Soups, Stews and Chili – Page 3 – Sue's Seasonal Palate

August 6, 2015 Smoked Tomato Soup

Situated just 30 miles north of New York City on the former Rockefeller estate in rural Potantico Hills, New York is Blue Hill at Stone Barns. It is a restaurant that exists within the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and a four season working farm. The mission of James Beard award winning chef Dan Barber is to “create a consciousness about the effects of everyday food choices”.

One of the first true “farm to table” restaurants, the menu at Blue Hill is based on what the farm has harvested that day, not on the diner’s whim. I can relate, that’s how we eat from spring to fall, especially now when the harvest from our garden is so abundant. I am freezing buckets of string and wax beans, the zucchini harvest is plentiful and I have just started roasting tomatoes to freeze for winter soups, stews and chilis. Needless to say, I am always on the hunt for new takes on familiar recipes. One that recently caught my eye was a recipe that has been published in both Food and Wine magazine and Bon Appetit, chef Barber’s Smoked Tomato Soup.

The idea of smoking tomatoes intrigued me, I have smoked salmon, every variety of poultry, and even cheese. In this recipe, some of the tomatoes in the soup are skillet-smoked, a chef’s trick that is easily achieved by the home chef. Before you begin this recipe, turn the kitchen exhaust fan on. Fragrant wood chips are scattered in a cast iron skillet and heated until they begin to smoke. Tomato halves, cut side up of course, so none of the juices are lost, are placed on a thick foil square. The skillet is taken off the heat, covered tightly and the tomatoes are allowed to sit until they are smoky, 5-8 minutes. Alternately, as I did, start with a stovetop smoker and spread the wood smoking dust on the bottom of the base pan.The drip tray and rack are placed on top. I placed the tomato halves on the rack, closed the lid and smoked the tomatoes for 10 minutes. It is important to only use wood chips or dust that are specifically made for smoking, and not sprayed with chemicals.

On the stovetop, an onion, a leek, (the first harvested from the garden), garlic, bay leaves and coriander seed are sauteed over medium heat. The recipe also calls for 2 teaspoons of fresh or prepared horseradish, an interesting addition that didn’t make the soup hotter but added another flavor dimension. The rest of the tomatoes are chopped and added to the soup along with chicken broth. To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken. Let the pot simmer for about 45 minutes, remove the bay leaves and blend the mixture. Butter adds to the richness of the soup, but you can eliminate it if you are watching your calories. Top the soup with a chiffonade of basil. Served warm or cold, smoked tomato soup is a refreshing summer treat.

Smoked Tomato Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

4lb. plum tomatoes, halved and divided
¼c olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 large leek, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
2tsp coriander seeds
2tsp finely grated fresh horseradish or prepared horseradish
1½c low sodium chicken broth
4T unsalted butter at room temperature
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
Thinly sliced basil leaves (for serving)

Special equipment

½c hickory, pecan or apple wood chips
2T finely ground oak chips

Directions

Scatter wood chips in a medium cast-iron skillet and heat over high until chips begin to smoke, about 5 minutes. Cut a 24″ sheet of heavy duty foil and fold in half twice more to make a large square. Fold in half twice more to make a small, thick square. Place the square carefully over the chips and set 5 tomato halves, cut side up on top, remove skillet from heat. Cover with foil and top with a lid or another medium skillet. Let tomatoes sit until barely softened and smoky, 5-8 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a plate and let cool slightly.
If you have a stovetop smoker: Place 2 tablespoons of finely ground oak chips in the bottom of the base pan of a stovetop smoker. Set the drip tray on top of the chips, and place the rack on the drip tray. Place 5 tomato halves, cut side up on the rack, and slide the lid closed. Place the smoker on the stovetop. Set the heat to medium, and smoke the vegetables for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, chop remaining tomatoes. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat and cook onion and leek, stirring occasionally, until tender but not taking on any color, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in garlic, bay leaves, coriander seeds and horseradish and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add chopped tomatoes and broth, increase heat to medium high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer until the tomatoes are soft, 35-45 minutes. Let cool slightly, discard bay leaves.
Working in batches if needed, blend tomato mixture, smoked tomatoes and butter in a blender until smooth. Strain soup through a food mill with the medium disc in place into a large bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature topped with chopped basil.

