Pumpkin Power

As part of my Halloween Cooking Projects I made a Pumpkin Soup. Things had changed a little for me as professional life had seen me move jobs for the first time in six years. However to balance this out I was thankful that there were numerous constants in my personal life that made the job move a lot easier than it could have been.

Naturally due to the virus, that we dare not speak the name of, Halloween is going to be a muted affair this year as trick or treating is banned. However that doesn't stop the preparation of a number of Autumn recipes that taste extra special at this time of year. 

Last weekend, after I had hollowed out my pumpkin to make a decorative lantern, I used 500 grams of the Pumpkin flesh as an ingredient for a soup. The full ingredients for this recipe are:

500 grams of Pumpkin Flesh.

Six leaves of Fresh Basil carefully shredded. 

A diced Red Onion.

A diced Onion.

Two diced cloves of Garlic.

250 grams of Baby Tomatoes cut into halves. 

0.3 litres of Beef Stock.

Two tablespoons of Sunflower Oil.

To match the Halloween Theme ,as I cooked, was music by a band that wanted to make their songs like horror movies set to music. The band was Black Sabbath and I had the sounds of their third album "Master of Reality" with its sludgy guitar riffs and the odd mellow acoustic number slithering out of the speaker. This was the first Sabbath album to mix a couple of mellow acoustic numbers with their normal riff-laden heavier tracks such as album opener "Sweet Leaf", an ode to the virtues of smoking weed. 

The method for this recipe is quite simple and goes like this:

1. Sweat the Onions, Garlic, Pumpkin and Shredded Basil Leaves in the Sunflower Oil in a Le Cresceut Dish on a low heat on the hob for around ten minutes.

2. Add the Baby Tomatoes and sweat for a further ten minutes.

3. Add the Beef Stock and simmer steadily for another fifteen minutes.

4. Take off the heat, blend, pour into a sauce pan and warm through prior to serving. 

Iconic as it is for Halloween and as an ingredient in the popular thanksgiving pudding Pumpkin Pie, Pumpkin can have a bland taste if it's not flavoured properly. Its natural flavour is quite like wet cupboard. However the Tomatoes and Fresh Basil coupled with the earthy Beef Stock turned this soup into a vibrant taste of Autumn. 

Top: the hollowed out Pumpkin Glows brightly while the flesh removed from the hollowing went into this tasteful soup (above). 

What's the Story? (Tandoori Glory)

 "My chicken isn't cooked," he slurred, the effects of five pints of strong Indian Lager, quaffed before the main course had even been served, were taking their toll. 

"It's cooked in a clay oven mate" the waiter responded with a dash of condescension. 

That's some of the key bits of dialogue I remember from a night out in early 2011. it was a night out that proved to be the only one in which the guy who complained about his undercooked chicken, when we attended a mediocre curry restaurant, took a part. Not long after he was out of our group, so to speak, and now cuts a lone, distant shape on Social Media where his posts make him appear a man wracked with inner torment. I hope he turns a corner. 

However his comment made me wonder whether in fact it really was necessary to use a clay oven to cook tandoori food. On the first Saturday in October I was largely confined indoors because of a biblical rainstorm, albeit the Dogg and I popped out for an essential trip in the new motor. The extra time on my hands gave me the opportunity to make my own Tandoori Chicken.

On the player was a sampler album from Chris Rea's mammoth 11 CD project "Blue Guitars" from 2005. In 2001 the traditional MOR Favourite and Housewives' Choice nearly died from Pancreatic Cancer and spent some time recuperating. The effect it had on him musically was effectively a re-birth. Although his previous records had some blues stylings, the records that followed after his illness were immersed in the blues with touches of Jazz. That's not to say however the music is bland or repetitive. Far from it. In fact in letting the blues fully into his music Rea has painted many dynamic and bright sonic pictures with the albums he's released since his rebirth. Listening to this particular album, extracts of which are at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFW4G6_Ddiy8MEGdlNS2ILkROv08TRrt2 , shows his music to be as hungry and vital as his more commercial offerings in the 1980s and 1990s. It also inspired me to feel positive about a forthcoming career re-birth of my own. 

So to the recipe then. The ingredients for this recipe are:

One Chilli, cut very finely and de-cored. 

Five Shallots, cut finely, topped and tailed.

