Tag Archive for: Sage

'roasting the Pumpkins

There are many ways to use the remains of the Thanksgiving turkey. Of course, having a delicious herb-roasted and smoked turkey will leave fewer leftovers, but there are bound to be some no matter what. One of my favorites from childhood is Scrapple, but that is the subject of another post and recipe.

It has been colder here, so soups have been on the menu. Roasted bone and carcass broth based soups are always very satisfying and nutritious this time of the year.  I wanted to share a different take on the re purposing of the noble Thanksgiving turkey in the role of a rich, hearty and extremely satisfying soup. This recipe uses pumpkin, as there is usually some left from making the pies, but any hard shell winter squash will work beautifully. The best flavor will be from a pie pumpkin, not a carving or field pumpkin. Taking advantage of the abundance of vegetables used at the Thanksgiving feast, this soup can be as rich and complex or as simple and straightforward as you wish. You can also make a couple of soups, as once the roasting of the carcass is done there are endless routes one could go with this soup. Roasting the turkey carcass after it has been cooked intensifies its flavors and prepares it for creating the rich stock, which is the base for partnering with the creamy smoothness of the roasted pumpkin.

Thanksgiving Turkey and Pumpkin Soup

For the Stock-

1 Turkey carcass- whole with some meat and skin left on it, or with wings

2 Onions–  quartered

3-5 Medium carrots

5-6 Lbs. Pumpkin, sliced open and seeds removed

1 Bouquet Garni- 2 Dried Bay leaves, 1 small bunch Flat Leaf Parsley, (preferably fresh, dried is ok),  2 sprigs fresh Thyme (dried is ok)

1- 6 Oz. can of tomato paste

 

Roast the carcass on a large roasting pan or heavy baking sheet at 450F for 1  hour. It should be medium brown. Add the quartered onions, carrots, potatoes and pumpkin and roast for 1/2 hour. Other root vegetables can be roasted as well for different flavor dimensions. The vegetables should be soft, slightly darkened and well roasted, while the carcass should be nicely browned and almost falling apart.  Browning the carcass and vegetables in the oven before simmering them in a pot gives the stock a more pronounced flavor and deeper color. Scoop out pumpkin, use 1 Lb now, reserve the rest. Place everything in a large heavy stock pot. Deglaze the roasting pan by adding 2-3 cups of water to the pan on the stove, bring to a simmer and scrape the browned bits loose with a wooden spoon. A cup of red wine with the water to deglaze will add an incredible depth to the flavor. These bits are very concentrated in flavor, called the “stock foundation” by the French. Add to stock pot, along with Bouquet Garni and tomato paste, which adds color and depth of flavor. Cover carcass completely with water- about 10-12 Qts and slowly simmer very gently for a minimum of 10-12 hours. During the first few hours, fat and proteins will rise to the top. For a clear stock- skim the top, but it is not absolutely necessary, as the fats will collect at the top when cooled, and the proteins will remain in the stock.

Once the stock has simmered, allow to cool. Skim fat from top and strain out bones and Bouquet Garni. Mash up remains of vegetables. Bone the turkey, leaving the soft cartilage and bits of meat. You should have a very thick stock, with no whole vegetables showing.

For the Soup-

Remainder of roasted pumpkin

1-2 Lbs leftover Turkey, shredded

6-8 Cups Turkey stock

4 Tbs Butter, preferably unsalted

2 Medium Onions, chopped

4-6 Garlic cloves, minced

2-3 Medium potatoes, cut into medium cubes

15 Fresh Sage leaves, coarsely chopped

Freshly ground Salt and Black Pepper

Fresh cream if desired

In heavy stock pot, preferably cast iron, melt butter over low heat and slowly cook onions for 15 minutes, then add garlic for 5 minutes. Add remainder of roasted pumpkin and bring to a simmer. For a smoother soup, puree pumpkin, onion and garlic mixture now. Return to pot, add potatoes, Turkey and stock. Slow simmer for 30 minutes. Potatoes should be tender. Add ground Salt and Pepper and chopped sage leaves, reserving some for a garnish. Finish simmering for 10 minutes to blend flavors. Add splash of cream to each bowl and  serve hot with fresh bread.

This is always a hit, so I make extra. Enjoy and let us know how yours turns out!

We are back from the Red Rock Lavender Festival, having met some wonderful people and loving the lavender scents for 4 days. While we were there, we picked up some Herbes de Provence and Herbes de Concho that are made at Red Rock Ranch. The high altitude, sparse soil and dry Mediterranean climate play a major part in the intensity of the scent and flavor of the lavender in their Herbes mix.

