zuppa di zucca

" z u p p a    d i    z u c c a " was KPK's soup special on our last day of the 2013 season at the Frankfort Country Market. It's a delicious "triple squash soup" and, of course, perfect for fall and winter. Because we have had so many requests for this recipe, I'm posting it for you here today. You can feel very free and comfortable about improvising. It's a good solid recipe that you can tweak to make it your very own. I love using both butternut squash and acorn squash in this recipe because if I use only butternut, I feel like I'm neglecting the acorn and/or vice versa. LOL. I LOVE the cleverness of using canned pumpkin which nicely thickens the broth and adds adds a creamy, hefty texture to the soup. Canned pumpkin is one of those products that you can feel good about because it contains only ONE solitary and wonderful thing . . . PUMPKIN! No additives. No junk. Just pumpkin! So, since you're taking the homemade route of using fresh and natural squash, which requires a bit of prep, don't feel guilty about taking the canned pumpkin shortcut! Oh, btw, I have no photos of the finished soup but below is a "pot shot" of the soup before the squash was tender and before blending. Enjoy!  Here's the recipe (I know it looks long but it's not -  it's just because it includes KPK tips and commentary):

z u p p a   d i   z u c c a

The aromatics

8-9 shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped 

1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped 

4-5 medium cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped

1 to 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated

The fat

3-4 tablespoons of butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

The main act

8 cups of peeled & cubed squash (generally 1 large acorn & 1 large butternut)

1 - 15 ounce can of pumpkin puree (not pie filling, of course)

The broth

6 cups of good chicken broth (I recommend one 48 oz. container of

Swanson 100% Fat Free Natural Goodness chicken broth - 33% less sodium)*

The seasoning

2 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt (I love Morton’s kosher salt) - (more or less if you prefer)

1/2 teaspoon of finely ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground cumin

generous pinch of each of the following (more or less to your personal tastebuds):

freshly ground coriander

cayenne pepper

turmeric

freshly grated nutmeg

dried ginger

cassia cinnamon

The process

Prep all vegetables. Heat butter and oil in your favorite pot over medium heat. Add shallots and onion and cook until tender for five minutes or so. Add ginger and garlic. Cook another few minutes and be careful not to burn (the garlic especially). Add cubed squash. Add all of the seasonings. Stir and cook for another five minutes or so. Add the broth and the pumpkin. Stir, bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. (BTB/RTS). Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or so until the squash is tender. If the broth tastes a bit salty, that’s ok because once the vegetables are all blended, the soup will be nicely seasoned. You can re-check seasoning after blending.  

Once the squash is tender, remove lid from pot and allow to cool slightly. Carefully blend in batches, using a blender OR much more easily, I hope you have an immersion blender....... blend in the pot, using your immersion blender until nice and creamy. Now check for seasoning. Need salt? Need pepper? Need fiery kick? Need more of any spice? Rely on your taste buds and season to suit your palate. The consistency will be beautifully creamy without cream. If you’re watching your waistline, simply reheat to serving temperature, re-season if needed, and serve!

If adding cream, slowly reheat blended soup and whisk in your desired amount of cream. About 1/2 cup will provide a very creamy, rich and velvety soup.Be sure to check for seasoning again, as the cream will cool down the level of seasoning a bit. Feel free to whisk in more broth if you’d like to thin your soup.

Enjoy and be sure to improvise, using your favorite spices. 

The finish

In KPK, we like to top the soup with a few roasted and salted pepitas for a little bit of earthy and crunchy contrast.  A drizzle or a few drops of cream would be beautiful. A sprig of something nice (like a tiny sage leaf or a tiny thyme sprig) would be pretty. Homemade buttery and cheesy herb croutons would be fabulous too.  If not, just serve with your favorite artisan bread and butter.  A whole grain bread would be delicious. Hey, we just brought home a two pound loaf of polenta bread with pumpkin seeds from Tartine Bakery & Cafe in San Francisco. OMG. I need to defrost that ASAP and make another batch of this soup!

Bon Appetit!

Love, Katie

at the Franciscan Estate Winery, St. Helena, California, October, 2013

2013 KPK Last Day at the Market

 SUNDAY, 10/20/13 - LAST DAY OF THE SEASON AT THE FRANKFORT COUNTRY MARKET!

