Recipes from

• Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage Garnish

• Baked Fresh Ham with Roasted Apple and Almond Salad

• Browned Broccoli and Cauliflower with Pan-Toasted Garlic

Pumpkin Soup with Crispy Sage Garnish

When I talk about pumpkin, I am referring to what a lot of folks call winter squashes: Hubbard, kabocha, and butternut, to name a few of the most popular, as well as the orange squash we call a pumpkin and associate most readily with Halloween. You may grow any of these squashes in the garden, or you may prefer to buy them at a roadside stand, but either way, don't pass them by. Small orange pumpkins are terrific for a lot more than Thanksgiving pies.

I love this smooth, creamy pumpkin soup made without a drop of fresh cream. I add cinnamon, which loves pumpkin, but then play off the resulting autumnal flavors by bringing in savories such as chili peppers and cardamom. Cinnamon, chilies, and cardamom are used throughout South Asia and Southeast Asia, as are a number of pumpkins. Foods that originate in the same region of the world generally taste good together, and while neither squashes nor chilies are native to Asia, they have long been integral to its multiple cuisines. Interestingly, chilies were introduced to Asia by the Portuguese, who brought them from the New World. It didn't take long for the Asians or the Portuguese to figure out what to do with them.

I love the cardamom because it's unexpected -a "What did you put in this?" kind of flavor that makes this soup especially fun to serve. The fried sage does two wonderful things: it multiplies the flavor of the sage already in the soup, and it adds great, crispy texture. The leaves smell and taste great, too.

Serves 6

• One 3-pound pumpkin or Hubbarb squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch cubes

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

• 6 cloves garlic, split lengthwise

• 1/4 cup plus 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil

• 3 green cardamom pods or 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 1/2 small red Thai or jalapeño chili, seeded and thinly sliced

• 4 cups homemade or canned vegetable or chicken stock

• 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh sage leaves, plus 12 large whole leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. In a large bowl, toss the pumpkin cubes with the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Spread the pumpkin evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and roast for about 25 minutes, or until nearly tender when pricked with a fork.

3. Meanwhile, coat the onion slices and the garlic with the 2 teaspoons grapeseed oil. When the pumpkin is ready, make room on the baking sheet for the onion and garlic, and return the pan to the oven for about 15 minutes longer, or until the pumpkin and onion are tender. Keep an eye on the garlic and turn, if necessary, to keep it from turning dark. Transfer all the vegetables to a large saucepan.

4. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, chili, and stock to the saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pumpkin cubes begin to dissolve in the liquid.

5. Remove the cinnamon sticks and cardamom pods (if used) and discard. Working in batches if necessary, transfer the soup to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.

6. Return the blended soup to the saucepan and stir in the sliced sage leaves. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover to keep warm.

7. In a small saucepan or sauté pan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup grapeseed oil until very hot (it should be about 350ºF). Add the whole sage leaves and fry for about 1 minute, or until crisp. Using tongs, gently remove them from the oil and drain on paper towels. Sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.

8. Reheat the soup gently if necessary. It should be piping hot when served. Ladle into 6 warmed bowls and garnish with the crispy sage leaves. Serve at once.

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Baked Fresh Ham with Roasted Apple and
Almond Salad

Roasted fresh ham is just as tasty as pork loin but is far less expensive, and I highly recommend that pork lovers try it. I also find it to be moister and more tender. Fresh ham takes longer to cook than pork loin, but this just means your house smells even better longer. It is not smoked and is not pink, and should not be thought of for sandwiches alone-though it makes delicious ones. Fresh ham tastes like pork loin, so it's not surprising that it pairs well with many of the same ingredients, such as apples and onions.
In the fall, when you harvest onions and crisp apples, roast them alongside the fresh ham in this wonderful recipe. They will caramelize and pack a powerful flavor wallop. Of course, applesauce is always a good bet with pork, so if you would like to serve it, too, turn to page 00. I can't tell you how good this baked ham is. Just know that you'll spend less and gain more when it comes to flavor.

