Pumpkin and bacon soup

You may already know about my crazy allergic reaction to pumpkin. (I've written about it before, but in a nutshell, pumpkin flesh causes my skin to peel off. Gross, right? Needless to say, my house was jack-o-lantern-less this year). And you may be asking why would I attempt this recipe?

Well first, the title is a bit of a misnomer, because what's actually called for is squash, and not pumpkin. Second, it requires slab bacon, which is something I've never before bought, but have always been curious about. I was able to source some from a woman who sells organic and heritage pork products at the Ottawa Lansdowne Farmers Market. Slab bacon is not cured, meaning it won't keep like traditinal bacon. Apparently you can slice it thinly, sprinkle it with salt, and cook in a frying pan to make your own crispy bacon. I didn't try that technique, but I still have half my slab in the freezer, so a future experiment might be called for. Plus, when I was buying this, there were many other customers at the stand who said they have sworn off regular style bacon because this method is so much better.

Here's what the slad (or side) bacon looks like. As you can see, it's pretty fatty, as I suppose all bacon is. I froze it briefly so that it was pretty easy to slice thickly and cut into lardons. By the way, this bacon came from a heritage Tamworth piggy.

And this is what it looks like after it has been cooked with the veggies. I won't lie, it is basically just a bunch of fatty bits. You'll probably be pretty scared at this point -- I know I was -- but try to think of that bacon as flavour. And it all gets blended in the end anyway, so you won't actually end up chewing one of those nuggets.

So while the bacon's cooking away, you get started on the pumpkin/squash. This one's a hubbard, and it was a beast to chop. You need your biggest chef's knife and a lot of strength. I opted for the fantastically safe method of stabbing it with my knife, and then flinging it against the counter until it broke in half. Hey, I still have both eyes, and all my fingers, so it worked out okay.

See? All chopped up and nary a fingertip in sight. (That's because all my flesh had worn away by this point.)

And this is the soup avec stock and simmering squash. Those white bits are still bacon (yep, may look like gnocchi, but it's not).

And here's the final product, all blended up. I have to say that I was skeptical about the outcome, but it turned out all right. The soup has a pretty rich, creamy flavour, mostly from the bacon. Because the slab bacon wasn't smoked, you don't get that smoky, bacony flavour in the soup, but instead there's a kind of earthy layer that offsets the sweetness of the squash.

I'm not sure if I would heartily recommend this recipe, but if you're looking for a bit of a twist on a traditional squash soup concoction, you might give this a try. Plus, a pork farmer will thank you!

Pumpkin and Bacon Soup
(Published in the Ottawa Citizen, but orginally from Fat by Jennifer McLagan)

Makes 3L

8 ounces (225g) side (slab) bacon
1 large onion, sliced
1 stalk celery, sliced
1 large sprig fresh sage
1 hubbard squash, or other firm, dry pumpkin or winter squash, about 3 1/3 pounds (1.5 kg)
8 cups water
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1.Remove rind and any hard, dry skin from the bacon. Cut the bacon into ¼ inch dice.
2.Place a large saucepan over low head. Add bacon pieces and cook gently so they render their fat. When most of the fat is rendered, add onion, celery, sage, stirring to coat with the fat. Cook until vegetables soften slightly, about 7 minutes.
3.Cut squash into quarters and remove seeds. Peel squash and coarsely chop into smaller, even-sized pieces. Set aside.
4.Pour 1 cup of the water into the pan with vegetables, increase heat to high and using a wooden spoon, deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the remaining water, squash, 1 tbsp of salt and pepper to taste. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered until squash is very soft, 30 to 45 minutes. Remove sage and let soup cool slightly.
5.Puree soup in batches, in a blender or food processor and pour into a clean saucepan. Taste and adjust seasoning, then reheat to serve.

Toasted couscous and pumpkin salad

Okay, so I readily admit that pumpkin isn't the springiest of vegetables, but we're still early in the season and there's not too much green stuff on the shelves just yet.

But when I stumbled across this recipe in The Star, I realized I had all the ingredients on hand, save for the pumpkin, so it seemed like a good idea to tackle.

And good idea it was! This is a tasty, colourful salad that holds up well after a few days and can easily be packed into lunches.

It starts by toasting some Israeli couscous in a bit of fragrant olive oil. This was my second time toasting these little balls of pasta, and I kept a much better eye on them this time around. They can get too brown too quickly if you don't watch them.

After they couscous is browned, you cook it in some apple juice. I never buy the stuff, so now I'll have to find other uses for the leftovers. Anyway, make sure you test a spoonfull or two for doneness, of the batch might be too al dente for your liking. I tested just one grain and it was well cooked, but overall, I had many that were not done. Lesson learned!

Into the cooked couscous goes the pumpkin -- in this case I substituted butternut squash -- and the fennel.


And here's the finished product. So colourful, right? Next time you have to take a salad somewhere, bring this little beauty. Everyone will love it!

