Vegetables Archives - Page 8 of 74 - De Ma CuisineDe Ma Cuisine

Saturday

31

October 2015

Ten Ways to Use Pumpkins

Written by Rachel, Posted in How To, Vegetables

Pumpkins are a super cute way to welcome fall. They’re fun and cheerful and their orange flesh makes me happy. They can be used in so many ways. They make a great addition to a fall centerpiece at your dinner party or just amidst fall decor. They are fabulous to eat. And, they are so much fun to carve.

Pumpkins as Decor and for Carving

1. I love pumpkins anywhere. They’re cute atop a table by the door, or added to the garden. If you want to leave them outside, they will last longer if they’re not carved, so wait to do that until a day or two before you need them.

2. If you can never get enough of them, save some of the seeds from this year’s pumpkins and plant them in your garden next year. They will take up lots of room, so be sure you have space before you plant. Tim found a broken lattice and put it back together for me so that when I plant some more winter squash it can climb up rather than take over the rest of the garden (and in the spring I’ll use it for peas).

3. The seeds that you don’t save for planting, toss them with some oil and seasonings and roast them. They’ll make a yummy snack.

4. Pumpkins and other winter squash make for a beautiful centerpiece. You can collect leaves and press them in books, collect pinecones, and set them around the pumpkins for a lovely fall table. I will use any type of pumpkin or winter squash that I have on hand. I think they’re all pretty.

5. If you’re going to carve*, you could get creative and trace some leaves and either carve all the way through the pumpkin or just slice off a bit of the skin so that a light inside makes the carved leaves glow. If you want to keep carving after Halloween, you could carve the words “GIVE THANKS” for Thanksgiving, or carve things that you’re thankful for (pictures or words).

6. If you want to decorate the pumpkin and then eat it, I’d suggest waiting to decorate until the day before you plan to cook it so it won’t spoil. You could use clean pushpins and press leaves, cranberries, sage leaves, or other colorful fall treasures into the skin of the pumpkin. You could work on something abstract, or try to create a fall-scape.

7. With smaller pumpkins you might hollow out a bit of the top and put votives or small candles in them.

8. They even look great on a drink cart or atop some treasured books (just be sure to check it each day to make sure it doesn’t get moldy if it’s sitting on something that can’t be cleaned). If you’ve got a pumpkin drink, you could serve it on the drink cart, in a large pumpkin with a ladle.

Pumpkins for Eating

9. I’ve been working on some pumpkin (and winter squash) recipes for you. The first one was a Winter Squash Dip that’s fabulous no matter what kind of squash you use. If you have a pumpkin or a sturdy squash that can be used for serving, I’d give it a try!

The second was a Pumpkin Pasta. The pumpkin doubles as a serving dish and a key ingredient. It’s perfect for a weeknight dinner, or for a special occasion. And, bonus, if you have extra sauce, it makes a fabulous broccoli and potato soup. We enjoyed this for dinner the other night – it’s now one of my all-time favorite soups.

The third is a Pumpkin Pie Latté that was such a treat that I drank it all by myself and then made more.

10. Pumpkin can be added to sooo many things. Yum! Here are some suggestions for other foods to add pumpkin to.

Cookies Pumpkin and chocolate chip cookies would be fabulous.

Muffins Pumpkin apple muffins with a sprinkle of cinnamon would be a great fall breakfast.

Pancakes and Waffles Add some pumpkin and then top them with some spiced apples or pears.

Parfaits Mix some plain yogurt with a few tablespoons of pumpkin purée and a drizzle of maple syrup. Top it with some homemade granola, chopped nuts, and a drizzle of caramel.

Hot Chocolate Add 1 T pumpkin and some caramel to your hot chocolate.

Quesadillas Black beans + pumpkin/winter squash + cheese = perfect fall lunch.

Grilled Cheese Spread a layer of salted, puréed pumpkin on the inside of a slice of buttered bread (butter the outside), then top with cheese before closing and cooking.

Tomato Sauce Add pumpkin/winter squash to your favorite tomato sauce.

Pizza Substitute the tomato sauce for a pumpkin sauce (or do half and half) and top with greens and gruyère or fontina cheese.

Salad A frisée salad topped with roasted pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, crispy onions, mushrooms, and a dressing of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, and lemon zest would be perfect for a dinner party.

