Crockafeather Leekie

My last two free-range chickens (will order more from the Northwest Food Hub!) achieved thawed-ness at a very awkward time.  So I put them in the slow cooker, with some leeks and white wine.  Seeing them there, I thought, "Cockaleekie!" and so Googled.

Cockaleekie is Scottish.  Though Scotland's cuisine sometimes can seem a bit perverse, nonetheless the country fascinates me, with its lochs, remote highland moors, wheeling curlews, and rambling old houses.  But I digress.

It seems a certain Ronnie Clydesdale (how can you not trust that name?) from the Ubiquitous Chip restaurant in Glasgow has a recipe for Cockaleekie. It's probably authentic, but seems really plain.  

Wikipedia says that historically, prunes (!) were added to boost Cockaleekie broth's nutritional qualities.

Another website is so Scottish, it has an online game you can play called "Whack a Haggis."  Right.  Their Cockaleekie recipe calls for celery, bay leaf, and optional avocado. They also mention something called "Feather Fowlie," a soup finished with egg yolks and cream. 

Having picked up some duck eggs at the Northwest Food Hub, and having Pure Eire heavy cream to hand, a Feather Fowlie/Cockaleekie hybridization is emerging.   Also, thyme and bacon seem to be Feather Fowlie options. And nutmeg!  And it's topped with julienned prunes.  I love how prunes keep popping up in these recipes.

Back in the kitchen, I drafted a recipe based on my research, and added herbs, spices and prunes to the slow cooker.

The finished soup was deeply satisfying.  And so a blog post was born.


CROCKAFEATHER LEEKIE

For chicken and stock:

2 small free-range chickens
4 small or 2 large leeks, white
   and light green parts only, sliced
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups water
4 prunes
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf

To finish the soup:

1-1/2 cups sliced carrots
1-1/2 cups sliced celery
1-1/2 cups diced onion
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

3 cups of the cooked chicken, cut into smallish pieces for soup

1/2 cup Pure Eire cream
2 duck egg (or three chicken egg) yolks

1 cup sliced bacon
1 clove garlic, minced

2 or 3 prunes, julienned (cut in slivers)


Place all chicken and stock ingredients in 6-quart slow cooker.  Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 8 to 10 hours.  Remove chickens from cooker and place them on a platter.  Strain the broth and chill.  Remove chicken meat from bones and set aside or refrigerate.

To finish and serve the soup, skim fat from broth.  Heat broth to simmering in a large soup pot.  Add carrots, celery, onion and crushed red pepper.  Simmer about 45 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

In a small skillet, fry bacon and garlic 'til crispy.  Set aside.

In small bowl, whisk together cream and egg yolks.

Turn off heat under soup pot.  Quickly stir in cream/egg yolk mixture.  Ladle soup into bowls and top with bacon and julienned prunes.

Taste the Scottish history!

Makes 4 very hearty servings.

Country Captain Soup

The authors of Cooks Illustrated's book The Best Recipe:  Soups and Stews are crazy obsessed with perfection.  Pages of text describe the process by which the neurotic dedicated team achieves soup or stew perfection.

They take ingredients out.  They add ingredients.  They fuss with the order in which ingredients are added.  They wonder if a blender produces a different texture of puree than a food processor (yes).  They taste and test and and experiment and document, and only rest when every team member is satisfied that The Best Recipe is the one they have just produced.

And I totally admire them for it.  Who doesn't want to sit down to a steaming bowl of soup or stew, admire its beauty and fragrance, take a sip, and gaze upward toward the firmament, uttering those blissful words, "This is the best soup I've ever tasted."  These things don't happen by chance, people!  Soup is an art, and if you've ever had a bleah soup, or even a bad soup, you know just what I mean.

All that said, I had on hand some local chicken, homemade broth, and a mango. "Country Captain!" said I, then proceeded to wrench Cooks Illustrated's perfect recipe almost beyond recognition.  Why?  I didn't have some of the ingredients they listed.  I don't particularly like green peppers.  I was in the mood for a soup, not a stew.  As I went along, it seemed right and good to add spinach, carrots, more spices.

And it was perfectly delicious.  Our lesson today:  Perfection is not the exclusive property of Cooks Illustrated.


COUNTRY CAPTAIN SOUP
Typically a stew, this history-rich dish is also delicious as a soup.  Adding coconut cream or coconut butter to the soup instead of flour makes it richly nourishing and deeply satisfying.

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 large onion, cut in 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon chopped garlic

4 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne (less if you don't like heat)
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 cups chicken broth
1-1/2 cups sliced carrots

2 cooked* chicken breasts, cut into chunks or diced (about 2 cups)
1 can (or 1-1/2 cups fresh) diced tomatoes, undrained
3 big handfuls (about 6 cups loose) fresh spinach
1 mango, diced
1/2 cup coconut cream or coconut butter (coconut milk would probably do)

Garnishes:  Toasted coconut flakes, toasted and chopped almonds or macadamias, diced apple, sliced banana, raisins, green onion ... you get the idea.

