Watch above: Gail Hall prepares a few dishes using pumpkin.
EDMONTON — Gail Hall, the owner and chef of Seasoned Solutions, loves to support local producers with fresh, in-season ingredients.
Hall stopped by the Weekend Morning News Saturday to prepare a few dishes using pumpkin.
Roasted pumpkin bisque with cardamom cream
Yield: 8 servings
- 2 lbs. Pumpkin, washed, quartered and seeded
- 1 lb Potatoes washed pierced and quartered
- 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Finely Chopped Onions
- 5 cups Chicken stock
- 2 tsp Ground Ginger
- to taste Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1 cup 10% (half and half) Cream
Place pumpkin and potatoes on a baking sheet and roast at 400 F for 40 minutes or until soft. Remove meat from pumpkin and cut into chunks. Peel potatoes and cut into chunks. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Add onions stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened and lightly browned. Stir in stock, pumpkin, potatoes, ginger, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 20 minutes. Transfer to blender or food processor or use immersion blender and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan. Stir in cream, adding more if too thick; gently heat through but do not boil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Garnish:
- 1 cup Light Sour Cream
- ½ tsp Ground Cardamom
- Sniped Chives or Green Onions
Stir together sour cream and cardamom. Garnish each serving with a swirl of cardamom and a sprinkling of chives or green onions.
Smoked bacon potato soup
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Nothing beats the cold than a steaming hot bowl of homemade soup. This one is easy to make and hearty too!
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Finely Diced Onion
- 1 cup ½” Diced Smoked Bacon
- 1 tbsp Dried Thyme
- ¼ cup All Purpose Flour
- 3 cups Chicken Stock, heated
- 3 cups Milk (you can do half milk and half whipping cream if you wish)
- 2 cups ½” Diced Baby Potatoes (partially cooked for 10 minutes)*
- to taste Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
- 1 cup Grated Cheese (your favourite)
- ¼ cup Finely Diced Green Onion or Chopped Parsley
- optional: a handful of Budapest Deli’s deep fried bacon bits
In medium soup pot over medium high heat, melt butter and sauté the onion and bacon for two minutes. Add dried thyme and continue to sauté until onions are tender and bacon is cooked (about three to five minutes). Add the flour and continue to stir until flour is combined and a roux is formed (a paste consistency). Cook on low heat for two minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly add the heated chicken stock, while constantly stirring to form a smooth paste. Add the milk and stir well to blend. Add the potatoes and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 15 minutes. Adjust seasonings with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. If soup is thick, add more milk. Serve piping hot in large bowls, top with grated cheese, finely diced green onion or chopped parsley. Garnish with deep fried bacon bits a Budapest Deli specialty! Serve with rustic slices of bread.
*Save the water from the cooked potatoes and use this as part of the 3 cups of stock
Curried carrot and potato soup
Yield: 6 portions
- 2 tbsp Butter
- ½ lb Carrots, peeled and cut into ¼” dice
- 1 cup Peeled and diced Onion
- ½ tbsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Ground Ginger
- ½ lb Potatoes, peeled and cut into ¼” dice
- ½ litre Chicken Stock
- ½ cup Orange Juice
In a brazing pot or large saucepan, melt butter and sauté carrots and onions in with curry powder and ginger. Stir and sauté until soft. Add chicken stock. Bring to boil and add potatoes. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until vegetables are soft (about 15 minutes). Stir in orange juice and purée using food processor or blender. Serve soup with a dollop of yogurt and hot chutney and rustic breads and butter.
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