------------------------------------------------------------------------------------The autumn and winter's lengthening evenings seem to nibble up the shorter days. Leaves slalom from branch to ground as frost russets the garden's greenery and tatters the last of the roses.
We sigh as we resurrect favorite nubby sweaters, still smelling of cedar. As lovely as fall is, no one thinks of the coming of winter's dark and cold as positive virtues.
Yet the season's blessing is this: We need to know the darkness, cherish the cold, to appreciate the treasure of staying snug and cozy by the fire.
On such nights, what's best for supper is soup. Soup soothes and strengthens us for the fray; it warms hands, heart, and belly. Serve some hand-hewn rustic bread alongside to fill in the chinks. A meal as satisfying as that is just another gift of this brisk, beautiful season.
Curried Butternut Soup
You can make this rich soup with any kind of squash, or even sweet potatoes.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup and 2 tablespoons cheese)
Ingredients
8 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon butter
2 cups chopped peeled Granny Smith apple (about 3/4 pound)
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1 bay leaf
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 garlic clove, minced
3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated extra-sharp white cheddar cheese
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400°.
Arrange squash in a single layer on a foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes or until tender.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add apple, onion, celery, and bay leaf; sauté 10 minutes. Stir in curry powder and garlic; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add squash, broth, and salt; stir well.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash mixture with a potato masher until thick and chunky; stir well with a spoon. Top each serving with cheese.
Dried Pear and Cardamom Scones
Scones, like biscuits, are most tender when handled minimally. So have your ingredients ready, and use a soft touch when mixing and patting the dough.
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
3 tablespoons butter
10 tablespoon low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 cup chopped dried pears
2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and cardamom in a large bowl; cut in butter with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal.
Combine buttermilk, rind, vanilla, and egg in a medium bowl; stir in dried pears. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Dust top of the dough with 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour, and pat into an 8-inch circle. Cut dough into 8 wedges; arrange wedges 1/2 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Brush egg white over wedges. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until golden. Serve warm.
Potato-Kale Soup with Gruyère
Dark green, earthy kale contrasts with the mild yellow potatoes, but you can use fresh spinach in place of kale.
Yield
6 servings (serving size: 1 2/3 cups soup and 1 1/2 tablespoons cheese)
Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups finely chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
7 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
4 cups coarsely chopped peeled Yukon gold potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 bay leaf
6 cups chopped fresh kale (about 3/4 pound)
1 teaspoon dried basil
9 tablespoons (about 2 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese
Preparation
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion; cook 8 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, potato, salt, and bay leaf; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until potato is tender.
Stir in kale and basil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes or until kale is tender. Discard bay leaf. Partially mash potatoes with a potato masher until thick and chunky. Top with cheese.
Walnut and Rosemary Loaves
Inside the dark crust is a creamy white bread flecked with rosemary and bits of walnuts. Not only is this bread great with soups, it's also excellent for sandwiches.
Yield
2 loaves, 12 servings per loaf (serving size: 1 slice)
Ingredients
2 cups warm 1% low-fat milk (100° to 110°)
1/4 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages dry yeast (about 4 1/2 teaspoons)
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 cup chopped walnuts
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh rosemary
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray
1 tablespoon yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon 1% low-fat milk
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Preparation
Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add yeast, stirring with a whisk; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add 2 cups flour to yeast mixture, stirring with a whisk. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 15 minutes.
Add 2 1/2 cups flour, walnuts, rosemary, and 1 egg, stirring with a whisk. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes), adding enough of remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.
Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Lightly press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, the dough has risen enough.)
Preheat oven to 400°.
Punch dough down; turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough in half, shaping each portion into a round. Place loaves on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Cover and let rise 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Combine 1 tablespoon milk and 1 egg, stirring with a whisk; brush over loaves. Make 3 diagonal cuts 1/4-inch deep across top of each loaf using a sharp knife.
Place loaves in oven; reduce oven temperature to 375°, and bake 40 minutes or until bottom of each loaf sounds hollow when tapped. Let stand 20 minutes before slicing.
