Pasilla Oaxaca Vegetable Soup

Sometimes it's hard to get enough of a good thing, and that is certainly true with Pasilla Oaxaca chiles. Every summer we run out of the small crop of these rare chiles, and celebrate when they are harvested again in the fall. They come only from the Oaxaca region of southern Mexico and combine a rich dose of smoky chile flavor with just the right level of heat - not too much. We are thrilled, because this years crop just arrived!Use Pasilla Oaxaca in your favorite recipe for chili or vegetable soup, or try this creative Afro-Latin fusion. We've used both our Harissa spice blend, traditional in North Africa, and the Pasilla Oaxaca chile to season a chunky melange of carrots, zucchini, okra and black eyed peas in this satisfying fall soup. Enjoy!Pasilla Oaxaca are traditional in molé sauces, rellenos and salsas but are also SUPER easy to use whole if you want fabulous flavor in your next hearty fall soup. Just drop one in and remove before serving...like a bay leaf!

Learn more

Coriander Roasted Beets

Roasting beets concentrates their flavor, and the complement of coriander is delicious. We like to roast a whole pan-full and serve them alone as a side dish or atop a dark leafy green salad of chard, kale and spinach. Choose beets of a similar size so they cook at about the same rate, and both the gold and red varieties can be used alone or in combination. The spice mix of coriander, sesame, marjoram and Urfa is bright and pleasing with just a hint of mild heat. Inspired by our love of Dukkah and Green Za'atar, this blend is a variation on those themes with coriander taking center stage.This spice mixture goes well with other roasted vegetables too - like carrots or parsnips and can be used as a crust on meat and seafood. You can vary the consistency to go with your dish - we like it medium-fine to sprinkle on vegetables and a more coarse to use as a crust. For another variation, grind the coriander seeds, but leave the sesame seeds whole for additional crunch. Out of the oven, these beets have heavenly, and healthy flavor. Enjoy.

Learn more

Chinese Five Spiced Apple-Carrot Pie

Tender carrots are surprisingly sweet when baked in a brown sugar syrup, especially when united with perfect Washington apples and plump little raisin gems. The fresh ginger is a classic pairing with the carrot, and is highlighted perfectly by the Star Anise in our Chinese Five Spice. The all-butter crust recipe I've included is a long-time standby of mine, and produces some of the flakiest and best pastry I've ever tasted. It will definitely be making an appearance at my Thanksgiving table this year!

Learn more