Four Cloves of Garlic crushed. 

Two Tomatoes cubed. 

One teaspoon of Garam Masala.

One teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper.

One teaspoon of Paprika.

One teaspoon of Turmeric.

One teaspoon of Ground Ginger. 

One tablespoon of Fresh Coriander. 

The juice of half a lemon.

Three teaspoons of Sunflower Oil. 

Two Chicken Breasts

One cup of Low Fat Greek Yoghurt. 

The method goes like this:

1. Combine the spices, Tomatoes, Coriander, Oil, Lemon Juice, Garlic and Shallots in a frying pan and heat through for around five minutes. 

2. Turn off the heat, add the Yoghurt and stir thoroughly. 

3. Put the Chicken Breast into the mixture and coat them thoroughly in the mixture. If possible cut the Chicken Breasts to allow the mixture to meld into the flesh of the Chicken Breasts.

4. Put the Marinated Breasts and the rest of the mixture in a baking dish and cover with clingfilm to allow them to infuse for around 3-4 hours before cooking. 

5. Briefly pull the Chicken Breasts out of the dish and fry for two and a half minutes each side. 

6. Return the Breasts to the baking dish and allow them to cook in the oven with the rest of the marinade sauce for around forty minutes on Gas Mark Five. 

7. Serve with some Boiled Rice containing some Cardamom Pods. 

This dish proved that a Clay Oven isn't the only way to make a Tandoori Meal. My humble gas oven and a bit of pre-oven frying proved more than equal to cooking the chicken through and infusing all the various flavours to make a spicy and filling meal, which took my mind off the heavy rain and over to the many great curry houses I've visited during the years.  

That's mint that is!

It was clear, which my longstanding friend and accomplice on a recent off piste ramble had also ascertained, as we moved closer that the proposed path was blocked off by seven foot tall fence that contained sharp spikes at its top. The only other times I had seen this fencing were around the perimeter of my old school and at Wormwood Scrubs. We would have to find another path and that meant cutting back through the dried up riverbed. As we dropped onto it I clasped the Dogg close, like I was holding a new-born baby, and lurched and fell under low hanging branches criss-crossing the riverbed as I did a rugger-like shoulder barge into the side of the riverbank. We soon found our way through to the shoreline and after finding the path again and noting some exotic fruits to forage we crept back to our respective houses having enjoyed a piece of brief but uninterrupted freedom and downtime on a wonderful local walk. 

Upon my return home I fancied something quick and sensed the temperature dropping which made thoughts turn to making a soup. I wanted to try out the fresh mint that I had cultivated in the back garden. Mint is a really versatile herb as it can be used in both sweet and savoury dishes. It needs to be grown with caution however as it's wise to only grow it in a pot otherwise it can quickly take over and run amok if planted directly into the ground. 

A personal Spring and Summer Favourite of mine is Mint and Potatoes and I decided to combine them into a soup that was refreshing and not overly stodgy. 

On the player was a box set by the late, ill-starred but talented original frontman of Pink Floyd the one and only Syd Barrett. The box set in question is called "Crazy Diamond" and I first heard it when I got it as a Christmas present in 1999 just before the millennium landed jamside down on us. It contains Barrett's two studio albums "The Madcap Laughs" and "Barrett" together with the rarities collection "Opel". All three albums are essential. The two studio albums are essential and offer a portrait of a man trying to recover his position after a breakdown while the embers of his original creative fire glow and threaten to ignite fully. The Opel album meanwhile shows Barrett could go from failing epically on one song to successfully knitting fog to make magic on another.  

The recipe for this soup was as follows:

Five large White Potatoes, peeled and cut into eight pieces for each Potato. 

Six Shallots, peeled, topped and tailed and fully diced. 

One White Onion, peeled, topped and tailed and fully diced. 

Five Leaves of Fresh Mint from my garden carefully shredded. 

Half a pint of Vegetable Stock. 

A pinch of White Pepper. 

The method is as follows:

1. In a large saucepan sweat in Olive Oil the Potatoes and Onions for around ten minutes. 

2. Add the Mint and White Pepper and mix together.

3. Add the Stock and simmer for around twenty-five minutes. 

4. Blend and then serve. 

There's always a risk with Mint recipes that the flavour of the mint will overwhelm everything. However this was avoided here as the White Potatoes proved to have a flavour all their own which counter balanced the Mint and gave the feeling of having a fresh meal in a hot beer garden somewhere on a summer's day. 

