The subtitle of this book could easily have been the main title; “Real Food for Everyone” is what I found in the pages of Ann Gentry’s latest cookbook.

I received a complementary review copy from the publisher, Andrews McMeel, a few months ago and I’ll admit the title didn’t entice me to pull my attention from the many tasks at hand to flip through it right then and there. I set it on a bookshelf with good intentions but those good intentions dissolved into out-of-sight-out-of-mind abandonment.

After chatting with a friend (who happens to be vegan) about recipes and cooking, a little bell went off in my head about this book. There it was on the bookshelf where I’d left it, patiently waiting to be cracked open.

I began flipping through the book from page one to see what looked enticing. My initial pass through a new book is always done with a stack of sticky note tabs in hand to flag every recipe of interest. Then I sort through my selections and decide which recipes I’ll make first, which moves the tap from the top of the page to the side. There’s a process for everything.

I flip a page and see a recipe for Umeboshi Rice Balls. Really? My heart raced just a little bit because I have a container of umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) in my refrigerator, also teetering on the brink of out-of-sight-out-of-mind abandonment. Purchased for a specific recipe, the remaining puckery-tart, pungent, salty little plums have been languishing ever since. Reading on, the recipe included toasted sesame seeds, nori, and sushi rice made from short-grain brown rice and sweet brown rice, rice vinegar and mirin. With the reveal of each ingredient I became more excited as I realized I had all of these items in my kitchen.

Umeboshi, brown sushi rice, and nori - ready to roll

What are the odds? I’d only just discovered sweet brown rice weeks ago. I purchased it simply because it looked cool and I wanted to know what it was like (it’s really good, incidentally). Without turning another page I stood up, headed to the kitchen, got the rice cooking and was eating Umeboshi Rice Rolls within the hour. I proudly discarded the empty umaboshi container chalking up a point for me in the endless game of use-it-up-before-it-goes-bad. Though I lost a point today when I noticed mold on a lemon. Drats.

Umeboshi Rice Balls

Umeboshi sushi was not what I was expecting to find when I flipped this book open. Had I known, it would’t have gone untouched for so long. Ann Gentry explains in the introduction that she’s explored all kinds of plant-based diets over the course of her adult life. Clearly the time she spent eating a macrobiotic diet informs the way she cooks today. Not only through her use of Asian flavor-powerhouse ingredients like umeboshi, rice vinegar, miso, and fresh ginger, but also through her talent for playing ingredients off one another to capture the elusive balance of sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and hot that is so much a part of Asian cuisine.

Curious to see if the other recipes would be as pleasing, I made the Ginger-Apple Smoothie and Blueberry Corn Pancakes the next morning. The Ginger-Apple smoothie called for 1 (6-inch) piece of ginger. That’s a lot of ginger! With my first sip a cartoon image of steam blasting out of my ears flashed through my mind. Behind the heat and bite of the ginger was a nice combination of banana, apple juice, almonds and green tea powder. Next time, I’ll use less ginger. A six inch piece of ginger is somewhat ambiguous. Given that the ginger is grated and the juice squeezed from the pulp, a specific measurement of ginger juice seems like a more accurately replicable quantity, and is what I’ll use next time.

Blueberry Corn Pancakes

Skeptical of vegan bready goods, I was really surprised at how good these pancakes were. Rolled oats, corn meal and buckwheat flour give them great texture and flavor. Not being a vegan, the only reason I have for making these again is that they are good, and I’ll be making them again. Yes, that’s real butter I slathered over my vegan pancakes, which makes the point that these are just good pancakes that happen to be vegan.

Edamame and Spinach Hummus

There’s hummus and then there’s this beautiful bright green Edamame Spinach Hummus. Everything goes in the food processor and in about two minutes a spectacular spread is ready to serve. The recipe suggests serving this on endive spears, but I went the casual chip and dip route and toasted up some whole wheat pita chips. Edamame and spinach not only make the hummus pretty, but also add a sweet fresh flavor. I did back off a bit on the eight cloves of garlic that were called for because I didn’t want to be breathing fire the rest of the day. This is the nice thing about cooking your own food, you get to cater to your own taste.

