Fall Goat Cheese Soup

Many things change as we age. Here’s a fall recipe favorite I hope to make every year.

Pumpkin & Goat Cheese Soup

(6 cups)

Quarter pumpkin. Remove seeds. Bake in 425 F oven for 45 minutes. Cool enough to handle and discard skin.

1 pie pumpkin, Hubbard or butternut squash.

Remove from oven and cool enough to handle. Remove skin and discard.

In large saucepan, sauté onions, fennel and celery in olive oil for 3 minutes.

1 small onion, diced

2 Tablespoon fennel heart, diced

2 Tablespoon celery stalk and leaves, diced

2 Tablespoons olive oil 

Stir in curry powder. Sauté for 1 minute.

1 tablespoon Curry Powder

Add cooked pumpkin, ginger, orange juice, zest and stock. Simmer for 45 minutes.

1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger

Zest and juice from 1 orange

3 cups stock, GMO free, sodium free

4-6 cups baked pumpkin 

Carefully blend. Add goat cheese at end. Return to saucepan. Add salt. If desired add evaporated milk and heat.

4 ounce goat cheese

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup evaporated skim milk

Life Long Learners Take and Bake in Muffin Tin

The catalog said “Bring your own muffin tin to prepare meal components to take home and bake for dinner” and the class filled quickly. My intention is to give ideas for similar recipes or methods  to do at home.

I intended to keep everyone moving so that the food was not at room temperature for more than an hour. This kept the 20 experienced and attentive participants busy as my husband and I kept the assembly lines moving. 

The menu featured 6 recipes: Salmon Rice Bake, Farmers Market Vegetables,  Fruit Crumble, Polenta Marinara and Turkey Sausage. I prepared and baked the Spinach Ricotta Frittata to complete the tin as the raw egg mixture could not be transported.

My nutrition themes included Diversity of Plant Foods (prebiotic fibers) and Protein from Animal Foods. Those who consume 30 different plant foods a week have a more diverse microbiome; the one nutrient aging adults need more of is protein and it’s very difficult to get from plant foods.

Each attendee received a recipe booklet . The links are here: 

Easy Meals with Built in Portion Control https://cindyshealthymeals.blogspot.com/2024/06/easy-meals-with-built-in-portion-control.html

Polenta Marinara 

https://cindyshealthymeals.blogspot.com/2024/05/muffin-tin-polenta-pizza.html

Turkey Sausage and Spinach Ricotta Frittata 

https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/163097590958514429/1598479345642417342

Each attendee completed a ticket listed the number of plant foods (grains, vegetables, fruits and nuts) eaten yesterday. The drawing prizes were local corn grits and whole wheat flour from The Vegetable Garden and Davis Brother, small measuring spoons and 1/8 cup measuring cup.  The average number of plant foods reported eaten in 1 day was 8.