What could be more traditional on Halloween than pumpkin?   Ghoulishly good . . .

In a large stock pot over medium heat, sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender
(about 10 minutes):

3 T butter
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced

Stir in and bring to a simmer:

1 can pumpkin puree
1/2 C dry white wine
1 T dried sage
1 bay leaf
1 C cream OR half & half
4 C chicken broth
1 1/2 t salt
1/4 t fresh-ground black pepper
Reduce heat and continue cooking, partially covered for 15 minutes. Puree until smooth with a stick blender or transfer in small batches to a regular blender, let cool for a few minutes (for safety’s sake!) then carefully puree til smooth. Then add:

1 1/2 cups diced HoneyBaked Ham

Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove bay leaf and ladle into bowls.

I don’t know how many gallons of this I’ve made through the years but it has to be truckloads.  This is so addictive - my fridge is never without it.   Keeps for about a week refrigerated in a mason jar.  If everyone has a signature recipe, this is probably mine.

2 14-oz. cans RoTel tomatoes with chilis, drained well
1 t cumin
6 scallions, sliced thin
juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 C fresh cilantro, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced fine

Mix everything well together and serve.

I’m on a soup kick this week, and this is another one of my faves.  I grew up in Tampa which has always had a large Cuban population, and I love Cuban food.  This is a classic soup at the Columbia Restaurant in Tampa which has been serving up Cuban fare in the same location since 1905.

1/2 lb. dried garbanzos
1 ham bone
1 beef bone
2 qts. water
1 T salt
1/4 lb. salt pork cut into thin strips
1 onion finely chopped
1 chorizo sliced into thin rounds
2 potatoes, peeled and cut in eighths
pinch of saffron
1/2 t paprika

• Wash garbanzoes.  Soak overnight with 1 T of salt in enough water to cover beans.  Drain the salted water from the beans.  Place the beans in a 4-qt. soup kettle.  Add 2 qts. water and the ham and beef bones.  Cook for 45 minutes over low heat, skimming foam from the top.
• Fry salt pork slowly in a skillet.  Add chopped onion and saute lightly.  Add to beans along with potatoes, paprika, and saffron.  Add salt to taste.  When potatoes are tender, remove from the heat and add chorizo.  Serve hot in deep soup bowls.

At the first sign of cool weather, my meal-planning thoughts turn to warm and hearty soups.  I made this up a couple of years ago when I was craving curry and this hit the spot.  This is comfort food in a hurry, rich and satisfying. 

1 1/2 C chicken broth
1/2 C chopped onions
2 T butter
2 T all-purpose flour
salt and pepper to taste
1 C cream
2 C cauliflower, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1 t curry powder
hot sauce to taste (a few drops of Tabasco Habanero sauce is wonderful)

• In a medium saucepan, bring chicken broth, onion, cauliflower, curry powder, salt and pepper to a boil.
• Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes or until cauliflower is very tender.  Remove from heat.
• Carefully ladle half of mixture into blender or food processor and puree until smooth, or use blender stick in saucepan (far simpler).  Repeat with remaining soup.  Pour into large bowl.
• Melt the butter in the soup pan.  Whisk in the flour until smooth.  Add the cream all at once.  Cook until smooth and bubbly, whisking continuously.
• Stir in the cauliflower soup mix and cook until heated through.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt, pepper and hot sauce, if desired.

Andrea has brought these to several functions and they’re always a big hit.  Easy and delicious.  

1 stalk celery diced small
1 small onion diced small
1/2 small green pepper diced small
2 t olive oil
1/2 C dried bread crumbs
1 egg 1/2 C mayonnaise
1/2 t prepared mustard (I used Grey Poupon and would add more the next time)
1 t seasoned salt
2 C or 1 lb. crab meat  

1. Use foil shells or clean and prepare 10 crab shells or use small baking dish.  Spray with Pam.  
2. Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in pan with olive oil.  Cool.  
3. Mix remaining ingredients in a mixing bowl and then mix in sauted vegetables when they are cool.  Place in shells or baking container.  Brush with butter (I topped with fresh bread crumbs and butter). 
4. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.

Wanda served these one evening and it makes for a wonderful hors d’eouvre. Best of all you can make it ahead and keep on hand for several days.

1 1/3 C olive oil
2/3 C white wine vinegar
1/3 C balsamic vinegar
2 T dried (or 1/4 C fresh) thyme leaves
2 T chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 T chopped fresh basil
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper
3-4 large garlic cloves, slivered

Whisk ingredients together and pour over a combination of cheese and olives, such as that sug­gested below. Marinate overnight before serving.