Tomatoes after smoking, softened and smoky!

July 7, 2015 Buttermilk Broccoli Basil Soup

When I first started cooking in the eighties, supermarkets sold broccoli with both the crown and stem, usually two pieces joined together with a thick rubber band. Back then I would whack off the stems and use the florets for stir fries and rich broccoli cheddar soup. The stems were sentenced to the compost heap or the garbage pail. Like most home cooks, I didn’t realize the stems were edible and had no idea how to cook them.

Because of my interest in Chinese cooking I discovered a recipe that changed the way I looked at using broccoli. It was a recipe for jasmine fried rice that called for peeled and diced broccoli stems. I admit I was dubious at first, but the delicate texture and sweet flavor the stems brought to the dish won me over. Now the problem became finding broccoli with the stem. Over the course of time the crown and stem combination was replaced with just broccoli crowns, sold at a higher price. Like me, consumers wanted just the crowns, so the supermarkets responded in kind. Broccoli crowns became the norm, coming at a premium price per pound.

Fast forward to the last several years, with the advent of farmers markets, food co-ops and the rising popularity of home gardens, the broccoli stem has reappeared. In the spirit of nose to tail cooking, using virtually the entirety of an animal, chefs are now embracing root to stem cooking, using as much of the vegetable as possible. Why not use broccoli stems? The main stem is entirely edible. They have the same nutritional value as the crowns or florets with even more fiber. I have found recipes using the stem for everything from salads to stir fries to roasted chips.

The original recipe for this soup called for broccoli florets only. I used the florets in another dish and in the spirit of root to stem cooking, thought the stems would work well in a soup. I sliced the stem into bite sized pieces to yield 5 cups. The sliced broccoli stems and shallots are sauteed in butter or oil. A little sherry boosts the flavors and the vegetables are simmered in either chicken or vegetable broth. Since they are more fibrous, broccoli stems should be cooked a little longer than the florets. You can either peel the stems first or put the mixture through a food mill after pureeing to obtain the smoothest texture. Thin the soup with buttermilk and garnish with mini basil leaves. Our warm temperatures called for a cold soup but this would be good warm as well.

I used five cups of bite sized broccoli stem pieces.

Broccoli Basil Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

2T unsalted butter or olive oil
1 medium onion or 3 medium shallots
2T dry sherry
5c broccoli stems or flowerets or a combination of both, cut into bite sized pieces
2½c chicken or vegetable stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1c low fat buttermilk
2T fresh finely minced basil leaves

Directions

Heat butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onion or shallot and sauté until golden, about five minutes.
Add sherry and broccoli, stir cook until sherry evaporates, about 30 seconds.
Add stock, salt and pepper to taste to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cover and cook until broccoli is tender, flowerets will take about 10 minutes, stems only, 20 minutes.
Ladle broccoli mixture into blender. Blend until very smooth, using a little of the buttermilk if needed. If using stems, place mixture through a food mill for the finest texture. Stir in the rest of the buttermilk.
If serving hot, return soup to saucepan; cook over low heat until warmed through. If soup is too thick, stir in additional buttermilk to thin consistency. Adjust seasonings. If serving cold, refrigerate soup for several hours, taste and adjust seasonings.
Soup can be refrigerated for three days and either served cold or reheated just before serving. Ladle soup into individual bowls. Garnish with minced basil or whole mini basil leaves and serve immediately.

January 3, 2015 Spicy Sausage, Escarole and White Bean Stew

Two cups of chopped leaves barely put a dent in the head of escarole staring back at me in the fridge. I needed it for our Seven Fishes seafood stew, now the remainder of it’s girth was contained in a plastic bag. I knew it would burst out like a jack-in-the-box the minute I opened it. The question now was, what should I do with the rest of this bitter green? I decided on a quick and easy escarole, sausage and white bean stew.