*If using raw chicken, add it with the broth and carrots.

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In soup pot, melt coconut oil over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic, sauteeing until onion begins to soften.

Sprinkle spices over onion/garlic mixture, and fry for a few minutes, until spices begin to release a delightful, pungent fragrance. 

Add bay leaf, thyme, chicken broth and carrots to pot, stir, and cover.  Cook at a hearty simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, then add chicken, tomatoes, spinach and mango, and continue to cook 10 to 15 minutes more. 

Stir in coconut cream or coconut butter. Serve topped with garnishes of choice.  I used toasted coconut flakes and chopped roasted, salted macadamias.

Makes 4 generous servings.

Bone Broth in the Slow Cooker

I've been picking up grassfed beef soup bones here and there for a while (okay, a couple of years) and finally got 'em all out of the freezer the other day.  Inspired by bone broth makers all over the internet, and with the hope of a hot, nourishing collagen grog, I was (once again) suprised at how easy it all was.  And from first to last sip, the bone broth was, indeed, wonderful!

A diversionary note:  If you have wonderfully marrow-y bones like this, you can actually roast them 'til the marrow is crackly and bubbly, then eat the marrow.  I tasted it, and it was heavenly.  Believe it or not, marrow bones, served with a cool and crispy parsley salad, are a hot ticket item at a high-end restaurant in New York City.

Okay, back to the straight and marrow.  I'll keep this as brief as possible, because there are recipes all over creation for this stuff.

BONE BROTH IN THE SLOW COOKER
These amounts make roughly 3 quarts of broth.

You'll need:

• Grassfed beef bones (about 4 pounds)
• Carrots
• Onion
• Celery
• Apple cider vinegar
• Bay leaves
• Salt and pepper

Thaw your bones.  Rinse them well to remove any bone dust.

Heat oven to 400 degrees.  Arrange bones on a baking sheet as shown.  At the last minute, I decided NOT to use the Silpat, so removed it and placed the bones directly on the baking sheet.

Roast for 20 minutes or so, then check to see how things are going.  The marrow should be sizzling, and any meat on the bones should be getting brown.  Keep roasting 'til things look nice and crispy and brown.  You can use unroasted bones, but roasting adds flavor and color to the finished broth.

While bones are roasting, cut up a few carrots, an onion, and some celery.  This is optional, but will make the broth tastier, I think.  Put the veggies in the crockpot, and add a couple of bay leaves and a few grinds of pepper.

Place bones in slow cooker.  Add water to a depth of at least an inch over the bones.  I used a 6-quart slow cooker for the bones shown.  Be sure to use quantities of bones, veggies and water that keep your slow cooker around 3/4 full ... that's what most manufacturers recommend, but mine was a tad more full than that and worked fine.  But don't fill it to the brim.  You'll need room for the simmering action.

Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the slow cooker.  The wisdom here is that the acid will help release the calcium and other goodies from the bones.

Cook on low heat for 12 to 24 hours.  I cooked mine for 15 hours with great results.  I had read that I should skim the broth periodically, but honestly, there was nothing to skim.  If you have anything floating that doesn't look nice, you could skim it off.

At this point you have a decision to make.  You can remove the bones, strain the broth, then put the bones BACK in the slow cooker, add more water, and keep making broth (for days, even!) until the bones begin to dissolve.  I elected not to do that.

With tongs, pick out the bones and place them on a platter to cool and discard.  Set up a strainer over a heat-proof casserole large enough to hold your broth, then ladle out broth into it.  When the broth level gets low enough, pour the rest of the slow cooker contents into the strainer.  Remove strainer, and stir a teaspoon or two of salt into your broth.  You can also wait and salt the broth to taste when you use it in soups or for drinking.

Cover and chill the broth.  Remove solid fat from top, then freeze broth in containers of choice.  If using glass, leave room for freezing broth to expand.

 And don't forget to heat up a mug of broth for yourself!  You've earned it.

Salmon and Red Curry Soup with Winter Greens

I thought Tom Yum Goong was the best soup ever.  But I have a new favorite!  The braising greens from Box 2 found their way into this soup, which I made a second time with Box 3's braising greens, and adjusted the ingredients and seasonings to perfection for your enjoyment.

SALMON AND RED CURRY SOUP WITH WINTER GREENS
If you keep the broth-to-vegetable ratio steady, you can substitute freely for veggies you might not have on hand. 

2-1/2 pounds wild salmon fillets, skin on (I use Costco Kirkland brand, from the freezer case)
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 small red onions, sliced
3 cups sliced mushrooms
4 (slightly packed) cups greens (braising greens, spinach, sliced chard, etc.)

