I found some great things at the March Winter Farmer’s Market ! This soup was great after getting some dental work done. Soft and warm, full of nutrients and followed the dentist’s recommended protocol to flush heavy metals from the system after having silver fillings removed – so we get some bonus points for that!!
Red Kuri Squash from Deep Roots Farm -This is a richly sweet-fleshed, virant orange, pumpkin-like, good storing winter squash similar to a mini-hubbard and loaded with beta-carotene.
Parsley Root from Deep Roots Farm – Petroselinum crispum is the scientific name for these roots that look like parsnips but with a flatter top. They have the aromatic flavor of parsley, but are not simply the roots of the herbaceous parsley we are used to, but Hamburg Parsley has been around since before the 1800’s.
Celery Root/Celeriac from Deep Roots Farm – Popular in Europe and also not the root of common celery. Celeriac is an excellent storage vegetable and one of my personal favorites. It has the flavor of an earthy celery, and can be used interchangeably with celery stalks in winter roasts, soups and stews. Scrub well or cut away the peel and enjoy this aromatic fresh or cooked.
Cameo Apples from Tonnemaker Farms – Have creamy yellow skin with red stripes and a sweet, mildly tart flesh that resists browning is delicious fresh or holds up well to baking, particularly good later in the season. The apples are high in fiber with abundant potassium and vitamin C, and especially with the peel still on, they deliver a great punch of anti-oxidants.
These all went into my version of curried winter squash soup, along with a few other things I had on hand from the Moscow Food Co-Op and other local grocery stores or that I have preserved, stored or grown.
Time – About 30 minutes Servings – 4
The core ingredients are onions, roasted squash and cauliflower with cilantro.
Chop:
1/2 c onion
2-3 c cauliflower
2-3 c roasted Red Kuri (winter) squash (*I like to roast up a lot of squash at once, about weekly, durimg the winter to have on hand. It often gets used up in my house, with lunch and weeknight dinners but could be frozen to throw in soups on the fly. In a pinch for this recipe you could use pureed pumpkin from a can.)
1/4 c cilantro
The optional add-ins for this recipe are endless depending on what’s available, in season, your budget, what you like to keep on hand and your imagination.
The winter root vegetables are a must!
1/2 c chopped parsley root
1/2 c chopped celeriac
2 cloves garlic
Sautee up the onion in your cooking fat of choice until translucent, add parsley root, celeriac and garlic-
Add about-
5 c water and coconut milk if you are using it (*since being dairy-free, I buy cans by the case at the Co-Op because they are non-perishable and I get 10% case discount)
This is a place where you could add red lentils (*I use PNW Co-Op’s Red Sunrise Lentil) and/or red peppers fresh or dried like the ones that I dehydrated from Tonnemaker farms’s summer booth or can buy from their winter booth
Now let the soup simmer for a few minutes (*longer with lentils, until they are soft) and then add the cauliflower.
The soup should cook with the cauliflower for about 20 minutes and then you can puree (or not) and garnish with fresh chopped cilantro, green onions and sprouts like these sprouted on my windowsill (*I like the black ones the best)
If you like yogurt, this would be a great place to add that on top, or a drizzle of olive oil – don’t forget that delicious, crusty slice of bread (from Panhandle) to top it all off!
Desert:
A delicious, simple and healthy desert to follow-up with are these:
Baked Apples with Maple Syrup and Cinnamon
Slice apples, drizzle syrup, sprinkle cinnamon – bake for 30 minutes
Yum!
Tonight –
To follow it up, as a reward for going to the dentist, I made fresh take on the banana split after I found this chocolate coconut milk ice cream on sale at the Moscow Food Co-Op and had to have it with some early spring strawberries on top of banana slices -Yum!
And a special thank you to my husband Shane for always helping to clean-up my messes!
References
http://localfoods.about.com/od/wintersquashpumpkin/ss/Types-Of-Winter-Squash_9.htm
http://www.territorialseed.com/product/Red_Kuri_Squash_Seed/400
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Cameo_Apples_392.php
http://www.specialtyproduce.com/produce/Parsley_Root_2026.php
http://www.seedaholic.com/root-parsley-hamburg.html
http://www.epicurious.com/archive/seasonalcooking/winter/cooknow_celeryroot
http://www.npr.org/2013/11/20/246223754/you-can-t-judge-a-celery-root-by-its-looks