Chicory, escarole, frisee, what’s in a name? They are all forms of one plant, endive, that has two primary forms; one with curly feathery leaves, the other with broader more flattened leaves.

The curly feathery variety is marketed as curly chicory or curly endive. Some specialty growers press and keep curly chicory from light during the later stages of the growth process and the green is brought to market as frisee. Frisee is fragile in appearance, but in actuality, is quite sturdy. Because of the extra pains growers must take to produce frisee it is quite expensive. One of the dishes I made for Seven Fishes, sauteed scallops with mushrooms, called for a bed of frisee. The almost ten dollar price tag for one head was even too pricey for me!

Escarole, also referred to as broad leafed endive, is the form that has a large, comparatively flat head. It is a nutritional powerhouse, high in fiber, minerals, vitamins A,K and C and beta carotene. It is like lettuce in form, the outer, darker leaves are more bitter and best suited for cooking. The innermost pale leaves are not as bitter and are an interesting addition to a salad. Escarole can be very sandy so wash it well in several changes of water.

This stew is a classic combination of bitter greens with white beans and sausage. Cooked sausage and canned beans help this dish to come together with minimal fuss and shows that a soup doesn’t have to be complicated to be good. Like many soups it tastes even better after a few days in the fridge.

DSC_0481a — The darker outer leaves of escarole are best suited for cooking, the inner leaves are an interesting addition to a salad.

Spicy Sausage, Escarole and White Bean Stew

Serves four

Ingredients

1T olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
2 15-oz cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1 head escarole, chopped into 1-2 inch pieces, washed and lightly dried
1c low salt canned chicken broth or homemade stock
12oz cooked Andouille sausage, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2t red wine vinegar, more to taste
Kosher salt
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy 5 to 6 quart Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender 5-6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, then stir in the beans.
Add the escarole to the pot in batches using tongs, wilting it before adding each addition. Add the chicken broth and the cooked sausage to the pot.
Cover the pot and cook until the beans are heated through and the escarole is tender, about 8-10 minutes. Season to taste with vinegar and salt.
Transfer to bowls and sprinkle each portion with some of the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

December 7, 2014 Roasted Butternut Squash Soup with Asian Pear and Ginger

Squash soup is a constant on our Thanksgiving table. As a novice cook it was the tried and true Silver Palate version of butternut squash soup with apples and curry that I turned to. This delicious soup with a little bit of sweet and a little bit of spice was always met with rave reviews from friends and family. In recent years I have tried to change it up a little. My basic formula is to combine a winter squash whether it’s Hubbard, butternut, kabocha, with a fall fruit like apples or pears and spiced with flavors that remind me of fall, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice or ginger.

This year’s recipe was developed with inspiration from a visit to the farmers market, butternut squash soup with fresh ginger and Asian pears. When choosing a butternut squash look for one that is evenly beige in color and heavy for it’s size. There should be about an inch of intact stem and the skin should be matte, not shiny in appearance. If the stem is removed, it is easier for bacteria to enter the squash. A shiny butternut squash was picked too young, or worse, waxed. I look for a butternut with a thicker “neck” and a smaller ball. I cut the squash in two pieces, where the neck meets the ball. I find that it’s easier to peel in two separate units. I prefer a vegetable peeler for this task but a thin bladed sharp knife will work as well. I don’t always have the time, but when I do I also toast the seeds for a snack or a garnish.

Butternut squash is a common find at the farmers market in the fall but freshly harvested ginger, that was a new discovery for me. The most visible difference in the freshly harvested ginger was that the skin was soft, not woody and the flesh was much juicier. A little investigation and I discovered it’s not that difficult to grow your own ginger, in our case indoors, since we lack the year round tropical climate. We can try this in the spring when the ginger at the supermarket is at it’s freshest and easiest to root. I’m sure I can convince Joe to try this, maybe growing our own will be the alternative to the shriveled up piece I always seem to have in the fridge.