Yoghurt Tops

The Salted Chilli Chicken and Homemade Bilberry Gin had been yin and yang the night before. The Chicken had induced an unquenchable thirst while the Bilberry Gin had acted as a sturdy thirst quencher that was intoxicating. Hence the next morning a breakfast that was required was one that was simple yet filling. It employed Yoghurt, a foodstuff that originated in Turkey

The Sunday Morning Chillout Playlist was in full cry in the form of Massive Attack's seminal, for many of my generation, Trip-Hop Album "Blue Lines". Its greatness is confirmed by virtue of the fact that no matter how many times you listen to it you hear something different and exciting each time. A link to have a listen yourself is https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLH1JGOJgZ2u1-xaLLgghUc14VtQnXGnjY 

This seemingly light but filling breakfast is made quite easily and involves the following:

Half a pint of plain low-fat yoghurt. 

Two Garlic Cloves, peeled, topped, tailed and sliced into tiny pieces.

Two tablespoons of Paprika.

One Hundred and Fifty Grams of Unsalted Butter.

Three Eggs, poached in an egg poacher for three minutes before serving with the dish. 

The method for this is simple in that all one has to do is combine the Garlic and Yoghurt in a bowl and mix it together well prior to serving on individual plates. Next melt the Butter in a saucepan and mix it thoroughly with the Paprika. 

After you've laid the Yoghurt out on each serving plate put a Poached Egg or two on top of the Yoghurt and then drizzle the Paprika Butter Sauce over it. 

Although the Yoghurt might seem quite light at first blush, combining it with the Poached Eggs creates a real richness that's hard to resist and will keep you going until dinnertime. The Paprika Butter Sauce and Raw Garlic meanwhile give this an authentic fresh and strong flavour that transports you to a hot restaurant in Turkey. 

Assault on Ravioli Mountain

The late September Summer Sun had permitted time for a spontaneous picnic at a site at a place I had known for over thirty years. It had been a weekend of marking time as I had enjoyed my last meal in the house my parents had lived in for thirty-two years before their move that week. It then felt appropriate for me to take a walk and a picnic in the woods where I had walked with them as a boy when they first moved into their old house. 

For some reason for me late summer sun and the music of Neil Young are two things that go together like coffee and cream. It was his rather nostalgic "Harvest Moon" album, which was a nostalgic follow up to his classic 1972 record "Harvest", that was playing through my head as I visualised the younger version of myself and my parents walking near me a lifetime ago as the Dogg and I enjoyed our picnic. 

It was appropriate therefore that as I began to cook tea my upgraded digital copy of "Harvest Moon" was on the player as I allowed myself some, admittedly rare these days, nostalgic thoughts. 

A link to this wonderful record is at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6ogdCG3tAWhK2kzKKVzTIpGmhJudA72N

For the recipe I went for something simple and rich that I'll aim to make a more complicated version of for this blog in the future. Two good friends of mine had been kind enough to donate me an inspirational Le Cresceut cook book with a number of recipes in that are quick and tasty. The recipe on this post is baked Ravioli recipe and the ingredients go like this:

Two Shallots carefully peeled, topped and tailed and sliced thinly.

Seven Tomatoes cut into quarters.

Five Basil leaves shredded thinly. 

Five sprigs of Thyme

One clove of Garlic, topped, tailed, peeled and sliced thinly. 

Ten slices of Cheddar and Mozzerela Cheese.

Eight grams  of Pine Nuts.

Three hundred grams of pre-made Ravioli with a flavour of your choice. 

The method is as follows:

1. Boil the Ravioli in a pan for two minutes.

2. Fry in a Le Cresceut Dish in Sunflower Oil the Herbs, Vegetables and Pine Nuts for ten minutes.

3. Add the cheese and Ravioli in layers. Cook for about ten minutes on the hob in the Le Cresceut until it's melted. Then serve it. 

The cheese layers and the filling of the Ravioli pieces puts this recipe in danger of being a richness overload. This said the fresh herbs, that I grew in my garden, and the tomato add a healthy edge to it while the pine nuts provide some unexpected protein. Tune in for a future edition where I will make Ravioli from scratch.