Stuff it!

The spectacular colors of Fall make the transition from Summer to Autumn just about worth it. The inevitable cold is coming all too soon, but who doesn't smile at a pumpkin?

It is a big decision which magnificent gourd to take home. My agonizing took longer than usual this year. Shape, size, color, and curl of the stem are all taken into serious consideration. But why get just one?

Now that the farmers markets are beginning to wind down their summer produce, I like to make the most of what is still available.  These red peppers were at the peek of ripeness, their flavor fully developed. Their aroma had the perfume and distinctive fruity sweetness that defines a bell pepper. It tastes just the way a pepper should, a full sun-shiny flavor!

Stuffing these beauties seemed like the way to go. Combining cooked grains and beans for the stuffing makes a quick and filling meal.  Saute some onions and herbs for extra flavor, mix in a little cheese and bake. The result is end of summer perfection.

---RECIPE---

Quinoa, Lentil & Goat Cheese Stuffed Peppers

4 bell peppers
salt and pepper to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped carrot
2 Tbs. cup chopped parsley

1 cup cooked Quinoa

1/2 cup cooked lentils

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

•Heat oven to 350 F.
•Cut off the top quarter of the pepper to act as a lid. Remove the seeds from inside the pepper cups. Rinsing them in cold water is usually the easiest way.
•Sprinkle the insides of the peppers with salt and pepper and place the peppers cut side down on a baking sheet with the tops next to them. Bake for about 20minutes so the peppers can begin to soften. Remove the softened pepper cups and lids from the oven and set them aside until cool enough to handle.
•In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. Add the celery, carrots and onions, salt and pepper to taste. Cook the vegetables until translucent and wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and cook for another minute.
•Remove the sauteed vegetables to a medium sized bowl. Into the bowl mix the quinoa and the lentils together with the sauteed vegetables to make the stuffing. Add the cheese and continue mixing until well combined.
•Spoon the stuffing mixture carefully into each of the cooled pepper cups. Fill the peppers loosely and let the stuffing mound up on top for a pretty presentation. Arrange the filled peppers on a baking sheet and place the top of the pepper back on top. Return the stuffed peppers to the oven. Bake for about one hour, until the peppers are completely softened and the filling is piping hot.

winter classic

The breezes coming off Meadow Lake were positively balmy this New Years day as I strolled through Flushing Meadows Corona Park enjoying the surprising sunshine. It is hard not to interpret the gentle weather as a sign of good fortune for this new year. Hope and good will were buoyed about in the caressing soft gusts. Well, that is how I chose to interpret it!

Can you see the famous Unisphere, a leftover relic from the 1964 Worlds Fair, hidden in the trees?

The holidays have left me exhausted but serene. All the scheduled events went off without a hitch. Rest and restoration is now the plan. Today we are hosting friends and family for a casual, impromptu I insist, Winter Classic 2012 party. My husband is a devoted hockey fan and our beloved NY Rangers are facing off in an outdoor showdown in Philadelphia against their rivals The Flyers.

I leaped at the opportunity to cook up what is left in my fridge after all the holiday entertaining and gift exchanges. There are still cakes, candies and various goodies lurking in every cupboard and it is time to clear the decks to welcome the new year. I am making a big pot of pumpkin chowder to warm the soul and please the palates of the hockey fans scattered in front of our TV this afternoon. The soup is easy enough to make and can be prepared the day before. If you are not vegetarian, consider adding some bacon to add a little smokey flavor to the broth.

Chowders are generally thickened with chunks of vegetables in a milk or cream soup base. I Like to cube up the vegetables for a classic presentation. The body of the chowder is achieved by making a simple butter and flour paste right on top of the softened aromatic vegetables and then thinned with milk or cream. I add a hearty stock to the mixture so it does not get too creamy. The heavier root vegetables are then added in and will simmer to tenderness in less than half an hour.