Asian pears are native to China, Taiwan, Korea and Japan and we even have a few trees in our orchard. The fruit is pome shaped like an apple and unlike it’s European counterparts must fully ripen on the tree. Also, Asian pears are consumed when the flesh is firm and crisp with a somewhat gritty texture, not buttery soft like an Anjou or Bosc.

This is an easy soup to put together, toss the cubed vegetables with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast until they are soft and browned in places. The vegetables are pureed in the food processor with just enough chicken stock to make a thick soup. Cook the puree mixture over medium heat to blend the flavors together. If this soup is made in advance, it will thicken as it sits, just add enough chicken broth to thin it out.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

Serves eight

Ingredients

1 large butternut squash 4-5 lbs., peeled and cut into 1-inch dice
1 Asian pear, peeled, cored and sliced
1 medium onion in 1-inch dice
2 carrots, peeled in 1-inch dice
1 large stalk celery in 1-inch dice
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled if necessary, cut into 6-8 pieces
3T olive oil
3-4 cups low sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt and pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl combine the butternut squash cubes and olive oil. Mix together, coating the cubes well. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Spread the squash pieces evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Be sure not to crowd.
In the same bowl, toss the pear, carrots and celery to coat with the olive oil that remained in the bowl. Sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Place on a second baking sheet and place both sheets in the oven. Roast for 35-40 minutes, rotating trays top and bottom halfway through the cooking time. Vegetables should be soft and browned.
In batches, add the roasted cubes to the food processor with enough chicken stock to blend the mixture. Add blended vegetables to a large soup pot and cook over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for twenty minutes.
Serve soup warm garnished with pear slices.

DSC_0020a — Fresh ginger, the skin is much softer and the ginger is juicier.

October 9, 2014 Broccoli Soup

One day last week I received several phone calls and a text message from my husband at his office in a very short period of time. I wasn’t sure what was up since I had just been there, so I had to find out what was so urgent. “Are you near by? he asked, “A patient came in and brought me some of the biggest broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage I’ve ever seen.” I wasn’t, nearby that is, so he planned to bring them home that evening.

When he came in that evening, something was missing, the vegetables. Joe left them in the computer room on his way out and since computer rooms can get a little warm, we promptly hopped back into the car and back to the office to rescue the Brassicas and the computer room from smelling like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage!

With the advent of autumn and cooler temperatures a new harvest of Brassicas are arriving at local farmers markets.Brassicas are a genus of plant in the mustard family. They are less frequently referred to these days, as cruciferous vegetables, giving note to the crosslike shape of plant’s flowers. The usual suspects we think of most are broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts but they also include all types of radishes, turnips and even watercress. Brassicas are counted as some of the healthiest vegetables around containing high amounts of vitamin A caretonoids, vitamin C, folic acid and fiber.

With these huge veggies staring me down every time I opened the refrigerator door, the obvious question came, how was I going to use them? Cauliflower was an easy start, I like to toss the florets with olive oil, kosher salt and Aleppo and chipotle pepper. Roasted until it was a warm golden brown, we devoured the whole tray, before we even sat down to dinner one night.

Broccoli soup has always been a cooler weather favorite of ours. Previous recipes I have made were heavy in the cream, butter and cheese department. My rich broccoli cheddar soup was a yearly birthday request from one of my co workers many years ago. This time I wanted to try something a little lighter. The recipe I chose this time showcases the sweet and flavorful broccoli, accented by just a little bit of fresh herbs. Don’t forget to use the broccoli stalks as well, especially when you have very fresh broccoli, they have as much flavor as the florets. Half and half is optional, I thought the soup had a creamy texture without it.
This is a healthy soothing soup that would pair well with a salad for lunch but is elegant enough to serve as a first course when you are entertaining. Now it’s back to the kitchen for me to find creative ways to use cabbage!

