Veggie Disasters!

Well, my friends, you win some you lose some, right?



Well, this past week, I lost several. This is how it went down. My calavera Halloween pumpkins were getting old. And then last week's delicious Sweet Potato, Carrot, Apple, and Red Lentil Soup reawakened me to the amazing goodness that is VEGETABLES!



But I think I got a little giddy, a little veg-drunk. I decided I would have a vegetable heyday, the likes of which you have never seen.



It would be a veritable orgy of transforming raw vegetables into delectable treats.



I chose, for this project, roasted pumpkin (to use up my Halloween pumpkins, still trooping along on the porch), purple carrot souffle with streusel topping (how could it possibly go wrong?) and kim chi.



I don't know if everyone who reads this site is a fan of kim chi, but it is one of those weird foods that will make you grimace when you first taste it, shrug the second time, and become completely and utterly addicted the third. I've been craving it since I came back from Seoul a year ago, and failed to make it every time since.



If anyone knows any good kim chi recipes, I will love you forever.



Note: never undertake a project like this without a good knife. Lesson learned.



Anyways, three dishes, three kinds of colorful, delicious, fresh, jewel-tone veggies. The results?



Sub! Par!



The souffle was simultaneously too sweet and too salty. How does THAT happen?



It was a pretty color though.



The kim chi, after sitting two days in my authentic kim chi pot (birthday 2009 thanks honey!), had the taste and appearance of plain cabbage that has been sitting in water for two days. Somehow the seasonings had not taken at ALL.



It's still in my fridge, in fact, but I don't have much hope for it.



Sub par.



The pumpkin was the only thing that turned out decent, and with a recipe so simple I would have really felt bad to have messed it up.



I just didn't like it because it turns out I don't like the flavor of fresh pumpkin!



I'm working on that, though. I don't like not liking things.



So the pumpkin recipe is the only one I'm including here today, since it was a matter of taste, not skill, that made it a "veggie disaster," and you may very well love it.



*sigh* So much for my veggie extravaganza. Thanks for trying though.



I guess it's back to butter, cream, and cookies for me. I guess the universe just wants it that way. And who am I to fight the universe?



This roasted pumpkin recipe comes directly from one of my favorite food bloggers, David Lebovitz, who lives and writes in Paris.

Roasted Pumpkin (Potimarron)

There really isn’t any need for a specific recipe for roasting potimarron; simply wash the outside well, dry it, then cut it in half with a large knife. (Be careful as the round shape can make it move around a bit.) Once halved, use a large spoon to scoop out the seeds.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) and drizzle a few tablespoons of olive oil on a rimmed baking sheet. You can use a non-stick sheet one or line the pan with parchment paper for easier clean up.

Sprinkle with coarse or sea salt and black or chili pepper. Other additions can include some thinly sliced garlic; fresh thyme, rosemary or sage; or cinnamon and brown sugar or maple syrup, replacing the olive oil with butter.

Slice the potimarron into crescents about the width of your thumb and toss them in the olive oil and other ingredients on the baking sheet. They should be in a single layer. (If you have a lot, roast them on two trays, or refrigerate the rest for another day.)

Roast the slices on the lower rack of the oven for 20 to 30 minutes, flipping them midway during baking, until they’re cooked to your liking.