Jicama-Carrot Slaw

This Jicama-Carrot Slaw is a happy bowl of sunny refreshment. The vibrant colors and juicy crunch of the vegetables gets you halfway there, but it’s the clever balance of sweet maple syrup, tangy apple cider vinegar and tart lime juice that brings it home. I’m not a big fan of raw onion and the one I had was particularly pungent, so I only added half of what was called for. This salad hit home on all levels and is a great example of Ann Gentry’s skill at keeping it simple and letting the ingredients do their thing.

Creamy Herbed Zucchini Soup

Thrilled with everything I’d made so far, I moved on to one of the three soups I had flagged; a lovely and simple zucchini herb soup that took less than an hour to make from start to finish. The smooth creamy texture is in part due to rolled oats of all things.

I nervously flipped through the dessert section a number of times trying to decide if I wanted to risk breaking my recipe winning streak. I’ve had some incredibly lackluster and downright awful vegan desserts in my eating history. I selected the Chocolate Cupcakes figuring if anything was going to be dreadful it would be these. I was encouraged, however, by the fact that there was no applesauce in the recipe, an ingredient I blame for most of the odd texture issues that plague so many low-fat and vegan baked goods. A hefty amount of cocoa powder promised good flavor and no skimping on the oil or sugar gave me even more hope.

Chocolate Cupcakes that happen to be vegan, but that's beside the point because they're good.

These are fantastic rich chocolaty cupcakes that taste like cake should taste. The icing I used is not a vegan recipe from the book. I didn’t want to run out and buy vegan butter, so I improvised and made a simple chocolate glaze. I baked them at 375 degrees F rather than the suggested 350. Partly because I always bake cupcakes at 375, but mostly because I had something already baking in the oven at 375 degrees and I wanted to get double duty out of the oven. The recipe says to bake them for about 32 minutes, which seems like a long time even with a lower oven temperature. I took mine out at 22 minutes and probably could have taken them out a minute or two earlier. My advice anytime you’re cooking anything is to base cooking times on what your food is doing rather than solely on what the recipe states.

The success with these cupcakes is because they were allowed to be a true sweet indulgence. Sugar, fat, cocoa, white flour, it’s all in there with no apologies. Bravo Ann Gentry for steering clear of the “healthy” whole-wheat, fruit-sweetened “cake” trap.

Ingredient highlights are sprinkled throughout the book along with cooking tips.

I look forward to continuing to explore this book and discover new ingredients. I’ll likely never get around to trying the Maple Tempeh Bacon or Tofu Frittata because quite frankly I’d rather have actual bacon and an egg frittata. That’s of little concern though because I’ll be plenty busy with recipes like Adzuki Bean Soup, South American Stew stuffed in a whole kabocha squash, Sesame-Hiziki Croquettes, and Oven-Roasted Sweet Potato Fries, along with revisiting many of the recipes I’ve already made. This is a great book if you’re looking for some new inspiration, but still want to keep things simple. It also never hurts to have a collection of great vegan recipes on hand.

Ann Gentry owns the popular Vegan restaurant, Real Food Daily, in Los Angeles. She is also the executive chef to Vegetarian Times magazine.

With permission from the publisher, I’m happy to be able to share a couple of recipes from Vegan Family Meals. Give them a try, I’d love to know how you like them.

Recipe Links

• Edamame Spinach Hummus
• Jicama-Carrot Slaw

Over the weekend a friend gave me a gift wrapped in an appealingly understated brown paper bag. My curious peek into the bag was met with an intoxicatingly sweet floral scent. A rush of excitment and gratitude hit as I instatly identifide the gorgeous scent.

Meyer lemons

The beautiful blushing orange Meyer lemons were picked from a mutual friend’s very own tree just days before and sent from sunny California to brighten the overcast misty days still so prevelent here. Living in the Northwest the idea of citrus trees in the yard is mind boggeling and somewhat akin to a miricle.

Three Orchards Blend Olive Oil from Dry Creek Olive Co.

