Creamy Delicata Squash and Curry Soup from Willie Green's Organic Farm

You can never have too many recipes for squash in the fall. And today when Jeff Miller from Willie Green's Organic Farm cooked up a pot of squash soup at the market, after one taste, I wanted his recipe. The lively flavors warmed my mouth with a curry zing. The warming flavors mingled with the squash. And under drizzly skies it was just the thing to tempt market shoppers.

Jeff rattles off easy recipes for everything he grows, but this is the first time that I remember Jeff sampling hot soups that feature his produce. I’m excited about a chef farmer showcasing his own recipes.

In the early 1980s, Jeff was a chef at Stars in San Francisco. One day he packed his bags and rode up to Washington on his motorcycle and became a farmer. (Read Jeff Miller's farmer profile in the revised edition of my book to be published by Timber Press spring 2010.)

Before the University District Market became official during the winter months, I subscribed to Jeff's winter CSAs when the fall market ended. Jeff always has great ideas for cooking up what he grows. And this season he's cooking up samples for market customers.

It's obvious when Jeff talks about food, he's talking about his passion. He can tell me when the collards are sweet because of the freezing weather or give me some ideas for rapini. When Jeff hands out a recipe, you can bet it's something good. I asked if could share this one.

This version lists chicken, and for those who prefer vegetarian, try sliced mushrooms for that meaty texture. Dry fry about a cup and a half of sliced mushrooms (porcini or portabello are best) over medium heat ( I use a cast iron skillet), stirring constantly until they squeak and then lose their moisture. Remove mushrooms from the heat and chop before adding to the soup. Then, use a vegetarian broth instead of a chicken broth.

Creamy Delicata Squash and Curry Soup by Jeff Miller at Willie Green's Organic Farm
(Serves 4 to 6)
Jeff says, “Vermont curry is a name brand that can be found in Asian markets. It’s one that I’ve found to have the best flavor. It is a yellow curry in a compressed type of brick. Break off pieces and add to your dish. It will dissolve in hot liquids.”

1/2 yellow onion—coarsely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 delicata squash, cut in half and seeded
1 large Yukon Gold potato, small dice
1 chicken breast, small dice
4 cups chicken stock
Brown sugar to taste
Yellow curry to taste
Olive Oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup coconut milk
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place squash cavity side up on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper, a small pat of butter and a sprinkling of brown sugar. Bake uncovered until flesh can be pulled away from the skin.
2. Cook potatoes in boiling salted water over medium high heat until 3/4 done. Strain, cool and set aside.
3. In a 4-quart sauce pot, saute diced chicken breast in olive oil over high heat. Season with a little salt and pepper. When chicken is browned and caramelized, remove from pot and set aside.
4. Using the same pot saute onion in olive oil over medium heat until soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 2 more minutes. Do not brown.
5. Add scooped delicata squash and chicken or vegetable stock to onion-garlic mixture and stir in (Vermont) curry to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes. Cool slightly, then place in a blender with ½ of the potatoes. Blend until smooth. Pour back into pot and add the remaining potatoes, chicken and coconut milk. 6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

While I'm stocking up on some green tea at a local Asian market, I think I'll hunt down some of that Vermont curry Jeff mentioned. The only tweak I'm making with Jeff's soup is to add some of Jeff's amazing celery. It's got the best flavor, and if you haven't tasted Willie Green's celery, you must get to the market and look for before the season is over.

Jeff laughed and said he looked better in profile when I said I wanted to snap this photo.

"Next week I'm doing cannillini beans," Jeff called out as I was leaving his booth. I'm excited about his recipes, and next week is the perfect time to start gathering holiday treasures at the markets.

Comfort Food: A Good Book and Butternut Squash Soup

When I discovered Molly Wizenberg's wildly popular blog Orangette, I liked it so much I printed out pages and read her stories in bed at night. When I heard she had a book, A Homemade Life, I got on the waiting list at the library. When I finished it, I had to buy my own copy.

“You can tell a lot about somebody by their potato salad,” Molly said in the first chapter. That's when I was hooked. Apparently so were a lot of devoted blog readers. Molly weaves food and recipes into everyday stories about family, friends, death, coping and even romance.

I couldn't stop mentioning this book to my friends. With most food memoirs I skip the recipes and get on with the story, but I was so impressed with Molly's salads and soups, I had to stop and read every one.