Toasted Couscous & Pumpkin Salad

Found in The Toronto Star, and originally found in Pumpkin: A Super Food for 12 Months of the Year, by Dee Dee Stovel

1-1/4 lb (600 g) chunk unpeeled pumpkin, seeds and fibres removed, flesh cut in 1-inch-wide pieces

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 lb (225 g) Israeli couscous (about 1-1/3 cups)

1-1/2 cups apple juice

1/2 tsp sea salt + more to taste

1/3 cup finely chopped fennel

1/2 cup finely chopped parsley

1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped

1/4 cup minced red onion

2 tbsp each: grapeseed oil, red wine vinegar

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Microwave pumpkin pieces on high 3 to 5 minutes, or until almost tender. Cool briefly. Peel. Cut flesh in 1/8- to 1/4-inch cubes. Measure 2 cups. (Keep remainder in fridge or freezer for other uses.)

Heat olive oil in deep skillet on medium. Add couscous. Cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until slightly browned. Stir in juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, until liquid is absorbed and couscous is just tender, stirring occasionally.
Add pumpkin and fennel. Cover and cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Transfer to serving bowl. Cool 5 minutes. Add parsley, cranberries and onion. Drizzle on grapeseed oil and vinegar. Add pepper. Stir to blend. Taste and adjust salt.

Cool to room temperature before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

Squash and chickpea moroccon stew

I bought a butternut squash a while ago that was threatening to get up and walk right out of my fridge if it didn't get used. So I did a bit of searching and came up with this recipe that looked like a tasty combination of veggies and spices to keep you warm on a cold autumn night. It also appealed because of the addition of chickpeas, one of my favourite ingredients (quick sidenote: my workplace, until recently, had a ban against nuts in the office. On that list were chickpeas. Because they're nuts? What? Thankfully the ban has been lifted, so it's hummus time again).

I actually bought dried chickpeas for this recipe and decided to try them out. They're a bit more labour intensive than opening a can, but not too taxing. All you have to do is soak the beans overnight, then boil the next day for about 40 minutes. Not really a weeknight dinner option, but if you make this stew on a weekend, as I did, it's very doable.

I find both the flavour and texture of these dried babies to be better than canned beans. Plus, if you're like me and routinely lug heavy groceries up flights of stairs, in elevators and down halls, a bag of dried peas is much lighter than a can to carry -- and easier on your wallet too.

So here's how it started. Peeling and chopping one butternut squash. Not the easiest job, especially if you're me and are allergic to squash flesh. It's true! The skin on my hands starts to peel when I handle squash or pumpkin, so I could never carve the jack o' lantern as a kid (insert sympathetic 'awww' here).

Chopping the potatoes, crushing the cumin seeds and getting the cinnamon stick ready. Do you think I have enough? By the way, my mortar and pestle is from Atelier Orange -- it's beautiful to look at and to use.


Here's everything simmering away on the stove. I let this cook a bit too long and the squash lost its shape and became a bit mushy.

Finishe product, garnished with plain yoghurt, a dash of hot sauce and some almonds. I served it over couscous, but I'm sure it would also be good over some brown rice. Next time I'd bump up the spices a bit, as this was a little more bland than I would have liked. It is, however, an incredibly filling meal, and a good veggie alternative to a traditional meat stew.

Squash and Chickpea Moroccan Stew (From smittenkitchen.com)

Serves 6 to 8

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, small dice
4 medium cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 (3-inch) cinnamon stick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound butternut squash, large dice
3/4 pound red potatoes, large dice
2 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained (*I used dry beans. I cup dry makes about two cups cooked)
1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
Pinch saffron threads (optional) (*I used saffron stolen from Budapest!)
1/2 preserved lemon, finely chopped (*I substituted lemon zest)
1 cup brined green olives
Steamed couscous, for serving
Fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish (*I used parsley instead)
Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
Plain yogurt, for garnish
Hot sauce of your choice (for serving)

Heat butter and olive oil in a 3- to 4-quart Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed saucepan with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil shimmers, add onion, garlic, cumin, and cinnamon, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until spices are aromatic and onions are soft and translucent, about five minutes.

Add squash and potatoes, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, stir to coat, and cook until just tender, about three minutes. Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes and their juices, and saffron, if using. Bring mixture to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is fork tender, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in preserved lemon and olives. Serve over couscous garnished with cilantro, almonds, and yoghurt.

Squash quandry

I bought these summer squash/zucchini at the market this morning, more for aesthetic reasons than anything else. Don't they look cute in my little yellow bowl? Now I'll just have to find something to do with them. I'll likely look here for inspiration.

Here are some other things I've been eating or cooking this past week.

A row of candy cane beets, all salt, peppered and oiled and ready for a roast in the oven.

A bowl full of cherries straight from Beamsville, ON. They looked a lot better than they tasted, I have to say. Blame the sunless summer for these not-so-sweet beauties.

And a pan full of purple beans ready to simmer, which by the way, turn green after they're cooked. Mother Nature FAIL!

Anyway, I'm pretty sure I can check off the "colourful vegetables" box for my diet this week.