Sweet Potato and Thai Curry Soup

Red Curry Paste: Not all red curry pastes are created equal. They vary in heat and potency, and each has its own flavor characteristics. If you aren't familiar with purchasing curry pastes, you can typically find a brand or two at your nearest chain grocery store. However, a local ethnic foods market would be a great option, if you have one.

When purchasing your curry there are two rough guidelines you can follow. First, typically, the thicker the paste is the more concentrated the flavor will be. Next look on the package to see if it gives a recipe. If it does, look for the ratio of paste to coconut milk the brand recommends. I've tested a few different pastes in the past few months and find the brands that recommend fewer tablespoons per 14 ounces of coconut milk create the most flavorful dishes. If there isn't a ratio given, start with 1 tablespoon in this recipe and taste after the 2 1/2 hour mark. You can always add more. 

Thai food can be intimidating. I often hear people say that they would never attempt making it on their own. However, making dishes using traditional Thai flavors can be quite easy; even easier when you throw your crock pot into the mix.

Chopping a few fresh veggies and throwing everything into your pot is about the only prep for this recipe.  In just a few minutes you'll have a delicious soup simmering and filling your house with sweet Thai aromas. In the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this soup can be great 'comfort food.'

When I first tested this recipe, I put the bell peppers into the mix and let them cook with the soup.  In my second batch I found that keeping them raw and adding them at the end with the snow peas adds a sweet crispness to the soup. My husband tells me that soup can end up tasting a little monotone after several spoonfuls; adding fresh vegetables and peanuts is a way to keep your tastebuds moving from one layer of flavor to another.

One more note: this recipe also calls for galangal - a root used as an important ingredient in Thai curry pastes. Its flavor is peppery like ginger but has a more floral and citrusy flavor. I bought powdered galangal from Penzey's Spices; however, if you can't find it or aren't interested in purchasing it, you can leave it out or add an extra teaspoon of ginger. The soup will taste great either way.  

Now curry up, Sweet Potato, and thai this soup!

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Sweet Potato and Thai Curry Soup

• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• 1 lb of boneless chicken 
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped
• 8 oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
• 5" stalk of lemongrass, cut into 3 pieces, or 2 tsp of ground
• 3 14 oz. cans coconut milk (full fat is better here)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (I used Thai Kitchen brand)
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp galangal powder 
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 - 1 tsp kosher salt
• 2 limes
• Red, yellow or orange bell pepper, thinly sliced
• Snow peas, thinly sliced (about 1/2 lb will do)
• Roasted peanuts, roughly chopped (optional)
• Basil, minced (optional)

Combine all the ingredients from the onion through the ginger in a crock pot. I put my chicken in whole and pull it apart later (cutting raw chicken isn't one of my favorite kitchen duties, so I avoid it if I can). Stir until the red curry paste and spices are thoroughly mixed in. Turn your crock on high heat and cook, covered, for 2 1/2 hours. If you're around while it's cooking, stir it occasionally. If you aren't, that's okay!

Stir your soup and taste to see if it needs salt. I would start with 1/2 tsp and go from there, as some chicken broths have more salt than others - salt to your liking. If you started cooking with whole or large chicken pieces, remove them from your pot. Shred with a fork or cut them into bite size pieces then return it to your pot. If you aren't ready to serve, turn your heat down to warm. It'll keep like this for a couple of hours - your sweet potatoes may get softer and start breaking down, but that'll only make for a thicker soup, which is definitely not a bad thing.

When ready to serve, juice the limes into your pot and stir. Fill your bowls with soup, adding bell pepper and snow peas on top. Sprinkle with roasted peanuts and basil, if you have any. 

Serves 5

Persimmon Salad + Whipped Goat Cheese

Featured: Fuyu Persimmons
When ripe, they have a honey-like sweetness that is delicious and unique for a winter fruit.  This particular variety is not astringent (causing a chalky mouth feel) so it can be eaten when less ripe, but their sweetness deepens as they ripen.  As the persimmon ripens, the color will become richer and the flesh will start to give slightly - similar to a slightly under ripe pear.  Serve raw or cooked. 

Nutrition: Rich in potassium and Vitamins A and C. Also a good source of antioxidants, fiber and Omega-6.

Season: October through November and into December in warmer climates.