Just days before, I received an equally spectacular gift, also born of the fertile lands called California. The coveted souvenir from my parent’s latest trip through the wine country was Three Orchards Blend Olive Oil from Dry Creek Olive Company in Healdsburg.  This is the company’s award-winning signature blend; it’s smooth and buttery with a clean bright flavor and delicate peppery finish. This olive oil will never see heat, but rather every drop savored fresh and raw.

Everytime I passed through the kitchen over the weekend I smiled when greeted with the sunny fragrence of Meyer lemons, and then worried. How will I use my Meyer lemons? Feeling pressure to put them to the absolute best use and not squander a single one I was completly devoid of inspiration.

Sunday evening inspiration hit. Memory of a raw dinasour kale salad from Tom Douglas’ restaurant, Serious Pie, had been lurking around in the back of my mind since tasting it. I’ve also been quite preoccupied with fennel seeds as of late given that they are the topic for the next SpiceChat later this week. While smelling the aroma of the Meyer lemons and staring at the beautiful bottle of olive oil, this salad sort of jumped in the bowl all on its own.

A full spectrum of flavors come together to dance all over the deep forest-green crinkled kale leaves; tangy bright lemon, rich smooth olive oil, earthy parmesan, creamy pine nuts, the pungent bite of crispy garlic chips and delicate grassy hint of licorice from the fennel seeds. Thanks to the hearty constitution of kale this salad holds well for hours, in fact it gets better with time, so make it a head, take it on a picnic, bring it to a pot-luck, and definatley save any leftovers.

Dinosaur Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

A special thanks to my friends Julie and Amani and my parents for inspiring this salad. I’d say birthday month is off to a spectacular start. Yes, birthday month!

Recipe Link: Dinosaur Kale Salad with Meyer Lemon Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

Deep purple crocuses and creamy yellow daffodils blooming alongside walkways and poking up through neglected garden beds are often the first clue that we’ve rounded the wintery corner and our cold, dark, blustery days are numbered.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Black Pepper and Cardamom

Every time I see rhubarb I’m reminded of the first time I had strawberry rhubarb pie. I share this story along with some easy recipes to get you cooking with rhubarb in my latest guest blog post for Girl Power Hour.  If you typically pass over the crimson stalks neatly piled next to more familiar vegetables, embrace a little adventure and buy the strange pink sticks.

Rhubarb Ginger Lime Jam

 Read my rhubarb post on the Girl Power Hour blog.

 It’s been a cold wet June in Seattle. The other morning I couldn’t seem to chase the chill out of my bones and wanted something warm for lunch. The fresh flavor and vibrant green color of this spinach soup delivered a little taste of spring and warmed me right up.

This soup was only partly inspired by my chilled bones the other factor was the abundance of spinach growing in my garden. My little garden was producing faster than we could consume. 

This being a spur of the moment endeavor, the ingredient list comes from what I had on hand at the time.  In an effort to keep my spinach plants in check, I have made this a few times now and settled in on a recipe I consider a keeper. The mild and sweet flavor of the spinach is accented with a lovely bite of heat from fresh ginger and black pepper, and then rounded out with a touch of cream and comforting aroma of nutmeg. Besides tasting great my favorite thing about this soup is it can be made in about 20 minutes and costs next to nothing, especially if you happen to grow the spinach.

As much as I enjoy cooking and consider it to be a relaxing part of my day, I still like to be speedy and efficient about it. Nothing has improved my speed and efficiency more than developing my knife skills. This practice exercise using a bench scraper from Rouxbe Online Cooking School, made such a difference for me.

Cutting up an onion is the most difficult part of making this soup. If you get the hang of using the rolling technique demonstrated above, you’ll be able to knock this soup out in nothing flat.

The herbs are a flexible element. I added a handful of chervil in one batch because it too was getting a little out of control in the garden. I have also used a mix of chervil, parsley and fennel with excellent results. A mix of any mild herbs you might happen to have on hand will work just fine. Next time I’ll try using cilantro.

Spontaneous Spinach Soup served steaming hot with a grilled cheese sandwich is a lunch that will make you happy even if it’s rainy and cold in June. If you happen to be enjoying sunny warm weather, serve it chilled; it would make a nice starter for your next dinner party.

