Garden in October

Spicy roasted squash soup and other pumpkins

It's the beginning of October so pumpkins are all over the place. Of course they are inspirational, they have a gorgeous bright orange color and they are truly representing the best in this season.
I couldn't resist either, so I also made few earrings with pumpkin like beads :)


Pumpkins are beautiful or funny and this time of the year they will end up like a jack-o'-lantern in front of a porch or - the yummy ones - like a cup of delicious soup :)


You will need:

1 squash, about 1 kilo
1 tbsp grounded coriander
1 tbsp dried oregano
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 clove garlic
dried chili's, as much as you can take :) Let's say for beginners one small chili
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper and sea salt
1 small onion, chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
water
fresh coriander leaves
creme fraiche or goat cheese

Cut the squash in quarters and than every quarter in half.


Put the coriander, fennel and cumin seeds, the chili's, the oregano, the garlic with a good pinch of salt, pepper and a tablespoon of the oil in a pestle and mortar, and make a paste of it. Rub the squash wedges with it and place them on a roasting tray with skin side down. Roast them at 200 °C (400 degrees Fahrenheit or gas 6) for about 30-40 minutes, until they are tender.


Now wait till they are not so hot, because you have to peel the skin off and you don't want to burn your fingers. At this stage I usually eat one or two wedges, just cannot resist the temptation :)
After you peeled the skins off, cut the squash in little cubes, and set aside.
In a medium pan heat the rest of the oil and sauté the onions till they are tender. Add the squash cubes and add water, just enough to cover the vegetable. Cook on a low heat for about 20 minutes, refill water if necessary. Now take a stick blender or put the soup in a food processor and make a smooth puree of it. It really depends on your own taste, I like it a little chunky put if you want to make a cream of it, don't hesitate!
Put the soup back in the pan and taste, probably you will need a little more salt and pepper, and once again how you like it, maybe a little more water. Slowly bring it to cook again for a minute or two, and ready!

Serve it with a little creme fraiche and fresh coriander on top or if you like it, with fresh goat cheese, like i did.


I baked some breadsticks too, I used the recipe from the fantastic book River Cottage Handbook No 3 Bread, if you ever decide to make your own bread this book is a must, I can really recommend it.

Sweet potato with lemongrass creme fraiche and flickr favorites

Ugly on the outside, beautiful in the inside, what is it? Yes, that can be many things, but now I am thinking potato. Sweet potato. A wonderful vegetable, rich in flavor and other goodies, like complex carbohydrates, dietary fiber, beta carotene, vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin B6.


Lately I try to cut down on meat consumption, so I got very excited when a friend of mine recommended Yotam Ottolenghi's new book Plenty, full with delicious vegetarian dishes. The first recipe I tried was the sweet potato wedges with lemongrass crème fraîche.
The creamy texture of the sweet potato with the spices and the freshness of the dip make these quiet easy to make dish a wonderful afternoon snack.

What you need for 4 persons:
3 medium sweet potatoes (900g)
4 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
3/4 tsp fine sea salt
1 fresh red chilli, finely diced
15g coriander, leaves picked

for the dipping sauce:
1/2 lemongrass stalk
200g crème fraîche
grated zest and juice of 2 limes
50g fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 210°C. Wash the sweet potatoes but don't peel them. Cut each lengthways in half, cut again lengthways into quarters and then once more, so you should end up with eight long wedges.
Place them in a roasting tin that has been lines with baking parchment and brushed lightly with some of the olive oil. Brush the wedges with the remaining oil and sprinkle with a mixture of the ground coriander and salt. Roast for about 25 minutes until the sweet potato is tender and golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool down a little (can be eaten warm or at room temperature)
While you are waiting, make the sauce, Very finely chop the lemongrass or grind finely in a spice grinder. Whisk with all of the other ingredients for the dipping sauce and set aside.
When ready to serve, place the wedges on a large, flat serving dish. Sprinkle with the diced chilli and coriander leaves, and serve with the sauce on the side.


So as you might already guessed, my flickr favorites today are also related to this vegetable :)

1. Spicy Sweet Potato Soup, 2. Sweet Potatoes / Camote, 3. Oven-baked Sweet Potato Fries, 4. téli sült zöldségek - roasted winter vegetables

Created with fd's Flickr Toys

for more flickr favorite from other etsy sellers or to play along please go to Artmind's blog!