Having A Generator is a Wonderful Thing

We had another week without power, although this time we were prepared with a generator. Without Internet, another week went by without a post, but not without cooking. The smell of soup, stews and more soup filled the house for most of the week. My favorite was a great Moroccan soup with squash chickpeas and pumpkin seeds. It came from "Olive Trees and Honey", one of the best vegetarian cookbooks around, especially if you like to use spices from the middle east, Europe and Asia.

1/4 c oil
2 Leeks or Onions, chopped
8 cups vegetable stock or water
2 to 3 pounds squash (I used a combination of butternut and acorn - you can also use pumpkin), peeled, seeded and cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups cooked chickpeas
2 carrots, cut into chunks
1 to 4 TBSP brown sugar (to taste)
2 cinnamon sticks or 1 Tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric or saffron thread
1/8 allspice or freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup chopped parsley, cinantro. 1/2 cup toasted pumpkin seeds or pine nuts or 1 cup sauteed mushrooms for garnish

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add leaks and saute about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to boil, cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until soft, about 50 minutes. If you used the cinnamon sticks, discard.

To serve, garnish with chosen ingredient.