2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste
2 tablespoons grated or minced ginger
8 cloves garlic, chopped
A couple of slices of seeded jalapeno pepper, or to taste
2 cups small zucchini, quartered and sliced

2 cans (14 ounces or so) coconut milk (not  the "lite" kind)
2 cups fish stock (or cooking broth from salmon)
2 cups water
1 bottle (8 ounces) clam broth (optional)
4 teaspoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon honey

1 cup sliced basil
1 cup chopped cilantro
Lime wedges

In large skillet, place salmon, wine, water and salt.  Simmer, covered, 20 minutes or so, until fish is cooked through.  Remove fish to plate, and remove skin.  Reserve cooking liquid.

While fish is cooking, heat coconut oil in a large soup pot over medium heat.  Add sliced onions, mushrooms, and greens.  Saute, stirring frequently, until onions and mushrooms begin to soften. 

Add curry paste, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and zucchini, and stir, then cook for about 2 minutes or until ginger and curry become fragrant. 

Stir in coconut milk, strained cooking liquid from salmon (or fish stock), water, clam juice, fish sauce, and honey.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes or so.

Taste soup, and if needed, correct seasonings.

Break the salmon into largish chunks and add to soup.  Heat through. 

Serve in shallow bowls and top each serving with basil, cilantro and a lime wedge or two.

Serves four very hungry people.

Spanish Garlic Soup with Saffron and Cumin

It's gray and blustery outside.  It's the day after Thanksgiving.  Maybe it's a Sunday night.  Whatever.  You just don't feel like cooking!  But you feel better if you have a real meal instead of a snack, however healthy the snack might be. 

Dragging yourself to the fridge, you open it.  Maybe there's some leftover turkey or other meat in there.  You keep local eggs on hand, right?   If you're a foodie, you'll have saffron and smoked paprika on hand, too, and broth in your pantry or freezer.  If not, go stock up ... you know  you're going to have one of these moments this winter!

Traditionally, this soup is topped with a hefty number of white-bread croutons.  Trust me, diced avocado is way  more satisfying.

SPANISH GARLIC SOUP WITH SAFFRON AND CUMIN

Sopa española del ajo con azafrán y comino

2 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 small onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (reserve for egg frying)

1 teaspoon ground cumin seed

2 cups diced cooked meat, optional (turkey, chicken, pork, beef)

1 quart homemade chicken or turkey broth

1 teaspoon saffron threads*

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon butter or ghee

2-4 eggs (depending on number of servings you are making)

1 avocado, diced

In medium-sized pot, heat butter or ghee over medium heat.  Add onion and chopped garlic.  Cook, stirring now and then, for about 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.

Sprinkle cumin over onion mixture and cook briefly, stirring to slightly toast it.  Mmmmm!

Add meat, broth, saffron, paprika and crushed red pepper.  Cover and simmer 15 minutes or so. 

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon ghee or butter in small skillet.  Add the minced garlic, then immediately fry the two eggs in the butter/garlic mixture, turning eggs once.

Taste soup; add salt and pepper to taste. 

Ladle soup into bowls.  Top each bowl with a fried egg and some diced avocado.

Makes enough soup for four small or two large servings.

*Reasonably priced saffron is available at the European Market on Huntington Street (across from GESA) on Huntington Street in Kennewick.  They keep it behind the counter, so you have to ask for it.

Tom Yum Goong

This incomparable Thai soup requires a trip to your local Asian market, but after that initial effort, it's quick to prepare.

Tom Yum Goong is a magical soup.  It soothes.  It warms.  It invigorates.  I have theories as to why this is so, but it's more satisfying just to enjoy the soup than to talk about it.

Thanks to Michele, the lemon grass is local!  She gave me a lemongrass start which I am nurturing indoors this winter and will set out in Spring.  Lime leaves, lemon grass and tamarind freeze quite well, so keep some on hand to make this soup when you need it most! 

TOM YUM GOONG

There is room for you to alter this recipe to suit your tastes, but do be careful of the broth-to-seasonings ratio.  I combined many recipes and adjusted until I found perfection. 

1/2 cup lime juice
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
2 tablespoons red Thai curry paste

6 cups Oriental or chicken stock
4 cloves crushed or chopped garlic
8 kaffir lime leaves
15 inches of lemon grass, cut into 3-inch lengths
8 slices galangal or ginger
1/4 cup tamarind paste (if it has seeds, soak paste in water and strain into soup)
2 cups regular coconut milk (not "lite")

2 cups mushrooms, quartered
2 cups cabbage, cut in 1-inch chunks
2 cups broccoli, separated into florets

12 ounces tail-on shrimp, thawed or fresh
2 medium tomatoes, cut in wedges

Green onion and cilantro to garnish

Combine lime juice, fish sauce and curry paste in small bowl.

