pumpkin soup with dollap of refried black beans

 

Here's a soup that is really good for those cold winter dark days! It is a basic pumpkin soup dressed up with a dollop of black beans that I re-fried myself.  The main ingredient was a small "pie pumpkin" that has been sitting on our counter since we got it from our Isabelle Farm CSA in October. Good job holding in there, little pumpkin!  I would also like to note my excitement about getting to use our very own coriander seed that we grew in our garden this past year.

Ingredients:
pumpkin
frozen green chile
frozen corn
onion
coriander (garden!)
carrot (not local)
turmeric (not local)
cumin (not local)
ginger (not local)
black pepper (not local)
salt (not local)
oil (not local)

I roasted the pumpkin in the oven, scraped it out and cooked it with the other ingredients. I like making refried beans from scratch by frying cooked beans in oil with spices and mashing with a potato masher.

refried beans with chive flowers

Beans are so awesome! Local beans are even more awesome! Local beans of Native American origin are DOUBLE even more awesome!!

In September 2007, Eric and I challenged ourselves by eating only local food for 30 days. Granted, we were living in Urbana, Illinois where the soil is rich and the farmer's market and food co-op run strong. Still, one thing we had difficulty buying at the time was local protein beans. When we moved to Boulder, Colorado we were extra psyched to see Abbondanza Organic Seeds & Produce selling anasazi beans and other interesting bean varieties!

We transformed our local anasazi beans into tasty refried beans and topped them with chive flowers from our friend's community garden plot. Pretty, no?

Serving Size: 8

Ingredients:
2 c. anasazi (or pinto) beans, dry (about 4 cups cooked)
1 medium onion
1/2 c. canola oil
1/2 c. water
4 cloves garlic
1 ancho chili, dry, ground
1 t. salt
1 t. oregano
1/2 t. cumin, ground
1/2 t. corriander, ground
1/8 t. cayenne pepper, ground
chive flowers

Soak the beans overnight. Cook the beans until they are soft. Drain, rinse and mash the beans.

Saute the onions until translucent. Add garlic and spices. Add the mashed beans and water. Adjust water as necessary. Top with chive flowers. Add hot sauce as desired.

Eat as a side dish or in a burrito or on nachos or here-or-there or anywhere!