Hash Chop up some pumpkin, potatoes, parsnips, onion, and garlic and sauté. It could be served on its own, or topped with some olive oil fried eggs.

Roasted Toss with olive oil and some salt, then roast until crispy outside, tender inside, and serve with chopped nuts (almonds, peanuts, cashews, pistachios, pine nuts, walnuts, or pecans). You could also drizzle with maple syrup and add a bit of cheese.

Gratin Shittake mushrooms, pumpkin, ricotta, parmesan, and gruyère would make a lovely gratin.

Stew A hearty pumpkin or winter squash stew might also contain carrots, chickpeas or white beans, chiles, onion, coconut milk, spinach, and herbs like basil, parsley, thyme, and chives. Serve the stew in the pumpkin for a great centerpiece.

Happy Eating!

*Carved pumpkin was lettered, carved, and photographed by Tim Oberg.

Monday

26

October 2015

1

COMMENTS

Pumpkin Pasta

Written by Rachel, Posted in Cheese, Dinner, Eggs, Gluten Free, Herbs, Kid-Friendly, Main Dishes, Meat, Nuts, Pasta, Pork, Roasting, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m eating this pasta as I type. I refrained from eating more than a bite or two while I was photographing so I could save it for dinner. It’s creamy, has a hint of spice, and it tastes like fall. It feels like the kind of food that should be enjoyed on a cold night with loved ones at your table… Lost in thought, I was envisioning my next dinner party when an errant noodle flung pasta sauce on to the floor. Distraction over.

It’s pumpkin season and I’m so glad. I love all that there is to do with pumpkins (like I talked about in my Ten Ways to Use Pumpkins post from the other day). They’re versatile and yummy.

For this recipe I roasted the pumpkin almost whole so that I could serve the pasta in it. It’s as simple as a little olive oil on the inside, flip it upside down, and roast for about an hour. I wanted to save some of the roasted pumpkin for a few other dishes, but if you wanted to use it all, you could totally do that.

Pumpkin isn’t the only option. If you’ve got other varieties of winter squash they’d be great too. I might avoid the spaghetti squashes (and those like them), but other than that, whatever you’ve got on hand should be great.

Pumpkin (or winter squash) and browned butter are good friends. As they should be. You can use butter or not, olive oil is a great option as well. Equal parts butter/olive oil and all purpose flour work together to make a nice roux. Or, if you want to skip it all together (and for a gluten-free option), milk and cornstarch will thicken up nicely.

The pumpkin, milk, and thickener heat slowly on the stove until they’re nice and thick. Then cheese and some seasonings are added and everyone gets blended together until you’ve got a nice smooth sauce.

Whatever pasta you prefer will work perfectly. I made some fresh pasta today, cut in a fettuccine (ish) width, so that’s what I wanted to use. But, elbows, spaghetti, or fusilli would be great too. I opted for a creamy sauce without any add ins or toppings. Sometimes I just don’t want anything extra. But, next time I think I’m gonna try it with some mushrooms, greens, and sage… or maybe corn, crispy shallots, and bacon.

Happy Eating!

Pumpkin Pasta

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 11 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Yield: 6

Pumpkin Pasta

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin or small to medium winter squash (any except spaghetti squash) (about 2-3 C cooked) (could also use roasted or steamed carrots or cauliflower)
1 t olive oil
1/4 C butter or olive oil (optional)
1/4 C all purpose flour or 1 T cornstarch
2 C milk (any kind)
1/2 C plain yogurt
pinch cayenne
to taste salt
good pinch coriander
good pinch ginger
1 C cheese (Parmesan, cheddar, or Gruyère), grated
(could also mix in: 2-4 cloves roasted garlic, sautéed mushrooms, greens, sage, onion, leek, shallot, corn, lemon zest)
6 servings pasta
toppings optional: fresh herbs, chopped; poached eggs, bacon, or nuts

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Cut the lid off the pumpkin (if you're going to serve in it, if not you could just slice in half), scrape out seeds. Rub the inside with 1 t olive oil. Roast for about 1 hour.
Heat a medium sized saucepan over medium-low heat. Add butter, if using. When it starts to brown, whisk in flour. Cook for 30-60 seconds. If doing gluten-free, skip the butter and flour and whisk milk with cornstarch. Pour in milk (with or without the cornstarch), whisking as you do. Add pumpkin. Cook over low heat for about 10 minutes, or until thickened (it should coat a spoon without all running off), stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
Remove from heat and stir in yogurt. Season with cayenne through ginger. Stir in cheese. Blend with a hand blender (or in batches in a regular blender with the center plug removed and the hole covered with a clean tea towel) until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Stir in any additional mix ins.
Cook pasta. Drain and toss with sauce. Serve topped with desired toppings, or just serve as it is.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/pumpkin-pasta/