I have to confess something.  Christmas is my all-time favorite holiday.  I start looking forward the atmosphere and decorations (and the music) in something like May.  However, Thanksgiving takes a very close second.  I love seeing the incredible variety of dishes and hearing about everyone's traditional family meals.  The sides alone are enough to make someone want to gorge themselves just so they can taste everything. The only issue I find with this load of deliciousness is that most of it is heavy - cream based, bread filled, oil slathered, deep fried - and I often find myself looking for something fresh and light to help balance everything out. Thus, I bring you a nice addition to your meal of thanks.

If you're unfamiliar with the persimmon, don't shy away from this recipe.  Persimmons tend to land on fall/winter's B-list of fruits and it's time we push them out into the limelight, where they belong.  There are few varieties to choose from, but start your persimmon eating journey with the fuyu.  If you can, buy them from a local farm or a market that sources locally; they will likely be sweeter and have more flavor than what you'll find at a grocery chain. NPR's got a nice little write up about them if you want to learn more. 

Now a note about goat cheese. You may read through this and wonder 1 - why it's whipped and 2 - why it's spread on a plate under the salad. Well, if you ask two questions, you'll get two answers. 1 - whipping it changes the consistency to a delectably creamy texture that spreads easily. 2 -  spreading it under the salad allows the dressing to mix with the cheese as you're eating, and assures that you don't get overpowering amounts of goat cheese in any single bite. There's also a couple of tips on how you can adapt the recipe to use in different ways. Also, be sure to use a good goat cheese for this. Trust me, it's worth the extra few pennies. 

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Persimmon Salad + Whipped Goat Cheese

• 2 Fuyu persimmons
• 1/2 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups spring lettuce mix
• 1 cup torn radicchio leaves
• 1 orange, juiced
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh mint, minced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Black pepper and salt to taste
• Whipped Goat Cheese (see recipe below)

Combine the orange juice, honey and mint in a bowl and whisk together until the honey is dissolved. Slowly drizzle in the oil while whisking. Add freshly ground pepper and salt to taste (only add salt if you need to - it can help cut down on the sharpness if your orange isn't particularly sweet). 

Cut off the top of each persimmon just below the stem/leaves and slice into 1/4" thick rounds. Stack the rounds and cut them into (smallish) bite size pieces. I like to cut mine into 6 pieces. Place your persimmon pieces in a small bowl and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of dressing. Fully mix together and separate any slices that are stuck to each other - your hands are the best tool here. The dressing will help keep your slices from forming clumps. Add the pomegranate arils, lettuce, radicchio and walnuts. Pour in the remaining dressing and toss together. 

Spread 1 tablespoon of the whipped goat cheese on a salad plate. Spoon a quarter of your persimmon salad on top of the cheese and serve. 

If you aren't plating food for your guests or you're running things buffet style, try serving this salad in a radicchio leaf (like a lettuce cup, but the radicchio holds up a bit better).

To serve this way, follow the instructions up until plating. Spread 1/2 tablespoon of whipped goat cheese on the inside of each radicchio leaf. Evenly divide the salad in each leaf and serve on a platter. 

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Mix it up a little and add a tablespoon of fresh minced herbs (such as rosemary and parsley) to the beaten cheese mixture. Spread on toasted baguette or serve a spoonful atop mashed potatoes.

For a sweeter take, add 2 teaspoons of cocoa powder and a tablespoon of honey (or your favorite sweetener) and beat for an additional minute.  Spread it on toast or waffles as an excellent replacement for Nutella. 

WHIPPED GOAT CHEESE

• 2 oz plain goat cheese
• 2 tbsp greek yogurt
• 1 tbsp heavy cream (optional)
• Black pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and whip on medium speed with a hand held electric beater for 2 minutes (a whisk will do if you don't have a hand held beater). 

The key to this element of the salad is using good goat cheese. I buy goat cheese from a local farm (Nicolau Farms) that sells at our farmers market, but you can certainly buy it from the store. I just suggest splurging a little and buying the better brand. 

Serves 4 if plating // Serves 5-6 if serving in radicchio leaves

Chai Roasted Plums with Vanilla Cream

The past couple of weeks have finally been giving hints of Fall. San Diego can have it's moments of "I can't believe it's so nice outside today!" weather, but lately, that has not been a trend. Summer seems to be lasting far too long, thrusting us into jealousy as the rest of the country embraces it's pumpkin everything boot-wearing sweater weather. In an effort to do some kind of rain dance esque plea to the God of Seasons to let us keep Fall, I've created a nice recipe using fall flavors and spices. Enjoy, and pray for us.

