BOUNTIFUL HARVEST
Savour the tastes of fall
ACORN SQUASH SOUP WITH WARM SPICES Prep 25 minutes | Total 1 hour plus Serves 6 Move over, pumpkin; acorn squash is the star of our new favourite soup! Roast ’em to create spectacular serving dishes and don’t forget to toast the seeds for a crunchy garnish. 1 kg acorn squash 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1/2 tsp salt, divided 1 medium onion, chopped 2 garlic cloves, minced 1/2 tsp chili powder 1/2 tsp cumin 1/4 tsp cinnamon 3 cups vegetable broth 1 cup water 1/4 cup 35% cream 1 tbsp lime juice 1/2 cup pepitas, optional sour cream, optional
Preheat oven to 350F. Peel squash. Cut in half and set seeds aside. Cut squash into 1-inch cubes. Squash should measure about 7 cups.
2. Wash and dry 1/3 cup squash seeds. Toss with 1 tsp oil and 1/8 tsp salt on a baking sheet. Toast seeds in centre of oven until dark golden, 13 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.
3. Heat a large pot over medium. Add remaining oil, then onion. Cook until onion softens, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, spices and remaining salt. Cook 1 minute. Add cubed squash and cook 2 more minutes. Add broth and water. Boil, then reduce heat to medium and gently boil, partially covered, until squash is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Purée mixture in pot using a hand blender, or in a blender in batches. Stir in cream and lime juice. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with toasted squash seeds, pepitas and sour cream.
Serving Tip: Slice 1/2 inch off bottoms of 6 squash so they sit flat. Cut off tops for lids. Scoop out seeds and enough squash to hold 1 cup of soup. Brush bowls and lids with oil and set on a baking sheet. Bake at 400F until just tender, about 25 minutes.
Nutrition Calories 194 Protein 4 g Carbohydrates 25 g Fat 11 g Fibre 4 g Sodium 595 mg Excellent source of Vitamin A BEET LATKES WITH SMOKED SALMON & CARAWAY SOUR CREAM Prep 20 minutes | Total 35 minutes Serves 6 Here’s a simple way to make the most of a farmer’s market haul. 1/2 cup sour cream ■ 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, toasted ■ 2 medium red beets, peeled ■ and grated (about 4 cups packed) 1 large carrot, grated ■ (about 1 1/2 cups) 1 onion, grated ■ 2 eggs, beaten ■ 2/3 cup all-purpose flour ■ 1/2 tsp salt ■ 1/3 cup canola oil ■ 140 g smoked salmon ■
1. Combine sour cream and caraway seeds in a small bowl. Squeeze out excess liquid from beets, carrot and onion using hands or kitchen towel (beets may stain towel). Stir vegetables with eggs, flour and salt in a large bowl. Season with fresh pepper.
2. Pour oil into a large nonstick frying pan until it reaches halfway up the side. Set over medium. Working in batches of 4 latkes, scoop 1/4 cup packed beet mixture per latke into pan. Flatten slightly with a spatula and cook until golden, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Serve with caraway sour cream and smoked salmon.
Tip: To save time, use a food processor to grate vegetables.
Nutrition Calories 292 Protein 11 g Carbohydrates 22 g Fat 18 g Fibre 3g Sodium 466 mg Excellent source of vitamin B12
CREAMY LEEK DIP Serves 4
2 tbsp butter ■ 3 large leeks, (white and pale ■ green parts only) cut in half lengthwise and sliced 1/2 cup sour cream ■
1/4 cup mayonnaise ■ 1 tsp lemon zest ■ 1/4 tsp salt ■
1. Melt butter in a large nonstick frying pan over medium. Add leeks. Cook until tender, about 8 minutes.
2. Whirl leeks with sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon zest and salt in a food processor, until finely chopped. Season with fresh pepper. Serve with pumpernickel bread. Nutrition Calories 264 Protein 4 g Carbohydrates 17 g Fat 21 g Fibre 3 g Sodium 303 mg Excellent source of folate RACK OF LAMB WITH CARROTS & CARROT-TOP PESTO Prep 20 minutes | Total 45 minutes Serves 4 It’s peak season for endless varieties of fruit and veg, and when the produce is this good, we say let the ingredients shine. 950 g small carrots, with stem ■ (about 4 bunches) 1 tbsp olive oil ■ 3/4 tsp salt, divided ■ 2 racks of lamb, about 16 ribs, ■ at room temperature Pesto:
1 garlic clove, minced ■
1/4 cup finely chopped ■ toasted walnuts 1/4 cup grated parmesan ■ 2 tbsp finely chopped ■ mint leaves 1 tbsp lemon juice ■ 1/2 cup olive oil ■
1. Position racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Preheat to 450F. Line a large baking sheet with foil. Set a rack on another baking sheet.
2. Trim carrots, leaving a bit of stem and reserving 1 cup finely chopped carrot tops. Scrub or peel carrots, then toss with 1 tbsp oil and 1/4 tsp salt on prepared sheet. Roast in bottom third of oven, until golden and tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
3. Place lamb, fat-side up, on rack. Score fat in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Season with fresh pepper. Roast in top third of oven until a thermometer inserted into centre of meat reads 140F for medium-rare, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Whirl reserved carrot tops with garlic, walnuts, parmesan, mint, lemon juice and remaining 1/4 tsp salt in a food processor. With the motor running, gradually add ½ cup olive oil through spout. Drizzle over roasted carrots and serve with lamb.
Prep tip: Substitute parsley for carrot tops if you’re having trouble finding them.
Nutrition Calories 715 Protein 45 g Carbohydrates 19 g Fat 53 g Fibre 6 g Sodium 771 mg Excellent source of vitamin B6 FINANCIER PLUM CAKE Prep 10 minutes | Total 1 hour plus 1 hour cooling time Serves 8 An easy way to make the most of those plums you picked up. 3/4 cup unsalted butter, ■ melted 2 tbsp brown sugar ■ 2 medium plums, thinly sliced ■
1 1/2 cups icing sugar ■ 1 1/4 cups ground almonds ■ 1/2 cup all-purpose flour ■ 1/4 tsp salt ■ 6 egg whites, lightly beaten ■
1. Position rack in bottom third of oven. Preheat to 400F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Spray with butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar. Lay plum slices, overlapping in a circle, over sugar.
2. Stir icing sugar with almonds, flour and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in egg whites until combined. Gradually stir in remaining 3/4 cup butter. Scrape batter over plums, smoothing top.
3. Bake until cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into centre of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove cake and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a knife around inside edge, then release cake from pan. Place a large cooling rack upside down on top of cake. Carefully flip over. Peel off parchment. Cool on rack, about 1 hour. Nutrition Calories 395 Protein 7 g Carbohydrates 39 g Fat 25 g Fibre 3 g Sodium 115 mg