South indian miscellany recipe

PUMPKIN SOUP IN A PUMPKIN

Cut a neat hole on the top of the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and string bits.

Rub 2 Tbsp. of softened butter all around the inside of the pumpkin.

Dry the bread-crumbs in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 15 minutes. Meanwhile fry the onion in 8 Tbsp. butter over a gentle flame until soft and translucent for about 15 minutes. Add the bread-crumbs and toss for a further 3 minutes. Put the onion-crumb mixture and the grated swiss-cheese into the pumpkin.

Bring the stock to a simmer and pour into the pumpkin until it come upto two inches of the top. Season with salt, pepper and sage.

Place pumpkin on a slightly buttered pizza-stone or plate or bowl and place in a pre-heated 400 F oven. The soup should be ready in 1 1/2 hours. Do not overcook, esle

the pumpkin may collapse. Add the cream and parsley, season with salt and pepper if needed and serve scraping off pieces off the side of the pumpkin.

As a variant, or if the pumpkin or squash is not big enough to hold 3 quarts of soup, you can make the soup in a pot. Just peel the pumpkin, seed it, and dice. As before, bring the stock-bread-cheese mixture to a simmer in a pot, add the diced pumpkin/squash, and simmer on the stovetop (or over at 400 F) for 1 1/2 hours. Add cream, chopped parsley and serve.

MOUSAKKA

Cut the eggplant into slices 1/4 inch thick. Salt both sides and let sit for 20 minutes. Dry with paper towels, lightly coat with oil, and bake covered in a oven pre-heated to 400F for 20 minutes. The eggplant should be soft, but should hold its shape. Mince the meat if not already. Saute the onions in 3 Tbsp. oil until soft, add the minced meat and fry for 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, wine, herbs and cook over medium flame until the mixture thickens enough to coat a spoon. Taste analytically and season with salt and pepper. Oil or butter a baking dish, start with a layer of the eggplant, then half the meat mixture, an eggplant layer, the rest of the meat, and a final layer of the eggplant. Make a white sauce by heating the 3 Tbsp butter, and mixing in the 1/4 cup flour without coloring. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 cups of hot milk. Bring to a simmer, add 1/2 cup of the grated cheese, season with nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Add white sauce to the top of the eggplant-meat layers and shake to white sauce to settle into the gaps. Sprinkle the rest of the 1/2 cup grated cheese. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees F. Serve hot. Make 6-8 servings. Tastes good cold too.

RATATOUILLE

Cut the eggplant into slices 1/4 inch thick. Salt both sides and let sit for 20 minutes. Cut the ends off zucchini, and cut into 1 inch cylinders. Cut each cylinder vertically into 3 or 4 slices. Salt both sides and let sit for 20 minutes. Dry both eggplant and zucchini with paper towels, lightly coat with oil. Bake the eggplant covered in a oven pre-heated to 400F for 20 minutes (the eggplant should be soft, but should hold its shape). Heat 2 Tbsp oil and fry zucchini slices until slightly browned over high flame.

Saute the onions in 3 Tbsp. oil until soft. Seed and slice bell peppers, and add to the onions and toss over high flame for 3 minutes. Add tomatoes cook over medium

flame until tomatoes become soft and have rendered their juices (15 minutes). Add herbs, and season with salt and pepper. Taste analytically and correct seasoning.

In a large pot or casserole layer the onion mixture, eggplant and zucchini starting and finishing with the onion mixture. Cover and bring to a simmer, either on the stovetop or in a 400 F oven. Serve hot.

RABO DE TORO (OXTAIL STEW)

1/2 tsp. salt

Heat olive oil, season oxtails with salt and perrer, brown and remove with slotted spoon. Brown onion, garlic in the remaining oil. Return oxtails. Add vegetables, herbs and spices and toss for a minute. Add the sherry and enough stock to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook covered for 3-5 hours or until the meat is falling off the bones. (Optionally pressure-cook for a hour). Reduce the sauce if necessary.

WATERMELON PUNCH

1 watermelon (optionally seedless)

16 oz. rum

20 oz. triple-sec (optionally

8 oz lemon juice

substitute 8 oz. with cherry liquer)

Cut off top third of watermelon. Scoop red portion of pulp, from both halves, and extract juice by pressing through a sieve. For each 100 oz. (12 c) of juice add 16 oz. of rum, 20 oz. triple-sec and 8 oz. lemon juice. Cool.

Make a stand from the hollow top third by slicing off the top 1/6. Serve cooled punch in the hollowed-out watermelon on stand.

MANGO FRUIT PUNCH

Combine above in a punch-bowl. If you’d like it to be thick like a malt, add vanilla ice-cream. Serves 20-30.

LIME SHERBET PUNCH

Mix first 4 ingredients with ice-cubes in a punch-bowl. Decorate with orange slices.

GREEN SALAD

2 heads romain lettuce

1 red onion sliced

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 tsp. orange zest 1/2 cup walnut pieces

1 ripe mango (peeled, pitted)

2 ripe avacados sliced thinly

1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 tsp. freshly grated ginger

1/4 tsp lemon zest

salt, pepper to taste

Rinse and break romaine into small pieces. Cut mango into 1 inch chunks.

Make dressing by blending lime juice, orange juice, and olive oil well in a blender.

Remove ato bowl, and whisk in zest salt and pepper. Refregirate.

Put lettuce, mango, and red onion in bowl, add dressing and combine. Top with avocado slices and walnuts.

THREE BEAN CASSOULET

salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, saute shallots, garlic and carrots in 2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat until soft (10 minutes). Lower heat and add turnios, parsnips, beans, tomatoes, stock, bay-leaf, thyme, tarragon and salt pepper. Cover and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Add two cups croutons, simmer for 5 minutes more. Put into individual bowls, sprinkle remaining croutons and parsley and serve.

POACHED APRICOTS WITH LEMON SORBET

Bring water to simmer and dissolve sugar in it. Add vanilla, apricots, zest of lemon and its juice and simmer until apricots are soft (20 minutes). Cool to room temoerature.

Put three small scoops in each cup, top with two apricots and mint leaves and serve.

WARM WHOLE GRAIN BREAD with FRESH ROASTED GARLIC

2 large heads of garlic                             2 loaves fresh whole-grain bread

2 Tbsp. olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Cut the tops off garlic heads to expose cloves. Remove any glaky skins but make sure most of skin remains intact.

Pour olive oil in a dish and swirl garlic heads around to completely cover in oil. Wrap heads tightly in aluminum foil, and bake on a baking dish in oven until soft (50 minutes).

Open foil, separate cloves and pass around with thick slices of warm whole-grain bread. To eat squeeze the skin to pop the garlic. It should spread easily on the bread.