COME OUT AND SEE US FOR TOMORROW'S

 "ZUPPA di ZUCCA"

 WINTER SQUASH SOUP SPECIAL

  GRAB SOME KPK COOKIES T'GO

THE SVELTE & POPULAR 5G with 5 whole grains and dried tart cherries

THE DECADENT PECAN SHORTBREAD dipped in chocolate & then more toasted pecans OR roasted coconut flakes

CHIA FLOWERS . . . buttery, crisp shortbread with toasted pecans and organic chia seeds 

WE ARE GOING TO MISS YOU ! ! !

On behalf of the entire KPK crew, at the scene & behind the scenes, we want to thank you for making it so much fun serving you at the market for the last two seasons. It has truly been our pleasure! Let's stay in touch : ) !

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Much love, Katie

KPK Rain Day / Frankfort Country Market Customer Appreciation Day

: ( , KPK will not be setting up shop tomorrow, Sunday, October 6, 2013 at the Frankfort Country Market. I know. You think we're weather sissies. : ) The good news: Frankfort Country Market is hosting a booth in recognition of CUSTOMER APPRECIATION DAY tomorrow (October 6th)! Participating vendors will have some delicious treats for you to enjoy! Make sure you stop by and pick up a complimentary "thank you cookie" from KPK. We have baked our popular KPK "Chia Flowers", chocolate dipped KPK "Pecan Shortbread" and our newest cookie release, the KPK "Almond Bianchi". The market's hospitality booth will be located in the Briedert Green lot in front of the storage building and serving from 10:00 am - 12:00 noon.

P.S. If you placed a cookie order last week, we'll be showing up with a bunch of cookies on Sunday, October 20th (our last hurrah of the 2013 market season). Cookie orders can be placed via email to KLFioretti@aol.com.

Really bummed that we won't be open for business tomorrow.
Hope to see you all on the 20th though!

xo, katie

Chick Pea, Potato & Spinach Soup on September 29th

CHICK PEA, POTATO & SPINACH SOUP 

"KPK At The Market" Special 

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Creamy and satisfying soup made with chick peas, fresh, locally grown spinach, potatoes and Indian inspired spices. Served hot with freshly grilled Indian naan bread and a sprinkle of cayenne.

Don't miss it!  This is really a KPK favorite!

See you on the 29th!

Love, Katie

P.S. We will also be offering KPK's new, creamy, Mediterranean style hummus PLUS freshly baked KPK gourmet cookies AND KPK's super-fresh Bruschetta Bar regular menu items : )

CLASSIC CAPRESE
BRUSCHETTA SPECIAL 
Sunday, September 15, 2013

AMAZING locally grown juicy tomatoes, fresh basil & fresh mozzarella on our signature, drizzled, rubbed & grilled ciabatta. Stop by and see us this weekend from 10 am til 2 pm at the Frankfort Country Market.

KPK Classic Caprese with Hot Capicola ~ ask for "Hot Cop"

Can't wait to see you there!

Love, Katie & The KPK Crew

The Omelette Souffle'

I am supposed to be baking right now. I’ve been brainstorming a recipe for Red Stag Cherry Blondies and just switched tracks from toasting walnuts for those boozy bars to whipping up this AMAZING puffy, fluffy, fabulous omelette souffle’ with a bit of a cheesy crust. Enter aged Asiago, a stunningly red and juicy homegrown tomato, some freshly cut (yanked, more like) chives and flat leaf parsley. OMG. This is my new favorite way of preparing an omelette. I MUST SHARE THIS WITH YOU NOW! It can’t wait. I am not sure if this problem has to do with right brain / left brain issues or if it is more likely to be blondie brain / omelette brain issues. In any case, I know it’s abnormal.

So, ever since I read this recipe and laid my eyes on a picture of a domed and gorgeous omelette in a pan, I’ve been wanting to test it out. It’s only been about a day and a half since I received the email from Food and Wine’s “The Dish”, featuring fluffy omelette recipes (there are many more to try).......but, for me, it seems much longer.

This wonderful recipe is from the book, Ideas in Food - Great Recipes And Why They Work, by Aki Kamozawa and H. Alexander Talbot. 

I’m thinking, 3 eggs, a little cheese and butter! I love recipes like this. The simpler, the better. It’s ALL ABOUT THE METHOD! and . . . of course, the quality of each individual ingredient. Great eggs. Great cheese. Great butter. You get the picture.

Ohhhh, I am sooo happy I just made this (and scarfed it)! Enjoy this recipe and make it when a friend stops by and you have “nothing in the house”. (I’ll bet you have eggs, though). They will LOVE you. What a fabulous little lunch with a fresh green salad, some great bread and a chilled glass of white wine. For me, it was marvelous with my just-picked tomato and the chives and parsley that I ran out and grabbed while the omelette was magically transforming under the heat of the broiler (only 3 minutes to happiness!). This is quick, scrumptious AND healthy! It only took a few minutes, start to finish.

