Kitchen Krafts

Pumpkin Soup

8 slices bacon

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

8 cups water

2 tablespoons chicken bouillon granules

1 can (32 ounces/907 g) packed pumpkin

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon thyme

1 cup milk

1/8 teaspoon nutmeg

2 teaspoons curry powder

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 cup Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the bacon in a heavy pot. Remove from heat, crumble, and set aside. In the same pot, mix the oil, onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté for 15 minutes. Stir in water, bouillon, pumpkin, sugar, thyme, and crumbled bacon. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender.

2. Pour the soup in batches into a blender and puree. Return to the pot. Mix in the milk, nutmeg, and curry powder. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot with cheddar and Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Serves 4.

Baked Apple Dessert

4 Granny Smith apples (or any apples with a tart flavor)

8–12 unwrapped caramels

1/4 cup apple cider

4 teaspoons lemon juice

4 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

whipped cream or vanilla ice cream

1. Wash and core the apples. Slice them horizontally into 1/2-inch (1.3-cm) rings and stack them in their original shape in a square baking dish. Put two or three caramels in each apple’s core. Pour apple cider over the apples and sprinkle them with lemon juice, cinnamon, and nutmeg.

2. Mash the butter and brown sugar together in a bowl, and press the mixture evenly over the apples. Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350°F (177°C). Remove the foil and bake uncovered for 20 more minutes.

3. Set each apple on a plate and pour juice from the pan over each one. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Illustration by Brad Teare