I'm a sucker for anything that involves a vanilla bean. So Butternut Soup with Pear, Cider and Vanilla Bean was the first recipe I tried.

"Make it exactly like she does," my friend Betty told me when I mentioned the intriguing squash recipe in Molly’s book. "Be a slave to the recipe. That way you'll know if it works."

I smiled. Tweaking recipes is irresistible for me. I dissect dishes and dream up recipes differently. Though substitutions are risky when baking, most other things can be altered to fit what's in my pantry without making a trip to the store. I scanned the recipe and deleted the cream. I didn't have any. What would make the soup creamy without the cream? I chose almond butter.

Butternut Squash Soup with a Vanilla Bean and Chocolate

Whoever thought chocolate would compliment soup? I got the idea from one of Molly's salads and the thought of sprinkling chocolate over squash soup just wouldn't leave. When buying the squash keep in mind, the size of butternut squash tends to be big, so get the smallest one and weigh it before making the soup. If you can't find butternut squash, use another variety, I'm sure other winter squash or pumpkin would work here. Pick any kind of organic sweet-tart apple you like such as golden delicious, jonagold or honey crisp. You can sprinkle old-fashioned bread croutons on for garnish but chocolate is exotic and delicious. Try it and see.

1 small butternut squash (about 2 cups cooked)

1 sweet-tart apple

3/4 cup apple cider

1 cup vegetable broth

1 bay leaf

1 vanilla bean, slit down the middle

2 tablespoons almond or hazelnut butter

2 cups water

Salt and pepper

Freshly grated chocolate or homemade croutons

1. Cut the squash in half lengthwise, remove seeds and bake at 350º for 45 minutes or until soft. While squash cooks, core and roughly chop the apple.

2. Place apple, apple cider, vegetable broth, bay leaf and vanilla in a medium size saucepan. Simmer for ten minutes or until apples are very tender. Remove vanilla bean and bay leaf.

3.When the squash is done, remove skin and place in a blender in small batches with the apple-vegetable broth mixture. Puree with the almond butter until smooth. Return mixture to saucepan with the vanilla bean and simmer on low for about ten minutes.

4. Serve with freshly grated chocolate or homemade croutons.

Molly Wizenberg and her husband Brandon Pettit opened Delancey, a pizzeria in Ballard that features hearth baked pizza made with a thin crust and fresh ingredients. The restaurant was listed in Pacific Northwest Magazine , in the Seattle Times last Sunday.

Food finds in Skagit Valley: Rosabella's Garden Bakery and Skagit Valley Co-op

For a nostalgic autumn getaway, I head north to Rosabella's Garden Bakery at 8933 Farm to Market Road in Bow, Washington. Owned and run by Rose Ella Merritt, this barn-like farm store is like stepping into the past with aroma of freshly made apple pastries, cider doughnuts, and Rose's signature 5-pound apple pie. But the store wasn't always part of this farm's plan.

When foreign frozen juices from China and Brazil flooded the market in the 1990s and falling wholesale apple prices bit another chunk out of hard-earned profits, Rose Merritt didn't give up. This charming farm store was her idea for saving husband Allan Merritt's apple farm.

Allen Merritt grew up in Skagit Valley. He always knew he wanted to farm and says that when he was young, farms were everywhere. Farming in Skagit Valley was booming back then. Apple, berry, row crop and dairy farms defined Skagit Valley. Allen lived down the road from Judy Jensen who now helps run Golden Glen Creamery an artisan butter and cheese company that sustains her family's dairy farm. Rose Merritt said she traveled to other farms and learned what they were doing to help preserve their farms as wholesale food prices plummeted.

Once you pull into the lot and head towards the store, check out the variety of apples in baskets and bins on the old fashioned front porch before stepping inside. Once inside, I'm immediately transported back to the 1950s with the colorful green, orange and yellow Formica tables. Shelves and pantries are lined with pickled green tomatoes, country corn relish, quince jelly, gooseberry preserves and blackcurrant jam--most are products with the Rosabella's Garden Bakery label. The fragrance of home baked apple strudel, tarts, cider doughnuts wafts through the air.

I suddenly got a craving for pie when I spied Rose's 5 pound apple pie. It's almost too perfect to eat.

