Blog | Canalside Community Food - Part 6

This makes a very good Friday night dinner. The pumpkin (or squash) soup is silky and rich, despite its simple ingredients, and the multiple toppings add complexity and, in the case of the pumpkin seeds, crunch. The rice provides a backdrop for the ginger-spiked soup and rosemary butter. You will leave the table feeling well-fed and comfortable in your tummy.

Pumpkin and Rice Soup, Serves 2-3 as a main

Ingredients

For the Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
½ dried chile, chopped and de-seeded if you prefer
1 teaspoon salt
1kg squash or pumpkin
1.2 litres of water
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, or a bit more, to taste

To Serve

cooked brown rice, warm
plain yoghurt
toasted pumpkin seeds
lemon-ginger-rosemary butter (see below)

Method

In a large pot melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, chile and salt. Turn the heat to low and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onion is softened.

Meanwhile, prepare the squash or pumpkin. Peel it, remove any seeds and cut it into 2cm chunks. You need about 700g once it’s been peeled and de-seeded.

When the onion is soft add the squash or pumpkin and water. Bring to a simmer and cook gently until the squash or pumpkin is soft. This will take between 15 and 25 minutes, depending on the squash or pumpkin.

Remove from the heat and add the ginger. Use a stick blender to puree until it is smooth. Add a bit more water if it seems too thick for your taste.

To serve, put a big scoop of rice in each soup bowl and top with the soup. Decorate with some yoghurt, toasted pumpkin seeds and lemon-ginger-rosemary butter.

Lemon-Ginger-Rosemary Butter

Ingredients

50g butter
rosemary leaves from a 10cm sprig, chopped
zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
pinch of salt

Method

Melt the butter in a small pan over medium heat, until the butter starts to brown. Keep an eye on it so it does not burn.

Remove from the heat and stir in the other ingredients. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, to let the flavours meld.

Recipe adapted from 101 Cookbooks

The Guardian calls this a dip, and doubtless it would be nice with something dipped in it, but I thought it worked very well as a thing-in-itself. If you are worried that would be too much coconut, it isn’t.

South Indian Beetroot and Coconut ‘Dip’

Serves 4 as part of a larger spread.

Ingredients

For the Beetroot
1 drizzle rapeseed oil
4 medium beetroot, peeled and grated
200g plain yoghurt
salt
1 teaspoon sugar
juice of 1 lime

For the Coconut Paste
½ teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
8 cashews, toasted in a dry pan
100g fresh or frozen coconut, grated
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 green chile, de-seeded if you desire

For the Topping
2 tablespoons coconut or rapeseed oil
2 teaspoons brown mustard seed
1 pinch asafoetida
15 curry leaves
1 dried chile

Preparation

Begin with the beetroot: In a large pan heat the rapeseed oil. When it is hot sauté the grated beetroot until is beginning to get tender, about 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the coconut paste: combine the mustard, sesame and cumin seeds in a blender and whizz them up. Add the cashews, coconut, ginger, chile and a little water. Whizz again until it is a smooth paste. Add more water if you need to.

Stir this coconut paste into the beetroot and cook over low-medium heat for another 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Once it is cool, blitz it up in the blender until it is smooth. Add the yoghurt and salt to taste. Add the sugar and lime juice, blend, and tip into a serving bowl.

When you are ready to eat prepare the topping: heat the coconut or rapeseed oil in a small frying pan. Once it is hot add the mustard seeds. As soon as they start to pop add the asafoetida, curry leaves and chile. Toss for another 30 seconds and then pour this over the beetroot and serve.

Recipe adapted from The Guardian, 12 June 2021.

Miso and harissa on their own pack a punch. Combined they are even better. The spicy-salty flavour goes superbly with the sweetness of roast squash, while the potatoes add a calming back-note. Stir in some shredded kale and top with toasted nuts, and you have a complete meal. You could fancy it up with some yoghurt, or serve it alongside a bit of grilled meat or fish, if you liked.

Miso Harissa Roast Squash
Serves 2-4

Ingredients
225g small potatoes
350g squash
60ml olive oil
60ml white miso
1 tablespoon harissa
3 tablespoons lemon juice
50g kale, de-stemmed and finely chopped
4 radishes, sliced thin (optional)
40g toasted almonds or pumpkin seeks

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C.

Cut the potatoes into slices the size of your thumb. Peel the squash if you don’t like the skin, and scoop out the seeds. (You can make these into a tasty nibble by soaking them overnight in salty water, draining, and then baking for about 10 minutes at 180C.) Cut the squash into 1cm wedges. Put the potatoes and squash in a large bowl.

In a small bowl whisk together the olive oil, miso and harissa. Toss with the potatoes and squash with half the olive oil-miso-harissa mix, and put onto a baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and starting to brown a bit. Toss them once or twice along the way. Watch them to make sure they don’t burn.

Meanwhile, whisk the lemon juice into the remaining olive oil-miso-harissa mixture. Taste it to see if you would like to add more olive oil, etc. Stir in the kale.

When the squash and potatoes are tender, put them in a serving bowl and toss with the kale mixture. Serve topped with the radishes (if you wish) and toasted nuts/seeds.

Recipe adapted from Heidi Swanson, 101 Cookbooks

Yotam Ottolenghi recommends serving this root vegetable mash with either roast chicken or his very tasty wine-braised shallots (link: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/nov/28/root-mash-braised-shallots-recipe-ottoleghi). I’ve cut down the butter a bit as it seemed plenty rich with 35g of butter, but feel free to add the full 70g if you’d like. I don’t think the ratio between the vegetables needs to be observed religiously.

Ottolenghi Root Mash
serves 4-6

Ingredients
80g Puy lentils
300g celeriac, peeled and cut into chunks
300g carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
300g squash, peeled and cut into chunks
600g sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
35g butter
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
black pepper (to taste)

Preparation
Bring a pan of water to the boil and add the lentils. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until tender. Drain and set aside.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the celeriac and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the squash and sweet potato and cook for a further 10-15 minutes, or until everything is tender. Drain, shaking off as much liquid as possible.

Return the vegetables to the pan and mash well with a potato masher. Add the butter, maple syrup, cumin, salt, and black pepper and mash a bit more. Add the lentils, and taste to see if you would like more salt or pepper.

Recipe adapted from Yotam Ottolenghi, Plenty More (2014).

The honey helps make the carrots glazed and sticky, as well as sweet. The sharp tahini-yoghurt sauce contrasts well with this.

Honey Roasted Carrots with Tahini Yoghurt
Serves 2-4 alongside other dishes

Ingredients
for the roast carrots
1.3kg carrots
60g runny honey
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, toasted in a dry pan and lightly crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds, toasted in a dry pan and lightly crushed
7g whole thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon salt
several grinds of black pepper
1½ tablespoons coriander leaves, roughly chopped (to garnish)
for the tahini-yoghurt sauce
1 garlic clove
pinch of salt
40g tahini
130g thick yoghurt (Greek or kerned is ideal but whole-milk plain yoghurt will work too)
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation
Prepare the carrots: Heat your oven to 200C. Peel the carrots. If they’re thick cut them into smaller batons of about 2cm by 6cm. Put them in a large bowl with all the other carrot ingredients aside from the coriander leaves. Mix them well and then spread them in a single layer on one or more baking trays. Put them in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes, stirring a few times, until they are soft and glazed. Remove them from the oven.

Prepare the tahini-yoghurt sauce: While the carrots are cooking prepare the tahini-yoghurt sauce: crush the garlic with the salt in a mortar and pestle. Transfer the salt-garlic mix to a small bowl and whisk in the other ingredients. Taste and see if you would like more salt or lemon juice.

To serve: spread the carrots on an attractive platter, and top with a few spoonfuls of the sauce and the coriander leaves. Serve warm or at room temperature with the remaining sauce on the side.

Recipe adapted from Guardian, 12 April 2013.

One of the benefits of our current mode of living is that we can eat messily, enjoying the pleasure of sticky, savoury foods that we hold with our fingers. These drippy, delicious flatbreads are fun to make and fun to eat. And who would have guessed that swede, spiced with Mexican chiles and accompanied by a peanut salsa, would taste so perfect wrapped in a tortilla?

I made these without the mushrooms and they were excellent but doubtless they’ll be delicious with them, too. I also augmented Meera’s original recipe with some sautéed dandelion greens. Fresh dandelions are beginning to appear in the woods and verges, waiting for you to pick them, but you could also use spinach or another leafy green.

Swede (and Mushroom) Flatbreads with Peanut Salsa
Serves 4

Ingredients
For the Roast Vegetables
5 tablespoons rapeseed oil
1 tablespoon ancho chile flakes (or another mild dried chile)
½ tablespoon chipotle chile flakes
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon salt
800g swede, peeled, cut in half, and then sliced into 1cm half-moons
1 large red onion, peeled, cut in half, and then sliced into 1cm half-moons
300g large mushrooms, cut into 1cm slices (optional)

For the Peanut Salsa
75ml rapeseed oil
5 fat garlic cloves, peeled
100g salted roasted peanuts
½ tablespoon chipotle chile flakes
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
100ml water

For the Sauteed Greens
splash of rapeseed oil
250g dandelion greens (or spinach, or really any other leafy green)

To serve
tortillas or other flatbread
handful of coriander, chopped
plain yoghurt

Preparation
Prepare the Roast Vegetables: Heat the oven to 200C. While it heats up, mix together in a small bowl the 5 tablespoons rapeseed oil, ancho chiles, ½ tablespoon chipotle chiles, cloves, cumin and salt. Place the swede and onions in a large bowl. Put the mushrooms (if you’re using them) in another bowl. Divide the spiced oil between the two bowls and toss with your hands to distribute the oil over the vegetables. Put the swede and onions into a roasting tin and roast for 10 minutes. Then add the mushrooms (if used) and roast everything for about 20 more minutes. Check partway through to make sure they’re not burning, and to turn over the swede slices, so that each side gets pleasantly browned. Once the vegetables are soft and caramelised they’re ready to eat.

Make the Salsa: put 75ml of rapeseed oil, garlic, and peanuts in a small saucepan. Heat over a low flame and bring slowly to a boil. Simmer over the lowest possible heat for 4-5 minutes, or until the garlic starts to colour. Remove from the heat and add the ½ tablespoon chipotle chile flakes and salt. Once it is cool, add the vinegar and water and whizz up in a blender until it is semi-smooth, or at least as smooth as you like. A little chunkiness is pleasant.

Sauté the Greens: Heat the oil in a frying pan. Once it’s hot add the greens and toss them about in the hot oil for a few minutes, until they wilt. (If you are using kale or a tougher green this will take a bit longer.) Dandelions are not only tasty but really quick to cook. . . In any case, once they’re done set them aside until you’re ready to eat.

Assemble the Flatbreads: warm your flatbreads in a dry frying pan. Once they are warm, spread each one with some of the peanut salsa and strew some of the greens on top. Spoon some of the roast vegetable over that, and top with a sprinkling of coriander. Bring to the table along with the yoghurt, so that you can drizzle a bit over the top if you like. Eat with your hands.

Recipe adapted from Meera Sodha, The Guardian, 20 March 2021.

Here is another winter soup recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. Ginger and cayenne give a bit of a kick, while the parsnip provides a mellow, sustaining backdrop. Serve with some good bread.

Parsnip and Ginger Soup
Serves 4

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
15g butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
4–5cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
500g parsnips, peeled and cut into 1cm cubes
800ml vegetable stock
200ml whole milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper (to garnish)
2–3 tablespoons flaked almonds or pumpkin seeds (to garnish)
1–2 tablespoons double cream or thick, plain (full-fat) yoghurt (to garnish)

Preparation
Heat the olive oil and butter in a saucepan over a medium-low heat and sauté the onion for about 10 minutes, until soft and translucent.

Add the garlic, ginger, cardamom, cumin and cayenne and stir for a couple of minutes. Tip in the parsnips and stir until well coated in the spices. Pour in the stock, season with salt and pepper and simmer until the parsnips are very soft – about 15 minutes.

Allow the soup to cool slightly, then purée in a food processor or blender, or using a stick blender, until smooth. Return the soup to the pan, add the milk and adjust the seasoning. Warm through gently – if the soup is a bit thick, thin it with some hot water from the kettle.

While the soup is warming, toast the almonds or pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan until just beginning to turn golden.

Serve the soup in warmed bowls with a trickle of cream or yoghurt and the toasted almonds scattered over the top. Finish with a grinding of black pepper.

Recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, River Cottage Veg Every Day! (2011).

Canalside community food, a pioneering CSA based outside of Leamington Spa is looking for a part-time grower. We are seeking a grower with experience to join our team producing organic veg and fruit all year round for our community of 170 households.

The successful candidate will work as part of a small growing team alongside the admin team and other volunteers and will be expected to play a key role in crop production and farm upkeep. We are establishing a collaborative approach; the role initially being under supervision with a view to developing skills and experience for all aspects of farm management at Canalside. The role is 2 days per week, annual salary: £9,360 with statutory holiday allowance and a pension offered.

More details and full job description here

Applications by CV and covering letter to mail@canalsidecommunityfood.org.uk: deadline – noon on Friday 21st January 2022

Selection will be based on an interview, to take place in the weeks following the application deadline.

This is a version of a Lebanese sauce called toum. Toum is essentially a eggless mayonnaise, in which the garlic magically emulsifies the oil to produce a thick, creamy sauce that is good on everything from roasted squash to chicken shawarma. You can also use it as a dip—or make a post-Christmas sandwich by spreading toum on some toast, and toping with avocado and leftover sliced turkey.
Traditional toum uses raw garlic; for this one you simmer the garlic in milk, which gives a mellower, more complex flavour.

Toum
serves 4
Just reminding you: 1 cup is 8 fluid ounces measured in a measuring jug, so half a cup is 4 fluid ounces…

Ingredients
½ cup peeled garlic cloves
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
½ cup olive oil
pepper, to taste.

Preparation
Put the garlic cloves and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, over low heat. Simmer over very low heat (you could use a heat diffuser if you have one) for between 40 and 90 minutes, or until the garlic is very tender and has absorbed much of the milk. Remove from the heat and leave to cool a bit.

Put the cooled garlic and milk in a blender along with the lemon juice and salt, and whizz it up.

Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, in a steady stream, until the sauce is thickened and looks for all the world like mayonnaise. Season to taste with additional salt, and perhaps some pepper if you wish. Drizzle over anything.

Recipe adapted from Ana Sortun and Maura Kilpatrick, Soframiz: Vibrant Middle Eastern Recipes from Sofra Bakery & Café (2016).

This is a flavoursome dish that plays to the potato’s strength as a vehicle for strong flavours. Here your Canalside spuds combine with the richness of coconut milk and the sharp, sour tang of tamarind to deliver a punchy, satisfying dose of carbohydrates. Cashews and crispy onions contribute additional crunch. A sprinkling of green coriander over the top looks lovely and adds an additional freshness.
It is particularly good combined with the south Indian beetroot and coconut dip whose recipe I will provide in my next instalment.

Potatoes with Tamarind, Coconut and Cashews
Serves 4-6 as part of a larger spread.

Ingredients
1kg potatoes
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
300g shallots, peeled and sliced fine—or you can use onion, really
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 green chiles, finely chopped (take out the seeds if you prefer, and also adjust the quantity to taste)
100g cashew nuts
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons tamarind paste
200ml coconut milk
a handful of coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish (optional)

Preparation
Put the potatoes in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over low heat and cook gently until they are tender. How long this takes will depend on the size of the potatoes, so this process can last between 20 and 45 minutes. When the potatoes are tender drain them and set them aside. Once they are cook enough to handle cut them into bite-sized pieces. You can do this well in advance if you wish.

Combine the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves in a little dish. Combine the garlic, ginger, chiles and cashews in another dish. You’re now all set to add each tranche of ingredients without having to fuss around with lots of separate items.

Put the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When it is hot add the mustard, cumin and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to sizzle add the shallots and cook, stirring, for about eight minutes, or until the shallots starts to brown.

Add the garlic, ginger, chiles and cashews to the pan. Cook, stirring regularly, for another two minutes. Now add the drained potatoes in a single layer and sprinkle with salt. Turn the heat to high and fry for about five minutes, stirring once, until the potatoes are turning an appetising brown. Don’t stir them constantly, or they won’t brown.

Finally, add the tamarind paste and the coconut milk. Leave to cook, stirring regularly, until the coconut milk has mostly evaporated and turned into a sticky glaze. Serve hot, cold or at room temperature. It looks nice garnished with some chopped fresh coriander.

Recipe adapted from Meera Sodha, The Guardian, 12 June 2021.