Update: I made this again using cliantro and it was wonderful.

Recipe Link

• Spontaneous Spinach Soup

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 I pulled my copy of The Enchanted Broccoli Forest, by Mollie Katzen, off the shelf for the first time in years. It’s a treasure trove of healthy vegetarian comfort food recipes each accented with the author’s whimsical illustrations.  Published in 1982 well before lust-inducing food photography became the norm for cookbooks, it’s a refreshing retreat.

My mind has been puzzling over what to teach a group of kids at the Boys and Girls Club to cook in an upcoming nutrition and cooking class I am involved with. About 16 kids will be cooking a meal for 40 people in about 2 hours. Kind of a head scratcher. While flipping through The Enchanted Broccoli Forest I came across Vegetable Upside Down Cake. It looks like it might be the perfect side dish for the kids to make. David is convinced no kid would want to eat this, but I have high hopes.

It’s a great teaching recipe because there is lots of chopping to practice knife skills. They will also learn how to sweat an onion and make a simple dough.  The veggies are briefly sautéed, but the oven time really brings their sweetness out and gives the broccoli and cauliflower a slightly roasted quality. The biscuit-like topping is hearty with a nice nutty flavor from whole wheat flour and wheat germ. It’s also sturdy enough to make cutting and serving easy.  I absolutely loved the finished result and really hope the kids will go for it. I’ll report back at the end of April with the outcome.

Veggie Cheesy Torte

Adapted from Mollie Katzen’s Vegetable Upside Down Cake, published in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest.

For the veggie layer
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
1 ½ cups cauliflower, cut into small florets
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
½ teaspoon coriander (freshly ground if possible)
¼ teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red chile flakes
generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste (probably ¼ – ½ teaspoon)
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated

For the top/bottom
1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
1/ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried chives (or oregano)
¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
½ cup wheat germ
2 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup buttermilk
¼ cup olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Spread 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a 9×13 baking pan and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons of wheat germ. (Note: the torte is turned out of the pan onto a serving dish. Be sure you have something large enough to invert a 9×13 pan onto. A large baking sheet works well, and then the torte can be cut and placed on a pretty serving platter. Otherwise bake in two smaller pans.)

Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large sauté pan along with the chopped onion and a pinch of salt. Over a medium to medium-low heat, sweat the onion by cooking for about 5 minutes until translucent, but not taking on any color. Stir frequently.

Increase the heat and add the broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot and sauté for 2 -3 minutes. Add the bell pepper, corn, garlic, coriander, Aleppo pepper, black pepper and another pinch of salt. Sauté 1-2 more minutes until the aroma of the garlic and spices is noticeable.  Taste the veggies and adjust the seasoning as needed.  Spread the sautéed vegetables in the prepared 9×13 pan and then sprinkle the cheese over the vegetables. Set aside while preparing the topping.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, salt, and spices. Whisk well to thoroughly combine. Add the parmesan and wheat germ and stir to incorporate.

 In a separate bowl, beat the eggs to combine, and then add the buttermilk and olive oil.

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the liquid into the well. Mix to combine working quickly and only stirring enough to bring everything together. Place small dollops of dough on the vegetables and then gently spread the dollops to create a solid covering. Bake uncovered for about 25 minutes. The topping should be a deep golden brown.

Place a large platter or sheet pan over the 9×13 dish and carefully, but quickly, flip them over to invert so the 9×13 pan is now on top. The torte should drop out of the baking dish onto the platter. Give the pan a little shake if the torte seems to need some encouragement to let go. Don’t panic if a few veggies remain in the pan, they can always be retrieved and placed on the torte by hand, or just nibbled on as a treat for the cook.

My special twist on this week’s Tuesdays with Dorie baking adventure is adding a charcoal finish to the beautiful Thanksgiving Twofer Pie (pumpkin and pecan pie all in one!) that Vivi of La Casserole Carree selected for the group to make this week.

photo by David Peterman

This is the result of multi-tasking gone bad. Thanksgiving was celebrated on Sunday at my house because of my desire to cook the full-blown feast and spend Thanksgiving Day at a friend’s house. There is nothing wrong with wanting to have your pie and eat it too – unless you get distracted.

