Roasted Autumn Vegetable Soup

This warm, comforting soup will stick to your ribs on cold days!

1 large onion, cut ito large chunks
4 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
6 medium parsnips, peeled and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
4 cups winter squash, peeled and cubed
Cooking spray
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup of evaporated milk
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large roasting pan combine onion, carrots, parsnips and squash; coat with cooking spray. Roast for 15 minutes.

Place veggies in a large pot. Add broth and milk; season to taste. Copk over medium-high heat for 10 minutes to alow flavors to combine. Transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth. Serves 6.

Tangy Herbed Onions

4 medium onions

Olive oil

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar (or less, to taste)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Peel onions and cut a small slice from the top, leaving the root end whole. Cut each onion from the top into 8 wedges, taking care not to cut through the root end. Brush four sheets of aluminum foil with the olive oil.

Mix the remaining ingredients (except for the bread crumbs) and rub the mixture into each of the onions. Wrap each onion securely in its own foil wrapper. Bake at 350 degrees F for one hour or until tender. During the last 5 minutes of baking, open the foil and sprinkle with the bread crumbs.

Simple Onion Soup

6 or so medium onions

3 oz butter

Flour

Salt, pepper, and grated nutmeg to taste

2 eggs, beaten

Mince onions very finely. Put in a stewpan over a slow fire with 3 ounces of melted butter, dredge a little flour over them, and shake about until they are soft and lightly browned. Add a quart of boiling water, and season with salt and pepper and a grated nutmeg. Bring soup to boil.

Beat 2 eggs in your serving pot; after the soup has boiled up well, stir it into the beaten eggs and serve at once.

Buckwheat and Bow Ties with Browned Onions

2Tb olive oil

3 medium onions

1 cup kasha, preferably coarse

1 (14 1/2 oz) can vegetable broth

1/3 cup chopped parsley

1/2 pound bow-tie pasta

1 1/2 teaspoons butter

1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

In a large past pot, heat the oil and onions over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are well browned, about 10 minutes.

Add the kasha and stir to coat. Pour in the vegetable broth and 1/4 cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover by pressing wax paper over the water, then covering again with the pot lid. Cook until the grain is done, from 5 minutes for medium kasha, to 20 minutes for coarse. (It is fine if the kasha is a little undercooked, as it will continue to steam while the bow-tie pasta cooks.) Remove the kasha to a medium bowl, add the parsley, and fluff with a fork to separate the grains.

Rinse out the pot. Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the bow ties and salt to taste. Cook until the pasta is tender but still firm, 8 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to the pot.

Add the butter and pepper and toss. Add the kasha. Warm over medium-high heat, stirring constantly while adding 1/4 cup water, until warm, 2-3 minutes. Serve at once.

Source: One-Pot Vegetarian Dishes

Onion Pie

Since we’ve been getting lots of onions in our shares, I thought I’d offer a few ways to bring this staple veggie center stage.

For onion topping:

1 1/2-2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1-2 tablespoon olive oil

2-3 large onions, cut lengthwise into 12 wedges

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (3/4 cup)

For crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 oz coarsely grated Gruyère (1/2 cup)

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk

3/4 teaspoon dry mustard

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make onion topping: Heat butter and oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook onion, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in thyme, salt, and pepper, then cool. Toss cheese with onion and spread in bottom of a 9 1/2-inch deep-dish glass pie plate.

Make crust: Blend flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in a food processor. Add cheese and pulse 3 or 4 times to combine. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Whisk together buttermilk and dry mustard in a small bowl and add to processor, then pulse until liquid is incorporated and dough begins to clump (do not let it form a ball).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and fold it over on itself several times to lightly knead. Form dough into a ball and let stand, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature 10 minutes.

Roll out dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap into a 10-inch round. Remove top sheet of plastic wrap and flip dough over onto onion. Peel off remaining plastic and tuck dough inside rim of pie plate.

Bake pie in middle of oven until crust is golden brown and firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool pie on a rack 2 minutes, then invert a platter over pie and flip pie onto platter. Serve warm.

Source: Gourmet, 2001