Pumpkin Hummus--attempt #2

While the last batch of pumpkin hummus was good, it was not quite the same hummus I had enjoyed at Buckley's Tavern back in December. This weekend I gave it another try and while it came closer to the taste of what I am calling "the original" it was not quite exactly what I was looking for. Perhaps they cheated and added some heavy cream or half and half as their version tasted creamier than mine... My mission will continue!

Oh, and I used canned garbanzo beans which allowed me to skip the time consuming steps 1 and 2!


Ingredients

* 1 3/4 cups dry garbanzo beans
* 1 (15 ounce) can pumpkin puree
* 5 fluid ounces lemon juice
* 1/6 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup tahini paste
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
* salt to taste

Directions

1. Place the garbanzo beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Or, bring the beans and water to a boil in a large pot over high heat. Once boiling, turn off the heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain and rinse before using.
2. Place the soaked garbanzo beans into a large saucepan and cover with several inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the garbanzo beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Once cooked, refrigerate the beans and liquid until cold.
3. Drain the garbanzo beans, reserving the cooking liquid. Place the beans and 1/2 cup of the reserved cooking liquid into a blender, and puree until a smooth paste forms. Add the pumpkin puree, lemon juice, olive oil, tahini, garlic, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Cover and puree again until smooth. Use additional cooking liquid as needed to achieve a smooth consistency. Season to taste with salt.

Provencal Vegetable Soup

The weather has gotten colder here in the midwest and so we are still fortifying ourselves with my soups! Unfortunately our grocery did not have haricot verts (green beans) so I substituted 1/4 head of chopped green cabbage. This soup was chock full of vegetables and Mr. E. thoroughly devoured his first bowl so I think this may be my new "go-to" vegetable soup!

Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons good olive oil
* 2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)
* 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
* 3 cups 1/2-inch-diced unpeeled boiling potatoes (1 pound)
* 3 cups 1/2-inch-diced carrots (1 pound)
* 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 3 quarts homemade chicken stock or canned broth
* 1 teaspoon saffron threads
* 1/2 pound haricots verts, ends removed and cut in 1/2
* 4 ounces spaghetti, broken in pieces
* 1 cup Pistou, recipe follows
* Freshly grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a large stockpot, add the onions, and saute over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent. Add the leeks, potatoes, carrots, salt, and pepper and saute over medium heat for another 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and saffron, bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until all the vegetables are tender. Add the haricots verts and spaghetti, bring to a simmer, and cook for 15 more minutes.

To serve, whisk 1/4 cup of the pistou into the hot soup, then season to taste. Depending on the saltiness of your chicken stock, you may need to add up to another tablespoon of salt. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and more pistou.

Pistou:

4 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup tomato paste
24 large basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup good olive oil

Place the garlic, tomato paste, basil, and Parmesan in the bowl of a food processor and puree. With the motor running, slowly pour the olive oil down the feed tube to make a paste. Pack into a container, pour a film of olive oil on top, and close the lid.

Yield: 1 cup


Garten, Ina. Barefoot Contessa in Paris, 2005