New from the archives: three fresh posts (Recipes: farfalle or rotini pasta with spinach and sausage, pear and parsnip soup, football season chili)
Since early summer, I've been wandering through the archives, updating posts from the first two years of The Perfect Pantry, in the days before I photographed the food I cooked.
I'm really having fun cooking some of my favorite recipes again, with some of my favorite pantry ingredients, and while I'm at it, I'm updating old links and adding new ones, too. I don't know if I'll ever get completely caught up with all of the posts from the early days, but many more of them now have photos of the finished dish, along with links to other recipes I think you'll like.
This month's posts feature ketchup, garlic and chicken sausage, in recipes that at first glance look like winter dishes, but are on-the-cusp dishes you can serve right now, whether you're living in early Spring (as we are here in New England), or early Fall.
In my house, we segue from American football season to English football season, and in the winter my husband Ted spends weekends watching English premier league football (soccer) on television, making this the perfect time for football season chili (top photo). I got the original recipe years ago from Arthur Manjourides, who owns Charlie's Sandwich Shoppe in Boston's South End, and I've made only minor tweaks to it in my own kitchen. I think my version might be a tiny bit spicier than Arthur's, but one thing I'd never mess with is the ketchup -- Arthur's secret ingredient!
Many farmers overwinter their parsnips and harvest in the Spring, when, they believe, the parsnips are at their sweetest. If you find just-harvested parsnips at the market, why not try this pear and parsnip soup? It's sweet and surprising, with a bit of bite from the garlic, whether on its own with some crusty croutons and a green salad, or as the lead-in to a holiday dinner.
I always keep a few types of chicken and turkey sausage in my freezer. This recipe for farfalle or rotini with chicken sausage and spinach falls into the quick-and-easy category with whatever sausage and whatever twisty-shaped pasta you have on hand. Don't have spinach? Use kale, or romaine lettuce. The Asian condiments give it an interesting twist; you wouldn't think they would work with Italian sausage, but they add just enough saltiness. Don't have them? Use salt and pepper, and some white wine and pasta-cooking water. It's all good.
Enjoy!
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These recipes are fabulous and I can't wait to try that soup.
I really have to go back through our old posts and update the pictures as well. In addition, I want to add in the hrecipe and hreview microformat tags (ugh!). I wish I could clone myself sometimes.
ahhh Charlies...I haven't been down that way in a while but the Sunday brunch line is always down the block!!!
thanks for the tip on Parsnips - I didn't seem to get enough of them this winter.
A couple years ago my friend discovered fried parsnip shavings - oh la la!