DSC_9202a — A very healthy head of broccoli.

Broccoli Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

1T butter
1T extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1t each of fresh parsley and thyme
8c chopped broccoli (use both the stems and florets)
6c reduced sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/2c half and half (optional)
Freshly ground pepper and kosher salt to taste

Directions

Heat butter and oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat until the butter melts. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 4 to 6 minutes.
Add garlic, thyme and parsley; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Stir in broccoli. Add broth; bring to simmer over high heat and reduce heat to maintain the simmer. Cook until the broccoli is very tender, about 8 minutes.
Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in half and half if desired.

September 18, 2014 Garden Peach Tomato Gazpacho

In our garden we have a selection of 20 varieties of heirloom tomatoes. An heirloom is regarded as something that has been passed down from generation to generation because of it’s value, whether intrinsic or sentimental. Heirloom tomatoes are grown from seed that has been passed from one generation to the next. We usually think of heirlooms as varieties that are over sixty years old, before the introduction of hybrids to the general market. Another term we associate with heirlooms is open pollenated. These are seeds that are pollenated by natural methods, like insects or wind. If you collect the seed of one variety of an heirloom and plant it you should get a plant that should be quite similar to the parent plant.

One of our favorites is the Garden Peach, a native of Peru and according to food historian William Woys Weaver, introduced to the United States in 1862 from France. The Garden Peach has a thin matte yellow skin that is slightly fuzzy. When ripe, Garden Peach has a rosy blush. The fruits are small, 2-4 ounces on average, and quite prolific. Garden Peach tomatoes will never remind you of a peach plucked off the tree but the flavor is light, mild and sweet. This variety is a “keeper”. At the end of the season it stores well on your countertop or in a box.

In my never ending quest to use our abundance of tomatoes in new ways, I created a cold Garden Peach soup. Is this a soup or gazpacho? According to Merriam Webster, gazpacho is defined as “a spicy cold soup made with chopped vegetables (such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and onions). So I can also call this a gazpacho. I combined chopped garlic, onion, celery and Garden peach tomatoes in the food processor. To give the soup just a hint of peach flavor I added a few tablespoons of peach white balsamic vinegar from The Tubby Olive. A light refreshing soup perfect for the waning days of summer.

Garden Peach Tomato Gazpacho

Serves four

Ingredients

3/4c medium chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
1/2c medium chopped celery
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
3/4c medium yellow pepper, seeded, ribs removed, chopped medium
1 3/4lb Garden Peach tomatoes (about 16)
1t fresh coarsely chopped mini basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
2T or more to taste, peach balsamic vinegar or white balsamic

DSC_9001a — Ripe Garden Peach tomatoes have a rosy blush.

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse on and off until just slightly chunky. Taste and add kosher salt and freshly ground pepper as needed. Add 2-3 tablespoons peach balsamic vinegar, or as to taste.
Place in a covered container and refrigerate 6-8 hours or longer for flavors to meld
Serve soup chilled, garnished with tomato chunks and mini basil leaves.

August 23, 2014 Chilled Buttermilk Cucumber Soup

I can’t remember a year when we have had such a prolific crop of cucumbers! We are growing two varieties this year, Bush Champion and Baby Persian. The Bush Champion has a compact growing habit. Ours are in the greenhouse area of the garden but are also suitable for patio and container gardening. The Baby Persian variety is growing up a trellis in the greenhouse. The term “baby” refers to the size when it is best to pick them, 4 to 6 inches. Of course, like many cucumbers, they will continue to grow larger than this. Hence the need to be diligent in picking to get them at their best.

Along with tzatziki sauce, I have been making lots of cold cucumber soup. Buttermilk cucumber soup is crisp and cool from the cucumbers, celery and shallots bring depth of flavor and buttermilk and sour cream provide a refreshing tang. This no cook soup comes together in minutes, the only appliance you need is a blender.

