Butternut Hummus

Chickpeas aren’t the only thing you can blend with tahini to make a delicious dip - in some areas of the Levant, pumpkin is used to make a very autumnal version of everyone’s favorite snack. Here it’s been adapted to use butternut, which is denser, smoother and less watery than traditional pumpkins, though you can use your favorite winter squash. Making the garlic into confit is an extra step but creates a sweet, mild flavor that melds much better with the squash than raw garlic, and can be done while the squash roasts. The presentation is very festive, but if you don’t have a holiday crowd to feed, you can easily halve this for a more manageable batch size, though you may wish you had more…

1. 5 lb butternut squash (to make about 5 cups roasted)

2. 12 large garlic cloves, from about 2 heads

3. Extra virgin olive oil

4. ½ cup tahini (sesame paste)

5. ½ cup lemon juice

6. ½ tsp salt

7. Ground cumin, chopped parsley, pomegranate molasses & seeds, to garnish

Preheat oven to 400. Wash and halve butternut(s) the long way, scoop seed cavity and lightly oil cut sides, placing them on a sheet pan. Roast for at least 30 minutes, until very soft when pierced with a fork, with juices running and caramelizing. Allow to cool before proceeding. Meanwhile, peel and trim root ends from garlic cloves, place in a small saucepan and add olive oil just to cover. Bring to a bare simmer and continue very gently cooking on a low heat, with only a few small bubbles sometimes rising from garlic, for 30-60 minutes, until garlic is soft and translucent. Set aside to cool before using.

Gently strain any excess liquid in roasted squash, then combine with confit garlic cloves, tahini, lemon juice and salt in blender. Blend until completely smooth, then remove to a wide, shallow bowl and top with cumin, parsley, pomegranate molasses and seeds and generous drizzles of confit garlic oil. Serve with flatbread or sesame crackers.

Turnip Apple Soup

Some winter root veggies are easier to work with than others. Turnips tend to get relegated to the more difficult category, for their lack of inherent sweetness and strong flavor. Softening the flavor a little with leeks and apples while also meeting and balancing it with mustard and a generous addition of hard cheese or nutritional yeast (anything with natural glutamates) creates a bold but comforting soup that’s extra satisfying on a cold day. Use granny smith or golden delicious, depending on how much sweetness you want, and don’t bother peeling - the apples will soften completely in the cooking and get blended in the end.

1. 2 Tbsp butter

2. 2 cups sliced leeks (about 6 oz)

3. 2 cloves garlic, smashed

4. 1 ½ lb turnip, peeled and cut into 1” dice

5. 1 tsp sea salt

6. 1 lb (about 2 large or 3 small) green/yellow apples, cored and roughly chopped (to make 3 cups)

7. 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

8. ½ tsp dried thyme

9. ¼ tsp dried marjoram (optional)

10. 1 bay leaf

11. 2-3 tsp whole grain mustard

12. Salt & pepper, to taste

13. Hard cheese or nutritional yeast, to serve

In a decent sized pot, melt the butter over medium heat. Continue cooking until it starts to brown, then add leeks and cook over medium-low heat for a few minutes to lightly caramelize. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes to soften, then add turnip and salt and cook over medium to begin softening (turning translucent). Add apple and cook over medium-high for one minute, then add stock and herbs. Bring to a simmer and cover, continue to cook at a low simmer for 20-30 minutes, until turnips are tender and easily pierced with a skewer or fork. Remove bay leaf and puree with an immersion blender or in a standard blender to smooth, blend in mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot with plenty of grated parmesan, cheddar or a nice firm cheese from Winter Hill (or a few good shakes of nutritional yeast) and some crusty baguette or, if you’re very lucky, pretzel croutons from Bretzel und Brot. This would also be excellent with anything porky.

Anna's Impossibly Good Chocolate Beet Cake

Beets add moisture and an earthy hint to this chocolate cake. This recipe is for intermediate bakers, as it doesn’t involve fancy equipment but there is the extra step of cooking and pureeing the beets, plus baking in a water bath.

18 oz beets, roasted or boiled

4 eggs

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 Tbsp brandy (or substitute another Tbsp of vanilla)

2 ½ cup sugar

1 cup unsalted butter, melted & cooled

1 ⅓ cup all purpose flour

¾ cup dark cocoa powder

Pinch salt

4 tsp baking soda

¼ cup boiling water

Preheat oven to 375. Prepare a 10” round or 8” square cake pan by greasing and lining the bottom with parchment paper cut to fit, then set inside a larger baking vessel like a casserole/lasagna pan. Peel, chop and puree beets as smooth as you can in a blender or food processor (don’t worry if it’s not perfectly smooth, it will disappear into the cake soon). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vanilla and brandy, then gradually whisk in the sugar, followed by the butter. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and salt, then gently whisk into the batter in three additions. Whisk in beet puree in two additions. Place baking soda in a small heatproof container and add the boiling water, stir to dissolve, then add to the batter and whisk in well. Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Place both pans into oven and pour up to an inch of hot water into the larger outer pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out with no streaks of batter on it. Remove both pans from oven and allow water to cool to warm, then remove cake pan to a rack to finish cooling. Once cake is cool, flip onto a plate and gently peel parchment off. Chill before frosting or glazing, or serve as is.

Crustless Quiche with Duck Eggs

3 jumbo duck eggs
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk
¼ tsp salt
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
3-4 medium sized green chilies, thawed, seeded & chopped

Preheat oven to 350. Grease 9 cups in a muffin pan or one pie pan. Evenly distribute cheese and peppers in pan(s). Thoroughly scramble eggs and whisk in cream, milk and salt. Pour evenly over peppers and cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes for mini quiche, 35-40 for full size. The top should be lightly golden and the center set but still jiggly. Allow to cool to warm before removing from pan (may need to run a knife around the edge). Serve with salsa of your choice and a side salad.

Rutabaga Muffins

Add nuts and dried fruit if you like!

1 cup whole wheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 eggs (or 1 super jumbo duck egg!)
⅓ cup maple syrup
¼ cup oil of your choice
1 tsp vanilla extract
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 ¾ cup grated rutabaga

Preheat the oven to 350 and line a 12 cup muffin pan with papers, or grease. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs and maple syrup, then whisk in the oil and vanilla. Add to dry and fold until barely mixed, then fold in the applesauce and rutabaga. Scoop into muffin pan and bake for 20 minutes, rotating once halfway, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes.