recipe: carrots & peppers
For the past ten years (has it been that long?), I've had Thanksgiving dinner with Kirstin's family. As an addition to their traditional spread, I've prepared a dish out of my mom's recipe book that always hits the spot.
This dish is best prepared a day ahead of time, which allows the flavors to intensify and the consistency to soften a bit.
Carrots & Peppers
1.5 lbs. carrots, shredded (or 2 bags shredded carrots)
1-2 medium parsnips, shredded
3 medium-sized bell peppers, julienne cut
1 can tomato paste (Redpack or Contadina preferred)
1 small onion, course minced
1 tbs. oil (canola or peanut preferred)
water (might be needed - keep 1/4 cup handy)
1/4 tsp. salt (plus additional to taste)
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper (plus additional to taste)
1. Heat oil in large, straight-sided pan over medium heat until oil ripples.
2. Add onion and cook until just transluscent, about 2 minutes.
3. Add carrot and parsnip and sautee, moving constantly, until color deepens - usually about 7-9 minutes.
4. Add peppers and tomato paste to mixture, as well as measured salt, sugar and black pepper. Reduce heat by a tick (medium-low) and continue to cook, moving contents constantly to prevent burning. Add dashes of water if necessary if mexture proves too immobile in pan.
5. After cooking an addition 8-10 minutes, transfer to oven-safe covered bowl. Store in a cold place and reheat either in oven or microwave.
Serves 6-8.
recipe: carrot, leek and apple soup
A perfect recipe for the autumn months, when all three main ingredients are readily available at the farm markets.
Carrot, Leek and Apple Soup
(from The New American Plate Cookbook)
1 lb carrots, sliced into 1/2 inch pieces (peeling is optional)
1 leek, white part only, finely chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
1 apple, chopped (preferable a tart variety - the more tart, the better)
1 tbs. olive oil
3 cups chicken or clear vegetable stock
salt (to taste)
black pepper (to taste)
dried ginger (to taste)
fresh mint (garnish - optional)
our market basket runneth over
We haven't been home a whole lot in the last few weeks so our cupboard was reminiscent of Mother Hubbard's.
We trekked out into the perfect Indian summer late-Sunday-morning sun to find something to fill our tummies and our souls.
We came home an hour later with:
- A new kind of soap the scent of which Ruth Ann's daughter Rachel described as lying down on a forest carpet of pine needles and fall leaves
- A half-gallon of whole milk (Rudi has promised me tapioca this week)
- A half-gallon of apple cider (because the house smells so nice when it's cooking on the stove)
- Jicama (a South American root vegetable that I'm eager to try)
- Turkish eggplant
- Peppers in fall colors
- Tomatoes from a greenhouse
- Broccoli for soup
- Leeks for soup
- Gigantic red beets (almost as big as your head!)
- Suncrisp apples
- A yellow onion
- Young, fresh garlic
- Brussels sprouts
- Mascarpone
- Blueberry scones
Next week I'm going to pick up nuts (if they still have some) and winter squash. I just wasn't ready to switch seasons quite yet!