bean and pumpkin soup

It is not autumn here yet.  And it does not really feel like home yet either.  That is the land now.  Even with bears and cougars.  But this is where we are.  When I am not feeling well or feeling down, soup is my go to meal.  It is really easy in the slow cooker.  I needed a pot of soup to help me through.  It was dinner last night.  It was lunch today.  I tried another soup today that just did not turn out as well.  But this one is good.

bean and pumpkin soup

1 to 1 1/2 cups midnight beans

1 cup white beans

1 pint canned pumpking chunks with the water

1 small onion, peeled and chopped

4 cloves garlic

1/4 teaspoon ground ancho chili

1/4 teaspoon ground chipollte chili

1/2 teaspoon paprika

water or vegetable broth

1 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoons salt

In a slow cooker, put your beans.  Wash slowly and well.  Make it a prayer.  Put everything else in but the salt.  You want fluid to about a 1/2 to 1 inch from the top.  Turn on low and let cook for eight hours.  Blend.  Add salt to taste.

I like serving this with tortilla chips but fresh tortillas would be good too.  It is just what I needed.

my week....

Revolved around clearing land last week.  We cut down trees and cut them into lengths for splitting.  They are drying now so they can be split later.  I may need to learn to become more efficient when it comes to ax use soon.

It was an adventurous trip.  We had a blow out on our travel trailer that took out the bottom.  The man taking the pictures for insurance said he never had seen worse, including the blow out that caused a muffler to go into a black water tank and set it on fire.  It was supposed to be the trailer that stayed on the land and became our temporary housing until we built.  We actually picked up a vintage trailer for camping while we were there.  Our plans just got twisted.

I requested a picnic table.  I just wanted a nice place to sit and eat.  It also became my office because bills just do not stoop while you are on vacation.

Small Mister just loved playing in the dirt.  He actually loved eating it too!

salmon filet pizzaiola

One of those dishes that we had in New York City that we really like was steak pizzaiola.  It was served at the lunch we had.  Actually, it was a brunch menu but we were looking for lunch.  It was good enough that I tried making it when we got home.  It turned out very well.

Then, the other day, I made it with salmon instead of beef and served it with polenta.  If anything, it was better.  The big secret on this one is just take your time.  It just takes time and a large amount of stirring.  Maybe you would call that patience.

Off subject, I am very glad I have a treadle sewing machine.  I was able to fascinate Small Mister.  He likes to sit on my lap while I sew until he decides he wishes my scissors.  Then I have to put him down.  I have not figured out how to do that while stirring sauces.

Another off subject, we are off to the country again next week.  Maybe I will be able to get here once or twice!

On to the recipe....

salmon filet pizzaiola

1 ounce salt pork, ham, or bacon that is all but ham

1/4 cup butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 medium bell peppers cored, deseeded, chopped

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

1 cup chopped tomato

2 to 4 salmon filets

Put the butter, oil, and bacon in a heavy pot over medium heat.  I like cast iron.  Cook until the bacon is golden.

 

Add the beppers and garlic.  Cook for 10 to 20 minutes until caramelized.  You really wish to slow cook this so you may wish to turn the heat down.

Mix in the pepper and the oregano.

Mix in the tomato.

Cook for 20 minutes, covered.  You can either leave it chunky or blend it.  I have done both.  Add salt to taste.

Broil the salmon for 7 to 10 minutes or until your preference.  We like warm around here.

Serve the salmon with the sauce on top.  If you wish to be traditional, serve it with beef steak instead.  I think this would also be good with tuna.  It tastes wonderful with polenta on the side.

Miss K's babe's quilt front and back done

I finished sewing all the bits and pieces of Miss K's babe's quilt together this afternoon.  I have to admit I have never done this bit so fast.  It is a combination of my Beloved has been spending time in the late afternoon and evening working on his knife orders and I just wanted to get this done.  I get frustrated with how long it takes at times.  That is because my sewing is done a lot in ten minute intervals.  Not this time.

I hope to get it "basted" tomorrow.  Then we will be gone to the country for a week.  Quilting will be waiting for me when I get back. 

fruit focaccia three ways

I have needed my hands in dough a lot recently.  I have wondered a lot lately why I chose to be a geophysicist instead of a baker.  I know it has to do with the earth plates crashing together and the analysis of problems.  Bread dough, for me, is just not the same analysis.  There seems to be a lot more dough around here lately.

I read Nigel Slater's Ripe.  I like it because it is half a gardening book and half a cookbook.  Two of my interests in one!  I liked it so much I bought it for my shelf.  That is really rare anymore.

One of the recipes I had to try was his blackberry focaccia.  Of course, I made it my own by using sourdough and having to change it a bit for that but then I started changing the fruit.  Three different fruit combinations and three wonderful focaccias.  One, we ate as dinner it was so good.  The next, we ate over days.  The third, I used half the dough for a pizza type focaccia and the other for fruit.  Disappeared rapidly.  This is just a wonderful way to use fruit and a tiny bit of sugar to make a dessert (or snack or breakfast or tea) that is so full of flavor.

fruit focaccia

sourdough starter

3/4 cup water

1 cup flour

4 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

1 1/2 cups water

6 - 8 ounces blackberries, or 4 ounces blackberries and 1 roasted apple, or 2 peaches

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablesoons sugar, fine granulated or brown depending on the fruit or flavor you wish

confectioners sugar for dusting.

The night before, mix the starter with 3/4 cup water and 1 cup flour in a large bowl.  Let sit overnight covered or at least 8 hours.  Take out two tablespoons to put in the frig to use as your starter next time.

In the bowl with the leftover starter, mix in the water, salt, and sugar.  Mix in 3 1/2 cups flour.  Gradually add in the rest of the flour until you have a soft dough.  Turn out on to a floured surface and knead until smooth.  Put back into a clean bowl, cover and let rise until double.  If the space is warm, this will take 1 to 2 hours.

Once it is double, turn it out and flatten it out.  Spread half the fruit over and knead gently in.  You do not wish to press out too much gas.  I put it on a baking stone and flatten it out.  Scatter the rest of the fruit on top.  Let rise until double once more.

Turn the oven on to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.  Drizzle the olive oil over.  Sprinkle the granulated sugar or brown sugar over.  Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and crisp on top.  

Let cool enough not to burn yourself and dust with confectioner's sugar.

This one is blackberry.

This is blackberry and roasted apple.  I put the roasted apples in the dough and the blackberries on top.

This is the peach.  I used brown sugar as the sugar on top before baking.

These make my life happy.  I was thinking that if I could find some nicely ripe plums or figs I might just have to try those.  Or fig with pancetta.  This is the problem.  I just keep going!