Bring stock to boil.  Add garlic, lime leaves, lemon grass, galangal or ginger, tamarind paste and coconut milk.  Boil for 3 minutes.

Add mushrooms, cabbage and broccoli.  Boil for another 3 to 5 minutes until vegetables begin to be tender.

Add shrimp and tomatoes.  Cook just until shrimp turn pink.

Stir in fish sauce mixture.  Serve in bowls.  Top each bowl with green onion and cilantro.  If you like, you can swirl in more curry paste before garnishing, to raise the spice-heat level in individual bowls.

Makes 6 large or 8 smaller servings.

Cajun-Portuguese Fusion: Bouillon Verde

 

The Autumnal Equinox is here, so ...it's soup time!  I'm pretty sure Soup Peddler David Ansel titled his hilarious and fun-to-read cookbook Slow and Difficult Soups in response to the overused "Quick and Easy" that dozens of cookbooks seem to use these days.  Most of David's soups, though, actually are quite simple and speedy to prepare. 

Every year about this time I start thinking about Caldo Verde, a Portuguese soup made with linguica sausage and kale.  That's why I picked up a package of AmyLu's andouille sausage at Costco the other day.

Yes, I know  andouille is Cajun, but Costco didn't have linguica.  Come to find out, I didn't have enough of my delectable Schreiber and Sons kale, either, so I subbed in some of their Brussels sprouts.  Then I decided to add carrots, and some smoked paprika.  Really, it became rather a soup free-for-all, which, I am happy to report, turned out splendidly.

So, herewith my Cajun-Portugese fusion soup.  Caldo Verde is Spanish for green broth, which in French is bouillon vert, so we're calling this Bouillon Verde.  Fair enough?

BOUILLON VERDE
Adapted from The Soup Peddler's Slow and Difficult Soups by David Ansel

The book calls for browning the sausages first, then sauteeing the veggies in the fat in the pan.  My sausage was, unfortunately, rather low fat, so I couldn't do that.  But if you have fatty sausage, browning it first is the way to go!

3 tablespoons ghee, butter or olive oil

2 onions, quartered and sliced into crescents
1/2 bunch kale, thick stems removed, leaves chopped
2 cups trimmed Brussels sprouts, coarsely chopped

8 andouille sausages, cut in about 1-1/2 pieces, at an angle for jauntiness
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
a few grinds of black pepper

2 quarts chicken broth or stock

2 or 3 potatoes, peeled (or just well scrubbed, if they're organic), cut into 3/4-inch dice
6 fat carrots, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and then into 3/4-inch dice.

1 head garlic (about 8 fat cloves), peeled and coarsely chopped

Salt as needed

Start off by heating the ghee in at least a 6-quart soup pot over medium heat.  Add the onions, kale and Brussels sprouts as you prepare them, stirring occasionally.  The veggies should begin to soften and perhaps even brown a bit.

Add the sausage pieces and stir, then stir in the paprika, crushed red pepper and black pepper, and cook a few more minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes and carrots, and half the garlic, and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 15 minutes or so, then stir in the remaining garlic.

Cook 5 to 10 more minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender. Taste for salt; whether to add any or not depends on the broth you use.  I added 3/4 teaspoon and found it to be just right.

Makes about 8 servings

Costco is now selling this organic chicken "stock" as opposed to the "broth they formerly offered.  The label says "More versatile than broth."  My opinion?  The stock is exactly the same as the former "broth." 

Don't be afraid to buy these lovely branches of Brussels sprouts at Schreiber and Sons' booth at the farmers' markets.  The sprouts pop off by hand quite easily.  Just snap and twist.

Bison Chili

Whoa!  This is what happens when you've been craving chili and you see "Buffalo" on a package of ground meat at the grocery store:  You throw three packages of the stuff in your cart, and go home to create the best darn chili on the range.  Yessiree, this is hearty, satisfying fare.  I didn't have a recipe, but I wrote down everything I did.  'Cause this chili is definitely going to be made again. 

As the creative process unfolded, the red pepper and kohlrabi in the photo were relegated to crudite status.  I made an innovative cornbread stand-in, using macadamia oil instead of grapeseed oil, that turned out to be amazingly good.  Yee haw!

Because absolutely authentic chilies don't contain beans or tomato, I'm thinking about trying this sans-tomato next time.

This recipe comes with a book recommendation:  The Buffalo Commons by Richard S. Wheeler.  
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BISON CHILI 

The ancho chili powder will determine the overall taste and heat level of your chili.  I make my own with those leathery ancho peppers sold in the Mexican food aisle at the supermarket, mixing in a dried hot chili pepper or two. Make a lot!  Good ancho chili powder is hard to find, and makes a great gift.  It's especially important for red sauces for enchiladas, and chilies like this one.

