Pumpkin Soup

Soup: possibly the only good thing about winter. My desire to make and consume soup is increasing in direct proportion to the decreasing temperature. I've decided over the next few months to try and make a different soup every week or two in order to expand my limited repertoire. I typed soup into my online cook book index and 167 results came up, so i shouldn't run out of ideas. It's a good skill to develop as soups can provide a lot of meals and are fairly cheap to make. A winter soup should be warming, filling and induce feelings of contentment. The other day i bought a superb organic pumpkin from one of my favourite stores, Wholefoods House on Dank St, to make a pumpkin picnic loaf. There was quite a bit left over so i decided to make a pumpkin soup, which i hadn't made before because of lingering memories involving an awful tetrapak variety. I decided to roast the pumpkin as opposed to boiling, as it intensifies the flavour. A splash of verjuice enhances the natural sweetness of the pumpkin but is entirely optional. I also had a few Cranberry Red potatoes to use up, which i had to photograph because they are so pretty. I was really happy with the result, thick and tasty. Serve with Sourdough and salted butter.   

Ingredients: 

1.8 kilos pumpkin, skinned, deseeded and chopped into large chunks.

extra virgin olive oil

thyme

1/2 cup verjuice (optional)

2 brown onions, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 medium sized waxy potatoes, diced

20g butter

2 litres vegetable stock

freshly grated nutmeg to taste

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees (celsius), rub the pumpkin with olive oil and sprinkle over a few thyme leaves and pepper. Bake for half an hour or so until tender. Remove from the oven and pour over verjuice, return to the oven for a further 3-4 minutes. Meanwhile heat a tblsp of olive oil and the butter in a soup/stock pot, add onions and cook for 10 minutes or so, until translucent. Add garlic and cook, stirring for a further minute. Add stock and potatoes. Bring to the boil and then reduce heat and simmer uncovered until potatoes are soft (about half and hour). Add the pumpkin and blend with a stick blender or in batches in a blender or food processor. The consistency should be thick, if you are worried the soup will be to thin, reserve a cup or so of liquid. Add nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Reheat before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Recipe adapted from Stephanie Alexander's pumpkin soup in The Cook's Companion

Eveleigh Markets

Sydney has seen an influx of farmers markets over the last 10 years which I just assumed was a good thing. People were becoming more interested in where their food came from, who grew or raised it ect. But after speaking to one of the main organisers of the Sydney Slow Food chapter i learnt that 99% of these markets aren't genuine. It's not the growers you're buying off, but retailers who've just rented the stall space. If it is a legitimate growers market then what is sold should all be produced by the seller. So you shouldn't be seeing mangoes, or pineapple or hand bananas at a Sydney farmers market. You should only be able to buy what is in season in your area. He considered Eveleigh Markets, the one i go to, as the best on offer. Eveleigh is really strict on who they allow to become a stall holder, you must be a primary producer. It does have a lot of non farmer oriented stalls, like cupcakes and bagels, but the first half of the market is pretty much all farmer produced goods, veggies, eggs, meat. It is probably one of my favourite places to go in Sydney. When i'm in a bad mood the markets make me happy. The stall holders are all so friendly and chatty and love telling you about their produce. I almost made one man cry once when i told him that the pumpkin i had bought from him the previous week was the best i'd ever tasted. The whole thing is sickeningly middle class but I don't care. It is an undercover market housed in the old rail yards near Redfern station. It's the perfect location, the high ceilings and old rail yard machinery create a great atmosphere. I brought my mum down this weekend, to take some photos. They even did a fashion shoot there once, for the Sydney Magazine, great idea but the shoot was crap.  

This is the potato stall, at any one time they have about 

12 different types. I've pretty much tried them all, 

except maybe the pink fir cause they freak me out a bit. 

Mushroom man. Weird and wonderful types of mushrooms. 

Bird Cow Fish meringues. 

Such a good facade.

Main entrance. 

Eveleigh Markets are every Saturday from 8-12 at Carriageworks.  

