Recipe
Recipes from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen
Creamy Pumpkin-Chestnut Soup
Chestnuts were once a staple of the simple diets of working people living in the northern parts of Italy and the Swiss Alps. After the decline of the Roman Empire, when wheat was no longer available and the Spanish hadn't yet brought back corn from the New World, pasta, bread, and polenta were all made from chestnut flour. Sadly, a disease destroyed nearly all of the chestnut trees in the United States and the delicious nuts now have to be imported. Nothing smells more like late autumn to me than the smoky, sweet scent of roasting chestnuts on the sidewalks of New York.
1 pound fresh chestnuts
3 tablespoons light sesame or extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups diced onions
4 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash or pumpkin (1-inch pieces)
4 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
Pinch hot red pepper flakes (optional)
1 cinnamon stick
1 large sprig fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
6 cups water
1/2 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper
1. In a saucepan over high heat, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Score the chestnuts by making an "X" with the tip of a sharp knife. Drop the chestnuts into the saucepan and boil for 30 minutes, or until they peel easily. Drain them in a colander and cool briefly under cold running water. Peel the chestnuts, reserve the meat, and discard the shells.
2. In a heavy 3- to 4-quart soup pot over medium heat, warm the oil. Add the onions and sauté for 10 minutes, until lightly browned. Add the chestnuts, squash, garlic, and red pepper. Raise the heat to medium-high and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
3. Make a bouquet garni by tying together with kitchen twine or wrapping in cheesecloth the cinnamon, rosemary, and bay leaf.
4. Add the water and bouquet garni and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the squash and chestnuts are tender. Remove and discard the bouquet garni. Add the vinegar.
5. Transfer the soup, in batches, to a blender and purée until creamy. (To avoid painful splatter burns, never fill a blender more than halfway when pureeing hot foods, or purée the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)
6. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve.
Yield: 6 servings
Penne with Chick-Peas, Artichokes, Fennel, and Shiitake Mushrooms
If you plan on cooking the chick-peas for this scrumptious sauce, make sure to start soaking them at least 8 hours ahead of time.
3 large globe artichokes
1 lemon
1 large fennel bulb, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, diced
Coarse sea salt
4 garlic cloves, sliced
8 to 10 fresh shiitake mushrooms, caps diced and stems reserved for broth
2 teaspoons freshly ground fennel seeds
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs parsley or a handful of celery leaves
1 (14-ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes
1 1/2 cups cooked chick peas (from 1/2 cup dried beans) plus 1 cup cooking liquid (or water if using canned chick-peas)
1/2 pound whole wheat or regular penne pasta
Freshly milled black pepper
1/3 cup kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish
Parmesan cheese for garnish
1. Trim the artichokes down to the hearts and scoop out the hairy chokes. Put the hearts in a bowl of cold water acidulated with the juice of half a lemon. Add the fennel to the bowl.
2. Make a bouquet garni by tying together with kitchen twine or wrapping in cheesecloth the thyme, bay leaf, and parsley sprigs. Set aside.
3. In a wide heavy sauté pan over medium heat, warm 4 tablespoons of the oil. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté for 5 to 7 minutes. Do not let the onion brown. Add the garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
4. Drain the artichokes and fennel. Slice each heart into 4 to 6 wedges. Add them to the pan along with the fennel and mushrooms. Sauté for 5 minutes, then add the white wine and bouquet garni.
5. Pass the tomatoes and their juice through the medium holes of a food mill directly into the pan. Add the chick-peas and their juices and stir well. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens.
6. Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add 2 tablespoons coarse salt. When the water returns to a boil, stir in the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain the pasta, tip it into a warm serving bowl or platter, and toss with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil.
7. Remove the bouquet garni from the sauce and discard. Stir in the olives and simmer for 1 minute. Season the sauce with additional lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the penne and sprinkle with chopped parsley and grated Parmesan.
Yield: 4 servings
Baked Apples with Nut Stuffing and Cider-Raisin Sauce
This comforting dessert is almost like an inverted apple crisp -- instead of topping the fruit with an oat mixture, we're stuffing it.
6 baking apples, such as Rome, Cortland, or Mutsu
Juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup light sesame oil or unsalted butter at room temperature
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup apple cider
1/2 cup water
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Core the apples. Peel a 1/2-inch band of skin around the tops of the apples and sprinkle with lemon juice.
3. Scatter the raisins on the bottom of a baking dish and place the apples on top.
4. In a larger bowl, combine the sugar, walnuts, flour, oats, oil, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Fill each apple with some of the stuffing.
5. In a saucepan over high heat, combine the cider, water, cinnamon sticks, and vanilla and bring to a boil. Pour the liquid into the pan around the apples, not over them.
6. Bake the apples for 45 minutes, basting every 10 to 15 minutes, until tender.
7. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the baked apples to a platter. Pour the pan juices and raisins into a saucepan and reduce over high heat until slightly thickened. Pour the sauce over the apples.
8. Cool for about 15 to 20 minutes before serving.
Yield: 6 servings
Variation: Baked Apples with Caramel Sauce
If you want to gild the lily, try topping the baked apples with this ultra-easy caramel sauce, which is also excellent over ice cream.
To make the dish, omit the raisins from the original recipe and bake the stuffed apples in water rather than in cider. Transfer the baked apples to a platter and proceed to make the sauce.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice syrup, 1/2 cup maple syrup, 1/2 cup soy or dairy milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon cider vinegar. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to as low as possible and simmer, uncovered, for 8 to 10 minutes. Drizzle the warm sauce over the apples, or serve on the side.
Recipes from The Modern Vegetarian Kitchen by Peter Berley with Melissa Clark. Copyright © 2000 by Peter Berley.