The Mystical Cauldron

Garlic Soup

Ingredients

2 cups garlic cloves

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup diced onion (1/4-inch dice)

1 cup finely chopped leek, white part only

1/2 cup diced celery (1/4-inch dice)

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon grey salt

1 cup diced, peeled, russet potatoes

Freshly ground pepper

4 to 5 cups chicken stock or canned low salt chicken broth

1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves

4 cups roughly chopped spinach leaves

1 cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Peel the garlic cloves, cut in half lengthwise, and remove the central greenish core. Put in a small pan of salted water and bring to a boil.

2. Drain and repeat twice to remove the garlic's heat and leave only the sweetness behind.

3. Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat until hot. Add the onion, leek, celery, bay leaf, and a little salt to draw the water out of the onion. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft but not brown, about 10 minutes.

4. Add the potatoes. Add the blanched garlic and stock. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the vegetables are very tender, about 15 minutes.

5. Remove soup from the heat and cool to room temperature. Place cooled pot with soup in refrigerator to chill.

6. Next day, re-heat soup over medium heat. Add the oregano, spinach, and cream and cook 1 minute to wilt the spinach. Blend until smooth (either with hand-held immersion blender or by transfering to a blender**).

*When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Garlicky Pot Roast

Ingredients

1 boneless beef chuck roast (about 3 pounds)

10 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in 1/2 lengthwise

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 cup peeled and chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

2/3 cup water

Directions

1. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, make 20 evenly spaced small slits about 1 1/2 inches deep all over the pot roast.

2. Using your fingers, insert the garlic cloves as deep into the slits as possible.

3. Season the roast on all sides with the salt and pepper.

4. In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over high heat. Carefully add the meat.

5. Sear the meat on all sides until very well browned, 4 to 6 minutes per side.

6. Add the vegetables, carefully add the water and cover the pot.

7. Reduce the heat to low to medium-low and cook until the roast is very tender, 3 to 3 1/2 hours, turning 2 or 3 times during the entire cooking time, adding a little more water, as needed so that a little liquid always is on the bottom of the pan.

8. Transfer the meat to a platter and let rest 10 minutes. Slice or pull the meat apart into serving pieces and drizzle the pan juices over the top.

Mashed Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

1 large can (29 ounces) sweet potatoes, drained and mashed

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1/3 cup milk

1/4 cup butter

pinch cayenne pepper

pinch nutmeg

pinch cinnamon

chopped pecans, optional

Directions

1. Mix together first 7 ingredients; spoon into a buttered 1-quart casserole.

2. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until crusty on top.

3. Sprinkle with pecans before serving.

Spinach with Garlic

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds baby spinach leaves

2 tablespoons good olive oil

2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)

2 teaspoons kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Lemon

Kosher salt, optional

Directions

1. Rinse the spinach well in cold water to make sure it's very clean. Spin it dry in a salad spinner, leaving just a little water clinging to the leaves.

2. In a very large pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic over medium heat for about 1 minute, but not until it's browned.

3. Add all the spinach, the salt, and pepper to the pot, toss it with the garlic and oil, cover the pot, and cook it for 2 minutes.

4. Uncover the pot, turn the heat on high, and cook the spinach for another minute, stirring with a wooden spoon, until all the spinach is wilted.

5. Using a slotted spoon, lift the spinach to a serving bowl and top with the butter, a squeeze of lemon, and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Serve hot.

Golden Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup canned pumpkin*

1/2 cup LAND O LAKESŪ Butter, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350°F.

2. Combine all ingredients in large mixer bowl.

3. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until well mixed (2 to 3 minutes).

4. Spoon into greased (9x5-inch) loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

5. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely. Store refrigerated.

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Samhain	Samhain Crafts	Samhain Poem
Samhain Feast Recipes	Samhain 2002 Newsletter	Samhain 2003 Newsletter

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