Apple Squash Soup

• • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 medium onions, diced
  • 2 butternut squashes (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and chopped
  • 8 red or golden apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon coarse salt
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 5 cups water, plus more if needed
  • Sour cream, for garnish (optional)
  • 
    
  • Melt butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until it begins to soften, about 4 minutes. Add squash, and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes.
  • Add apples, salt, cumin, coriander, ginger, cayenne, black pepper, stock, and the water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until vegetables are very soft, about 30 minutes.
  • Puree in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth, and return to pan. Heat over low, thinning with more water if necessary. To serve, ladle into shallow bowls; garnish with diced apples and sour cream if desired.

  
  

  Serves 12.

Roasted Carrots, Parsnips and Shallots

• 1 1/2 pounds medium carrots (about 8), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
• 1 1/2 pounds parsnips (about 6), scrubbed well (peeled if desired)
• 8 shallots, halved if large
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
• Olive Relish, for serving (see under Pickles and Relishes label in sidebar)
• 
  
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Toss carrots, parsnips, and shallots with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture onto 2 baking sheets, and roast, turning sheets twice and rotating once, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, about 35 minutes (remove shallots if cooked first). Serve with olive relish.

Serves 12

Carrot Puree

• 6 pounds carrots, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 
  
• Place carrots in a dutch oven, and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid.
• Puree carrots in a blender or with a potato masher, adding cooking liquid as needed, until thinned but still chunky. Stir in salt, and season with pepper.
• 
  

Serves 12

Spiced Carrots

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
4 pounds carrots, sliced diagonally 1/2 inch thick
2 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
1 1/3 cup water
Coarse salt

In a large nonstick skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Add garlic cloves, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in chili powder and ground cumin; cook 1 minute.

Add carrots, lemon zest, water, and coarse salt; bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until carrots are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Uncover, raise heat to high, and cook until any remaining liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, and serve.

Serves 16

Honey Glazed Carrots

• 2 tablespoons oil, such as safflower or coconut oil
• 4 pounds carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths, halved if thick
• 2 cups canned chicken broth or water
• 1 cup honey
• 4 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 
  
• In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high. Add carrots; cook, stirring once, until beginning to brown, 2 minutes.
• Add broth, honey, and vinegar; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook until crisp-tender, 10 minutes. Uncover, and cook over medium-high until carrots are tender and liquid is syrupy, 7 to 9 minutes more (there should be only a small amount of liquid remaining).
• Remove skillet from heat; add butter, and swirl skillet until melted. Season with salt and pepper.
• 
  

Serves 12

Creamy Carrot Rice

3 cans chicken broth, 14 1/2 ounces each
3 cups carrot juice
6 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups long-grain rice
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

Combine broth, carrot juice, and 6 cups water in a 6-quart saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.

 
Meanwhile, melt 3 tablespoons butter in a 9-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. 

Cook onion, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 minutes. 

Season with 1 tablespoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 

Raise heat to medium; add rice and cook, stirring until grains are translucent around the edges, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup hot broth mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon until most liquid is absorbed. 

Continue adding broth, 1 cup at a time, stirring until it is incorporated and rice is tender but still a little firm to the bite, 25 to 30 minutes. 

Stir in remaining butter and Parmesan. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Divide among dishes, and sprinkle with parsley and more Parmesan.

Serves 12

Curry Carrot Soup

6 tablespoons butter
3 cups chopped onion
1 tablespoon curry powder
Coarse salt and ground pepper
10 cups chicken broth
6 pounds carrots, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Heat butter in a 12 qt (large!!) Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, curry powder, 1-2 tablespoon salt (remember, this is a big batch of soup), and 1 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.

Add broth, carrots, and 9 cups water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover, and simmer until carrots are tender, about 20 minutes.

In a blender, puree soup in batches until smooth; transfer to a clean saucepan. Do not fill the blender more than halfway since you are pureeing hot liquid that will expand!  To prevent the liquid from spattering, allow the heat to escape: Remove the cap from hole in lid, and cover lid with a dish towel when blending.  Add more water to thin to desired consistency. Reheat, if necessary. Stir in lemon juice. Serve garnished with cilantro, if desired.

Serves 12!  Leftovers can be frozen.

Glazed Ginger Carrots

1 1/2 lbs baby carrots
3 tablespoon butter
3 tablespoon honey
One 3-inch-by-1 1/2-inch-piece ginger, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick matchsticks

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add carrots; cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain carrots; pat dry with paper towels.
Melt butter in a large skillet set over medium-low heat. Add the carrots, honey, and ginger, and cook, turning carrots frequently, until carrots and ginger are browned, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat, and serve.

Serves 12