The problem I have with eating in autumn is two-fold. First, when the weather is gray and damp as it has been here Paris the last few days, I want something warm and comforting like gratin Dauphinois (grah-tan doh-fee-nwahz), that classic French side dish of double cooked potatoes, first in seasoned cream then baked to bubbling with Gruyere cheese. Or perhaps a savory Boeuf Bourguignon with its rich red wine sauce over fresh tagliatelles or home-made noodles.
But, on the other hand, what I should eat is something with vegetables and without lots of starch and carbs (so I can still fit into that sweater I bought only last week and not look like a happy little Buddha Boy). What I’m after is something rich, warm, comforting, flavorful, seasonal and healthy.
Hmmmm…..How about soup?
Okay, so soup isn’t too unusual and most autumn soups can fit into the “comforting” category. But one needs a good stock for a base, either vegetable or chicken, which means I have to plan way ahead to make the stock (I’ve yet to find any canned stocks on any Parisian grocery shelves). In other words, I want instant gratification for my soup cravings.
Segue to the markets: All the wonderful outdoor market stalls are filled to bursting with pumpkins and all sorts of assorted squash, including one of my favorites, potimarron (po-tee-mah-rhon), a tiny, a little sweeter tasting version of the traditional pumpkin. Pumpkins are sold by the slice for a soup or purée. I’ve never seen any canned pumpkin either (it’s probably next to the canned chicken stock somewhere). So one is left to deal with cutting up pumpkin slices and cooking them before they are dumped into the soup, before the rest of the vegetables are sautéed. So, including the time to make a decent stock, it can be a long drawn out process taking a couple days.
What I’ve come up with is a faster technique to get the most flavor out of my veggies; roasting everything first. First, I chop them all up small, just as I would if I was going to sauté them for my soup, then I roast them, spread out on a pan in a medium oven. It draws out the natural sugars and brings out some marvelous flavors that sautéing them on a stove top just can’t. Then I simply dump it all into a pot, add water (no stock!) and let simmer. I whiz it up with my hand blender and voila! At the market in the morning and fresh pumpkin soup for the evening. What could be faster?
I’m sure that some of you out there that are much smarter than me have figured this out already. But I’m excited.
Sure, there’s a fair amount of chopping involved, but really no more than what you might do making a traditional soup. Using fresh pumpkin, or any other squash, like butternut, will elevate the flavor and health properties. Look at it as an intensive exercise in chopping and grating. I find that listening to music helps; Eric Clapton for the leeks, onions and ginger, and some Bix Beiderbecke for the carrots and celery.
The pumpkin music is up to you.
Ginger Curry Pumpkin Soup
5-6 cups peeled fresh pumpkin cut into cubes about 1inch or so 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 medium carrot, chopped 1 small onion, chopped 1 medium leek, white only, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 2 “thumbs” minced or grated fresh ginger, about 2 Tablespoons 1-2 Tablespoons good olive oil, extra virgin 6 cups water ½ Tablespoon ground coriander 1 Tablespoon Garam Massala 1 teaspoon cinnamon ½ Tablespoon coarse salt 1 bay leafPreheat oven to medium, about 350 F.
Spread cubed pumpkin and chopped celery, carrot, onion, leek, garlic and ginger in shallow roasting pan, Drizzle with olive oil, stir briefly to mix and put into oven. Roast about 35-40 minutes until vegetables are soft, just turning brown, stirring once or twice as they roast.
Remove vegetables from oven and put into a large stock pot. Add the water and turn burner onto high. Add the coriander, Garam Massala, cinnamon, salt and bay leaf. Bring just to the boil, cover and let simmer for about an hour. Remove from heat, remove bay leaf and whiz up with a hand blender or food processor.* Ladle into bowls, sprinkle a little cinnamon on top and serve hot.
* Can be made ahead ; cool and put into fridge. Most of the time it’s even better if it sits for awhile, the flavors blend. But I usually want the soup right now!
Doug
Cushman is a former Redding artist and author who now lives and works in Paris. He was born in Springfield, Ohio, and moved to Connecticut with his family at the age of 15. In high school he created comic books lampooning his teachers, selling them to his classmates for a nickel apiece. Since 1978, he has illustrated and/or written more than 100 books for children and collected a number of honors, including a Reuben Award for Book Illustration from the National Cartoonists Society, New York Times Children’s Books Best Sellers, and the New York Public Library’s Best 100 Books of 2000. He enjoys hiking, kayaking and cooking (and eating!). Learn more at his website, doug-cushman.com