3 pounds ground bison
2 tablespoons oil (I used avocado oil)

4 carrots, in 1/2-inch dice
1 turnip, peeled and cut in 1/2-inch dice
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 onions (I used a red onion and a white onion), peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 head garlic, cloves separated, peeled and minced

2 tablespoons ancho chili powder (see note above) or regular 'ol chili powder
1 tablespoon regular 'ol chili powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon cumin seed, toasted in a dry skillet and slightly crushed with mortar and pestle
1 teaspoon salt

1 jar (26 oz.) spaghetti sauce
1 jar (7 oz.) tomato paste
3-4 cups water

3 fresh bay leaves or 1 dried bay leaf

In large soup pot, heat oil.  Add bison, break up with your spatula, and begin to saute.  While that's going on, prep your veggies in the order given and add them to the pot, stirring well each time.  By the time you get to the garlic, things should be sizzling along nicely.

Scatter the chili powders, paprika, cumin seed and salt over the meat/vegetable mixture, and stir well, cooking for a few minutes 'til the spicy aroma begins to waft around your kitchen.  Stir in the bay leaves.

Add the spaghetti sauce, the tomato paste, and 3 cups water.  Bring to a simmer and cook for 30 to 40 minutes. If you like a saucier chili, add another cup of water.

Makes 8 to 10 hearty servings.

Celery Root Soup

Lately I've been noticing those interesting vegetables tucked up and back of the more usual, recognizable varieties in the front rows of the produce aisles.  Vegetables are playing a much larger role in our lives now, and, after casting my eye further around the available selection than I normally do, I brought home a hulking, monstrous celery root that nearly fell out onto my toes each time I opened the fridge door.

Its destiny was fulfilled last night.  This is a delicious soup, despite the unfortunate appearance of a celery root. Or celeriac ... it's the same thing.  Still, how pretty is a potato?  It's all relative.

This recipe was originally a bisque, but that called for straining it through a sieve, something I am loathe to do to a perfectly good soup.  It seems much to me like cutting the crusts off sandwiches.  Rustic is more attractive than primped, when it comes to food, no?
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CELERY ROOT SOUP
Adapted from Cooks.com

1 celery root, about 1-1/4 pounds, peeled and cubed
1 large potato or 2 small CSA ones, peeled and cubed
lemon juice

3 tablespoons butter
3 leeks, white and light green parts only, cut in 1/2-inch rounds
3 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups chicken stock (I used stock made with my CG Ranch chickens)

Salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup Pure Eire cream
2 tablespoon green onions, sliced

As you peel and dice the celery root and potato, place them in a container of water with some lemon juice added to keep them from turning brown.  Discard the lemon water after adding celery root and potatoes to the soup.

Melt butter in soup pot, and add leeks and garlic.  Saute for 10 minutes or so, until leeks have begun to soften.   Add chicken stock, celery root, potatoes, salt and pepper.   Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 30 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

I used an immersion blender to "puree" this soup, as opposed to putting it in batches in a blender.  Don't over-puree:  Beating with blades releases potato starch and the soup will become gummy. 

Stir in cream, taste for seasoning, heat gently through, and serve topped with green onions.

Makes six generous servings.

Smoked Salmon Chowder

This delicious chowder has become our traditional Christmas Eve dinner dish.  Savory, hearty, with a subtle hint of tarragon ... it's a real keeper.  I've tweaked it a bit and see that I've written "perfect" on its page in the cookbook.
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SMOKED SALMON CHOWDER
Adapted from Soups and Stews by Maryana Vollstedt

Do make this a day ahead of time and chill so the flavors can blend.  Stir in the half-and-half when heating to serve.  You can leave out the half-and-half and still have a delectable, creamy chowder.

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1/3 cup all-purpose flour

4 cups chicken stock
2 cups bottled clam broth
2 Yukon Gold potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut in half-inch dice
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon paprika

10 ounces smoked salmon, from Northwest Seafood Market, skin removed and flaked
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 drops Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup half-and-half (or mixed Pure Eire milk and cream), optional

In large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, melt butter with oil.  Add onion and celery and saute until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir.  Add stock and stir until slightly thickened.  Add potatoes, tarragon, thyme, dill and paprkia.  Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.  Add salmon, garlic, lemon juice, Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper and wine.  Simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes.  Add half-and-half and simmer over low heat until heated through, about 5 minutes.

Cabbage Soup with Sausage and White Wine

Two things captivated me when I spotted this recipe years ago.  It called for two cups of white wine, which I felt sure would elevate a simple cabbage soup well beyond being brothily boring, and the cooking instructions said to cook "until the cabbage is redolent and tender."  I cannot resist words like "redolent."

A truly easy yet extraordinarily savory and memorable fall and winter soup.