Pumpkin Chowder

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion finely chopped
1 celery stalk finely chopped
1 red or green pepper finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk or heavy cream
3 cups vegetable chicken stock
2 cups pumpkin, peeled and cubed
1 cup potato, cubed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or to taste)

In a large soup pot heat the oil. Add the onion, celery, pepper and salt and pepper to taste.
On a low flame sweat the vegetables until the onions become translucent, about five minutes.
Add the butter to the pot and let it melt down over the vegetables.
Sprinkle the flour over everything and stir to make a paste of the flour with the butter and the oil. The bottom of the pan will be a bit sludgy.
Pour in the milk or the cream and bring to a simmer stirring continuously to keep the mixture smooth. As the liquid comes up to a boil it will begin to thicken.
Slowly pour in the stock as you continue to stir, mixing thoroughly. Add the potatoes and pumpkin cubes and the dried thyme and bring liquid to a simmer again.
Continue to simmer the soup uncovered for about 20 minutes until the potato and pumpkin are tender and cooked through.
Add the corn and the Cayenne pepper and simmer the chowder for five more minutes. Taste soup to adjust seasoning. Can be made a day ahead.

a change of color

Deborah's recipes adjust to the new season...
It feels official now, this change of season. The nip in the air is here to stay for awhile. As I walk around my Queens neighborhood the autumnal colors are undeniable.

 These dahlias in my neighbors yard provide a shock of satisfying color as everything leafy begins to slowly turn golden brown.

 Rose hips.

The trees are making a big statement, their last hurrah.

 

A visit to the nursery on Woodhaven Boulevard gives lots of options for a decorative harvest display. My daughter and I agonized over our choice of pumpkins, weighing the merits of a perfectly round profile vs. a long curly stem. These gnarly gourds distracted us with their improbable shapes. Who would eat such things? They are to be admired for their audacity!

Dinner last night, at my favorite restaurant Danny Brown Wine Bar & Kitchen, provided inspiration for today's recipe. On their menu was a roasted Brussels sprouts salad served with figs (delicious!)

The concept of a roasted vegetable salad makes perfect sense for this transitional season. The roasting brings a warm sweetness to the vegetables and the salad dressing keeps this dish rooted in summer with its acidic brightness. Pumpkins, sweet potatoes and Bosc pears are a great combination, cubed up and roasted till golden and then dressed with a simple vinaigrette fragrant with tangerine zest and Dijon mustard. Sweet, tart, seasonal and oh so colorful!

Roast Vegetable & Pear Salad with Tangerine Vinaigrette

1 cup of peeled sweet potatoes, cut into 1 " cubes

1 cup of peeled pumpkin, cut into 1 " cubes

1 cup of un-peeled Bosc pears, cut into 1 " cubes

1 tbs. canola oil

1 Tbs. chopped chives

1/4 cup tangerine vinaigrette -see recipe below

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange cubed vegetables and pear in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle with the oil. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and tender. Remove to a bowl, toss with the chives and the vinaigrette. Serve at room temperature or chilled.

Tangerine Vinaigrette

juice and zest of one tangerine

1 Tbs. red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl combine all the ingredients except the olive oil and whisk briskly to combine. Continue to whisk as you slowly add the olive oil in a continuous stream. 

The Spice Island

Deborah

Nutmeg growing on the tree, Grenada's most famous crop.

The best way to kick the prolonged winter blues is to get out of town. Last week, spent in the incredible Caribbean island of Grenada, was completely restorative and beyond inspiring! This charming island hosts a rain forest and is dense with lush beauty. We saw a lot of rain while there which is unusual for this time of year, but the result is a lot of healthy greenery. The people of Grenada are so kind, warm, and gracious my heart was captured the minute I arrived.

The Grand Etang Forest Reserve in Grenada has trails for hiking.

The Seven Sisters waterfalls was a short hike into the forest. The water was really that green and a perfect temperature for cooling off. Too bad we didn't get to see any monkeys.

Pink Gin Beach, a dramatically beautiful beach on the southern tip with billowing clouds worthy of a Turner painting.

Sea shells collected by the 

sea shore

Ahhhhhhh, paradise!

The benefits of rain!

Lest you think all I did was walk around with my jaw hanging open admiring all the natural beauty, let me assure you that my jaw was also moving up and down quite a bit eating all the delicious local delicacies the island has to offer. The smell of nutmeg follows you just about everywhere and that is not a bad thing as far as I am concerned. I had nutmeg waffles, nutmeg ice cream and nutmeg scented polenta, just to name a few spectacular offerings. The resort where we (husband and I) stayed was the incomparable LaSource. The food was fantastic and much local produce was featured. I began to take notice of the braised vegetable dishes that usually contained pumpkin and chayote, two very typical Caribbean crops. 

The green chayote is about the size of a large grapefruit. These whole spices which include nutmeg and cloves are sold strung together as natural air fresheners for your kitchen. I bought mine from a beach vendor. (Check out my friend Pat's blog post about shopping on the beaches of Grenada.)