Poaching Eggs

A lot of people freak out unnecessarily about poaching eggs. Possibly because at one stage i was having them every second night, I find them far easier than omelettes and even boiled eggs (i always overcook them). So it must just be like anything, practice and know you'll stuff up a few along the way. Poached eggs are a perfect solo meal anyway, so nobody has to know when this happens. Every so often you'll get an egg that just doesn't want to be poached, don't take it personally. There are a few key points to a perfect poached egg. The eggs must be super fresh, and come from a happy, free roaming chicken. If they are not fresh and of poor quality they will just disintegrate during the poaching process. You need to add a little acid to the cooking water, i use lemon juice but you can also use vinegar. Maybe half a teaspoon each egg, this helps them stay together. As for the stir or not to stir conundrum I don't think it makes a huge difference, and if you are poaching more than 2 eggs it can just make things harder. Sometimes I do it, sometimes I don't. Toss a coin. For a medium sized (70g) egg 3 minutes is the perfect poaching time. Set a timer! The purpose of poached eggs is to be able to pierce it with a fork and have the yolk ooze out. I get a thrill every time. My number one hangover meal is poached eggs on toasted miche sourdough with avocado and goats cheese or labne sprinkled with sea salt. Sure beats a greasy burger.  

Poached Eggs:

4 fresh, organic eggs

2 tsp lemon juice/vinegar

Method:

Bring a medium to small saucepan filled with water and the lemon juice to the boil. While this is happening, crack the eggs into mini ramekins or small cups. Turn the heat down low, you want the water barely simmering. Give the water a small stir (if you wish) and carefully add the eggs, one at a time. Set the timer, keep an eye that the water is not simmering to vigorously. When the timer has pinged, remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, allow to drain for a few seconds, and serve. For my fav way, while the eggs are poaching toast some sourdough, rub it with a little garlic smear with avocado and crumble on some goats cheese or labne. When they eggs are done place them on top and sprinkle with some sea salt. 

Serves two. 

Beetroot, labne/goats cheese and walnut salad

At one stage in Sydney every cafe and restaurant seemed to have a roasted beetroot, walnut and goats cheese salad on the menu. It is a winner combination. The tangy cheese, sweet beetroot and crunch of the walnuts dressed with a sharp balsamic dressing go together so well. It's a favourite salad at home and is dead easy, as long as you leave time to roast the beets. The canned stuff is way too vinegary. I often buy the Meredith Vally goats cheese, which is lovely and soft and creamy. But it's also a bit pricy. I've been experimenting with labne lately and feel it makes a really good substitute. It is pretty much just drained Greek/natural yogurt. Just mix one tsp of salt into a cup of greek/natural yogurt, scoop into a muslin lined strainer and place over a bowl. Secure the corners of the muslin with an elastic band, leave in the fridge overnight. The excess water will have drained out of the yogurt leaving a thick, creamy cheese with a similar tang to goats cheese. It works pretty well with reduced fat yogurt, but you'll get the best results with full fat. I always use walnuts in the shell, mainly from Tasmania. Once out of their shells nuts go rancid really quickly. The shelled ones sold in packs in Australia pretty much all come from California. Mix it up with beetroot varieties and mixed lettuce leaves for a really impressive looking salad. 

Ingredients:

1 bunch/4-5 medium sized beetroots

1/2 to 3/4 cup labne (see above) or chevre (soft goats cheese)

20-25 walnuts

4 big handfulls mixed lettuce leaves

100 mls extra virgin olive oil

60 mls aged balsamic vinegar

dash red wine vinegar 

salt and pepper

Method:

Cut the stems off the beetroots about once cm before the root, rinse gently under water. Place in an oven proof dish lined with baking paper, drizzle over a little olive oil and cover tightly with foil. Put in a hot (200 degree) oven for 2 to 2/12 hours. They should be tender when pierced with a skewer. leave to cool a little then peel. The skins should slip off fairly easily. Slice into wedges while still hot and place in a bowl. Add the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, red wine vinegar and a little salt and pepper. Stir and allow to marinate for at least an hour. Remove the shells and lightly toast the walnuts in a hot oven. allow to cool. Rinse and dry the lettuce and place in a large salad bowl. Top with beets and dressing, scatter over walnuts and small chunks of labne to your taste.  

Serves 4-6

Recipe adapted from Maggie Beer's Maggie's Harvest

Photo by Katie Davis.