Simply add rough chopped cucumber, celery, shallots, olive oil, buttermilk and sour cream to the bowl and blend until smooth. Force the soup through a fine strainer for the smoothest texture. Chill for at least an hour, longer if possible to blend the flavors. Add a little crabmeat or cooked shrimp for a more substantial dish. A simple garnish of chopped garlic chives and you have a cool and delicious treat for summer dining.

Chilled Buttermilk Cucumber Soup

Ingredients

1 1/2 lb. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks
2 medium celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 small shallot, coarsely chopped
2T extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 c sour cream (low fat is fine)
1/2 c buttermilk
Freshly ground black pepper
Chopped chives, to garnish

Directions

In a blender, purée the cucumber, celery, shallots, olive oil, and 1 tsp. kosher salt until smooth.
Strain through a medium-mesh sieve into a large bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible.
Whisk in the sour cream and buttermilk and season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour. Serve drizzled with olive oil and garnished with chives.

Make Ahead Tips

You can make this soup up to 2 days ahead.

DSC_8657a — Bush Champion cucumbers grow close to the ground. That little blossom will grow into a cuke soon!

DSC_8655a — Tiny Persian cucumbers growing up the trellis.

DSC_8656a — Almost the right size for picking.

August 17, 2014 Tomato Gazpacho

Summertime in a bowl, liquid salad, just two of the descriptive names for that summer favorite, gazpacho. Our tomatoes are finally starting to ripen along with a healthy crop of cucumbers. I think I read about fifty recipes and finally settled on my own combination of vegetables. I used some purchased tomato juice, but as the tomatoes from the garden become more plentiful, I will use them to make my own juice.
I skipped the traditional stale bread and went very easy on the olive oil. I did use my best Spanish sherry vinegar for this refreshing soup that originated in the Andalusian province of southern Spain. I didn’t blanch, peel or seed any of the vegetables. I did hand chop them for uniformity of size and blended just a little bit of them to enhance the tomato juice base. Flavorful vine ripened tomatoes are key to this recipe. It’s also a good time to use your not so perfect specimens that won’t make it in your tomato salad. The peppers in my gazpacho were purchased, but it won’t be long before I will be picking them from the garden. A jalapeno pepper is nice also to add a little extra heat.
Make gazpacho a day ahead if possible. The flavor only gets better from sitting overnight in the fridge.
Full of sun ripened flavor and packed with nutrients, this low fat chilled vegetable soup is the perfect refreshment for hot summer days.

Tomato Gazpacho

Serves six

Ingredients

3 1/2c plum tomatoes, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1/2c finely chopped red onion, soaked in ice water for 15 minutes and drained
2c cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 1/2c bell pepper cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 small clove of garlic, chopped finely
2c tomato juice
1/4c sherry vinegar
2T flavorful extra virgin olive oil
3-4 dashes of green Tabasco sauce
1T Worcestershire sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions

Place tomatoes, onion, cucumber, pepper and garlic in a bowl
Add the tomato juice, vinegar, olive oil, Tabasco and Worcestertshire sauce. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.
Transfer two cups of the mixture to a blender or food processor and pulse the machine on and off to coarsely puree the contents. Return the pureed mixture to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least six hours or preferably overnight before serving.

DSC_8532a — Vine ripened tomatoes either from the farmers market or your own garden make this a special treat.

DSC_8536a — Ingredients, chopped and ready to go.

July 22, 2014 Silky Zucchini Soup

A fellow shopper and I were comparing notes as we waited in line at the farmers market. “I don’t like zucchini,” she commented. I didn’t have the chance to ask her, but I am always curious to know what exactly it is that makes someone dislike a certain food. Is it the taste, the texture, the smell, did they suffer through a poor preparation of it, or perhaps a bad childhood memory?
Zucchini, in many recipes is the canvas for the flavors of what is cooked with it, garlic, basil, tomatoes, cheese. I can understand someone disliking seedy, watery baseball bat sized zucchini that is tasteless and pulpy. But just picked small to medium zucchini have a light delicate flavor and a nutty quality to them. Maybe zucchini is not a nutritional powerhouse but it is low in calories and contains folate, potassium and vitamin A.