These vegetables are easy to cook, have great flavor and are very satisfying. Pumpkin has a nice creamy texture and sweet nutty flavor. Chayote (or christophene) has a crisp watery texture and a light bright flavor. The two combined create an attractive dish. I picked up a Grenadian spice mix at the market which is a blend of cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon, and bay leaves. I am going to be using it to season EVERYTHING for a while.

I cannot say enough about the wonderful island of Grenada, it is well worth making a visit to this very special place!

Braised Pumpkin and Chayote with Grenadian Spices

2 Tbs. butter

2 cups cubed pumpkin

salt and freshly ground pepper

2 cups cubed chayote

1/4 teas. ground nutmeg

1/4 teas. ground cloves

1/4 teas. cinnemon

1/2 cup water (or coconut milk) 

1/2 lime

3 Tbs. toasted peppitas for garnish

Heat butter in a saute pan and add the cubed pumpkin and the salt and pepper. Cook stirring frequently for 10 minutes till the pumpkin is almost cooked through. Add the chayote, the spices and the water. stir to copat all the vegetables with the butter, pan juices and spices. Cover and cook for another ten minutes till the chayote is tender. Squeeze the juice of 1/2 lime over the vegetables and top with toasted pepitas.

To toast the peppitas (pumpkin seeds) lay them flat in a pan, sprinkle with a little olive oil and salt  and place in 350 oven for 5 minutes till lightly golden brown.

Amanda
Welome home! Sounds (and looks) like you had a marvelous trip! The pictures are gorgeous. I hope you came back well-rested! As for your delectable recipe...I have looked up and down for pumpkin this time of year and have been unable to come across any. Where did you find it? And, is the chayote readily available? That is a vegetable (or fruit?) I am entirely unfamiliar with.

Gewurztraminer would be a very interesting, and I'm sure beautiful, choice for this dish. Typically off-dry, this grape produces wines with astounding floral aromas. Flavors of lychee and passionfruit are common. Gewurz (it's nickname) is incredibly unique and really cannot be compared to any other wine. Loaded with spice, it would complement the Grenadian spices in Deb's dish perfectly.

To find the finest expression of Gewurz, look for one from Alsace, France. Styles range from dry to very sweet. The sweet wines are perhaps among the most delicious I have ever experienced - they are indeed heavenly. But for Deb's recipe, I would stick with dry or slightly off-dry.

And, as an "aside"...20 more days till Spring! Yay! Looking forward to switching culinary gears and loading up on all of nature's Springtime goodies!

Michelin Stars and a pot luck

 Deborah
What a week! Cooking lunch in a public school kitchen everyday is hard work! For my day off I was invited to a pot luck supper and naturally I needed to COOK. Well, I am never happier than when I am in a kitchen (unless I am laying on a Caribbean beach or sipping wine in a Paris cafe) so it was a natural transition to the weekend to be ruminating on what to make for this LOCAL ingredients pot luck party.

Pumpkins were floating in my head and I had a vague notion of making a pumpkin lasagne. My husband took pity on me when I crawled home Friday evening and he whisked me out to dinner to our favorite restaurant in Queens- Danny Brown Wine Bar and Kitchen on Metropolitan Avenue. We had been dying to get over there to help them celebrate their recently awarded Michelin Star!!!!! They truly deserve it (delectable food and impeccable service.) On their menu Friday night was a special: PUMPKIN RAVIOLI- well, it was all meant to be. I tried it and loved the dish and knew that was indeed what I wanted to make for Saturday's pot luck.

Saturday's party in Nyack, NY had a harvest festival theme and was hosted by Pam and Charlie of Hook Mountain Growers.  The fall colors inside and out were a perfect reflection of the season.

Pamela and I check out what is growing at her fabulous homestead micro-farm, still in full production this late in the season.

The sun was already beginning to set when I got there so these photos don't do justice to the crops.
clockwise from top left: Passion fruit, celeriac, cayenne, fennel and chard


And inside at the party:

wonderful local cheeses!

 Delicious homemade dishes beautifully arranged, made from local ingredients.

clockwise from top left: beet salad, yogurt and herb dip,
beet and pasta salad, farro pasta with white beans

The wine was great too. Hudson Wine Farm's Red Banks Red Blend and their Chardonnay were the selections and they went perfectly with the meal. Someone even brought a venison stew made from a deer they had shot with a bow and arrow themselves, braised with shitake mushrooms they found growing right on their lawn (what don't they do in the Hudson Valley?)