Here is the original recipe (and see my notes below about improvising):

Omelette Souffle’

3 large eggs, separated

pinch of sea salt

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup shredded Gruyere cheese

Preheat the broiler and position a rack in the center of the oven. In a large bowl, using a whisk or a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the salt and 1/4 of the beaten egg whites. Fold the yolk mixture into the remaining beaten whites until no streaks remain. In an 8 inch oven- proof skillet, melt the butter. Scrape the omelette mixture into the skillet and shake gently to evenly distribute the eggs. Sprinkle the cheese all over and transfer the skillet to the oven. Broil for about 3 minutes, until lightly browned and very puffy. Carefully slide onto a plate, folding it in half. Serve right away.

KPK STEP-BY-STEP PICTORIAL OF THE PROCESS JUST 4 U

Eggs & Cheese

Melted Butter

Whites on the left; Yolks with 1/4 of the whites incorporated on the right

F-o-l-d

Waiting for a cheese sprinkle

Right out of the oven in all it's beauty

Slightly deflated but still beautiful

Mostly in my stomach

KPK HELPFUL STUFF & IMPROVISATION:  I used kosher salt. I used grated, aged Asiago cheese (less than 1/2 cup; more like 1/4 to 1/3). I used my electric mixer with the whisk attachment. And, I used about a tablespoon of butter. Point is, learn the technique. When there are only a few ingredients, substitutes usually don't make sense but for this recipe, I know other cheeses will be delicious. I may add chopped chives to the egg mixture. I probably wouldn’t go any crazier because the basic method for transforming 3 eggs and a little cheese is fantastic just the way it is! Oh, also, when you fold that beautiful creation onto the plate, each bite of will give you a little of that crusty cheesiness on both the top AND the bottom. Brilliant!

Bon Appetit’ my friends : )

ELEVATE YOUR EGGS TODAY!

Love, Katie

This just in: I whipped up two more of these for dinner and they were even fluffier and puffier (?) WT? Gorgeous.

I also made one using just two eggs and it came out perfectly.   I will say that if you overbeat the egg whites past the soft peak stage and into the stiff peak stage, your omelette will be super duper puffy but not as moist and delicious. So, exercise some restraint and don't keep whipping even though it's so much fun to watch egg whites transform! LOL. 

KPK Pointer: Cover the handle of your fry pan / omelette pan with aluminum foil to protect it if you're not sure if it's ovenproof. I do it anyway. 

Sabzi

Sabzi

In Persian cuisine, meals are often served with a plate of fresh herbs, first as an appetizer and then to enjoy throughout the meal. This would be perfect served alongside shish-ka-bobs or other grilled meats or fish. It would compliment any spicy or heavier main courses and would be fabulous with rice dishes too. Adding fresh herbs to your table will give you and your guests the wonderful option of adding vibrant, green freshness to the meal. A bit of basil, cilantro or fresh parsley can really wake up some grilled chicken or beef.

 Grill a few flatbreads like naan or pita and make a simple cucumber and mint yogurt sauce. Pile your grilled food onto the bread, add fresh herbs, onions and more, top with the yogurt sauce and enjoy!

 I love to serve fresh, uncooked vegetables with all meals if and when possible for a healthy balance. This is a beautiful way to showcase seasonal herbs especially when there’s so much goodness coming from the ground! All of the herbs shown here are homegrown. The Sabzi platter, pictured above, features basil, Greek oregano, mint, Italian parsley and French tarragon. Sliced and whole fresh radishes, whole walnuts, chunks of feta cheese, homegrown hot peppers, red onion and a few lime wedges round out the selection. Do your own thing. Add what you like and be creative.  Assembling a platter like this takes no time at all and adds crisp, clean, raw freshness to your passionate table. 

Nooshe Jan,

Katie

"Pinkled" Onions

I know "pinkled" is not a word. But these stunningly bright, magenta pink onions, are in fact, pickled with fresh lime juice and they are, in fact, PINK! So, this photo was taken on a recent Thursday afternoon during an unwind following a "Mexicali Feast" lunch preparation. As we sat down to sample some Mexican style shredded chicken, some chunky guacamole and a few chips, I was thrilled and fixated on the beauty of these gorgeous, pickled onions.

