Round 2, challenge 12, Bill Hicks
I've never been a vegetarian for more than eight consecutive hours, so when I learned that I had to prepare a vegetarian soup using Whole Foods Market organic pear juice and red chile peppers, I had to go get a burger to clear my head. I started thinking of seasonal vegetables, but Brussels sprouts and cauliflower didn't seem to cut it. How about pumpkin? What could be more appropriate for October? Pumpkin blends nicely with fruit flavors and is complemented by a wide range of spices. Pumpkin soup is something I've seldom made, but with a little research, I realized that it was important to start with a rich vegetable broth base and then add layers of flavor. Caramelizing vegetables creates depth and complexity. Asian ingredients fascinate me, so it was natural to include coriander, ginger and coconut. I was concerned about the heat of chile peppers in a soup, but the creaminess of the coconut milk smoothed out the chiles. I decided to balance the spicy soup with a spinach salad featuring milder Melrose peppers and pear vinaigrette. Finally, a dessert. Bacon ice cream seemed to violate the spirit of the meal, so I revised a recipe that I created years ago for Cinnamon Red Hot Ice Cream. The pear juice was perfect for the recipe, and the cayenne pepper will light your fire.
- Mary J. Insprucker