The Thanksgiving Twofer Pie is Dorie Greenspan’s answer to the age old question “Should I make pumpkin or pecan pie?” Her smart solution is to make both in one pie; a classic pumpkin pie filling scattered with pecans and covered with a sugary-gooey pecan pie filling. Assembly was fine, so into the oven at 450 degrees F for ten minutes, and then reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees F for the remainder of the bake time; this doesn’t seem so hard.

An undetermined amount of time passes and as I breeze past the oven I notice the pie is getting really brown and decide to grab some foil to cover the top, but by the time I get to the other side of my kitchen (all of about five steps) I am fully distracted with prepping brussels sprouts, checking the temperature of the turkey, strategizing on the timing of starting the potatoes…then I get a whiff of something burning…the pie! I am a bit shocked to notice the oven temperature still says 450. Well, fancy new-fangled electronic control panel ovens are great for all that they do, but if you don’t hit “enter” after resetting the temperature, the temperature does not get reset. The charcoal finish overwhelmed the pie and I finally admitted that it wasn’t really salvageable after eating a piece for dessert. It was no bother for David, who is not a pumpkin or pecan fan, as he had stocked the freezer with some Ben & Jerry’s for his early Thanksgiving feast dessert.

I have no doubt the pie would have been fantastic had I not burned it to smithereens. I will make it again once I get over the pain of ruining a cup and a half of beautiful pecans. You can test your oven temperature setting skills and make it yourself from the recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s book, Baking: From My Home to Yours, or click over to Vivi’s blog where she has posted it (scroll down for the English version).

photo by David Peterman

Thankfully there were other delicious things to eat for early Thanksgiving dinner (recipes below). The red kuri squash stuffed with cornmeal stuffing made with apples, currants, hazelnuts and a nice dash of curry powder was wonderful and the baking vessel adds a side vegetable for no extra work!

photo by David Peterman

Roasted brussels sprouts and pearl onions with caraway and juniper were tasty and beautiful. The turkey was baked with a delicious herb, orange, and fennel compound butter that takes just minutes to create. And of course a bowl of my favorite fall delight, spiced cranberry sauce.

With the inevitable Thanksgiving disaster all ready out of the way, now I can relax, enjoy early leftovers and a fun Thanksgiving Day with friends eating more delicious food. Have a wonderful holiday and keep an eye on that oven temperature!

Citrus Herb Compound Butter
 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
zest of one medium orange, finely grated
1/2 tsp. aleppo pepper, or dried red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. fennel seed, ground
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground

Combine all ingredients together and mix well. Rub under the skin of a turkey or chicken before roasting. A dollop placed on hot grilled chicken breasts just before serving is nice as well.

Cornbread Stuffing Baked in a Squash

Serves 6

For the cornbread (can be made a day early)
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sea salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup whole milk

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the first 4 ingredients to mix well.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and mix in the brown sugar, oil and milk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 18-20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the cornbread is slightly puffed and golden brown. Let cool in the pan, then remove from the pan and cut cornbread into half-inch cubes. If starting a day ahead, leave the bread cubes sitting out overnight uncovered to stale. If proceeding the same day, place bread cubes on a rimmed baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree F oven for 15-20 minutes to dry out the cornbread. Let cool and proceed with stuffing recipe.

For the stuffing
1 medium-sized red kuri or other winter squash
6 cups (about) dried cornbread cubes (one batch of above cornbread recipe)
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 cup dried currants
11/2 -2 tsp. curry powder (depending on your taste and your curry powder)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock, have a little extra on hand if needed
2 large eggs

Cut the top off of the squash and set aside. Scrape the seeds and stringy bits from the inside of the squash and sprinkle the cleaned interior generously with salt, pepper, and a bit of the curry powder. Set the squash aside.

Place a heavy-bottom large pan over medium heat and melt the butter. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for a few minutes, then add the celery, apple, thyme, curry powder and continue to cook for 6-8 additional minutes until the vegetables are soft. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the white wine reduce until the pan is almost dry. Remove from the heat and stir in the currants and hazelnuts. Add salt and pepper to taste, seasoning on the strong side to account for the cornbread, stock and squash that has yet to be incorporated. Transfer vegetables to a large bowl.

Add the cornbread to the bowl of vegetables and mix to combine. Whisk the eggs and 1 cup of stock together and add slowly to the stuffing letting each addition be absorbed before adding more. Add additional stock, 1/4 cup at a time, until the stuffing is quite wet and holds together easily, but not so much that it pools at the bottom of the bowl.

Place the Squash in a baking dish lined with parchment paper. Fill the squash with the stuffing and put the lid on the squash, any extra stuffing can be baked in a buttered baking dish covered with buttered foil. Place in an oven at 350-375 degrees F to bake for about 2 hours. The squash can bake alongside a turkey or other dishes and the exact oven temperature is not critical. After an hour check the sidewalls of the squash to determine the baking progress, the squash will probably be rather firm at this point. Remove the lid of the squash and tuck it in the baking dish so the squash can bake uncovered (if your squash lid has a stem, it will be very brittle and likely break off if you try to lift the lid using the stem). Let the squash bake until it is easily pierced with the tip of a knife and the stuffing is hot through. Cover loosely with foil if the top begins to brown too much. Check the squash every 20 minutes for doneness.

Once it is fully cooked carefully lift the whole squash onto a serving platter. This move is best executed with the help of an additional person to peel away the parchment paper once the squash is lifted from the pan. It works well to slide a sturdy spatula under the squash while supporting the side with a hot pad or kitchen towel. Serve by scooping out the stuffing along with some of the squash meat.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Pearl Onions

Serves 4

20 brussels sprouts
30 pearl onions
2 slices of thick bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
4 garlic cloves, whole and unpeeled
3 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. caraway seeds, whole
1/2 tsp. juniper berries, ground
1 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Trim the bottom of the sprouts, peel off the dark outer leaves, and cut an X in the stem end. Bring a 3 qt. pot of water to boil and add 2 tsp. of salt to the water. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set aside. Add the brussels sprouts to the boiling water and simmer uncovered for 4-5 minutes. Remove the brussels sprouts from the boiling water and place in the ice water to cool for 3-4 minutes. Scoop the brussels sprouts from the ice water, drain and dry them.

Add the pearl onions to the pot of boiling water and simmer for 2 minutes then remove them to the ice water. Once the onions are cool enough to touch, drain them. Cut the root end off and peel the outer papery layer off and pat them dry. (This can be done one day ahead, store the brussels sprouts and onions in the refrigerator).

Slice the brussels sprouts in half and place in a medium-sized bowl along with the onions. Mix in the olive oil, caraway seeds, juniper, unpeeled garlic cloves, diced bacon, as well as a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Spread the vegetables out on a sheet pan and place in a hot oven to roast. After 15-20 minutes give the vegetables a stir and return to the oven for 10-15 minutes more until they are nicely browned and cooked through.

Remove the pan from the oven and collect the unpeeled garlic cloves. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of the papery shell into a mixing bowl. Using a whisk mash the roasted garlic into a paste and whisk in the sherry vinegar. Add the brussels sprouts and onions and toss to coat. Taste and add additional salt and pepper if needed and serve.

What better way to welcome fall than to cook a whole pumpkin? I felt so seasonal arriving at a party this weekend offering up a cooked pumpkin filled with tasty stuffing; and what a great presentation for a buffet table.

photo by David Peterman

This is the first filled pumpkin I have ever baked and I learned a few things in the process. I was inspired after reading Doire Greenspan’s post on her filled pumpkin, so off to the farmer’s market I went. I chose a 9 pound Cinderella Pumpkin from the abundant selection. The round squat structure looked well suited for my plans and the lovely orange skin with a yellow blush was cheerful and festive. There is something exciting and fun about hauling a large pumpkin home.

