Paprika and pumpkin soup

Paprikas (bell peppers of whatever color) are a fine ingredient to many meals. Their peal, however is a bit bitter, and therefore not always what you want in your melange of tastes. The way to peal paprikas something I learned only recently and when used, have a wonderful taste effect, very different from paprika with the skin still on. In order to bring the paprikas into a state where the skin can be pealed off, they need to be burnt in an oven. When the paprika turns black, take it out, put it in a plastic bag and let it cool. Make sure you turn the paprika in the oven to scorch it on all sides. If the heat was not evenly distributed, on the cooler side the paprika is much harder to peal. For the recipe below one must start with burning the paprikas for that takes around one hour, depending on the size, color and oven-heat.

1.5 table spoon olive oil
2 tea spoons turmeric
1 tea spoon ground cardamom
1.5 tea spoon ground coriander
300-500 gram pumpkin cut in small cubes
2 tea spoons rock salt
6 stems of chives
0.5 tea spoon ground ginger
2 bay leaves
6 cloves of garlic, sliced
1.5 liter boiling water
3 pealed green paprikas
1 tea spoon ground cumin
3 table spoons lemon juice

Put a high pan on low heat and pour in one table spoon of olive oil and add one tea spoon of turmeric, half a tea spoon of cardamom and half a tea spoon of ground coriander and stir. When the oil takes on the color of the spices, add the pumpkin and turn up the heat and stir continuously. Add half a tea spoon of salt. Cut the chives in small rings, both the whites and the greens and add to the pan - keep on stirring for five minutes. Add another half a tea spoon of salt, half a tea spoon of turmeric, half a tea spoon of ground ginger and the bay leaves. Stir for five more minutes and simultaneously bring the water to the boil. Throw in the garlic the rest of the oil and the boiling water. Peal the paprikas and cut them in small pieces and add to the soup. Keep simmering for one hour, tasting the soup from time to time. Add salt, cumin, coriander and turmeric as needed. After one hour add the lemon juice.

Jonathan gaat over

Niet alleen Itamar heeft een slotfeest op de kleuterschool gehad. Op vrijdag waren we ook uitgenodigd op de creche bij Jonathan om de grote vakantie in te luiden. En niet alleen Itamar gaat over (sterker nog, hij gaat naar de grote school). Jonathan blijft weliswaar op dezelfde peuterspeulengemeunschap, zoals Freek de Jonge dat ooit noemde, maar hij zal in september verder gaan in een hogere leeftijdsgroep. Dan beginnen we al met voorbereiding voor de kleuterschool Ja, het gaat hard.