Chef: Dennis Smith
I won’t describe the cheeses or the wines. The former people will remember. The wines were OK but nothing special, at least for this group.
Pureed Winter Squash and Red Lentil Soup
Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Yield: 6 Servings
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (probably any good vegetable oil will do)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon minced fresh ginger
3 teaspoons yellow mustard seed
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
½ teaspoon turmeric
5 cups diced butternut squash (buy it pre-chunked and dice it, or start from scratch with 1 ½ pounds squash)
1 cup red lentils, rinsed
5 cups water
1 cup chicken broth
Salt
Black pepper
2 teaspoons butter
Plain yogurt and chopped cilantro for garnish
1. Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy soup pot. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger (all of it), 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and cook, stirring until fragrant, 30 seconds to one minute
2. Stir in turmeric, squash, water, chicken broth, and red lentils. Turn up heat, add salt to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, skim off foam if necessary, cover, and simmer 35 to 45 minutes until squash and lentils are tender. Taste and adjust salt.
3. Puree soup using an immersion blender, or, working in batches, in a blender (if the latter be VERY careful of hot splashes – let the soup cool a bit before trying this, or borrow my immersion blender). Return liquid to pot if using a blender, add black pepper, taste and adjust salt, and heat through.
4. [If dinner timing is an issue, can stop here and re-heat soup just before next steps.]
5. Just before serving, heat butter over medium heat in a small skillet or sauce pan and add remaining 2 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Cook, stirring, until seeds are lightly colored and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir into soup.
6. Serve with a generous dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of cilantro if desired.
7. For a spicier version, serve with your favorite hot sauces and/or Aleppo pepper.
Pork and Sweet Potato Stew
Serves 8 – recipe can easily be halved
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder or pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, more if needed
2 tablespoons butter, more if needed
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
3 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
½ cup dry sherry
2 cups orange juice
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt (recipe calls for 2, I think 2 is too much)
1 teaspoon marjoram
2 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Toss the pork with the flour until it is lightly coated, shake off the excess. In a large (12”) skillet, heat the oil and butter until the foam subsides (use high heat and watch carefully to avoid burning the butter).Working in batches (2 will work) and adding more fat if necessary, brown the pork (5-6 minutes over high heat, turning frequently). Transfer the pieces to a large oven-proof casserole as they are browned. Sauté the garlic for a moment in the remaining fat and add it to the pork. Set the skillet aside.
2. Drop the potatoes into a large pot of boiling water and boil them for 2 minutes, no longer (time the 2 minutes from the time the water returns to boil). Drain and add to the pork in the casserole.
3. Pour the sherry, orange juice, and lemon juice into the skillet. Add the salt, marjoram, honey, and pepper, and bring to a boil, stirring to de-glaze the skillet. Pour the juices over the meat and potatoes in the casserole and bring to a simmer.
4. [If dinner timing is an issue you can adjust it by allowing the skillet liquid to cool somewhat before adding it to the casserole. Cover the casserole and set aside until ready. Before the next step, return the mixture to a boil]
5. Bake in the center of the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the pork and squash are just tender (watch carefully, don’t want squishy squash).
Souffle a la Curacao
Follow the directions in Julia Child’s (American units) Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1983), pp. 614-616, with accompanying directions on pp.161 and162.