Here's an easy share. If you want to impress your friends and family with these beautiful "pinkled" onions, do this:

Super Easy, Fresh & Fast

"Pinkled" Onions

1 red onion, peeled, trimmed & sliced

 into very thin slices

Boiling water

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt

Toss the sliced onions into a non-reactive bowl. Pour boiling water over the onions. Count to 10. Really! Drain in a colander and shake off excess water. Toss drained onion slices back into the same bowl. Add lime juice. Add salt. Toss to combine. Cover and place in fridge for about an hour. These will keep for at least a week in the fridge if stored in an airtight container. This easy gem of a recipe is adapted from Mexican food aficionado & chef rock star, Rick Bayless.

If you're doing an ordinary and simple "taco night" or you're grilling marinated skirt steaks or chicken, these onions would be a beautiful and naturally amazing side to add to your menagerie of toppings. Your friends will think you're the coolest and you can explain that you're into naturally pink food, brilliant color, mouthwatering flavor  . . .  and coolness, of course.

; ) Pink Wink & Love,

Katie

P.S. Here's my complete menu from that afternoon's "Mexicali Feast" lunch:

Mexican Style Chicken

Slowly simmered chicken seasoned with the Mexican flavors of freshly ground

 cumin and coriander plus tomatoes, Jalapeno and Serrano peppers;

 served with warm tortillas & lots more!

Mexican Style Rice

White rice prepared with annatto, tomatoes and spices

Rojas con Crema

Roasted Poblano chiles, cut into strips and simmered with Vidalia onions

 in Mexican crema (sour cream) with a bit of goat cheese

Mayacoba Beans

Tender, little Canary beans to pile onto your tortillas

Homemade Guacamole & Tortilla Chips

Homemade KPK guacamole made with perfect avocados, finely diced Vidalia onion,

 tomato, Serrano peppers, fresh cilantro and freshly squeezed lime juice

Fresh Vegetable Complements

Red onions pickled in fresh lime, pickled red jalapenos, garden tomatoes, queso fresco cheese,

jicama sticks, fresh sliced radishes, fresh cilantro, shredded iceberg lettuce

Fresh Fruit

Pineapple, mango, raspberries and blueberries

Authentic Mexican Bakery Specialties

A fun selection from strawberry empanadas to Mexican puff pastry twists

KPK At The Market

KPK At The Market Menu for Sunday, August 18, 2013

Avocado & Tomato Bruschetta Special

KPK Hummus, Mediterranean Style

Tomato & Basil Bruschetta

Baby Bella & Gorgonzola Bruschetta

Sweet Pepper Tangle Bruschetta 

The TRIO (all three of the above)

Plus all three of our most popular cookies: 

5 G

Chia Flowers

Chocolate Dunked Pecan Shortbread 

Our next market day (after this) is not until September 15th!!!! Hang out with us and enjoy this beautiful weather! Hope to see you there! 

P.S. Happy Birthday to my brother, Joe!

Love, Katie

TOP 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT KPK THIS WEEKEND

1) We will be OPEN for BIZ at the

 FRANKFORT COUNTRY MARKET 

this SUNDAY, August 4th from 10 am - 2 pm

2) KPK HUMMUS, Mediterranean Style

debuts this Sunday in limited quantities...

 served with  hot-off-the-grill

 NAAN bread

3) AVOCADO & TOMATO 

Bruschetta 

THIS SUNDAY'S SPECIAL &

LAST YEAR'S BIGGEST SELLING SPECIAL : )

SEE YOU AT THE MARKET!

LOVE, Katie

Peppers

Over the weekend at KPK, we inspected, washed, dried, cored, seeded, cut and sauteed over 60 lbs. of colorful sweet bell peppers on the grill. We love peppers : ). They're naturally sweet and just so delicious. Include them in your diet and eat as much colorful food as you possibly can. At KPK, we love to color your world with nature's beauty. The scoop:

COLORFUL FOOD is so important

for you. Did you know that red fruits and

vegetables like red peppers, tomatoes, beets

and cherries contain lycopene or

“anthocyanins” that may help reduce the risk

of several types of cancer? These powerful

antioxidants that help protect cells from

damage are also linked with keeping our

hearts healthy.

Orange/yellow fruits and vegetables are

usually colored by “carotenoids”. These foods

are reported to help reduce the risk of cancer

and heart disease and can help improve

immune system function.

Eat your GREENS and get “chlorophyll”. Some

greens like green peppers, spinach, peas and

cucumbers contain lutein. Lutein works with

“zeaxanthin” found in red peppers, corn,

grapes and egg yolks to keep your eyes

healthy. Together, these chemicals may help

reduce the risk of cataracts and age-related

macular degeneration which can lead to

blindness if untreated.

