CURRIED PUMPKIN BISQUE

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Five ingredients and about 25 or 30 minutes is all it takes to whip up this super easy Curried Pumpkin Bisque. I love this bisque because it’s savory. So many of the pumpkin—and squash like butternut for that matter—soups and bisques I’ve had are on the sweeter side, using warming spices like nutmeg and cinnamon you would find in pumpkin pie. There might even be apple or maple syrup in the recipe. They’re good, but I tend to prefer savory to sweet, unless I’m really in the mood for something sweet and then I’ve going for the chocolate cake, bowl of ice cream, piece of pie, brownie, and so forth, NOT the pumpkin bisque. Let’s get to it.

So when I say 5 ingredients, I’m not including extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. These are pantry staples I always have on hand and I highly recommend you have them too.

CURRIED PUMPKIN BISQUE

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (I really like Trader Joe’s Organic Pumpkin for this soup. I stock up on it every fall when it returns to the stores, although any good organic canned pumpkin would work as well.)

3 cups good organic chicken stock or broth. Substitute vegetable broth if you want to make it vegetarian.

1 cup organic whole milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Heat some olive oil in a cast iron or saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onions and cook, stirring often, until they’re translucent and softened. Lower the heat to medium-low and add the curry powder, stirring it into the onions. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes, then take off the heat.

Add the curry onion mixture, chicken stock and milk to a blender, then blend just long enough to get a smooth consistency, only a minute or so, it won’t take long.

IMPORTANT BLENDER NOTE: If your blender is a smaller classic size like my old-school Oster, you’ll only be able to add 2 cups or so of the stock and milk at a time. You’ll have to blend in 2 batches, easy enough.

Pour the blended bisque into a pot and heat over medium, stirring occasionally until heated through.

Serve in bowls or mugs— like it in mugs, it’s highly drinkable. Also, it’s great as is, but you can dress it up with a shaving of parmesan cheese or a little dollop of creme fraiche and sprinkling of chives.

The next time you’re in the mood for a nice warming mug or bowl of soup, give this quick and really easy pumpkin bisque a try, and let me know what you think.

THE BISCUIT WORKSHOP—ORANGE SCENTED BUTTERMILK BISCUIT CINNAMON ROLLS

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Let the warming scents of cinnamon and orange fill your home and welcome the holiday season with these, I promise you, easy to make Orange Scented Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls. Sure you could pop open a can from the refrigerator section of your local grocery store and have basic cinnamon rolls in 30 minutes or so… piping hot and full of artificial flavors, colors and preservatives—uh, yum? Guess what, you can do better than that and it won’t even take that much time.

It all starts with one simple recipe and you’ll be able to make both the Orange Scented Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls and my Buttery Buttermilk Biscuits. I’m mean come on, just look at those flakey layers! You know, the buttermilk biscuits, brushed with a little melted butter and a sprinkling of crunchy Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper might just deserve a spot on your Thanksgiving table in place of the typical, dare I say tired, dinner rolls. Just a thought.

The beauty of these quick cinnamon rolls means you get all the deliciousness of a cinnamon roll without having to plan ahead the night before to give yeasted or sourdough cinnamon rolls time to rise—a couple times. Don’t get me wrong, I love them and will eventually share my sourdough cinnamon roll recipe with you all but sometimes you just don’t have the extra time or you get that spur of the moment craving and lets face it, nothing involving yeast is spur of the moment.

I love to bake these in a cast iron pan, but never fear an 8 or 9 inch cake pan will work as well. Just know that if you do bake them in cast iron it’ll take a bit longer, but oh so worth it. I hope you love these as much as I do and keep them on repeat all throughout the holidays and beyond. Now get in there a whip up some way better, and better for you than store bought, Orange Scented Buttermilk Biscuit Cinnamon Rolls… and some flakey, Buttery Buttermilk Biscuits while you’re at it.

APRONS FOR COOKS & BAKERS...

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It’s the Fiddlehead Kitchen Apron, currently available in Red or Blue Ticking Stripe. Designed and handmade by a cook and baker (that’s me) for cooks and bakers. If you’re like me you might find full aprons to be a bit uncomfortable, having a tendency to bag and twist and/or otherwise not fit so comfortably. I’ve always gravitated to the half, bistro, or cafe apron, whatever you may call it. I’ve designed the Fiddlehead Kitchen apron to be comfortable, durable, and functional yet still flattering and stylish. That tie, it stays tied, there’s no twisting or loosening happening here. Three nice big pockets keep necessities at hand, like thermometers, or your smart phone to capture all your culinary creations at their peak of perfection.

Made of 100% cotton ticking, it’s been pre-washed for shrinkage prior to construction. Each apron is adorned with a hand-embroidered signature fiddlehead on the pocket. Order yours today, on Fiddlehead Kitchen’s Etsy Shop, find the link at the top of the page.

THANKSGIVING PIES...

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I can’t believe it’s that time of year again, although I’m really happy that it is. The holiday season, which in my mind begins October 1st and runs straight through the New Year, is my favorite time of year. It’s the warmest, coziest, glowiest (real word? perhaps not but it’s very descriptive none the less) span of time in the calendar year. I don’t mind that it gets dark earlier, homes and businesses look so warm and inviting with lights glowing in their windows. It’s a time to gather together with family and friends, being thankful for each and every one of them and our wonderful, often challenging, sometimes heartbreaking lives and looking hopeful towards the future for ourselves, our loved ones, friends, strangers and the world as a whole. …and in all that, there’s PIE, did I not mention the pie?

Fiddlehead Kitchen is offering 3 pies for your Thanksgiving feasts. Pumpkin with a Bourbon, Bacon and Butter Crust, Pecan with a Dark Rum, Bacon and Butter Crust, and Apple Cranberry Crumble with an All Butter Crust. Butter, butter, butter! Go to the Bakery Menu (find the link up top) for details and to find out how to order. Deadline for placing your order for Thanksgiving is November 20.