Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup

It is that time of the year again- cleopatras, darth vaders, draculas, and even a few Gaddafis, roam the streets.  Skeletons hang in windows.  Parents raid candy stores.  Pumpkins, in all forms, await trick or treaters, with creepy smiles.

Halloween has hit in full force.  On Saturday, despite the snowstorm, with gusty winds and and pelting hail, the subways were crammed with party goers determined to make the most of Halloween night.

Preparations had started weeks in advance.  Walking around Manhattan, every neighborhood, had its own array of pumpkins, creatively displayed, sitting outside their doorsteps.  Having seen so many of them around, and in anticipation of the miserable weather on Saturday, I was inspired to make a hearty pumpkin soup.  When I stumbled into the apartment late last night - shivering, soaked to the bone, unable to feel my fingers, the soup followed by some hot chocolate, soon had me feeling warm and revived.

Rather than making a conventional pumpkin soup, which can sometimes be a bit bland, I opted to for a version I had found on one of my favorite food blogs, Smitten Kitchen (www.smittenkitchen.com).  Its a black bean pumpkin soup where the beans are pureed with some tomatoes, to which pumpkin puree is added, and then simmers in beef broth for about half an hour.  You can garnish it with some pumpkins seeds at the end.  I didn't have any so I used toasted pine nuts which gave it a great nutty flavor.  The soup, with some bread on the side, can make for a really hearty meal on its own.

I know its a big jump to go from the shrimp potato light lunch, of my last post, to a heavy, but delicious, winter soup, but my cooking is just mirroring the weather; a few days ago it was fall weather with a pleasant briskness, and overnight the temperatures dropped about 10 degrees.  Sadly, it seems NY has forgotten the autumn season, even the leaves are confused; green, on the verge of orange, and now, before they've had a chance to turn, the first snowfall has pummeled them.

Anyway, I think this bodes for a long cold winter ahead, so there are probably a few more soup recipes on the horizon.  Fresh homemade soups are always a good staple in cold weather; they're fuss free dishes, take half an hour to make, and warm you up from the inside on those brutally cold days.

Black Bean Pumpkin Soup Recipe (Slightly modified)
Gourmet, November 1996

(serves 4)

Ingredients

One 16 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup drained canned tomatoes, chopped
1 chopped onion
4 garlic cloves minced
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
olive oil
4 cups beef broth
24-ounce can pumpkin puree (about 1 1/2 cans))

Garnish: sour cream and coarsely chopped lightly toasted pumpkin seeds

Directions

In a food processor coarsely puree beans and tomatoes.

Cook onion, , garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper in olive oil over moderate heat, stirring, until onion is softened and beginning to brown. Stir in bean puree. Stir in broth and pumpkin, until combined and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 25 minutes, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Season soup with salt and pepper.

Serve soup garnished with sour cream and toasted pumpkin seeds.

Rustic Shrimp and Potato Dish

About two weeks ago, we had a "summer" weekend, a burst of sunshine, a last chance to soak in heat, greenery, and the outdoors, before the brisk chill set in.  And has it set in. My wool sweater, knee high boots, and protective raincoat, sadly replaced my light cotton wear, sometime last week.

Anyway, back to that weekend.  Everyone in NYC instinctively knew this was the last beautifully warm day of the season, and every New Yorker, determined to make the most of the 80 degree weather, had planned to spend it outdoors.  Nadir and I were no exception.  Instead of lazily spending the morning in bed, we hastily made our way to the supermarket, bought the ingredients for a picnic, had cooked and assembled it within an  hour, and donning our fedora hats, were on our way to Central Park by early afternoon.

Not surprisingly, when we reached Sheeps' Meadow, at the park, the whole of New York had the same idea.  The sprawling grassy area was filled with New York's finest; hipsters, wearing their tight jeans and funky glasses, Wall Street types, in their polo shirts and khaki shorts, children running around happily, students with books left untouched, and dozens of people like us, with packed lunches, people watching, reading, and dozing on and off.

It was an afternoon of relaxation.  Nibbling on the garlic shrimps, digging into the tangy potato salad, dipping it into the zesty yogurt sauce along with slices of baguette, we thoroughly enjoyed the light, delicious, and easy to assemble lunch.  The shrimp and potato meal was inspired by a cooking show from a  few days earlier.  Jamie Oliver, a lively British chef, who talks a million miles a minute, cooks wonderful rustic dishes, in his country home in the UK, often using fresh ingredients from his own garden.  One episode featured a meal of smoked salmon, topped with homemade potato salad, showered with fresh herbs, and sprinkled with a horseradish creme fraiche sauce.  I'm not a big fan of smoked salmon so I substituted it with shrimp and as a healthier option used greek yogurt as a base for the sauce.  The combination worked well.

This dish is worth trying.  Its a great summer lunch but works in autumn as well, especially if you want something light.  The best part is that it takes very little effort and produces great results!

Rustic Shrimp and Potato Salad Recipe (Modified from Jamie Oliver's Salmon and Potato recipe)

Ingredients
• 1 1/4 pounds new potatoes, washed
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• a splash of  vinegar
• extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons capers, soaked and drained
• 12 tablespoon wasabi in a jar, to taste
• 6 oz nonfat greek yogurt
• a small bunch of fresh dill
• 1 lb or 3/4 lb shrimps (deveined)


Directions
Pick out the larger potatoes and halve them, making them roughly the same size as the smaller ones. Put all the potatoes into a pan of boiling salted water. Boil for 15 to 20 minutes until the potatoes are just cooked, and drain in a colander. Put the lemon zest and half the lemon juice into a bowl and add the vinegar. Normally, when making a dressing, I stick to one type of acid, but in this case using vinegar and lemon juice together gives the dish a lovely zinginess. Pour in three times as much extra virgin olive oil as vinegar, and add the capers. Season the dressing with salt and pepper. Mix everything well, then add the warm potatoes and toss around until they are all well coated.

Mix the wasabi paste into the crème fraîche with the remaining lemon juice and some salt and pepper. Sprinkle most of the dill over the cooled potatoes and toss again.

Sautee the shrimp in some olive oil and garlic for two minutes.  Don't overcook.  Lay them out on a big plate or platter. Don’t be too neat – I want you to make it look rustic!  Pile the dressed potatoes on top. Dollop over wasabi yogurt sauce, drizzle with some olive oil and sprinkle over the rest of the dill
Served with some nice bread, this makes a delicious lunch.