[at-l] Remembrance of Past Rucks, was Re: Orangebug

[Carla & Dave Hicks]

I really don't have a fixed recipe.  Again, it is more of a concept.  And 
there are options.



Option 1:



Vegan vs. chicken broth.  I do both, depending on who is coming.  I think that 
the SORUCK you are referring to was vegan.



Option 2:



Curry powder vs. Curry paste vs. your own mix of herbs and spices.



Option 3:



Fresh Pumpkin cooked and home mashed vs.canned solid-pack pumpkin -- NOT pie 
filling .



BTW -- one of the fleshier winter squash varieties such as butternut, 
buttercup, red kiri or kabocha work well, also. Small deep-orange pumpkins 
have more flavor than the big jack-o-lantern ones.



Option 4:



Light or dark Rum.



OK make your choices.



Sample ingredients:



Butter (or palm oil for vegan)

Onion

Curry powder or Curry paste or a mix of herbs and spices

Pureed Pumpkin

Broth (chicken or vegan)

Unsweetened coconut milk (not low-fat) and/or Heavy cream

Black rum



1) Cook pumpkin and mash, or open can(s) of solid-pack pumpkin  -- say about 
6-8 cups would work as follows.  Set aside.



2) Sauté or sweat onions in butter (or palm oil) until soft -- say 2 medium 
for this amount- BTW you can also add and  sauté a couple cloves of garlic.



3) In a separate pan cook 2 teaspoons, or so, brown mustard seeds (or use a 
mix of brown and black) in oil (I like to use sesame) over low/medium heat 
until they start to pop, take off heat and add 10-20 fresh curry leaves and 
quickly cook for a few seconds, then cool slightly with a bit of broth, then 
add 3/4 - 1 1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes, 1-2 tablespoons minced 
peeled fresh ginger, 2-4 teaspoons ground cumin, 1-2 teaspoon ground 
coriander, and 1/8 - 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom.  (BTW -- I don't actually 
measure that closely.)



Mix well. add to soft onions.  Or, just add Curry powder or Curry paste to the 
soft onions..



4) Add broth, coconut milk, and pumpkin and simmer at a very low heat, 
uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes, or so.



You are just blending flavors here, as everything is already "cooked."



5) Add Heavy cream, if used



6)  Purée soup (all or part) in batches in a blender, or food processor, until 
smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids), transferring batches to a 
large bowl, and then return soup to pot.



7) Adjust consistency with additional broth in the pureeing, or back in the 
pot, as needed.



Or if you need to thicken adjust with corn starch, potato flour, etc



8) Keep soup warm over low heat.



9) Just before serving, stir in rum (dark or light) to taste.



Optional: Serve with a dollop of sour cream and/or chives



Optional: Add bite sized chucks of cooked fall vegetables (roots).



Optional:  Add raw pealed apples.



Optional: Add corn, (yellow or Mexicorn) & cooked dark beans, (Black Turtle, 
kidney, pinto, etc)



BTW -- Some folk are locked into "pumpkin" as "pie" -- sweet w/ nutmeg.  If 
you want you can add sugar and or nutmeg -- I don't.





----- Original Message ----- 

From: "Jan Lite" <liteshoe at gmail.com>
To: "Carla & Dave Hicks" <carla_dave_hicks at verizon.net>
Cc: <Kyvcat at aol.com>; "at-l" <at-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Sunday, November 15, 2009 10:26 PM
Subject: Re: [at-l] Remembrance of Past Rucks, was Re: Orangebug


Well, thank you!
That looks awfully tasty, and I plan to cook some up.

But I was referring to the curried pumpkin (or squash) soup.

I was reading the Virginia section of my trail journal last night, and had
to stop and get a snack when I got to the part where you brought me to you
guys' house and cooked up several very very fines meals.
;-)
Ihttp://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=32631



On Sun, Nov 15, 2009 at 10:08 PM, Carla & Dave Hicks <
carla_dave_hicks at verizon.net> wrote:

> Beats me which soup you are talking about.
>
> I brought different soups (sometimes more that one to the same RUCK) to a
> number of RUCKS.
>
> Most are more concepts than actual recipes.
>
> The one I make the most often is the roasted/grilled potato -- carnivore,
> vegetarian, or vegan (depending on who for).  It is quick for a soup --
> (about
> 30-40 minutes, start to finish)
>
> Cut potatoes (a waxy type e.g., new, red skin, etc (not Idaho baking, as
> they
> crumble away in soup) into apox. 1/2 inch cubes.  Coat w/ butter, palm oil,
> olive oil, other veg oil to taste/choice) and bake in mod hot oven (or
> roast
> on grill) until soft.
>
> In the meantime:
>
> Dice about 1/4 -1/3 as much onion, as potato.  Sweat until soft.  (again,
> use
> butter, palm oil, olive oil, to taste/choice)
>
>  If carnivore, fry up some ham, sausage, game meat, etc  -- about 1/8 -1/4
> as
> much as potato.
>
> Once the onion is soft (but not browned) add potato flour/starch while
> still
> on a low heat (about a Tbl per pint of soup being made.  Soak up all the
> oil/fat.
>
> On a low heat, add milk (or milk substitute, per type) slowlly mixing to
> convert starch & oil to a thin white sauce.
>
> Add herbs, salt & pepper, to taste.  Herbs can vary.  I tend to stay with a
> single, most often basil.  Combos such as an Italian mix work, also.
>
> Optional (Add in some sour cream or non dairy sour cream substitute)
>
> Add in the now cooked potato cubes.
>
> Eat or keep warm until served.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Jan Lite" <liteshoe at gmail.com>
> To: <Kyvcat at aol.com>; "at-l" <at-l at backcountry.net>
> Cc: "Carla & Dave Hicks" <carla_dave_hicks at verizon.net>
> Sent: Friday, November 13, 2009 9:58 PM
> Subject: Re: [at-l] Remembrance of Past Rucks, was Re: Orangebug
>
>
> Yeah, Vcat, that soup was strange and wonderful. I'd never tasted anything
> like it. I had many bowls.
> Dave, maybe it's time for another re-posting of The Recipe?
>
-- 
"The Ordinary Adventurer"
A new backpacking adventure book
http://www.FunFreedom.com