October Snow

"Live Free or Die" is the motto of our state. Or is it "Live Freeze and Die" as some might mock. But, come on, snow in October is unusual, even for New Hampshire.  I was skeptical when the Nor'easter was first predicted until the day before when it began to look like we really would need to button up for the winter. What if this same snow stuck around till spring?  Fortunately this was not the case and, even as I write this, it is a sunny 50 F degrees and the snow has all but melted.  But the day before the snow came, I frantically dug up, potted, picked and protected as many of my garden plants as possible.

I dug up this clump of Calendula to bring into the greenhouse.  They'll add color to an otherwise gray winter.

Harvesting Grapes in New Hampshire

Each October my Wayback friends (yes, we go way back) and I get together and volunteer for the grape harvest at Barnett Hill Vineyard in Walpole, NH. I'm just in awe of what it takes to run a vineyard...planting, trellising, pruning, tying, harvesting etc, not to mention the winemaking parts about crushing, tasting, bottling, aging and selling.

So about five years ago, when the call came seeking volunteers to help pick grapes, we didn't need much convincing and it has become our annual fall ritual.

Nylon netting over the grapes protect them from birds and wild turkeys.
Netting is removed just before we start picking.

Hibernating in the Kitchen

January is long and cold in New Hampshire. Sunshine is in short supply and I find comfort in the kitchen, digging out my collection of recipes for hibernation. There are the soups, of course, along with homemade bread and pizza dough. It's also time to get creative with all the food that I've put up from last summer and fall. Here's what's in store:

potatoes
Delicata squash
Red Kuri squash
pounds of garlic

In the freezer...
maple syrup

blueberries
raspberries
peaches
kale
Swiss chard
jars of apple sauce

That's a lot of food for two people. But during the growing season, out in the sunshine, when the picking is good, I can't stop myself. I pick and save everything that comes my way. Oh, I didn't mention the wild mushrooms, did I? Yes, I have them too, dried and frozen maitakes, oysters and chanterelles. All these will surely find their way into my weekly meals that I deliver to the Walpole Grocery.

First up is the Red Kuri squash, also called Hokkaido. It is prolific and carefree in the garden, a long keeper that gets better with age, like most women ;-).

Red Kuri Squash after harvest last September--Photo by Amy

Last week, I made Thai Curry Squash Soup to drop off at WG. It went over so well, I made it again this week. I start with two large Red Kuri squashes, about 5 lbs each. Don't peel them yet, just cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle with olive oil, salt and pepper, then roast them in a 450F oven until they're cooked through, about 30 minutes to an hour. Roasting winter squashes intensifies their sweetness. Even better, the roasting warms the kitchen and I just love the sweet, yummy aroma.

Fresh from the oven

When cooled, I peel away the skin and puree the flesh in the food processor, thinning with water when necessary. The two 5 lbs squashes I started with yielded about 6 lbs of peeled and cooked squash. A French farmer once compared the taste of the Red Kuri to a chestnut. I think the resemblance stops at the texture, it's mealy and sweet. Mealy may not sound appealing but, trust me, in this case it works. If you're not familiar with this heirloom, give it a try.

Thai Curry Squash Soup
10 lbs Red Kuri Squash or any kind of winter squash, roasted and pureed (see above)
15-oz can coconut milk
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
2 TBS green curry paste, or to taste
1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 3" lengths, crushed
3 kaffir lime leaves
fish sauce or salt to taste
2 cups fresh Swiss Chard or other greens

To a 6 qt. soup pot, add coconut milk and curry paste. Simmer a minute or two then add 4 cups of chicken stock. Add the pureed squash, stirring as you do to get out the lumps. Thin soup with additional 4 cups of water or until desired consistency. Add lemon grass and lime leaves. Simmer another 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors. Season to taste with fish sauce. Just before I take it to the store I add the Swiss chard for color and texture. Makes 5 quarts.

Thai Curry Squash Soup

Don't forget to fish out the lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves before serving. Bon Appetit!

Party food

Outside the temperature is a frightful 8 degrees F. and I really don't care to know what the wind chill might be. I'm snug in my kitchen cooking party food for the Walpole Grocery, our cute little gourmet market right here in Walpole, NH.

Inside Barbara and Krystyna demand Tingfood

Susie plates up some spring rolls

John serves up sesame noodles

Barbara gets her lunch

Sesame noodles and chicken satay

Happy New Year to all!

Crispy Kale Snack

Even as I glean every last bit of kale from the garden and crisping them in the oven, Walpole is a colorful blaze, a perfect picture of fall in New England.

View from March Hill Road, Walpole, NH. Photo by Amy.

Red Russian Kale, the only kind I grow, is delicate and hardy

Kale and Swiss chard rule the garden at this time of year and as I'm staring down a huge basket of kale, taking up half my kitchen, I get an email from Maggie telling me about her new way with kale. The idea is simple, toss fresh kale with olive oil, spread them out in a single layer on a large cookie sheet and roast in 350 degree oven until crispy but still green. Maggie's directions were to

"toss torn 3-inch size pieces with oil. Bake 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp and crunchy."

My Red Russian only needed 10 minutes and stirring was not necessary. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with salt, pepper and/or freshly grated Parmesan. Serve immediately, these are so easy to make, fun to eat and criminally addictive.

Crispy Kale Snack

Cook's tips:
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper to prevent kale from sticking.
- Don't let the kale get brown, at that point it can get bitter.

Fresh Garlic Soup

A wintry mix

I found inspiration in my basket of garlic

Garlic is so easy to grow, it's a mystery to me why it's not more widely grown. Here in south western New Hampshire, I plant garlic the last week of October, just before the ground freezes. I save the biggest cloves from the summer's harvest for planting. I plant them four inches apart, one inch deep, in a raised bed filled with good garden soil, rich with compost. Cover the entire bed with three inches of hay, then I sit back and wait for spring. That's it! In spring, as soon as the ground thaws, the garlic starts growing without any help from me.

Garlic bed in early spring

They're ready to be picked when four bottom leaves turn yellow and start to brown. To harvest, I gently pull them out of the ground, brush off the extra soil and hang them in the garage to cure for winter storage.

I grow more than a hundred heads of garlic every year to share with friends and to make this fabulous soup. Plant some garlic next fall and you'll never look back.

Fresh Garlic Soup

I came up with this recipe a few years back when a bumper crop of fresh garlic sent me scurrying for ways to use garlic. This soup is quick and easy, comes together in an instant. Don't be afraid of the amount of garlic, it'll come out creamy, mellow and delicious. Like chicken soup, it's a cure for any winter colds. Enjoy it piping hot by the fire and you can almost ignore the wintry weather outside. Here's the recipe:

2 heads of garlic
4 cups of water
2 onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup olive oil
6 sage leaves
4 cups chicken stock
salt and pepper

Separate the garlic into cloves, leave unpeeled. In a soup pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, add garlic cloves and boil 8 minutes. Drain and peel the garlic cloves. Return them to the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Boil gently uncovered, until garlic is meltingly soft, about ten minutes. Remove sage leaves and puree soup in a blender or food processor. Salt and pepper to taste. Served with warm crusty bread and salad, it makes a light comforting supper for two.

This is my first entry to Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by
Chriesi of Almond Corner.