Cinderella pumpkins have a much more solid network of flesh and seeds in the middle compared to the stringy mess that hides inside carving pumpkins. It scoops out just as easily and I did have to remind myself to leave the flesh in place; thin walls are great for carving, not such good eating.

The filling was inspired by what I had in the kitchen, which is why this recipe is so great. You can take the filling in all kinds of directions and not worry too much about following a recipe. Just keep building and tasting until it seems like enough volume to fill the cavity. I used cubes of bread, onion, garlic, apple, hazelnuts, gruyère cheese, sage, allspice, salt, pepper and a bit of cream. The filling was moist, but not wet. I filled the pumpkin and baked it in a pre-heated cast iron dutch oven that I lined with a layer of foil and parchment paper to act as a sling for easy removal after baking.

After 1 1/2 hours in a 350 degree F oven, it wasn’t making enough progress so I boosted the oven temp to 400 and removed the lid to the dutch oven.  Thirty minutes later I was beginning to smell the pumpkin aroma and I peeked under the pumpkin lid. Much to my surprise it was filled with bubbly, watery liquid. My delicious filling was swimming in pumpkin juices. The pumpkin was cooked; I was running out of time before needing to head to a party with the pumpkin, so I thought I would just roll with it. The untested foil and parchment sling was quite effective and I was able to lift the pumpkin out of the dutch oven, but spilled hot pumpkin juice on myself, then as I set the pumpkin on the counter the juices promptly began running out and onto the floor. Well, at least the filling is no longer swimming in liquid so one problem was solved. After giving the filling a stir and a taste, I was pleasantly surprised that the bread cubes were holding together and it tasted pretty darn good. By the time it was served at the party it had set up even more, no doubt due to the additional juices that drained out onto the floor mat of the car during transit, and everyone really liked it. The pumpkin meat was scooped off the walls and mixed in with the filling as people served themselves.

photo by David Peterman

I suspect cinderella pumpkins are just juicy pumpkins and not the best choice for this type of filling. A rice filling could have taken advantage of all the additional liquid. With a dryer style of squash this would be an outstanding dish. Though I seasoned the filling well, it wasn’t quite enough once the pumpkin was mixed in, so next time I will salt and pepper the inside of the pumpkin before adding the filling. With this one experience I am already hooked on cooking in a pumpkin pot and will continue to refine the process. By January everyone I know will be groaning when I show up  with another pumpkin pot.

A Pumpkin Pot

Much like a soup pot, you can base this dish on what you have on hand. Just build enough filling for the volume of your squash or pumpkin. Here is what I used for a 9 pound pumpkin.

4 cups stale bread cubes from a rustic, hearty loaf of bread*
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 medium apple, peeled, cored, cubed
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, chopped
1/2 tsp. cumin seeds, crushed
3/4 tsp. allspice, ground
1/2 tsp. salt, more to taste
1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and rough chopped
3 ounces gruyere cheese, cubed
3/4 cup cream

Cut a lid in the pumpkin by carving around the top. Position the knife blade to create an inward angle so the lid won’t fall right through the hole. Scoop out the seeds and connective matter, but unlike preparing a jack-o-lantern, don’t scrape the meat off the side walls, that part is dinner!

Measure out a piece of foil long enough to lay across the bottom of the dutch oven and come up beyond the height of the side walls by three to four inches on each side. Cut a piece of parchment the same size. Set both aside.

Preheat oven and dutch oven pan (without the foil and parchment liner) to 375 degrees F.

Over medium-low heat, sweat the onions until translucent. Add the apples, garlic, cumin, allspice, salt and sage and sauté another minute or two. Remove from heat and add the bread cubes and hazelnuts and stir to combine. Adjust seasoning as needed. Mix in the cheese cubes and cream.

Sprinkle the inside of the pumpkin with salt and pepper and then stuff the cavity with the filling. Place the lid on the pumpkin. Lay out the piece of pre-measured foil, lay the piece of pre-measured parchment paper on top of the foil, then place the pumpkin in the center on top of the parchment paper. Give the foil/parchment sling a test by grabbing the excess material on either side of the pumpkin and lifting up. If the pumpkin feels stable enough use this sling to lift the pumpkin into the hot dutch oven. If you don’t have confidence that the sling will hold, reinforce it with another layer of foil.