1 1/2 lb. firm cheeses, cubed (cheddar, Monterey jack, havarti, gouda-smoked gouda is good with this).
2 cans dark pitted olives
2 6-oz. jars green pimento stuffed olives
1 7-oz. jar sweet roasted peppers (with dark spots removed)

TIPS:

• Be creative. Use any combination of olives you like
• Save yourself some grief and put mixture in a container that can be turned upside down to marinate olives and cheese without stirring.
• Mixture can be stored in refrigerator for a week or so, turning occasionally. If the olives and cheese are stored in the marinade too long, it loses some of its appeal. Because of that, it’s a good idea to make the marinade, than use it as needed.
• If olive oil in the mixture congeals in the refrigerator, just let the mixture set at room tem­perature until it liquefies.

This was the soup course Wanda assigned to Rod and I the night she hosted dinner club with a 1905 theme.  Everyone agreed this was the one recipe they would want to make again.

50 large clams (I buy them already shucked from Seafood 2 Go in Apalach)
4 T butter
4 T flour
3 C of milk
2 small slices of onion
Dash of nutmeg (freshly ground if you have it)
Salt and pepper
1 C of cream

• Strain liquor from clams; set aside. Pulse clams in food processor until pureed.
• Put the milk in the top of a double-broiler with the onion slices.
• Put the butter in a frying pan and when it bubbles, stir in the flour and let it cook a few minutes, but not brown; add enough of the milk slowly to make a roux liquid.
• Remove the onion slices from the double broiler. Add the roux to the milk in the double broiler.
• Add a dash each of nutmeg and pepper, then stir in the cream.
• When ready to serve, stir in the clam pulp and one pint of the liquor; taste to see if salt is needed. After the clams are added to the milk, leave it on the heat only long enough to get well heated; if boiled the milk will curdle.

These are beyond good.  One of the best places locally to savor fried green tomatoes is the Red Top Cafe in Apalachicola.

1 T self-rising flour
1 1/2 C self-rising flour
1 1/2 C buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 t salt, divided
1 t pepper, divided
3 green tomatoes, each cut into 4 slices
2 C vegetable oil

• Whisk together 1 T flour, buttermilk, eggs, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pepper in a small bowl.
• Stir together remaining flour, 1/2 t salt, and 1/2 t pep­per in a shallow bowl.
• Dip tomato in buttermilk mixture; dredge in flour mixture.
• Heat oil in a heavy 10-inch skil­let to 350°. Fry tomato slices 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until gold­en. Drain on a cooling rack over paper towels. Serve im­mediately.

Serves 6 (unless I’m around, then it’s every diner for themselves!)

This recipe makes about 60, but if that’s how many you need to serve, better make a double batch as they have a tendency to disappear as soon as you take them out of the oven.  These are addictive! 

1 C water
1/2 C butter or margarine
1 C all-purpose flour
¼  t salt
4 eggs
½  C fresh oysters — rinsed and drained
cocktail sauce

• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Heat water and margarine to rolling boil in saucepan; stir in flour and salt. Stir vigorously over low heat until mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute; remove from heat.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time; continue beating until smooth. Stir in oysters.
• Drop dough by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 25 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Serve hot with cocktail sauce, preferably Ed’s Red, if you’re lucky enough to have some!

Makes 60 appetizers

Julia and I served this for Super Bowl Sunday with fresh oysters we had gathered from Apalachicola Bay only an hour before.  We about had a riot on our hands trying to keep them coming to the table fast enough for the guys to scarf down.

1 pint shucked oysters
1 C Wondra flour
1 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C yellow cornmeal
2 t Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t onion powder
1/2 t fresh ground pepper
2 eggs
1/4 C evaporated milk
3-5 dashes Tabasco sauce
vegetable oil (for frying)
1 C Hellmann’s mayonnaise
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 t prepared wasabi (Japanese green horseradish) or to taste

• Mix together the flour, cornmeal, spices, salt and pepper in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and Tabasco.
• Dredge the oysters first in the Wondra, shake off the excess, then dredge in the liquid, shake off the excess, then dredge in flour mixture and shake off the excess.
• Heat oil in a deep fryer to 375 degrees. Fry oysters, 10 at a time (to keep the oil from cooling too rapidly) until puffy and golden brown, about 2 minutes.
• Remove with a slotted spoon, drain well on a cooling rack over paper towels, and salt to taste.
• Meanwhile, while oysters are cooking, make the wasabi aioli
• Mix together the Hellman’s mayonnaise, 2 cloves crushed garlic and wasabi to taste.
  Arrange cooked oysters on a serving plate with a bowl of the aioli and stand by for raves.