Serves 6 to 8

• 2 cups (about 10 ounces) blanched whole almonds

• 1/4 cup coriander seeds

• One 7- to 8-pound rump-end fresh ham, trimmed and tied

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 cups freshly pressed apple juice or apple cider

• 2 cinnamon sticks

• 6 green cardamom pods

• 1 sweet onion such as Vidalia or Walla Walla, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices

• 2 pounds firm, crisp baking apples such as locally grown Granny Smith, Roxbury Russet, pippin, or Empire, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks

• 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.

2. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast, stirring once or twice, for 6 to 8 minutes, or until lightly browned. Set aside.

3. In a small, dry skillet, toast the coriander seeds, shaking the pan often, for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until the seeds smell like oranges. Immediately pour into a small dish and let cool. When cool, grind in a spice grinder or coffee grinder reserved for spices to the consistency of coarse meal. Set aside.

4. Rub the ham with salt and pepper and put in a roasting pan large enough to hold it with enough space for the onion slices and apples. Add the apple juice, cinnamon, and cardamom to the pan and roast for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted near the center of the roast, but not touching the bone, registers 140ºF.

5. Remove the pan from the oven and, without removing the ham from the pan, skim as much fat as possible from the juices. Add the onion slices and apples to the pan, return the pan to the oven, and increase the oven temperature to 400ºF. Roast for about 20 minutes longer, or until the ham reaches an internal temperature of 150ºF and the onion and apples begin to brown. The ham should bake for 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Do not overcook.

6. Transfer the ham to a cutting board or platter, cover with a clean kitchen towel or tent with aluminum foil to hold in moisture, and let rest for 15 minutes.

7. Transfer the onion and apples to a large bowl. Scrape the bottom and sides of the roasting pan with a wooden spoon to dislodge all the browned bits and juices and add to the bowl. Toss in the toasted almonds and ground coriander and season lightly with salt and pepper. Add the cilantro and toss gently to distribute evenly.

8. Slice the ham and serve with the onion slices and apples.

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Skillet-Browned Broccoli and Cauliflower
with Pan-Toasted Garlic

Very few people are indifferent about broccoli-they either love it or hate it! But whichever camp you are in, you will like it cooked this way. Caramelizing it in a hot skillet brings out broccoli's hidden deliciousness. The same is true of cauliflower. Truly! Both of these cruciferous vegetables are extremely nutritious, so finding new ways to cook them will be beneficial to a healthful diet.

There are two simple tricks that will guarantee success. One is to be sure to slice the broccoli and cauliflower thin enough so that they cook through by the time they brown and caramelize, yet they must be thick enough so they do not overcook. The second is to make certain the slices are the same thickness, guaranteeing they cook evenly. Otherwise, there's nothing to it! This recipe is another argument for keeping your cast-iron skillets front and center, rather than stashed in the back of a dark cupboard.

Serves 6

• 1 large head cauliflower

• 2 large heads broccoli, stems attached

• 2 tablespoons grapeseed or rice oil

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 2 tablespoons thinly sliced garlic

• 2 to 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. While it's heating, slice the cauliflower from top to bottom into 1-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of every slice with some of the grapeseed oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the slices in the hot skillet, pressing them into the pan with a spatula. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until nicely browned. Turn and cook on the other side for about 3 minutes, or until browned and tender. Transfer the slices to a warmed platter.

2. While the cauliflower is cooking, cut the broccoli the same way you cut the cauliflower and brush with some of the remaining grapeseed oil. When the cauliflower is cooked, cook the broccoli in the same way. Make sure both sides of the broccoli slices are browned before transferring the slices to the platter with the cauliflower.

3. Add the remaining grapeseed oil (about 2 teaspoons) to the hot skillet. Add the garlic slices and sauté, stirring gently and constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

4. Arrange the broccoli around the outside of the platter and then put the cauliflower inside the circle. Sprinkle the toasted garlic slices over the broccoli and cauliflower, drizzle with the olive oil, and serve.

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