I couldn't resist trying one of Rose's apple tarts with steaming coffee. This day trip is the perfect ticket to cheer up the rainy day blahs. I browsed the store, checking out cards, cookbooks and gadgets. I bought Rosabella's jalapeno mustard, habanero salsa and a trio of berry and cherry preserves. I also got a couple bottles of Skagit Fresh sparkling blueberry juice.

Skagit Fresh, was started by Allen and three other local farmers as a way of selling more of their fresh fruit. Other flavors besides blueberry include: blackberry, strawberry and raspberry. The three farmer company launched their sparkling juices in 2008, right before the stock market collapsed and the country experienced one of the worst economic years since the Great Depression.

Sales for the sparkling juices are picking up, with store after local store carrying it. (Get it at PCC Natural Markets in Seattle and the Bellingham Co-op in Bellingham.) Allan says he's learned how big companies like Pepsi pay more money and get better shelf space. Skagit Valley Co-op in Mount Vernon also carries it. I stopped there before heading home.

Skagit Valley Co-op carries lots of local products--produce from Ralph's Greenhouse, Mother Flight Farm and Gibb's Organic Produce to local bakeries like like The Bread Farm that makes the best breads in Washington. I'm crazy about their Skagit Valley potato bread. You can also get local cheese like those made by Golden Glen Creamery. The co-op's deli is always busy, and if you want to do your holiday shopping in one stop, check out the mercantile department on the upper level for more local products, including my book.

The revised edition, published by Timber Press and due out in spring 2010, includes a profile of Allen and Rose's farm and store and includes Rose's Apple Crumble Pizza Pie, as well as long-time Skagit Valley Co-op mercantile manager Cheryl Harrison's Nut Cake recipes.

Stocking the local food pantry

Food from my pantry brings back memories of my visit to the San Francisco Ferry Plaza farmers' market where I found Massa Organics rice and almond butter early in the morning and carried them around all day. But once I got these delicious treats home, I'd practically forgotten how heavy my bag had been. At the Gathering Together Farm (GTF) store in Philomath, Oregon, I bought enchilada and tomato leek marinara sauces, pickled jalapenos and blueberry jam, all canned by Sweet Creek Foods, a farm neighbor and local food processor, not far from GTF.

Wherever I go, I visit farmers' markets and farm stores where I learn about other small sustainable farms and gather local foods. Mostly I just can't resist trying what farmers are growing in different parts of the country. I've carried home Texas tomatoes in the fall and Arizona grapefruit in the winter, tucked in my carry-on luggage. Thankfully airline bag inspectors only give curious looks after examining the contents. I pack salsas, jams and vinegars between jeans, sweatshirts and socks and hope they make it home safely. Nothing has ever broken or gone missing.

Over the harvest season (summer through fall) my pantry fills up, without having to can anything myself. Oh, I know home canning can save money but my kitchen is about as big as a boat kitchen, I don't even have room for the giant pots and massive numbers of jars required for canning. Besides, I have fun looking for farm made salsas and jams.

Tom can’t resist opening the Gathering Together Farm blueberry spread and I like to cook beans in their enchilada sauce. The leek marinara sauce is perfect for pasta or pizza.

From the University District farmers' market farm vendors I buy fruit spreads, pickles, hazelnut oil and butter, vinegars, dried powdered onions, garlic, dehydrated spices, and pepper flakes. You can find more dried beans and different kinds of grains each year there. Nash's Farm from Sequim sells wheat and rye. Stoney Plains and Willie Greens Organic Farm offer dried beans.

The Alvaraz Family Farm sells a variety of organic beans at affordable prices, spring through fall. This farm sells at Pike Place Market, Columbia City and the Lake City farmers’ markets. I think the Alvaraz farm also sells their produce at the Ballard and possibly Lake Forest Park summer markets.

One word of caution with beans: don’t mistake dried beans for the fresh shell beans many farmers sell in the fall. Fresh shell beans deteriorate rapidly in storage. And before buying check bags of these fresh shell beans carefully looking for mold and bad spots before purchasing any. These beans get moldy quickly. Use fresh shell beans right away or store in the refrigerator for about four days. You could also freeze these shell beans for a few months or more

Another thing I look for to stock my pantry are my favorite dehydrated onions and garlic and raspberry vinegar from Rent's Due Ranch, dried mushrooms from Found and Foraged, dried nectarines, apricots and apples from Cliffside Orchards, and honey from Tahuya River Apiaries.