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CABBAGE SOUP WITH WHITE WINE AND SAUSAGE
Adapted from The Kitchen Garden Cookbook by Sylvia Thompson

The original recipe was a stew, and used only one cup of chicken broth.  My other additions are the red bell pepper, crushed red pepper, and smoked paprika. The recipe also states that "a Czech or Pole would also season the stew with a good pinch of caraway seeds." Though not of either of those persuasions, I do grind some caraway seed a tad with mortar and pestle and sprinkle atop the soup when serving.

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large or 8 small carrots, diced
1 large red onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced, or 1 14-oz. can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme (I usually add quite a bit more thyme)
6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small head green cabbage, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 pound sausages, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, or larger if you prefer
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups good chicken broth
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika
Freshly ground black pepper

Boiled potatoes and sour cream or yogurt for serving


Heat olive oil in large soup pot.  Add carrots and onions and saute for several minutes.  Add tomatoes, thyme and garlic, and heat through.

Pile the cabbage on top of the vegetables, and scatter the sausage atop the cabbage.  Pour wine and broth over, and sprinkle with the paprika.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring the mixture all together at 20 minutes.  When the cabbage is "redolent and tender," add pepper, taste for salt (I usually add about 1/2 teaspoon), and serve over boiled potatoes.  Top with sour cream or yogurt if you wish.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Goat Cheese

When looking at a heap of fresh tomatoes ripening rapidly on one's kitchen counter, one tends to think of sweeping, efficient yet delicious ways to capture their fresh taste and make the heap smaller without too much effort.  Soups and sauces are the usual options, and for good reason.  They're scrumptious.

Once I got going with the whole quartering-the-tomatoes process for this recipe, I looked over and saw the pluots and plums lying there, and decided to roast a plum with the toms instead of adding the tablespoon of honey called for. 

And I don't mess around trying to pour hot soup into a blender ... I use an immersion blender that I discovered my husband had, after we married.  "I'll never use that," I thought.  Ha!  I use it all the time.

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ROASTED TOMATO SOUP WITH GOAT CHEESE
From Lucid Food by Louisa Shafia

Make sure you have enough liquid (about 3 inches or so, or enough to fully cover the head of the blender) before you start the immersion blender.  If the liquid is too shallow, the blender will fling it around your kitchen.

12 ripe tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon honey (or roast a pitted plum or pluot with the toms)
2 springs fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus more for garnish
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup fresh goat cheese

Heat oven to 425 degrees F.

Core and quarter tomatoes, and remove and reserve the seeds for the stock.  In a large bowl, toss the tomatoes with the garlic, onion, honey (if using) or pitted, halved plum, rosemary, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and a dash of salt.  Spread the mixture on a baking sheet and roast for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove the rosemary .

Combine the tomato seeds, bay leaf, and 1 cup water in a pot and bring to a boil over high heat.  Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.  Strain the stock into a bowl.  Rinse the pot and return the stock to it, and add the roasted tomatoes.  Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.

Turn heat off and let soup cool a tiny bit.  Add goat cheese and remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and blend 'til smooth with an immersion blender.  Or pour the soup carefully into a blender or food processor and blend 'til smooth.  Season to taste with salt, and reheat a bit if necessary.

Garnish each bowl with a few drops of balsamic vinegar, a few grinds of black pepper, and perhaps a little rosemary if you wish.

Makes 4 servings.

Summer Vegetable Soup with Basil, Garlic and Mint

This week, things got a little sparse in the vegetable department between farmers' markets. I looked at a motley collection of vegetables in the fridge and could only think: Soup. Why not? But it had to be a summer soup, and stand up to rigorous criteria: Distinct from winter soups, and delicious.

Starting out with delicious homemade chicken broth is definitely an advantage. I decided to de-winterize the soup with a fresh basil-mint pesto, and to add summer whimsy with a tiny tomato garnish. The alphabet noodles were another whimsical touch, and though I'd hoped words would appear, Ouija-like in the soup, none did. It was, however, truly delicious.

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SUMMER VEGETABLE SOUP WITH BASIL, GARLIC AND MINT

4 cups chicken broth, preferably homemade
1 large carrot, sliced

4 or 5 spring onions, white parts only, sliced
2 savoy cabbage leaves, sliced
1 long, mild pepper, sliced
1 little serrano pepper, seeded and sliced (take care; if pepper is really hot, use less)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (I used some I'd previously taken from the cob and frozen)

2 cups loose basil leaves (principled ones won't do)
a sprig or two of mint
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon olive oil
generous pinch of salt

1/2 cup alphabet pasta, cooked separately in water and drained

Little cherry tomatoes to scatter on top

Salt and pepper to taste

In small food processor, blend basil, mint, garlic, olive oil and salt into a pesto.

Place broth and carrots in a kettle and bring to a simmer, cooking until carrots are beginning to get tender, about 5 minutes. Add onions, peppers and corn, and simmer for about 10 minutes more. Taste for salt and pepper. Add pasta. Heat well and ladle into bowls.

