkins go, it's practically perfect in every way. This gourd tasted great on it's own so naturally, it's sweet and creamy texture worked beautifully in the gnocchi, cake, pie, pasta and CUSTARD that followed. Essentially that's what pumpkin pie is right, custard in a pastry shell? This notion got me to thinking about my own likes for pie and maybe others too. I'm more for the insides and not so much for the crust. I try, really I do to eat every last crusty crumb, but after all this testing, I was looking forward to my second, er, third Thanksgiving of the year, I thought maybe to just put the good stuff in a cup. This revolutionary classic is so versatile and sure to please everyone at the Holiday table. Topped with whipped cream and fresh nutmeg or made extra decedent with a good sprinkling of sugar and a dusting of fresh cardamom, then brûléed to a sharp, crunchy perfection. Ahhhhhh. Don't even get me started on my love of crème brûlée....
Thrusting from a vacation back into the continual chill known as November in my part of the world, rejolted my need for hibernation. Part of this ritual naturally consists of no longer wanting to venture outside for long walks along the beach or having bird like meals made up of crunchy vegetables. Rib sticking, hearty, soft and warm is what I crave, and so what if all I want to do is have a nap afterward? With my onslaught of deliciously sweet pumpkins awaiting my arrival, I've made my share of sweet treats. If anything, I've noticed from my humble, hearty gourds is that, as wonderful as pumpkin is with sugar and nutmeg, they go fantastically well with the acidic punch of a tomato. So in meeting my hibernation qualifications, I concocted this little twist on a traditional cheese stuffed manicotti. So, after a bit of an absence, I'm about to check in with Ruth and my other Presto Pasta lover's to see about the transition from salads to soups and sauces. I'm positive the round-up of dishes will be rib stickingly delicious, as usual.
Had enough of this pumpkin business yet? Thought not, so, just you wait.
Upon returning from vacation I couldn't help but notice one of my pumpkins from my collection. The skin of my Marina Di Chioggia had turned much darker than its original green and although I don't know a whole heck of a lot about pumpkins and their various shades green, I do know that my prized Marina Di Chioggia is one of the most delectable of all the gourd breeds. From the coasts near Venice, love is in the air for the pumpkin aptly nicknamed "Deliziosa". The hard, green shell of this heirloom pumpkin may be a pain to peel, or even get into for that matter, but it's sweet, subtle flavour and silky flesh certainly make it worth it. To claim victory over the tough to surrender peel, just make one cut around to get in and clean out the seeds, then simply roast the pumpkin in a short depth of water for about 90 minutes at 350ºF. Of all the heirlooms gathered from the patch this season, the glorious Marina Di Chioggia is perfect for just about any recipe. It's sweet yet delicate and can hold it's own beautifully in pies, pasta and of course, gnocchi. Perpetually intimidated by making gnocchi, with or without eggs, I found that this pumpkin is a great addition to the delightful dumplings. Typically worried about them being gummy and dense or at worst, falling apart in the cooking water, I found nothing of the sort. The dough was quite soft, so depending on the extent of draining you do, climate you live in and any other moisture factors, you may have to adjust the amount of flour to create a workable dough. ...And with a terrific yield, everyone can look forward to a few great pumpkin recipes to add to autumn and holiday collection.
With autumn here it's not to tough to find the cooler weather ingredients. As the farmer's markets begin the preparation of shutting down for the winter, the fall finds and harvest colours are still filling the tables. Since Jack-o-Lanterns aren't very good for eating, I used the Jarrahdale pumpkin left from my day at the patch. Although I didn't have to worry about the abundance of carving pumpkins flooding the market, I figure a butternut squash may also do in a pinch. With winds blustering and my grocery bag full, I was set for anything including a challenge. Upon making my dinner, I was quite excited to read of A Slice of Cherry Pie's call for my same three ingredients. It seems that shopping locally and celebrating of seasonal food isn't all that uncommon, so if you too found these great ingredients at your local market, you can check out her round up for this and other great recipes using these wonderful autumn finds.
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