Thursday

22

October 2015

0

COMMENTS

Winter Squash Dip

Written by Rachel, Posted in Appetizers, Beans, Cheese, Dairy-Free, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Nuts, Potlucks, Roasting, Snacks, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

I’m a big supporter of fall. I love it when the leaves change color, the chill that creeps into the air, and the winter squash that start to appear in our Abundant Harvest Organics boxes. This fall is no different. I’m in the mood for soups and stews, cozy sweaters, and all the winter squash I can get my hands on.

I have a few go to recipes for winter squash. Things like Spaghetti Squash au Gratin (which uses both spaghetti and butternut squash), Vegan Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, and Spaghetti Soup. I’ll make them over and over again for sure. But, it’s fun to get creative with food, so I came up with a fun winter squash dip that will be perfect to snack on while watching post season baseball, for a dinner party appetizer, or as a simple supper.

I used acorn squash this time. But, seriously, any winter squash will do. I’d planned to use pumpkin, but I didn’t have one on hand. If you have pumpkin, and the skin doesn’t get too soft when roasting, it’d make a lovely serving dish. I tried to do that with the acorn squash, but the skin isn’t as tough as say spaghetti squash, so I opted for an oven-safe dish.

This dip is full of options for what to add to it. Not only can you use whatever winter squash you have on hand, there are plenty of possibilities for what to mix in. I used garbanzo beans, basil, cheddar, and parmesan. But, you could substitute white, kidney, or black beans for the garbanzos. Then you could choose between blue cheese, feta, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, mozzarella, pecorino, ricotta, ricotta salata, Romano, or Roncal if you don’t have cheddar or Parmesan, or tofu if you want to go vegan. And for the fresh herbs, I’d go with either parsley or thyme if you don’t have basil (or along with it). Just pick things that you think will go well with the other flavors you’ve got going on.

I topped the dip with some halved cherry tomatoes and some nuts. And again, here the possibilities are pretty limitless: hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, or pumpkin seeds would all be great in place of almonds. I love the crunch that the nuts bring to the dip.

I’d used half of the cheese in the dip, the rest went on top to get bubbly and browned, along with the tomatoes. One of my favorite things.

You can serve this dip hot, room temperature, or eat it right out of the fridge. If you opt for the latter, you might get the entire previously melted cheese slice in one bite. Not the worst problem you could have. I liked it best cooled slightly, but still warm, with lots of dipping utensils: corn chips and raw veggies were my favorite.

Happy Eating!

Winter Squash Dip

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

Yield: 8-10

Winter Squash Dip

Ingredients

4 C combination of any: (squash) acorn, butternut, spaghetti, buttercup, delicata, hubbard, kabocha, pumpkin; halved or top sliced off and seeds removed,carrots, ends trimmed
1 head garlic, top sliced off
a good sprinkle of cayenne or 1 hot pepper, halved, ribs and seeds removed
2 t olive oil
2 C combination of any: garbanzo, white, kidney, or black beans; cooked
1 C greens (optional), chopped
1/4 C combination of any: fresh basil, parsley, or thyme
2 C combination of any: blue, cheddar, feta, Fontina, Gorgonzola, Gruyère, mozzarella, Parmesan, pecorino, ricotta, ricotta salata, Romano, Roncal; grated (if needed), or may use tofu (silken or firm and crumbled)
1 C combination of any: corn, tomatoes (fresh or dried)
to taste salt
1/4 C combination of any: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, pecans, pinenuts, pistachios, pumpkin seeds; chopped
raw veggies (carrots, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, green beans, celery), roasted veggies (sweet potatoes, summer squash, eggplant, fennel), chips, crackers, or bread; for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.
Brush squash/pumpkin with oil inside and out. Place cut side down on a baking sheet (the lid too, if you didn't halve it - if you halved it and are planning to serve the dip in it, you could slice a bit off the bottom so it sits flat). Drizzle the garlic with olive oil and wrap with foil. Brush carrots and hot pepper with olive oil and wrap with foil. Roast for 45-60 minutes, or until tender (pepper may take closer to 20-30 minutes). If using greens, sauté in 1 T olive oil over medium-low heat for 5-10 minutes.
Scrape squash from shell (reserve shell to serve in if desired) then either mash or purée in food processor with garlic (squeeze cloves from skin) through cheese (reserving half cheese for topping). Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Return to squash shell or to a greased oven safe dish, top with remaining cheese and tomatoes/corn/nuts. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or broil for a few minutes, or until cheese is melted and browned.
Serve with raw or roasted veggies, chips, crackers, or bread, for dipping.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/winter-squash-dip/