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Chai Roasted Plums

• 9 plums
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp minced ginger (fresh, dried, or crystallized are fine)
• 1/2 tsp cardamom seeds
• 1/2 tsp black peppercorns, slightly crushed
• 1/2 tsp whole cloves
• 1/2 vanilla bean pod (I suggest scraping the inside and reserving for the vanilla cream)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 tsp black tea leaves or 1 tea bag
• 1 recipe of Vanilla Cream (below)
• 1/4 cup pistachios, chopped

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Halve and pit plums and place cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. To make chai, place water in a small sauce pan over medium heat and add ingredients from brown sugar to cinnamon. Heat until the brown sugar is dissolved and the mixture just begins to simmer. Turn off heat and add tea. Steep for 5 minutes. If you are using loose leaf tea, be sure to add them to an infuser or bag first. 

Once your tea has steeped, remove the tea and pour the chai (all spices included) into the pan with the plums. Move the pan around to evenly distribute the liquid if needed. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes. You'll know they are done when the liquid is mostly evaporated and there is a thin layer of syrup left around the plums. 

If adapting this recipe to serve a smaller portion, roast in a smaller pan and use half of the chai liquid; otherwise, it won't caramelize by the time the plums are cooked. I used a 12" x 17" pan in my recipe.

Cool for a few minutes. Serve warm with a loving heap of vanilla cream and sprinkled with pistachios.  

Vanilla Cream

• 1 egg white
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
• 1/2 cup greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Whip egg white until stiff peaks form. Add in sugar, vanilla, greek yogurt and heavy cream. Whip for 2 more minutes. 

I recommend making this while the plums are roasting. If making ahead of time, whip again for 30 seconds before serving.

Basil-Chip Ice Cream Pie

Basil-Chip Ice Cream Pie

• Bon Appetit's Mr. and Mrs. Miscellaneous Basil-Chip Ice Cream
• 18 Biscoff cookies
• 1 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup almond flower
• 3 tbsp melted butter
• Elderflower Strawberries, or fresh berries for serving

Follow the directions for Bon Appetit's Basil-Chip Ice Cream base, just prior to adding it to your ice cream machine, and keep in the refrigerator until you're ready to freeze. To make the pie's crumb crust, place the Biscoff cookies in a food processor and blend until finely crumbled. Empty into a medium sized mixing bowl. Add to the bowl, cocoa powder and almond flour and mix thoroughly. Add the melted butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly moistened. You may want to ditch the utensil and use your fingers to finish mixing. Spoon the mixture into a 9" pie pan and begin patting it down and up the sides of the pan with your fingers or the back of a soup spoon. Be conscious of getting the layer of crumb even, or your ice cream may soak through later on, making it difficult to remove your slices. Once the pie pan is evenly coated, place in the freezer for 1 hour. 

Pick-up where you left off in the ice cream recipe by adding the base to your ice cream maker. The freeze time will depend on your machine, so look for the ice cream base to almost double in volume. When it's done, it should be about the consistency of greek yogurt if you take a spoonful of it. Remove your pie pan from the freezer and very carefully spoon the ice cream into the crust. Fill just before it reaches the top of the crust. Return to a level surface in the freezer, and freeze for a minimum of 4 hours. 

To serve, run a sharp paring knife under hot water for 10 seconds. Wipe dry and cut the pie into slices. Spoon Elderflower Strawberries and syrup over each slice, or serve with fresh sliced strawberries.

Elderflower Soaked Strawberries

Elderflower soaked Strawberries (whole and Jam)

• 5 cups strawberries - keep small ones whole; halve or quarter larger ones
• 1/2 cup Elderflower cordial
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbs sugar
• If making jam: 1 tbs low sugar pectin (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat. Cook until juices form and the berries begin to float (this should take about 7 minutes). If you want to keep them whole, stop here, and store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  

to make Jam:

Once the strawberries are removed from the heat, carefully pour them into a blender. On low speed, pulse 4 times, or until you've reached your desired consistency. Return the mixture to your pot over medium heat. Whisk in the pectin and cook for another 5 minutes. Store in glass jars in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or can for use later in the year. 

*I saved one half-pint jar of whole strawberries, covered in their juice, and continued to make jam with the rest. Makes two more half-pint jars worth. 

Serving suggestions: On top of any cakes or sweet biscuits, spread on scones, or enjoyed on ice cream. Maybe even this Basil-Chip Ice Cream Pie! Pictured below :).

Note: I found this Elderflower Cordial at World Market. You can also order it on Amazon, or substitute it for any elderflower liquor, easily found at most liquor stores.