Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Dark Days Week 13: Squash Soup with Fresh Pasta

After reading about other Dark Days' adventures in pasta making, I finally gave it a whirl. I used Alice Waters' wonderfully precise recipe from The Art of Simple Food (recommended by SouleMama) and I talked on the phone to my dear friend while I made it. Without an apron. Witness the results and learn from me:




Getting ready. Going to freeze the egg whites for something else.


The flat sheets of dough, well-floured inbetween.


The cut noodles - I have to run them through my fingers to flour and separate them - really really fun.


I used local whole wheat pastry flour, local eggs, and non-local white flour to make the noodles. Then I made a pureed squash soup with local organic squash, cream, onions, and chicken stock, plus far-away champagne, cumin, nutmeg, and ginger. Into this, I put the fresh pasta. I've made this soup before with cheese ravioli, and with the right patience, I would make fresh ravioli with local feta.



We ate it with a gorgeous SOLE salad of purple lettuce, and emerald green watercress, shredded turnips dressed with homemade French made with my own local ketchup and topped with simple homemade salt and pepper croutons.



I took pictures of the salad, but it turned out they were all blurry - could have been the 4 year old bumping me as she explained why her name is on post-its all over the house ("so you won't forget my name, Mom") and I was too hungry to fiddle with any more pictures.

4 comments:

Christian - Modobject@Home said...

I've never made homemade pasta before but you're inspiring me (if only I had the non-pregnant energy to go with the inspiration!}. Your meal looks and sounds delicious... simple, fresh food is so appealing isn't it?!

If/when you make homemade ravioli send some to my house!

And the post-it's, what a darling girl.

Meghan said...

Have you been forgetting her name?

Beth said...

Love the flour-mess...this is happening more and more to me as my belly grows (and I never remember an apron). The pasta sounds amazing...something to aspire to try :-)

Am also beginning to think more about local and organic foods.

And the post-it's - Love it!

Margo said...

Meghan - not at all, that's why it's such a hoot!