Top each serving with a blob of the basil mixture, and top with a few cherry tomatoes (or diced tomatoes if you don't have little ones).

Makes four very hearty servings.

Beet Soup with Nine CSA Legumes

Yesterday I started craving raspberry-nectarine pie, so I know that it's season-shifting time. Could be that's why this soup, with its absolute orgy of greens, attracted me. A bunch of parsley! Spinach and chard! A bunch of scallions! Fresh mint!

I have a low tolerance for recipes that call for "one scallion, sliced" or "a tablespoon of chopped parsley." I had to trust Deborah Madison again on this one, but when I saw that I could use all the types of CSA legumes (chickpeas, lentils, 7-bean mix) , I was in. It was icing on the cake to read that "... the aromatics are added at the end, breaking the clean surface with a net of golden speckles."

I defy any adventurous cook to resist "a net of golden speckles."

Smugly, I pulled my gallon-size freezer bags of cooked chickpeas and cooked 7-bean mix that I froze from the last couple of CSA boxes. If you didn't cook extra, you'll have to start earlier to make this soup.

The finished soup is quite bracing, with the mellow but spicy onion topping a wonderful sweet contrast. All the greens and parsley give this soup a hint of spring ... and only the faintest echo of its sturdy winter cousin, borscht.

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BEET SOUP WITH NINE CSA LEGUMES
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

4 medium beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/3 cup CSA lentils, sorted and rinsed

1-1/2 cups cooked CSA 7-bean mix
1 cup cooked CSA chickpeas
2 cups chopped chard or beet greens
2 teaspoons salt

1 bunch scallions, including green parts, sliced
2 cups coarsely chopped spinach
1 small bunch parsley, finely chopped

Salt and freshly ground black peper

Garnish:
3 tablespoons butter, preferably ghee
1 CSA onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup yogurt

Put beets, lentils and 7 cups water in a soup pot. Bring to boil, lower heat and simmer, partly covered, for 25 minutes.

Add the 7-bean mix, chickpeas, chard, 2 cups water, and 2 teaspoons salt. Cook about 5 minutes or until chard is tender.

Add scallions, spinach and parsley, and cook until spinach is wilted and bright green. Grind a little black pepper in. Taste for salt and turn off heat.

For garnish, melt butter over low heat. Add onion, turmeric and cayenne; cook until onion is soft, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in fresh mint.

Ladle soup into bowls. Top each serving with a spoonful of garnish and a dollop of yogurt.

Barley Soup with Carmelized Onions

I don't think I've ever truly carmelized onions before, but today I was determined to actually do it. After the initial 40-minute cooking period, it took another 45 minutes for the onions to truly become golden brown. Which isn't a big deal, because you can chop up your other vegetables and then write a novella while the slow carmelization takes place. I have to say, though, it really is worth it.

Deborah Madison's Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is a cookbook that I significantly underuse. Every time I look through it I realize what a vast resource of very creative and finely-tuned dishes it is.

This recipe called for two quarts of homemade stock, for which she also gives the recipe. But, as always, I wanted to see if I could cut a corner or two ... so I added garlic, bay leaf, and thyme to the soup, and used a combination of water and chicken stock. Pouf! Great soup. It is very reminiscent of French onion soup, probably because of the slow-cooked onions.

I do try to keep some dried mushrooms on hand just for instances like this.
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BARLEY SOUP WITH CARMELIZED ONIONS
Adapted from Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison

1/4 cup olive oil
3 CSA yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch dice

A splash of white wine

One 1/2-ounce package dried porcini mushrooms

2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons minced dried rosemary

1 quart chicken broth
3 cups water
1 cup CSA pearl barley, rinsed
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrot
1 teaspoon thyme
2 bay leaves
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 teaspoon salt

Salt and pepper
Grated pecorino or other cheese

Heat oil in heavy soup pot over low heat. Add onions, cover and cook for 40 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to medium, and cook, stirring frequently, 'til onions are golden brown and carmel-y. This may take another 40 to 45 minutes, so be patient.

Put the porcinis in a small bowl and pour one cup boiling water over. After about 20 minutes, remove the porcini, strain the broth into a one-cup measure, and add water so the broth equals one cup again. Chop the porcini. Set aside.

When the onions are carmelized, deglaze the pot by stirring in a splash of white wine, scraping up the brown bits.

Stir in the tomato paste and rosemary, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the barley, vegetables, porcini, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, salt, chicken broth, 3 cups water, and porcini broth. Simmer, partially covered, for about 25 minutes or until the barley and vegetables are done.

Remove bay leaves. Serve soup with pecorino, parmesan, or cheese of your choice on top.

4 to 6 servings

Potato Yam Leek Soup

Years ago I learned that no, I cannot substitute onions for leeks. They're completely different. Leeks have a deep, primal kind of fragrance, a "leek reek," if you will. One whiff of it immediately conjurs up visions of medieval soup pots hanging over smoky fires. Chicken soup. Plus, leeks are just fun ... all those cool little rings!

