Harvest Roasted Vegetables

8 ounces bacon
1 pound Brussels sprouts, halved
1 1-pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced
10 pearl onions, peeled and halved
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 large sprig fresh rosemary, leaves removed and chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 400 F.  Line a baking sheet with foil for easy clean-up.

Cook bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crispy.  Remove bacon from skillet, chop, and set aside.  Reserve 1/4 cup melted bacon fat and discard the rest.  

In a large bowl, toss Brussels sprouts, squash, onions, cranberries, and rosemary, with the reserved bacon fat.  Spread evenly in a single layer over the baking sheet, arranging the sprouts cut-side-down as much as possible.

Bake until vegetables begin to brown and are tender, about 40-45 minutes.

Remove from oven and transfer to a serving dish.  Add chopped bacon and toss to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve warm.

Serves 8.

From CulinaryHill.com, with a few changes

Cauliflower Chowder

4 slices bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 head cauliflower, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup 2% milk
4 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Heat a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Drain bacon fat from pot; return 2 tablespoons melted fat to the pot.  Add garlic, onion, carrots, and celery.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in cauliflower and bay leaf.  Cook, stirring, occasionally, until barely crisp-tender, about 3-4 minutes.

Whisk in flour until lightly browned, about 1 minute.  Gradually whisk in chicken broth and milk and cook, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3-4 minutes.

Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 12-15 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  If the chowder is too thick, add more milk as needed until desired consistency is reached.

Serve immediately, garnished with bacon and parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

From Damn Delicious blog

Lentil and Roasted Tomato Soup

10 plum tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons harissa
Salt and black pepper
2 teaspoons brown sugar (optional)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3/4-inch piece ginger root, peeled and chopped
1 green chile, finely chopped
1 cup split red lentils
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves
Plain yogurt
Toasted sliced or slivered almonds

Heat the oven to 375° F.  Put the tomatoes in a roasting pan in which they can lie in a single layer.  Mix together the olive oil, harissa, salt and pepper, in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the tomatoes.  Turn over to coat, ending with tomatoes cut side up.  Sprinkle tomatoes with brown sugar if desired.  Cook for 45 minutes, until slightly shrunken and charred in places.  Set aside the 6 nicest-looking tomato halves.

Toast the cumin and coriander seeds for 2 minutes in a dry pan.  Grind them in a mortar; mix in the turmeric and set aside. 

Heat the oil in a saucepan; saute the onion until soft and golden brown.  Add the garlic, spices, ginger, and chile, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the lentils, stirring to coat in the cooking juices.  Add the roasted tomatoes with their juices, and the stock.  Season well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have collapsed into a puree.  The tomatoes should have disintegrated, too.  The soup can be either pureed or kept chunky.  

Check the seasoning and stir in most of the cilantro.  Serve each bowlful with a swirl of yogurt, a reserved tomato half, a few toasted almonds, and some of the remaining cilantro.

Serves 6.

From A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry

Fruit Jellies

1 pound/2 cups fruit puree (berries, stone fruit, etc)
24 ounces/3 cups sugar
6 ounces (2 envelopes of 3 ounces each) liquid pectin
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 ounces/ 1/4 cup sugar for coating

Lightly oil a 9-inch square baking pan, line with plastic wrap and oil the wrap.  Set aside.

Combine the fruit puree and 24 ounces/3 cups sugar in a 2-quart saucepan.  Stir constantly with a heat-resistant spatula, making sure to keep the bottom of the saucepan clean, while cooking to 238° F.

Add the pectin, return to a boil while stirring, and boil for 1 minute.  Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.

Pour into the prepared pan and sprinkle a thin layer of the coating sugar on the top of the jelly.

Allow to set at room temperature until completely cool, 2 hours or longer.  Leaving overnight is acceptable.

Turn the pan upside down to release the jelly.  Peel off the plastic wrap.  Coat the jelly with more of the sugar.  Cut into the desired size pieces and roll each piece in the sugar.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

(Note: Can also be made with a fruit juice, such as pomegranate or grape - use 10 ounces/ 1 1/4 cups juice and 8 ounces/ 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce in place of the puree.)