The amazing thing about Herbes de Provence is the adaptability of the mixture in so many culinary applications- from grilled, roasted or baked meats, to stews, soups and grilled or roasted vegetables, Herbes de Provence adds a depth of flavor and aroma that is unique and heady. Another interesting thing is the broad spectrum of ingredients that make up the Herbes mixture. The basic and classic mixture is equal parts dried Oregano, Thyme, Summer Savory and Lavender buds, mixed well. From this basis several other recipes have evolved, with both individual and regional preferences showing up. Many of the mixtures involve classical, foundation spices that are used in French and classical European cuisines. Some will argue that the essential ingredient is Lavender, while others will say that it’s exclusion does not lessen the mixture, and even enhances it in certain dishes. I’m not going to get into that argument, but will say that the Provence region is world famous for its Lavender, thus its inclusion into the Herbes de Provence.

This is the time of year to start selecting, harvesting and drying your garden herbs for the coming year. Rosemary has starting blooming and is incredibly fragrant now, as is Sage, Oregano, Basil, Thyme and almost all of the culinary herbs.  Selecting the best leaves from the herbs and drying them in small batches starting now gives you plenty of time to accumulate the volume of dried herbs needed to not only have enough for general cooking, but will give you enough to make some mixtures that use foundational herbs without depleting your stocks. Starting now also gives you the time to do smaller batches, being more selective in quality instead of having to just pick what is available to do a large, rushed batch later in the Fall as the weather starts shutting the garden down. Ask me how I know… Plus it’s wonderful to improvise tonights dinner from the herbs and vegetables picked today from your garden!

The following recipes should be considered a starting point, not the definitive, final recipe. Use your tastes and flavor combination preferences as a guide, and adjust amount and types of herbs accordingly. How else do you think that so many variations on the theme evolved?

I will share several other recipes for the mixture below, as well as some ideas for using them. Dried herbs are important, as fresh herbs will lose their flavor in about 20 minutes of cooking.

Classic Herbes de Provence

Equal parts of the following dried herbs:

Oregano

Thyme

Summer Savory

Lavender buds

Mix well and store in an air tight container. Keeps for 3-6 months, depending on humidity and temperature.

Variations on Herbes de Provence

1 tsp thyme
1 tsp summer savory
1/2 tsp lavender buds
1/4 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp oregano or basil (or both)
1/4 tsp sage

1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp basil
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp summer savory
1/2 tsp lavender buds
1 tsp rosemary
1/2 tsp fennel
1 tsp oregano


2 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp French tarragon
1 tsp rosemary
2 tsp summer savory
1 tsp fennel seeds
1 tsp lavender buds


1 tbs thyme
1 tbs chervil
1 tbs rosemary
1 tbs summer savory
1 tsp lavender buds
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp marjoram
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp mint
2 powdered or chopped bay leaves


You can crush the mix prior to adding it to olive oil for a marinade or dressing. Add in crushed dried red chiles for a new taste dimension. Mix with homemade mayonnaise for a real taste treat.

Herbes de Provence/ Bleu Cheese Burgers

Mix lean hamburger meat with high quality Bleu cheese at a ratio of 3/4 meat to 1/4 cheese. Form into patties, dust liberally with Herbes de Provence mixture that has  been crushed with fresh ground black pepper and salt, let sit for 20 minutes and grill till done.  Make sure to make extras!

Marinated Herbes de Provence Steaks

The flavors will really be enhanced if you use grass fed beef.

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup Herbes de Provence

1 tsp fresh ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

Mix ingredients well, coat both sides of steaks, let sit covered for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Grill to taste. Optional- make 1/2 recipe extra to top steaks when served. Can add sprinkle of Gorgonzola cheese to top of hot steak as well.

Herbes de Provence Garlic Bread

1/4 cup Herbes de Provence

1/2 cup softened butter

3-6 large cloves freshly minced garlic

Fresh sourdough bread

Mix Herbes with butter and garlic. For more garlic flavor- use more cloves. Optional- roast the peeled garlic cloves prior to mincing for a richer, mellower flavor. Lightly spread butter on both sides of thickly sliced bread, bake in 400F oven for 3-5 minutes or until just turning golden brown.

Hopefully you can start to see the versatility of the magical Herbes de Provence. You are only limited by your tastes and creativity!