Butternut, apple, sage & serrano soup

Must be winter because I'm hunkering down to make hearty entrees and soups. Today the strong winds, menacing clouds and nippy temps evoked "squash" and with my serrano peppers and apples somehow still managing to cling on the neighbour's tree, an idea was borne. This is 100% vegetarian (dunno, is that = to vegan?)

1 lb butternut squash
2 apples, prefer any red variety
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 (or 2 if you like more kick) chopped red serrano chili
1 ltr (or 4-5 cups) vegetable broth (or chicken if you prefer)
chopped fresh sage (optional)
walnut oil (optional)
cream or sour cream (optional)
Croutons (optional)
chopped walnuts (optional)
salt

Wash and cut the butternut into large pieces. I recommend cutting it in half lengthways, then in half across the width to make four large pieces. Put in a steamer and cook until soft.Remove and let cool. With skin still on (it is soft an still edible), cut into cubes. If you're not jazzed by keeping the skin on, peel away skin and cut into cubes.

Coat bottom of soup pot with olive oil and heat over medium. Add onions and saute till translucent. Add the celery, apple, chili and garlic and saute until celery softens. Make sure garlic doesn't burn. Add the cubed cooked squash, except for approx 1 cup or less (that will be used later.) Let cook for a few minutes giving all the ingredients a stir. It's OK if the squash gets mushy, it's supposed to reach that consistency.

Add the broth to cover the vegetable by an inch or two. Note that because the squash is cooked, it will quickly thicken the soup when you add the stock. Here is where you can play to your taste of soup thickness, bearing in mind that you reserved about a cup of squash and will put in blender later. Soup consistency can be very personal, I prefer mine on a thicker side, so lean towards less liquid. You can always add more later too.

Cook at a simmer for 10-15 minutes. Taste for any salt requirements (I like to salt last!) Let cool. At this stage yo have wiggle room: if you like your soups silky smooth, put it all in a blender and blend to the consistency you like (including the squash you keep in reserve). If you like a bit of texture, take about 1 cup of the soup vying for mostly the celery and onion, and keep aside along with the cup or so of the steamed chopped squash. Put the remainder in a blender & blend roughly. Put blended mix back in pot, fold in the reserved cooked celery/onion and the cup or so of the steamed squash and stir to mix well. Add the finely chopped sage. I like to make this a few hours ahead to let the flavours settle.

Before serving reheat.When serving in bowls, you can garnish with chopped walnuts, a dollop of sour cream, yoghurt or swirl of cream, a drizzle fo walnut oil and some dustings of chopped sage, and/or croutons (great way to use up day old bread).

Serve with fresh crusty bread and a salad, cheeky glass of albarino or txakoli white wine, and who's better than you? Ans: No one.

Sweet potato, eggplant and chick pea tagine

I love meat but I don't eat it often and mostly when I go out. When I do, I try to eat organic. The smell of the ranch/slaughterhouse off I-5 near Pleasanton was enough to turn me off most everything available in the shops.

The kicker is that my boyfriend is mostly a vegetarian with fish the only critter he'll eat. 90% of the time he prefers all manner of salads, reluctantly tucking into cooked vegetables (he fears the loss of nutrients and benefits with cooking). So, that doesn't leave a lot of wiggle room if I am getting my cooking groove on, but this tagine evoked lots of "mmmm's in its eating, not just from him, but from other carnivores at a recent dinner party.

When it comes to savouries, I rarely stick to quantities as I rely largely on my palate and intuitive sense of balance, so take these quantities in stride and adapt to your taste.

4 sweet potatoes, cubed into 1/2" pieces
4 Japanese eggplants (no need to salt to drain liquid) cubed into 1/2" pieces
1 large white onion, chopped
2 cups chick peas. Prefer to use dried, soaked overnight, then boiled in salted water for 30-40 mins
2 carrots, chopped into 1/4" pieces
4-5 cloves (or more!) of minced garlic fresh ginger root, minced
1 TBsp cumin
1 stick of cinnamon
6-8 cardamom pods, toasted in pods, then seeds removed
10 coriander pods, toasted in pods
vegetable stock-up to 1 litre but may not need all of it
6- Chopped dates (use less if you're not so keen in them or replace with dried/fresh apricots)


In a large iron pot over heat enough olive oil to coat the bottom. Add sweet potatoes, onion and carrots. Saute till soft and onions cooked through. In a mortar and pestle, grind the cardamom and coriander seeds. Add to the pot with the garlic, ginger.Toss in the cinnamon stick (I have also used turmeric-optional). Add 3 cups of stock, but if depending on how many sweet potatoes and carrots you used, you may need to add more such that it is thick 'soup' vs. overly runny. Let it simmer for 10-15 minutes over medium heat.

Add the eggplant, chickpeas, dates, then simmer until it thickens and the liquid is absorbed forming a hearty thick stew consistency. I like to cook it early in the day until 10 minutes shy of done, so that it can take a few hours or even overnight, for the flavors to settle and come together. Then before serving, I finish it either on the stove or in the oven if I am also serving something that requires baking/roasting.

Optional: toasted almonds slices/pieces before serving. Great with couscous.