A few items from my pantry:

Left to right, top row: Holmquist Hazelnuts, Texas Pecans (from the Austin farmers' market), berry wine from Rockridge Orchards. Bottom row: Woodrings Parker Pickled Green Beans, Palasades, Colorado Organic Peach jam (from my summer vacation), Alvaraz Farm garbanzos, Rama Farm peaches, El Passo salsa (from Austin), Rockridge Orchards apple cider.

What's in your panty?

The Evolution of a Recipe: Quince and Cherries Simmered in Raspberry Wine

Recipes are for sharing. So I wasn't really surprised when I got some quinces from my friends Molly and Bill, I also sampled a cooked quince recipe that Molly made. The quince half shimmered in an amber liquid and a tiny taste delivered the tart-sweet zing of quince followed by a bold ginger. Molly handed me the recipe, but since she had an appointment, I only had time to scribble the ingredients onto a scrap of paper. Here they are:

2 tablespoons butter
2 quinces
1 1/2 cups Sauternes
1/4 cup sugar
2 cardamom pods
1 cinnamon stick
1 piece ginger
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Pinch of salt

I’d neglected to write any instructions but how hard could it be? You could either simmer or bake the quince. I guessed she’d simmered the quince in the sweet wine and spices. I didn’t have any Sauternes, so I chose Rockridge Orchards raspberry wine from my pantry. I wavered for a moment between raspberry and tayberry, but the lighter tones of raspberry are like rays of sunshine when paired with the astringent tones of quince.

As for the herbs and spices, I couldn’t imagine bay leaf in this recipe, and I’ve learned if an ingredient doesn’t make sense, leave it out (unless you're baking). Molly hadn’t used it in her version either, although she had thought the recipe might be improved is she had added it. I wasn't convinced. In the end, with any recipe, you’re going to eat it, so go with what you know. So the bay leaf was cast off the island too. And with that, the cardamom and cinnamon were also deleted from the line-up. Nothing should compete with the flavor of raspberry wine. I left the vanilla in, but used a vanilla pod instead, and I reluctantly took the ginger out, only because I’d have to go shopping for it. As for salt-- was it even necessary? Or do we just add it to everything from habit?

With the list of ingredients whittled from 10 to 6, this is how I tweaked Molly's recipe:

Quince and Cherries Simmered in Raspberry Wine

· 2 tablespoons butter
· 2 quince, sliced
· 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar
· 1 1/2 cup Rockridge Orchards raspberry wine
· 1/4 cup dried sour cherries (from Grouse Mountain Farm)
· 1 vanilla pod, sliced down the center

Place all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Then, reduce heat and simmer for an hour or until quince is very soft. Remove vanilla pod. Serve over vanilla ice cream, coconut sorbet or pound cake.

“It’s your recipe now,” Molly said when I told her about my tweaking. I never did discover where the original recipe came from, but I could seriously become addicted to this one. It’s even good first thing in the morning over steaming oatmeal.

Essential ingredients: quince, raspberry wine and coconut sorbet.

Quince and the last fruits of fall

Quince, pears, hearty kiwi, apples-- these are the backyard treasures I got from my friends Molly and Bill. I set my fruit in front of a great seasonal recipe inspiration--Local Bounty by Devra Gartenstein (2008). Then I waited for Finn to show up for the photo shoot.

The smooth-skinned, tiny hearty kiwis (red and green, left bowl) from Molly and Bill were mistaken for olives when I brought them to my writing group. Not many people have seen these tiny Northwest kiwis. Liz and Michael at Grouse Mountain Farm in Chelan, offer the green variety for sale at the University District farmers' market for a few weeks in late September or early October. Another farm vendor comes in, also for a few weeks with these hearty kiwis. These sweet-tart fruits are best eaten raw, and according to Dr. Oz "thin-skinned" fruits are best in the organic version.

As for quince, the citrus-like fragrance is so heavenly that in ancient times ripe quince perfumed rooms much like air freshener does today. But quince flavor is astringent. It's an acquired taste, if you didn't grow up with it. And I didn't.