My pumpkin lasange was a success. I found some local pumpkins at Gourmet Garage and I raided my herb garden for the sage. It is more laborious a recipe than I usually feature here but the procedure is not complicated and it makes a great seasonal dish.

recipe: 

Pumpkin Lasagne

• quarter a whole small pumpkin and scoop out the seeds,

sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast in a hot 400 degree oven for about 25-35 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife.

• scoop the flesh away from the shell of the pumpkin with a large spoon and put into a food processor (about 1.5 cups)

• add a quarter cup of apricot jelly or a fruit chutney (I used mango chutney, yeah, I know, not local. If I had been more energetic I would have used very tart homemade applesauce)

• add 4 oz. goat cheese and continue to blend till smooth

• make a beshemel sauce with 4 Tbs. butter melted in a sauce pan, add 4 Tbs. flour and mix well with the butter to create a smooth paste. Add 2 cups of milk and bring to a low boil to thicken sauce, whisking constantly. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, freshly ground nutmeg and 4 or 5 torn up fresh sage leaves and allow flavors to blend at a simmer for a few minutes.

• toast in a small saute pan 1/2 cup of peppita seeds and 3/4 cup of bread crumbs in 1 Tbs. butter on a low heat until golden. Process the peppitas and bread crumbs in a food processor till finely ground, then set aside.

• assemble lasagne by covering the bottom of a baking dish with some of the beshamel sauce, followed by a single layer of large sheets of wonton wrappers lined up edge to edge to cover the entire surface of the pan. Add a layer of the pumpkin puree, the beshamel and then the bread/peppita crumbs. Repeat to make two more layers, ending with the wonton wrappers, beshamel and crumbs.

• Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes till hot and bubbly.

• garnish with fresh sage leaves that have been dusted in flour and then fried for 30 seconds in hot olive oil in a shallow pan.

I know it is a lot of steps, but it is a recipe that can be played with when you are relaxed and have the time. Adding the fruit jelly or chutney will give the pumpkin some needed sweetness. Danny Brown garnished his pumpkin ravioli with pomegranate seeds, which was an inspired choice. The tart fruit is a great counterpoint to the earthy depth of the pumpkin.

Amanda
That dinner sounds amazing! Right up my alley.  Love the pics too! Yes, the pumpkin lasagne definitely requires more work than most of your recipes - but I wouldn't say it's labor intensive - which is a nice thing! I have to make it a point to get out to Hook Mountain Growers - seems like a fabulous place!

The pumpkin lasagne looks to me like the ideal Fall dish. I think a variety of wines would work well. My first choice for white would be a dry, crisp Riesling. I think the vibrant acidity of the Riesling would be great paired with the sweet flavors Deb incorporates into the lasagne. It would also serve to cut through the rich characteristics of the bechamel sauce. Be sure to pay attention to which Riesling you are buying - stay away from anything sweet. A dry Riesling is what would work best here.

A red would also work well with this wonderful recipe. An Argentine Malbec would be a great accompaniment, with its lush texture and ripe fruit flavors. Malbec from Argentina will not have the same tannic structure as one from France, which will tend to be more "rustic" in style. I would prefer something a bit more fruit-forward to sip with the lasagne. Argentine Malbecs tend to be "juicier" and softer as well - qualities that will marry perfect with Deb's dish. Susana Balbo, an outstanding producer in Argentina (one of my favorites), makes an affordable line of wines called "Crios", meaning "offspring". The Malbec is a delicious, everyday wine and can be found for around $11.99.

I think I'd like to plan a dinner party around this recipe! Looks so delicious - perfect to share with friends!

back to reality

Deborah
One of the bonus effects of going away is coming home again with eyes wide open. My week at the beach in beautiful Antigua cleansed my brain and soul. The minute I walked back into my home I saw dust, disorganization and STUFF. At least that is how it struck me. My life here is complicated and weighted down with so many things. Travel lightens your load and allows you to exist for a brief time anyway, with the bare essentials.
The island of Antigua charmed us again with it's simplicity and pride of place.  The first thing that hits you is color- my winter starved eyes drank it all in- the houses, the flowers, the sea.

Some of the beautifully colored buildings of Antigua.

The resort we favor, Hawksbill is streatched out over nearly a mile of pristine and remote beachfront property that has old-school charm and a down-at-the-heels rustic appeal that is impossible to create- it's authentic and weather beaten and suits us to a T.

Our little beachfront cottage home away from home.

