Sometimes I go through fits of intense fascination with food. It’s grounding and uplifting at the same time; fun to make and fun to eat; beautiful to be both a producer and a consumer of so much goodness. Since I was boasting on Facebook about yesterday’s food-frenzy, I was asked for recipes; they are below. More to follow, eventually. Oh, we also made applesauce: core and chop Macintosh or Cortland apples; heap into slow cooker. Add one or more chopped pears for fab flavor; 1/2 cup water for texture; 1 tsp cinnamon for attitude. Cook on high for an hour or so; stir periodically until it reaches the texture you want. Puree if you feel like it. Freezes well!
Leek and Pumpkin Soup:
Roast one smallish pumpkin or other winter squash (I cut mine in half, scoop out pulp, and roast them face-down in a pan with an inch of water until the outside is brownish and it smushes under pressure — maybe 40 minutes at 400F). Chop and wash three medium leeks (yes, I do it in that order, so I can really get all the grit out from between the layers). Sautee them in a Tbsp or so of butter until they are soft, adding a half-tsp of thyme and another of salt somewhere along the way. Deglaze the pan with about a half-cup of dry white wine, keeping the leeks in there for the process. Inhale deeply over the pot. Add homemade chicken stock (maybe 6-8 cups?). Add mashed insides of squash. Simmer together for ten minutes or so, then puree if you so choose or keep it chunky. Your call. Enjoy.
Ricotta Cornbread:
This is an eggless variation of my old standby cornbread recipe. It’s the sweet, moist kind.
Butter an 8×8 pan; preheat oven to 400. Mix dries and wets separately and then combine. Pour into pan; bake for 20-25 minutes until done.
3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
2.5 tsp baking powder (more doesn’t hurt)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup ricotta cheese
1 tsp vanilla