At “KPK At The Market”, we love presenting

vibrant, inspired and naturally beautiful food

on the main stage. We appreciate locally

grown produce and combine few quality

ingredients and simple methods to highlight

the vegetables and feed you the rainbow.

Enjoy something beautiful to eat every day. Even if it's something as simple as a perfect cherry or a sweet ear of corn.

 We look forward to preparing something 

colorful and delicious just for you on our next day out

 at the Frankfort Country Market:

SUNDAY, JULY 21, 2013

Thank you to all of our awesome market customers, friends and family

 for a great day yesterday.

 Hope you enjoyed our Summer Antipasto Bruschetta Special : )

See you at the market!

Love, Katie

KPK Roasted Roma Bruschetta THIS WEEKEND!

Oven roasted Roma tomatoes, bursting with intense flavor that comes from sloooooooow concentration. These beauties are combined with cool, creamy Ricotta cheese and freshly torn basil on our crusty, olive-oil brushed, garlic-rubbed, ciabatta bread. We'll add some delectable hot Capicola if you like : ) ~ One of our most requested specials! Stop by and see us this Sunday, June 30th from 10:00 am til' 2:00 pm at the Frankfort Country Market.

SSSHHHhhhhhhh, TOP SECRET

KPK VIPs: ask for KPK Gourmet Pecan Shortbread Cookies (with lots of Ghirardelli CHOCOLATE) - we're keepin' em' cool in the truck - in limited quantities for those "in-the-know".

We may have a few other treats up our sleeves too. Can't wait to see you. Rain or shine!


See you at the market!    Love, Katie

KPK At The Market 2013

BIG HUGS AND MANY THANKS to all of our wonderful family members (actual family, extended family, farmers market family, friends family, work family, walking family and more) who came out in support of KPK's first day at the 2013 Frankfort Country Market in beautiful Frankfort, Illinois. Thank you for sharing Father's Day with us and stopping by for a Fried Asparagus Bruschetta Special, an Herb Infused Lemonade Iced Tea or the KPK TRIO. We had a blast and were very touched and excited to FEEL THE LOVE : )

Looking forward to our next day at the market . . . Sunday, June 30th. If you can't make it, come on out the following weekend on Sunday, July 7th! We'll let you know about our seasonal specials and we're baking some extra COOKIES too!

Stay posted with KPK right here (or on our Facebook page) for more updates.

Thank you everyone!

Love,  Katie

Blog Jilt

My blog feels jilted. The guilt is overbearing, LOL. Lots of cooking and not much writing. Will catch up soon. I cannot wait to share some recipes, tips and ideas with you. Gearing up for the market this week. Hope to see y'all in Frankfort next Sunday, June 16, 2013 from 10:00 am - 2:00 pm. Love, Katie 

Here's what's been cookin' in KPK lately . . .

Roasted Beet & Orange Salad with Fresh Mint Leaves, Feta & Pistachios

Mediterranean Style Creamy Hummus with Parsley Oil, Lemon & Toasted Pignoli

Black & White Chocolate Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Umbrian Style Onion Soup with Pancetta, Tomatoes, Fresh Parsley & Eggs

Spring Fava Beans

Fuzzy Fava Interiors

Roasted Eggplant for Polpette di Melanzane (Fried Eggplant Balls)

Cooling Grains for Taboulleh (pictured here Barley, Quinoa & Millet)

Moroccan Style Carrot Salad with Sheep's Milk Feta, Raisins & Fresh Parsley

Oozing, boiling hot pan of  Pecan Caramel Bars . . . eventually cooled and dipped in Ghirardelli Chocolate, oh my

Pecan Shortbread, Chia Flowers and Macadamia Chocolate Cookies

Polpette di Melanzane (Fried Eggplant Balls) 

KPK At The Market ~ Summer 2013

KATIE'S PASSION KITCHEN will be returning to the Frankfort Country Market in beautiful, historic downtown Frankfort, Illinois this summer on alternating Sundays. Mark your calendar for the above dates and bring your appetite to our "KPK At The Market" BRUSCHETTA BAR. We are bringing back last summer's favorite seasonal bruschetta, gourmet cookies and some new flavors for 2013. We are so excited to be back in Frankfort and looking forward to a fun and delicious summer with all of our market customers. Last year was a blast and we can't wait to see you starting June 16th!

Stop by for a

 KPK Fresh Herb Infused Lemonade Iced Tea

 and say hi!...

Love, Katie