Life on the shore of Lake Superior can feel harsh: we have no Indian restaurants, Vietnamese noodle shops, or Jazz clubs. But we *do* have darkness, especially that terrific zone of DEEP DARK out over the Lake — extra tasty this time of year, when the Leonids meteor shower streaks the sky! A friend saw the Leonids in full display at 4:30 am (yesterday), and we saw a few last night, but the peak viewing time was probably early this morning.

Leonids Meteor Shower: Originally uploaded by sabredave

I’m planning on shoreline viewing tonight: blankets for the beach, and a thermos of warm tea. Curry remains hard to find, but I’m making my own these days.

PS: the Leonids are named for the constellation Leo, from which they seem to emerge, so the place to watch is the northern horizon, far out over Lake Superior.

PPS: Here’s a recipe I’ve concocted for Squash Curry Soup:

INGREDIENTS:
One butternut squash (baked until soft), a dozen hot peppers (sliced, seeds removed), an onion (roughly diced), several cloves of garlic (chopped), a half cup quinoa, a half cup brown rice, three or four windfall apples (cored, not peeled, chopped), 8 oz coconut milk, curry paste (to taste — I use Panang-style curry paste, which I buy in bulk and keep in the freezer), 2 cups water, 2 tablespoons olive oil.

STEPS:

1. Bake squash and scoop out pulp.
2. Saute the garlic-onions-peppers in olive oil until transparent (I use a Le Creuset pot but any cast iron pot would be perfect)
3. Add apples, brown rice, squash pulp, water, curry paste.
4. Bake at 250 or 300 for 2 hours (covered pot, stirring occasionally).
5. Add the quinoa during last hour, as it cooks rather quickly.
6. Add coconut milk, stir, pour into bowls.
7. Serve garnished with cilantro and pomegranate seeds.

Mangi con gusto!!

* Optional: save squash seeds for toasting. Separate seeds from pulp but don’t wash them. Put seeds in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil, toss with salt/pepper or Mrs. Dash seasoning, add a half-teaspoon of spelt or whole wheat flour, stir to coat, arrange seeds in a single layer on a baking sheet, and toast in the oven.