I’ve started to feel a little under the weather (and the actual weather isn’t helping!) but hopefully nothing that a hearty bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup won’t solve. And of-course, I made Chicken Noodle Soup from scratch, but it is a bit of a “cheater” recipe: a rotisserie chicken from Whole Foods, meat removed and then the broth made from the carcass. Used little spaghetti-o pasta just because they are cute. Best soup that I have had in ages.
As we get closer to Thanksgiving, I usually find myself wanted to make a variation on the “cranberry sauce” theme, and this is the 5th variation of a “sauce”, “preserve” or”chutney” that I have made. It’s not really like “the stuff from the can” but is very fresh, very flavorful and is a great combo of cranberries, apples and rhubarb. Yes, rhubarb. It’s nearly impossible to find right now and definitely not “in season” but I had stashed some in my freezer, for occasions just like this. It’s got a little bit of a kick with hot pepper flakes and a little bit of warmth from just a smidge of clove. Quite nice, actually. Will keep in the fridge probably through Christmas.
This is a trend that I’ve been seeing recently on some of the bread-baking sites that I follow: shaping a regular loaf of bread (a standard boule) into a pumpkin loaf. There is nothing pumpkin or pumpkin-spice flavored about this bread: it is just a regular loaf of my standard artisan sourdough bread. But to make it a little festive, you can imprint the loaf by loosely tying cooking twine around it before baking. I used a cinnamon stick as the “stem” just to complete the look. Makes a nice presentation for a harvest / autumn / Thanksgiving meal.
Well, here’s something different. I’m still on my “summer tomato kick” (because if you aren’t getting good tomatoes now, when will you get good tomatoes?!?), but these Sun-dried Tomato and Basil Crackers can actually be made year round because you’re using the dried variety. I know that these may not look like much, but they are packed with flavor and would go great with cheese or dip or as an addition to a rustic charcuterie platter. You won’t be disappointed!
The other day, we had Peas & Pearls! Now we have Sprinkles & Curls. Ok, so it’s just a cute way of saying tiny cherry tomatoes marketed as “sprinkles” and curly spaghetti, but I think that it’s funny. And if you don’t have either, you can make this recipe with cherry tomatoes and regular spaghetti as well. A super quick mostly hands off meal but also super delicious. The tomatoes are just bursting with flavor!