I believe food, and stories about food, can start a dialogue. Maybe it doesn't lead to world peace but it does lend itself to some kind of world understanding. Telling people who you are, who your relatives were through the foods you make, and discovering those food stories from those you work with and know... their food, their culture... is infinitely interesting.
I do an activities food unit once a week at the skilled care unit I work on. I was doing primarily baked goods that I enjoy and were seasonal. It was good, it did encourage a dialogue of what everyone baked or currently enjoys, etc. But it was missing something. One of my residents said that her mother and grandmother made a boiled raisin spice cake. The concept intrigued me and the group. I did some research and found that it was a depression era cake with origins going back to the American Civil War. Possibly it's even English in origin. Regardless, we loved trying it the next week.
So, soon after, the New Year was about to come up and I shared my parent's Southern heritage and the Hoppin John tradition and we tried that. Some of the aides I work with told me of their Haitian traditions around the New Year, good luck food specifically, and I learned about Soup Joumou.
It is eaten for good luck on January 1st, Haitian Independence Day, and it is very good.
(This photo has 2 acorn squash in it. Please use at least one butternut squash. It is a lot richer in color and flavor. Sometimes you just use what's in the house, you know! :) )
Here is a vegetarian version of the traditional recipe. If you want to make it more traditionally, substitute 1 lb of meat and 1 lb of soup bones for the 7-8 oz of coconut milk.
Soup Joumou - Vegetarian Style
1 butternut squash and 1 acorn squash (or 1 Caribbean pumpkin) peeled cubed boiled and pureed in Cuisinart or blender)
8 cups of water
2 vegetable bouillon cubes
salt to taste
black pepper
3-4 cloves of garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
2 whole cloves (put in a mesh in soup so you can take out later)
2 T olive oil
1-2 celery stalks, chooped
1 large onion, chopped
2 potatoes peeled and cubed
1 shallot diced
1/4 head of cabbage, chopped
1 turnip diced
2 carrots, sliced
2 leeks, chopped (optional, I did not use this)
1 T of parsley, chopped
1 whole scotch bonnet or other hot pepper (I used jalapeno) not chopped
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 a lb of small pasta (use less if you want more broth)
1/2 a can of coconut milk, 7 oz, I freeze the rest of mine for another recipe
1 T of fresh lime
1. Saute onions and celery and garlic in olive oil in large pot. Add a little water if you are prone to burning garlic.
2. Add your water, pureed squash, bouillon, spices, and chopped vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until potatoes and turnip are tender.
3. Add your pasta. Cook another 10 min.
4.Add coconut milk and lime. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Remove pepper and cloves