Carefully remove the hot dutch oven from the oven. Lift the pumpkin sling and place it in the hot dutch oven. The pan is hot - be very careful not to touch it! Fold the excess foil and parchment across the top of the pumpkin and place the lid on the dutch oven. Place the pot in the oven to bake for 2-2 1/2 hours. During the last 30 minutes of baking you can remove the dutch oven lid and the pumpkin lid to brown the tip layer of stuffing. Once the pumpkin flesh is tender when pricked with the tip of a knife and the filling is bubbly and hot, it is ready to be removed from the oven.

Ready a serving platter. Carefully lift the cooked, very hot, pumpkin out of the dutch oven using the foil/parchment sling and set it on the serving platter. Using a sturdy spatula lift up one side of the pumpkin and slide the foil and parchment out from underneath then do the same on the other side. To serve, scoop some of the pumpkin meat from the walls up with the filling.

*If you have a fresh loaf of bread, you can “stale” the bread by laying the cubes on a sheet pan and baking them in a 250 degree F oven for 20-30 minutes until they feel dried out. They should develop a dry crust, but not become brown.

 It was Iron Chef Bobby Flay vs. Gabrielle Hamilton, owner and Chef of Prun restaurant in NYC in battle Zucchini. As always there were many interesting dishes created, but one in particular hit me as a must-make. The first factor is that it looked delicious and the judges raved about it. Secondly, it looked very straight forward as in I didn’t actually need a recipe to make it work, and the kicker was the use of Harissa.  I just happen to have been given a jar of wonderful Harrissa recently.

Harissa is a hot chili paste used frequently in North African cuisines especially Tunisia and Morocco. It is commonly used as both a condiment and an ingredient. Typically it is made from dried chilies, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, and various spices such as coriander, cumin, or caraway. There are many recipes available to make your own or you can find it for sales in specialty stores or online.

Chef Hamilton boiled a variety of zucchini and tossed them with harissa, garlic, coriander, caraway, olive oil, lemon juice, green and black olives, and fete cheese. It was so simple, and with such raves from the judges I had to recreate my own little Iron Chef America moment.

I grilled the zucchini rather than boil it and added cumin to substitute for being out of caraway. Though I am sure I have some, I dug and dug through my spices and never found it. Next time I am looking for a different spice I will no doubt encounter two or three containers of caraway.

Zucchini Like an Iron Chef
Keeping with the style of Iron Chef, don’t bother measuring. Eyeball everything like a pro!

A variety of zucchini (4-10) depending on how many people you are feeding)
Harissa
Garlic paste
Coriander seed
Cumin seed
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Fete cheese
Green olives
Black olives

Cut the zucchini into large pieces. Coat the zucchini with a bit of olive oil and place it on a hot grill. Watch it carefully to avoid over cooking and pay attention to the different rates that different varieties of zucchini cook. It should still be a bit firm when removed from the grill so that it can stand up to being tossed with the other ingredients.

Crush some coriander and cumin seeds to break them up, but don’t grind them to a powder. In a small bowl combine a good dollop of harissa, some garlic paste, splash of lemon juice, and the coriander and cumin. Mix well and set aside.

Cut the fete cheese into half-inch cubes and set aside. Remove the pits from the olives and cut them into large pieces and set aside.

Once the zucchini comes off the grill place it in a bowl large enough to mix everything together. Add the harissa, and stir to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning adding more harissa if needed. Mix in the olives. Place the zucchini on a serving platter and sprinkle the fete cubes over the top. If you are making a large quantity, mix some of the fete in and save some to garnish the top of the dish. If all of the fete is mixed in, it turns red from the harissa and isn’t as pretty as the bright white fete.

It is a delicious way to enjoy zucchini that is so bountiful this time of year. The dish would make a great side for a buffet or to take to a pot luck because it doesn’t need to be piping hot when served. Best of all it is quick and easy to put together, but makes you look like an Iron Chef!