Wild Rice and Mushroom Soup
A little cream goes a long way in this earthy, supremely comforting soup. Prep and Cook Time: 1 1/2 hours. Notes: Look for whole wild rice grains; they cook more evenly and keep their nutty-chewy texture better than split or broken grains do. Pancetta is available at specialty markets and Italian delis; you can substitute bacon if you like.
Yield
Makes 8 servings
Ingredients
3/4 cup wild rice (see Notes)
1 tablespoon salt
1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
5 tablespoons butter at room temperature, divided
4 ounces pancetta, finely chopped (see Notes)
8 ounces button mushrooms, finely chopped
1 leek, halved, rinsed, and white and light green parts thinly sliced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
3 tablespoons minced flat-leaf parsley
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
Preparation
1. Put wild rice, salt, and 8 cups cold water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, lower heat to maintain a steady simmer, and cook until rice is tender, about 45 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, put porcini in a small bowl and pour in 1 1/2 cups boiling water. Let sit until soft, about 15 minutes.
3. In a large pot, cook 1 tbsp. butter and pancetta over medium-high heat until the meat renders some of its fat and turns a lighter pink. Add button mushrooms and leek. Cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms give off their liquid, about 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, lift porcini from liquid with a slotted spoon (reserving liquid), chop finely, and add to pot.
5. Sprinkle vegetables and pancetta with flour and cook, stirring constantly, until flour starts to stick to the bottom of the pot (scrape it up as much as possible while stirring). Add wine, reserved liquid from soaking porcini (pouring slowly so as to leave any grit behind), and broth. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, combine remaining 4 tbsp. butter, the parsley, and pepper. Set aside.
7. Add reserved wild rice to vegetable mixture and cook 10 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute. Divide soup among 8 bowls and serve hot, with a dollop of parsley butter on each serving.
Spanish Toast
Rubbing ripe tomatoes over garlic toast may seem strange. But it's a tradition in Spain, where it's common to find a plate of tomatoes and garlic on the table, waiting for the toast to arrive. The crisp toast almost melts the garlic and the tomatoes, which complement the crunchy kosher salt. Very ripe tomatoes and a hearty, dense bread work best. If firing up the grill to toast the bread seems daunting, you can broil or bake it in the oven.
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
8 (2-ounce) slices sourdough bread
4 garlic cloves, halved
4 small tomatoes, each cut in half crosswise (about 3/4 pound)
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
Prepare grill.
Place bread slices on grill rack; grill 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Rub 1 side of each bread slice with 1 garlic clove half and 1 tomato half (tomato pulp will rub off onto bread). Discard tomato peels. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon olive oil over each bread slice; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.
Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup
Cooking the vegetables at the high temperature of 500° caramelizes their natural sugars and deepens their flavor; the liquid poured over them ensures they won't burn. Prepare the soup up to two days ahead; reheat over medium heat before serving.
Yield
4 servings (serving size: about 1/2 cup)
Ingredients
1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half-and-half
Cracked black pepper (optional)
Preparation
Preheat oven to 500°.
Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 13 x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500° for 50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.
Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper, if desired.
Easy Italian Herb Focaccia Bread
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 envelope Fleischmann's® RapidRise Yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon Spice Islands® Italian Herb Seasoning
1 2/3 cup very warm water (120° to 130°F)
Preparation
MIX flour, undissolved yeast, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil and water, stirring until well mixed. Spread dough into greased 13 x 9-inch pan. Cover.
LET RISE until doubled, about 30 minutes.
POKE multiple holes into the dough using the handle of a wooden spoon. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over dough; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and Italian herb seasoning. Cover.
LET RISE an additional 15 minutes while oven preheats to 375°F.
BAKE 30 to 35 minutes until lightly browned. Cool slightly and cut into slices; serve warm. If desired, serve with additional olive oil for dipping.
Source: Cooking Light
Sunset
Fleischmann's Yeast
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