I first tasted quince when I was at the Community Food Co-op in Bellingham a few years ago. A produce worker there enchanted me with stories about all the different kinds of quince one of their local farm vendors brought in. My lips puckered as I sampled it raw, but the store worker assured me that quince is best cooked. I can't resist a the new fruit, especially if it's local and organic.

I don't remember what recipe I made when I went home. Probably something safe like a quince-apple crisp, nothing cutting edge like quince paste for a first recipe. As I revised my cookbook this last year, I added Quince Paste by Lizz Eggers in the dessert section. Also, it occurred to me that many people don't have a clue about quince and it has such a long past.

Quince has been around for over 4,000 years and was first cultivated between the Tigrus and Euphrates Rivers in what is now northern Iraq. Romans preserved quince in honey and transformed quince into wine. Some sources raise the idea that it was quince not apples that Eve picked in the Garden of Eden.

Quince is a common food in other countries and has been for centuries. It is so popular in the Middle East, people eat it like an apple. But the bright yellow, tart, apple relative enjoyed only brief popularity here, until apples pushed quince out of the spotlight. It remained in the shadows for decades.

But in the Northwest today, quince is making a come back as a respected locally-grown "heirloom" fruit. It has a small bin of it's own and a full-page sign at PCC Natural Markets. Here, curious shoppers can read a quick update on this unique fruit--its history, varieties, selection and storage. The sign at PCC also said, once the fruit is ripe, use it quickly because it doesn't keep. This is important if you're planning on cooking your fragrant fruit. When brown spots appear on the outside, they go all the way through and the flesh becomes mealy.

Will the real quince please step forward? In this photo, quince (front) with a ripe golden delicious apple from Cliffside Orchards and a Newtown Pippin' from Molly and Bill's tree. I asked Bill if quince got the dreaded coddling moth or apple maggot that apple farmers fear and he said quince trees don't have that problem. Maybe it's an easier tree fruit for beginning Northwest gardeners. Check out Raintree Nursery's quince varieties.



Finn finally showed up. He takes the photo shoot seriously, but given a choice, he'd pick the bronze beauty--the Taylor's Gold pear-a creamy fleshed, perfectly sweet pear.

Kale and Avocado Salad

I fell in love with kale in Austin, Texas. Okay, I'd liked kale before. How can you not like kale when everybody grows it in the Pacific Northwest? It's so hearty here. I love the way I can cast out seeds and it comes up easy as a weed and then sustains me all winter. I've made some good kale recipes over the years and my favorite was a kale dip in my book Local Vegetarian Cooking, but not even my favorite recipe could compare to the raw kale and avocado salad I discovered at Whole Foods in Austin.

The kale-avocado salad made me homesick for Pacific Northwest. The salad was just tender curly kale, lemon juice, olive oil and avocados were the main ingredients. So simple, yet was so mouthwatering good. I'm into minimalist recipes these days. I couldn't get enough of that salad, I went back time after time. If a salad can be a comfort food, this is it.

When I returned to Seattle, I stopped in Whole Foods in the University District and was surprised they didn't sell Kale-Avocado Salad at the Roosevelt Square store. "It's crazy," I'd remarked."Kale is the most ubiquitous crop at the farmers' market here in the winter."

I hold out some hope the store will see the value of a signature Northwest salad, but in the meantime, I created this easy recipe. Remember to remove the tough inner stem. I tried local yuzu for my first version, but Meyer lemon tastes better, so I chose an organic Meyer lemon. The avocado is a black Haas avocado and I added chopped, fresh, ripe Bosc pears. I was in heaven with every bite.

Serve this stellar salad on Thanksgiving and turn everyone into kale-lovers!


Kale-Avocado Salad
(Serves 4)
1 Meyer lemon
2 to 3 teaspoons honey
1 clove fresh garlic, pressed
Pinch of cayenne
Pinch of Sea salt
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large avocado, peeled and diced
1 Bosc pear, stem and seeds removed and diced
1 bunch Tuscan kale, rinsed, tough stem removed, and sliced into ribbons

1. Zest and juice Meyer lemon. Strain seeds and in a medium mixing bowl, blend juice with honey, garlic, cayenne sea salt. Whisk in olive oil. Add avocado and pear. Stir gently.

2. Place the kale in a large serving bowl. Gently blend in dressing with avocado and pear. This salad is better, if allowed to marinate for an hour or more.