I was intrigued by this recipe because of the dill ... you normally see thyme with leeks and potatoes. And because of the yam ... also unusual. But all the flavors combined well. The original recipe called for soy milk, which I really don't like. As well, I wanted to see how the soup did with no milk at all. It was fantastic.

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POTATO YAM LEEK SOUP
Adapted from ExtraVeganZa by Laura Mathias

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 CSA leeks, white and light green parts only, sliced thinly
3 CSA potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 yam, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried dill
2 teaspoons coarse salt
4 cups water
freshly ground black pepper

In soup pot, saute leeks in olive oil on medium heat. Add potatoes, yam, garlic, dill, salt, and a few grinds of black pepper.

Add 4 cups water and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until potatoes and yams are soft.

With an immersion blender, blend at a few spots in the soup 'til you get a creamy effect. Don't liquefy the whole pan of soup. Top individual bowls with a sprinkling of dill.

Serves 4

Chickpea and Pear Olla

Exploring ideas for a dish that would combine my CSA pears and onions, I happened upon one that would also include my CSA chickpeas. An olla is a "soupy legume stew," and has many versions depending on the region of Spain in which it originates.

I simply cannot resist trying recipes with ingredients that are all over the map like this. The lure is the possibility of a new favorite dish, unusual and intriguing. Of course, the dish may also bomb. This olla did not. The flavors blended amazingly well into a savory, rustic stew with a subtle fruity tone and several layers of flavor. Very interesting technique to fry and chop the garlic, and add it just before serving. I'll definitely make this again.

I'd saved my two least-ripe CSA pears in the fridge, and they were still quite firm. Having no squash on hand of any type, I substituted sweet potato for the pumpkin/butternut squash. The CSA chickpeas, according the farmer's e-mail, are a special variety prized in Spain, and the seeds were brought from there. They are a tad more dainty than common chickpeas.
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CHICKPEA AND PEAR OLLA (Olla Gitana or "Gypsy Pot")
Adapted from The New Spanish Table by Anya von Bremzen

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight and drained
1 large carrot, cut into 1-inch chunks
9-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

1 pound pumpkin or butternut squash, cut into 1-inch chunks
10 ounces green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch lengths
2 small, slightly under-ripe Anjou pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
Coarse salt
Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
10 whole blanched almonds (boil for one minute in water, then slip skins off)

3/4 cup chopped onion
1 teaspoon sweet (not smoked or hot) paprika
2 medium tomatoes, chopped (or one 14-oz. can diced tomatoes)
1 medium pinch of saffron (a loose teaspoon), pulverized in a mortar and steeped in 3 tablespoons very hot water
About two teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons slivered fresh mint

In a 5-quart pot over high heat, bring chickpeas, carrot and 6 cups chicken stock to a boil. Skim off any foam, reduce heat, cover, and simmer 1 hour or until chickpeas are tender.

Add 3 cups more stock along with pumpkin, green beans and pears. Season with salt and pepper to taste. I used 1 teaspoon coarse salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until vegetable are soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until golden. Remove with slotted spoon to small bowl. Add almonds and cook until golden. Remove with slotted spoon to small bowl with garlic.

To skillet, add onion and cook 5 minutes, stirring. Add paprika and stir for a few seconds, then add tomatoes (undrained if using canned) and stir, cooking for a few minutes until liquid begins to reduce.

Add tomato mixture and saffron water to the chickpeas. Continue cooking until vegetables are very soft and the pumpkin is falling apart, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add chicken broth if stew seems too thick.

Finely chop the almonds and garlic in a small food processor. Stir them into the chickpea mixture. Add two teaspoons vinegar, and taste for salt, pepper and vinegar, adjusting as necessary.

Let stew cool for 10 minutes. Sprinkle mint over the top and serve the olla with crusty bread.

Herb 'n Onion Potato Soup

I just had to do something with one of those beautiful CSA onions tonight. I hadn't used the potatoes from Box 2 yet, so I got them out, and of course, soup came to mind.

What with the excitement of the new box and all, I got a bit over-enthused about herbs, and put in some oregano from my garden, and some of the CSA sage. But next time I will stick with just the thyme. It's a very simple soup, and doesn't seem to want a lot of conflicting herb flavors. I try to keep dairy foods to a minimum, but you could add some milk or cream to this.

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HERB 'N ONION POTATO SOUP

5 or 6 potatoes
1 large onion
A quart or so of chicken broth
Thyme

Peel and dice the potatoes and onion, and put in soup pot. Add chicken broth and thyme to taste. I used about 2 teaspoons. Bring to boil, then simmer 'til potatoes are soft. Run a potato masher through the soup, and taste for salt. Add additional broth if the soup becomes too dry or if you like a thinner soup.