Zucchini is at the forefront of this recipe courtesy of Grant Achatz, a surprisingly low-tech offering from one of the masters of molecular gastronomy. We had the pleasure of enjoying a multiple course meal at his restaurant, Alinea, on a trip to Chicago several years ago. No need for a refractor or an immersion circulator to master this quick and very simple recipe. This pale green soup with dark green flecks has a creamy silky taste that belies the fact that the only dairy in the soup is one tablespoon of butter. Since the flavor of the zucchini is the star, choose homegrown or farmers market zucchini. The recipe is vegetarian but could be made vegan just by replacing the butter with olive oil. Good both hot or cold, garnish the soup simply with finely shredded zucchini.

DSC_8216a — The daily harvest at the peak of zucchini season.

Silky Zucchini Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients

1T unsalted butter
2T extra virgin olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and pepper
1 1/2lbs zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2/3c vegetable stock or low sodium vegetable broth
Julienned raw zucchini for garnish

Directions

Melt the butter and olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until softened, 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the zucchini and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 10 minutes.
Add the stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring it to a simmer; cook until the zucchini is very soft, about 10 minutes.
Working in two batches, puree the soup in a blender until it’s silky smooth. Return the soup to the saucepan and season with salt and pepper. Serve the soup hot or chilled, garnished with julienned zucchini.

DSC_8223a — Sauté zucchini until softened, about ten minutes.

DSC_8225a — Add stock and water, bring to a simmer and cook until the zucchini is soft, about ten minutes.

May 4, 2014 Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

What could be better on a chilly and rainy spring evening than a bowl of warming soup? Our latest rainstorm brought us cooler than normal temperatures and rain that was coming down at a half an inch per hour. Lemony chicken and orzo soup was the perfect choice. It’s a blend of the comfort of chicken noodle soup with a tip of the hat to avgolemono, the classic Greek egg and lemon soup.

Easy enough for a weeknight dinner, the initial prep time is only about five minutes and soup is on the table in less than an hour. It starts with chopped leek and celery sautéed in olive oil until softened. Next boneless chicken thighs and broth are added to the pot, brought to the boil and simmered. Chicken thighs are the best choice in making soup, they hold up well and stay tender in cooking. Orzo means “barley” in Italian and is the rice shaped pasta in this soup. Though not essential, you could toast the orzo first, it adds a depth and nuttiness to the soup. If you choose to toast, do this first in the pot you will cook the soup in, eliminating the need to dirty an extra pot. The orzo is cooked in the broth and the chicken is shredded and added back to the soup.

What really takes this soup from average to outstanding is the addition of fresh chopped dill and a squeeze of lemon at the end that brightens the flavors. Let each diner add lemon to their own taste. More vegetables could be added if desired, sliced carrots or baby spinach would be good choices. A new approach on an old classic that is quick, simple and delicious.

Lemony Chicken and Orzo Soup

Serves four

Ingredients

1 T butter (if toasting the orzo)
1 T olive oil
1 medium leek, white and pale-green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced crosswise 1/2″ thick
1 celery stalk, sliced crosswise 1/2″ thick
12 oz. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
6 c low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
3/4c orzo
1/3 to 1/2 c chopped fresh dill
Lemon halves (for serving)

Directions

If toasting the orzo. Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add butter to melt. Add orzo and cook until toasted, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate
Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat. Add leek and celery and cook, stirring often, until vegetables are soft, 5-8 minutes.
Add chicken and broth; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate. Let cool, then shred chicken into bite-size pieces.
Meanwhile, return broth to a boil. Add orzo and cook until al dente, 8-10 minutes.
Remove pot from heat. Stir in chicken and dill. Serve with lemon halves for squeezing over.