From Winter's Kitchen

 

Many of the ingredients in this dinner came from the cool basement where root vegetables and fall fruits are stored. There I've pumpkin, winter squash, potatoes, onions, garlic, apples and pears.

Other ingredients are in the kitchen cupboards including dried fruit, nuts and flours. I often use any I have on hand for specific listings in recipes.

I always have yogurt, milk and eggs in the refrigerator and fresh ginger in the freezer.

Topping it off is an assortment of fragrant spices- cinnamon, nutmeg and cardamon. 

The Pumpkin Soup was inspired by a recipe in Bon Appetit.  The Sourdough Snacking Cake is from the November/December issue of Fine Cooking Magazine.

Pumpkin Soup

(Serves 6)

Half pumpkin. Remove seeds and pulp. Place cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 F. for 45 minutes. Cool, peel and cut pumpkin in chunks.

1 medium pumpkin

 

Mix seeds with syrup, oil and spice. Roast in 350 F oven for approximately 15 minutes. Check often to prevent burning.

Seeds from pumpkin

3 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon berbere spice

Cool and grind in spice mill.

 

Heat oil in saucepan. Saute garlic and peppers until soft.

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 garlic clove, minced

4 mini sweet peppers, seeded and diced

 

 Add curry paste and stir.

1 tablespoon red curry paste

 

Add stock, milk and pumpkin. Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes.

1 1/2 cups vegetable stock

1 13.5 ounce can coconut milk

4 cups diced, cooked pumpkin

Carefully place 1/2 of soup in blender. Cover top with a towel and puree. Repeat with remaining 1/2. Reheat soup for a few minutes.

 

Serve with ground nuts. 

 

Sourdough Snacking Cake

(Serves 8)

Combine dry ingredients.

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

1/2 teaspoon ginger

 

 Add to dry ingredients.

1 cup assorted nuts and dried fruit (Mine has almonds, apricots and dates), ground in food processor

1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

 

In a separate bowl, beat eggs into sourdough discard. Add oil, yogurt, vanilla and brown sugar, beating by hand until mixed.

1/2 cup sourdough discard (mine is a whole rye starter)

2 eggs

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup nonfat yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla

5 tablespoon brown sugar 

Mix dry ingredients into liquid in thirds, stirring only until mixed.

 

Pour batter into 7 inch springform pan, greased with olive oil spray (bottom lined with parchment). Bake at 350 F. for about 35 minutes, until pick inserted into center comes our clean.

 

Place on cooling rack. Run a spatula around cake to remove side of springform pan.

 

This meal has a nice assortment of protein, fruit, vegetables and grains.