Thursday

1

October 2015

0

COMMENTS

Cream of Squash Soup

Written by Rachel, Posted in Dairy-Free, Dinner, Gluten Free, Herbs, Lunch, Main Dishes, Roasting, Soups, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

This summer, like most summers, I planted a garden. We used the compost that I’d been working on for a year. We bought organic dirt, and I rummaged around for the seeds that I’d been saving. Some were from packages (and probably a few years old at best), some saved from last year’s Abundant Harvest Organics produce. They were planted with eager anticipation. It happens every spring. The daily ritual of watering, peering into the black dirt to see if there’s even one sprout. And for days, there’s nothing. And then it’s like a thousand tiny miracles happen overnight. There are tiny sprouts, some shyly emerging from the dirt, as if unsure. Some are a bit more bold and brave, seeming to grow inches in minutes.

Most of the brave ones are squash.

My composter is the type that you add kitchen scraps to and then roll around outside to mix it up. So it doesn’t have a layer of dirt dirt at the bottom the way some do. It doesn’t bother me to have partially decomposed fruits and veggies mixed in with the dirt. No big deal. Except that I didn’t know that it’s really best to add the compost about a month before you plant. Gives the volunteers some time to die off.

Now I know.

I’d planted summer squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, snap peas, tomatoes, basil, potatoes… and more. I ended up with a few of the things I’d hoped for and some that I hadn’t intended at all.

Winter squash. In the summer. Oh well, the growing process is fun no matter what I end up with. And I learned something from it, so double win.

Thankfully the winter squash will keep foreeeeeeever on the counter. I harvested this spaghetti squash in like July (um because I accidentally pulled out the plant when I was clearing out some dead vines). I was saving it for something special… or just fall. I don’t really know. It just didn’t get eaten and all-of-a-sudden it’s soup time again and the winter squash are screaming to be used.

I will comply.

Every year I look forward to fall so I can get back to the thing I love most: All. The. Soup. It’s one of the best ways to get so many veggies into a dish. Today I had peppers (sweet and chile), onion, carrot, garlic, and squash (both summer and winter) on hand. I had a ton of garlic chives and fresh basil too.

I roasted the squash yesterday so that this would be pretty quick. A bit of olive oil on the inside and out, a hot oven, an hour or so, and they’re done. I let them cool and then refrigerated overnight. All I had to do to the squash today was scrape it out and add it at the right time. Easy.

I’m always amazed at what happens when veggies, stock, vinegar, and some salt are simmered for a while. It’s a little like magic.

This is pretty much a straight up vegetable soup, until you add the coconut milk or cream. That’s what makes it extra special. But, if you don’t have either, don’t sweat it. Just make an awesome Squash and Carrot Soup and call it good.

Like most soups, this will probably taste best tomorrow, so I’ll just go ahead and add it to the menu again.

Happy Eating!

Cream of Squash Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour, 48 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 3 minutes

Yield: 3-4

Cream of Squash Soup

Ingredients

1/2 spaghetti squash (or other variety), seeds removed (once cooked, roughly chop the spaghetti-like strands so they aren't too long)
1 t + 2 T olive oil
2 1/2-3 C veggies (any): bell or sweet pepper, summer squash, carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, celery, green beans, radish, chile pepper (ribs and seeds removed), onion, shallot, leek; diced
to taste salt
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 t maple syrup or honey
1 T balsamic vinegar
1/4 t dried (or 1/4 T fresh) thyme
4-6 C veggie stock (could also use chicken)
1/4 C fresh herbs: basil, garlic chives, parsley; diced
coconut milk or heavy cream, for serving