While we were there we became aware of a couple of guests with a handful of small children awaiting the momentous return of their husbands who had spent 76 days at sea rowing across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Antigua harbor, raising money for charity!  The two British rowers arrived not with bulging arm muscles as we expected, but rail thin and weather beaten as mountain climbers spending a month on K2. The reunion unfolded over the course of the week as the rowers with their children in tow slowly lost their dazed expressions and regained their land legs like returning astronauts.
We were vicariously exhuasted and exhilerated by a job well done without having to leave our lounge chairs!

And then the cooking class. I dragged myself from a reclining position to head up the hills to Nicole's Table where chef and culinary educator Nicole Arthurton conducts classes from her beautiful home featuring a huge veranda with sweeping views of the island. Nicole's style is breezy and casual.

Everyone gets busy prepping the meal.

Nicole puts the finishing touches on our feast.

The menu was classic Caribbean including West Indian pumpkin soup, roasted vegetables with plantains and some of the freshest snapper I have ever encountered that we stuffed and baked.

The big tip of the day from Nicole was to add a scotch bonnet pepper (one of the hottest peppers around) to the soup pot for flavor without the heat. The pepper is fished out at the end of the cooking and can be served on the side for those who like things fiery. Genius! I asked Nicole if any other chili pepper could be substituted and got a resounding NO! the flavor can't be replicated. Well ok, I'm convinced.
We ended the meal with a beautifully moist and dense Key Lime Rum cake made from tiny, juicy local limes. There was enough for me to bring back a slice to my husband who was still glued to his beach chair as if he had just rowed across the Atlantic (sorry hon, I know you work really hard, kiss).

Here is Nicole's recipe for West Indian Pumpkin Soup. Don't forget the scotch bonnet peppers, but if you can't find them, try the soup anyway, it is a winner. Amanda, we had some very nice, light and fruity Argentine wine with the meal, a Trivento Tribu Sauvignon Blanc 2009. But maybe you have something else in mind?

West Indian Pumpkin Soup
-from Nicole's Table

3 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbs. fresh thyme
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 lb. pumpkin, peeled and chopped
6 cups vegetable or chicken stock or water
1 whole scotch bonnet pepper

s & p to taste
a dash of ground nutmeg for garnish
1/4 cup heavy cream, optional

In a large sauce pan heat the olive oil. Add the chopped onions and celery and cook till translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme and cook another two minutes. Add the carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin and some salt and saute the vegetables for about 10 minutes till they start to soften. Add the stock or water and the scotch bonnet pepper (be careful to leave it whole). Bring the soup to a boil and then lower heat and cover to simmer for 15-20 minutes. The vegetables should be fork tender. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper and puree the soup with and immersion blender or in batches in a food prossesor. Adjust the seasoning of the blended soup and add the nutmeg and cream if you are using it.
Heat through to barely a simmer before serving.

Amanda
It sounds like you had a wonderful time, Deb! The pictures are beautiful and really tell the story of beautiful scenery and culture - and a great vacation! And the class in which you participated seems like it was educational and fun at the same time. Thank you for sharing your experiences with us!


Deb, are scotch bonnet peppers difficult to come by? Where would you suggest looking - farmers' markets? Whole Foods? Fairway? Seems like the soup would be delicious without them too, as you mentioned. But, at the same time, I would think they would lend something unique and distinct to the soup. I would definitely want to try to track them down!


The recipe seems nice and straightforward. The Trivento wine you described is a great choice for this soup. I would choose something from Argentina as well. I've written before about wines from Argentine producer Susana Balbo. I am a huge fan of hers, and often suggest wines from her terrific line-up. She produces wines under the "Balbo" label which tend to be fairly pricey (albeit delicious!). Her "Crios" line (which means 'offspring') are less expensive and incredibly wonderful. The Crios label consists of a Malbec, Rose of Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon and Torrontes. All are outstanding, and affordable at approximately $11.99 per bottle. The wines achieve high ratings from wine critics year after year.

I would pair either the Torrontes or Rose of Malbec with the West Indian Pumpkin Soup. Torrontes has beautiful aromatics, combined with the exquisite peach flavors of a Viognier, and the crisp acidity of a Sauvignon Blanc. There is plenty of fruit, so if you do find that scotch bonnet pepper, and would like to enjoy it with the soup after it is removed, the heat will be quelled by the wine.


The Rose of Malbec would also be a wonderful complement to the soup. The strawberry and spice flavors of the wine would make a scrumptious match to this West Indian treat!