 |
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 LB pumpkin flesh, peeled seeded and diced (use one pumpkin about 1 3/4 LB)
1 cup strong vegetable stock
2 tbsp. parsley, or 1 tsp. dried parsley
1/2 cup cream, half and half, or whole milk
1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
pinch of ground black pepper
pasta, freshly cooked, to serve
Gently fry the garlic and onion in oil for 3 or 4 minutes. Do not allow them to burn. Add the pumpkin and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the pumpkin is tender.
Blend pumpkin mixture in a food processor or blender and return to pan. Add and stir in the parsley, cream, nutmeg and seasoning. Cook for a another minute and add a little of the pasta cooking water if the sauce is too thick. Pour over the pasta and serve immediately. Serves at least 4.
Add a bit of sausage, ground turkey, or crumbled meat substitute when you return to the pan after blending for more protein and flavor. I personally love this sauce over soy ricotta cheese and spinach filled whole wheat ravioli.
Background:
 |
| Joaquin's first look outside today! |
Joaquin’s first snow day of the year (March), reminds me that although the winter has been mild, it is still the winter food season. This means that winter squashes are still in abundance in local gardens, markets, and my freezer. I try my best to feed my family a seasonal diet because when foods are “in season” they are at their peak of everything: flavor, freshness, nutrients, affordability, etc. I also try my best to preserve/lengthen the season for our favorite and most versitile foods by preserving and freezing what I can. Around this time of year, frozen veggies and squashes dominate the freezer.
As my recent berry wash post hinted, I am about ready for a new food season, and this means I should probably make some room in our freezer. ;-) So, time to use some of the cubed butternut squash I have in there! I had been taking advantage of winter kale and made a few batches of pumpkin/kale soup, but I’m tired of it. So, when my stepsister asked me to share some kid and husband-friendly recipes with her, I remembered this almost forgotten pumpkin gem! The great thing about most of my pumpkin recipes is that I can substitute other squashes like butternut and even sweet potatoes for the pumpkin to yield a tasty variety that helps us to avoid winter taste bud boredom.
Monday’s are usually grocery shopping days for me, but since it was a “snow day” I decided to stay home and help get my freezer ready for spring berries. After all, Vidal had to go out in the cold today for work and offered to bring home milk, and that was the only real immediate need…
Additional Notes:
To read more about seasonal eating, check out these fun links!
you have received a request for the pumpkin/kale soup :)
ReplyDelete