From Chocolates and Confections at Home by Peter Greweling

Pulau with Paneer and Bell Peppers

1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
2 teaspoons peeled, minced fresh ginger root
1 1/2 teaspoons seeded, minced hot green chilies
2 bay leaves
6 black peppercorns
2 tablespoons ghee or vegetable oil
Fresh paneer, made from 4 cups milk, diced into 1/3-inch pieces
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 cup cored, seeded, and chopped bell peppers
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh or frozen peas (defrost frozen peas by running them under hot water)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped coriander

Wash basmati rice with several changes of cold water, then soak for 10 minutes in warm water.  Drain rice in a strainer and dry the rice for 15 minutes before cooking.

Combine the stock, ginger root, green chilies, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to moderately low, partially cover, and gently boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and force the liquid through a sieve into a bowl.  Add enough stock to make 2 cups liquid.

Put the ghee or oil in a medium pan over moderate heat.  When ghee is hot, add the paneer cubes and gently stir-fry until they are evenly browned on all sides.  Remove the cubes with a slotted spoon and set them aside.

Drop the cumin seeds into the hot ghee and fry until richly browned.  Stir in the bell pepper and saute for 3-4 minutes.  Stir in the rice, and fry for 2-3 minutes.  Add the spices and salt, the peas, and the stock, then raise the heat to high and quickly bring the liquid to a full boil.

Reduce the heat to very low, cover and gently simmer, without stirring, for 20-25 minutes, or until the rice is tender and fluffy and all of the liquid has been absorbed.  

While the rice is cooking, fry the sliced onions in a very small amount of oil over low heat until well-browned.

Remove rice from the heat and let it sit, covered, for 5 minutes, to allow the grains to firm up.  Just before serving, remove the cover and fluff the rice with a fork.  Garnish with the fried onions and coriander.

Serves 5 or 6.

From Lord Krishna's Cuisine by Yamuna Devi, with a few changes

Red Winter Minestrone with Winter Greens Pesto

For the Winter Greens Pesto (makes more than you need for soup):

Greens from 1 bunch beets

Greens from 1 bunch turnips

1 bunch kale

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1 ounce parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Make Pesto:

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and set up a large bowl full of ice water.  Strip the beet greens, turnip greens, and kale from their coarse stems and wash them well.  Put each bunch, one at a time, into the boiling water, and cook until they turn bright green and fairly limp.  Use tongs to transfer immediately to the ice bath (where they can all swim together.)

Remove from the ice bath and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.  Puree the greens, olive oil, garlic, cheese, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a blender.  Taste and adjust seasoning, then reserve in the refrigerator, covered directly on the surface with plastic wrap.

For the Red Winter Minestrone:

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (divided)

1 white onion, finely diced or grated

2 roma tomatoes, or two canned tomatoes, finely chopped or grated (leave out skins if using fresh)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 handful parsley leaves

1 pinch chili flakes

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon minced rosemary leaves

Kosher salt

1 leek, white and light green parts, cut into 1/2″ wide half-moons and well-washed

1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/8″ thick circles

1/2 pound turnips, peeled and cut into 1/3″ cubes

1/2 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1/3″ cubes

1 cup dry white wine

Handful of green beans, cut into 1″ lengths

2 cups canned or cooked white beans (cannelini or similar) – reserve canning liquid or 3 cups of the cooking liquid if you cooked them yourself

Lemon juice (optional)

In a big soup pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil over medium-high heat.  Add the onion, tomato, garlic, parsley, chili flakes, bay leaf and rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low.  Keep cooking until you’ve got a well-caramelized, somewhat uniform base (sofrito).  This will probably take at least 20-30 minutes.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and the leeks, carrot, turnips and beets.  Raise heat to medium-high again.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the white wine and deglaze (scrape) the bottom of the pot with your spatula to dislodge any delicious browned bits.  Cook for 2 minutes to boil off most of the alcohol.  Add the green beans, white beans, and 3 cups of the bean cooking liquid and 2 cups of water (or, failing that, 5 cups of water).  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for a few more minutes.  Taste and adjust seasoning.  It will certainly need more salt, and you might also like a squeeze of lemon juice.

Divide among heated bowls and serve with a generous dollop of the winter greens pesto, which can be stirred in.