Instructions

Pre-heat oven to 350F.
Brush squash with 1 t olive oil (inside and out). Roast cut side down for about 60 minutes, or until flesh is tender. Set aside. (This step can be done ahead of time, squash cooled and refrigerated for up to a few days.)
Heat a soup pot over medium-low. Add 2 T olive oil. When oil is hot, add veggies and salt. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add squash and garlic. Cook for 2 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute. Add thyme (if using dried) and stock. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Add fresh herbs and cook for 3-5 minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
Serve with a bit of coconut milk or cream swirled into each bowlful of soup.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/cream-of-squash-soup/

Thursday

24

September 2015

0

COMMENTS

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Written by Rachel, Posted in Beans, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Fruit, Gluten Free, Herbs, Legumes, Lentils, Lunch, Main Dishes, Pasta, Quick and Easy, Vegan, Vegetables, Vegetarian

If I told you that this was another dish where versatility is key, would you be surprised? It’s the way that I cook, so as often as possible, I will offer alternatives. Just in case it’s a different season when you read this post, in case you have something else in your fridge, in case you don’t care for something that I’ve used.

I wanted to do a pasta dish of sorts, using veggies as the pasta. Here’s where you can pull out that spiralizer, if you’ve already jumped on the veggie pasta bandwagon. I have far too many tools in my kitchen, so I opted to use a knife to cut carrots and summer squash into long, thin, pasta-like sticks (kinda like a long julienne). Other veggies that would be great: beets, parsnips, daikon radish, and fennel. Just mix and match based on what will go with the fresh herbs that you have on hand (for help with parings The Vegetarian Flavor Bible is a great kitchen tool).

I cooked the “pasta” in boiling salted water. I cooked for just three minutes – quick and easy.

To top the “pasta” I made a simple sauce of sorts. I used butter today, but for a vegan option, or just because it’s yummy, olive oil would be fabulous. I chopped up some small radishes, a shallot, and some garlic. Other veggies that would be great: peas, greens, cabbage, and green beans – again, mix and match based on the other veggies and herbs that you have on hand. Today’s herbs were tarragon and parsley. Other herbs to consider (these all go with carrots, if you want to keep them as the main veg): basil, Thai basil, chives, cilantro, dill, mint, and thyme.

You could leave things as they are. That’d make for a great dish. But, I wanted to bump up the protein, so I added some lentils. I’m kinda obsessed with green lentils right now. They hold their shape well and taste great. I want to eat them all the time. Garbanzo beans or black beans would be fun too, if you’re not as in to lentils as I am.

The lentils and tarragon, along with the dijon mustard that I added to the sauce, resulted in a dish that felt kinda French inspired. Topped with fresh tomatoes, this was a fabulous lunch. By the time I got to it, it was more room temperature than hot, but it was delicious. So, serve it either way. You could also top with more fresh herbs or nuts, even cheese, if you’re feeling cheesy. It would be great with some garlic bread or cornbread alongside, and a hearty spinach salad… But, just on its own is wonderful too.

Happy Eating!

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 2

Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

Ingredients

2 T butter or olive oil, divided
1/4 C radish, diced
1 shallot or small onion, diced
to taste salt
(could also add: peas, greens, cabbage, green beans)
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 C lentils (or garbanzo or black beans), cooked
1 to 1 1/2 t dijon mustard
1 C carrot, thinly sliced into strips and then into long noodle-like sticks
1/2 C summer squash, thinly sliced into strips and then into long noodle-like sticks
(could also use or substitute: beets, parsnips, daikon radish, or fennel)
1-2 T fresh tarragon, chopped (with other veggies could substitute basil, dill, mint, or thyme)
1 T fresh parsley, chopped
1 tomato, chopped, for topping
splash white vinegar, for topping

Instructions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
While it comes to a boil, heat a skillet over medium-low. Add 1 1/2 T butter or oil. When it's hot, add radish through salt. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic, lentils (or beans), and dijon, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring often. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1/2 T butter/oil, tarragon, and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.
While sauce cooks, drop carrots and squash (and any other veggie "noodles") into the boiling water. Cook for 3 minutes. Drain.
Top "pasta" with lentil sauce, some tomatoes, and a splash of vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.

http://www.de-ma-cuisine.com/carrot-pasta-with-tarragon/

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Vegetables Archive

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Ten Ways to Use Pumpkins

Pumpkins as Decor and for Carving

Pumpkins for Eating

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Pumpkin Pasta

22

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Winter Squash Dip

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Cream of Squash Soup

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Carrot Pasta with Tarragon

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