Serves 4.

From Herbivoracious.com

Chicken Stock

Yield: About 2 to 3 quarts of stock

Method 1: Leftover Chicken Bones

Leftover bones and skin from a cooked or raw chicken carcass

Celery (especially celery tops)

Onions

Carrot

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Put the leftover bones and skin from a chicken carcass into a large stock pot.  Add vegetables like celery, onion, carrots, parsley.  Cover with water.  Add salt and pepper, about a teaspoon of salt, 1/4 tsp of pepper. 

Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to bring the stock to barely a simmer.  Simmer partially covered at least 4 hours, occasionally skimming off any foam that comes to the surface.

Remove the bones and vegetables with a slotted spoon, and strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve.  If making stock for future use in soup, you may want to reduce the stock by simmering an hour or two longer to make it more concentrated and easier to store.

Method 2: Chicken Stock with Raw Chicken Backs, Wings, and/or Legs

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 to 5 pounds of chicken backs, wings, and/or legs, skin-on, trimmed of excess fat, hacked with a cleaver into 2-inch pieces

1 large yellow onion, quartered (no need to peel)

1 large carrot, cut into 2-inch segments

Celery tops and 1 large celery rib, cut into 2-inch segments

1 bunch of parsley

Leek or green onion greens (optional)

1 bay leaf

6 quarts of cold water

1 tablespoon salt

Coat the bottom of a large stock pot (12 quart), with olive oil.  Place half of the chicken pieces, skin side down, in the bottom of the pot.  Heat on medium high, and let cook until the chicken is browned.  Add the rest of the chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is no longer pink.

Add the onion, carrot, celery, parsley, leek greens (if using), and bay leaf to the pot.  Cover with 6 quarts of cold water.  Bring to a boil on high heat and reduce to a low simmer.  If scum rises to the surface of the pot (this usually happens in the first half hour of cooking), skim off with a large metal spoon. Let cook at a low simmer, uncovered, for 4 to 6 hours.

Use a large metal spoon with holes in it to ladle out the cooked chicken and vegetables and discard. (These aren't really good to eat because, after 4 hours of cooking, all of the nutritional value has been cooked out of them.)

Use a large sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth or a dampened paper towel (or, if using a very fine mesh sieve, no need to line), and place over a large bowl or another large pot. Pour the stock through the sieve into the bowl or pot to strain out any remaining solids.  Either pour into jars at this point or, if saving for later use, boil the stock on high heat for 1 hour, to reduce it by about half.

If you are freezing, you may want to ladle off some of the excess fat on the surface (the fat helps preserve the stock in the fridge, but doesn't help it in the freezer).   If freezing, leave at least 1-inch head space, allowing enough room for the liquid stock to expand as it freezes solid.

Let the stock cool in the sealed jars completely before freezing.  Stock should last a week or so in the fridge, and several months in the freezer.

Method 3: Quick Chicken Stock

Olive oil

1 large yellow onion, chopped

4 pounds of chicken backs, wings, and/or legs, hacked with a cleaver into 2-inch pieces

2 quarts of boiling water

2 teaspoons of salt

2 bay leaves

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large stock pot.  Add chopped onion.  Sauté until softened and slightly colored, 2 to 3 minutes.  Transfer to a large bowl.

Add half of the chicken pieces to the pot.  Sauté until no longer pink, about 4 to 5 minutes.  Transfer cooked chicken to bowl with onions.  Sauté the rest of the chicken the same way.  Return onion and chicken pieces to the pot. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken releases its juices, about 20 minutes.

While the chicken pieces are cooking, fill a large tea kettle with 2 quarts of water, and bring to a boil.

After the chicken pieces have been cooking for 20 minutes, raise the heat level to high, add the 2 quarts of boiling water, salt, and bay leaves.  Return to a low simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, then cover and barely simmer for about 20 minutes.

Strain stock through cheesecloth or paper towel-lined large sieve, and discard solids (it helps to remove the big pieces of bone with a slotted spoon first).  Pour into jars and let cool, before putting into the refrigerator.  Stock will last a week or so in the refrigerator or frozen for several months.

From SimplyRecipes.com