Category: Soups, Stews and Chili

Spring is finally in the air and asparagus is one of the first spring vegetables to emerge.  When I was examining the asparagus in the supermarket, a fellow shopper asked me if it was local asparagus or not. The sign indicated that the asparagus was from Mexico. My fellow shopper told me she would wait a little longer for the local asparagus. Because of our exceptionally cold and snowy winter I am sure that local asparagus won’t be appearing in our farmers markets until late May and early June. I wanted to make asparagus soup for Easter so I decided to buy it anyway.

When purchasing asparagus, choose spears that are bright green, even purplish with firm, tight tips. Markets usually sell asparagus in one pound bundles. Pick the bunch up and examine for split or broken ends. The cut ends are fibrous, the plant’s reaction to when it is cut in the field. If the stem end is excessively woody or wrinkly,  the asparagus is past its prime.

Fat, thin or in between, when it comes to asparagus you could say they were “born this way”. When we had an asparagus patch the spears varied from skinny ones to very plump ones. Fatter spears of asparagus weren’t left out in the field too long unlike that zucchini you grew that became as thick as a baseball bat. Thickness is a sign of the age of the crown which produces the asparagus stalks. Thinner asparagus originates from younger plants or from crowns  that are planted closer together. Mature crowns and certain varieties produce thicker spears.

Thin asparagus is predominant in the off-season in this area and many view it as more desirable. I personally prefer a medium to slightly thicker stalk when the local farms are producing.The taste testers at Cooks Illustrated liked both thick and thin asparagus. They found the thicker spears to be more tender because the fibers are more concentrated in the thin spears. The trade-off? Thicker spears may need to be peeled.

The best way to store asparagus is to trim the cut ends slightly and stand them in a shallow container of water. Cover the container with a plastic bag and refrigerate for several days. The alternative (my personal favorite) is to wrap the stem ends with a damp paper towel and store in the produce bin of your refrigerator. To snap or to cut? I prefer to cut the ends of asparagus for a more uniform appearance.

Waste not, want not could be the subtitle of this recipe. Every part of the asparagus stalk is used from the ends to the tips. The “waste not” is the woody stems of the asparagus and the dark green tops of the leeks that are usually relegated to the compost bin in most recipes. For the “want not”, these usual discards are combined with celery and onions, herbs and water to make a flavorful vegetable stock. Then the rest of the celery, leeks and garlic are sautéed in butter. The tender stalks of the asparagus along with some potato are added next  to give the soup more body before the vegetable stock is added.  It was not called for in the original recipe, but I put the soup through a food mill to give it a smoother texture. The asparagus tips are blanched separately for a minute or two and added to the soup before serving as a final garnish. Cream is added to the soup as a final touch, you could use half and half or skip the dairy altogether.  Served hot or cold, this soup is a delicious springtime treat.

Creamy Asparagus Soup

From Fine Cooking magazine

Serves eight

Ingredients

• 2 lb asparagus
• 3 ½ T unsalted butter
• 1 c coarsely chopped celery ribs
• 2 c coarsely chopped yellow onion
• 1 large leek (white and green parts), halved lengthwise, thoroughly rinsed, and thinly sliced crosswise (keep dark green parts separate from light green and white parts
• 8 whole peppercorns
• 5 sprigs flat leaf parsley
• 2 sprigs thyme
• Kosher salt
• 2 medium cloves garlic, chopped
• ½ lb small red potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice (1 heaping cup)
• ¼ c heavy cream or half and half (optional)
• Freshly ground white pepper

Directions

1. Snap off the tough ends of the asparagus, but don’t discard them. Cut about 1½ inches of the tips off the asparagus spears and cut the spears crosswise in thirds; set the spears and tips aside separately.
2. Melt 1½ T of the butter in a 3 quart saucepan over medium low heat. Add the tough asparagus ends, half of the celery, the onion, and the dark green parts of the leek. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables look very soft, about thirty minutes. If the vegetable show any sign of browning, reduce the heat to low. Add 6 cups cold water and the peppercorns, parsley, thyme and a ½ t salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 30 minutes to make a flavorful vegetable stock.
3. Meanwhile, bring a 2 quart pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus tips and cook until just tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain in a colander, rinse with cold water to stop the cooking, and drain again. Set aside.
4. In another 3 quart (or larger) saucepan, melt the remaining 2T butter over medium low heat. Add the white and light green sliced leek and the remaining celery and season with a with a generous pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the leeks look soft but not browned, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for one minute more. Add the asparagus spears and the potato. Set a wire mesh strainer over the pot and pour the stock from the other pot; discarding the solids. Stir well and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover and simmer until the potatoes and asparagus are very tender, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
5. Purée the soup in a blender in two or three batches. If you want, put the soup through a food mill for the smoothest texture. Return the puréed soup to the soup pot.
6. Add cream or half and half if desired, and stir well. Reheat the soup gently over medium low heat. Season to taste with more salt and a large pinch of white pepper. Ladle soup into bowls and scatter in the asparagus tips, distributed them evenly among the bowls.

Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow yesterday and we woke this morning to what weather forecasters are calling our eleventh snow “event” of the season, so it’s safe to say that winter isn’t going away anytime soon. At least we can settle in by a warm fire and enjoy the fruits of last fall’s harvest of borlotti beans in a simple, warming soup.

Borlotti beans are an Italian heirloom variety and a beautiful addition to the garden.  Also known as cranberry and the very non-exotic sounding French horticultural beans, the inedible pods are off white in color with cranberry markings, resembling the crimson speckled beans they hold inside.   Ours take center stage in the garden, climbing up and around the tall frame of an old outdoor shelter.

We harvest some fresh in the fall, but usually wait for the pods to dry out and turn brown so the beans can be stored for the winter. After the beans are harvested I shuck them from their pods and lay them on a tray, making sure not to crowd them. As they start to dry, I shake the tray to move the beans around. It may take several weeks for the beans to dry out completely. I store mine in clean quart sized canning jars in a cool pantry. Make certain they are dry before you store them. It takes only one bean that isn’t sufficiently dry to make the entire jar moldy,and your labor would be for nothing! You can substitute dried or canned canellini beans for the borlottis in this recipe.

To use the beans I soak the quantity I need overnight to cover with cool water. I have found that the dried beans almost triple in size, so if I need three cups, I would soak one cup. Sadly,the beans lose their speckles when cooked and turn a light beige color. The flavor does not disappoint however, Borlotti beans are creamy in texture with a delicious nutty flavor. They are good in stews, casseroles and this very simple soup made with fridge and pantry ingredients.

Borlotti Bean Soup

Serves 4-6

• 1 1/2 c dried Borlotti beans, picked over, soaked overnight, drained and rinsed
• 1 medium onion, about 1 1/2 cups, finely chopped
• 2 medium cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 4-6 slices Canadian bacon, finely chopped
• 1 quart bag, or the canned equivalent, chopped roasted tomatoes
• 1 quart of homemade chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
• 1t dried oregano
• 1t dried thyme
• 5c roughly chopped kale
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Water, as needed, to thin out soup.

Directions

1. Soak dried beans in cool water to cover generously. Let sit overnight, at least eight hours, loosely covered. Drain and thoroughly rinse the beans.
2. In a large heavy bottomed Dutch oven over medium high heat, heat 2T olive oil. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is tender, 4-6 minutes.
3. Add Canadian bacon to the pan and cook until lightly browned, 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute.
4. Add beans, chopped tomatoes, stock and dried herbs and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to a simmer with the lid slightly ajar and cook for 30 minutes.
6. Add chopped kale to pot and cook an additional 20 minutes, or until kale is sufficiently wilted.
7. If soup is too thick, thin out with more stock or water. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper.
8. You can serve immediately, but it even gets better the second day.

Warm and inviting, there’s nothing like a bowl of chili on a bitterly cold evening. What’s even better is when you can stay in your nice warm house and all the ingredients for that chili are at hand. Having a well stocked pantry doesn’t put you at the mercy of one more supermarket trip every time you follow a recipe or create a new dish on your own. Having basic ingredients on hand means you will be less likely to give up on cooking that night and order another mediocre take out dinner.

Your basic pantry will depend on your personal likes and dislikes. Love chili? Then you should have tomatoes, beans and some good chili powders on hand. Enjoy Asian food? Then your pantry should include soy sauce, oyster sauce, noodles, toasted sesame oil.

Keeping your pantry up to date is an ongoing task. Did you use the last bit of Dijon mustard? Immediately put it on your shopping list so you’re not surprised the next time you need it. When I was catering I had an endless source of materials to work with, now I try to be a bit more discriminating and choose the items we use most. I don’t keep much meat in the freezer, mostly ground turkey and pork tenderloins and try to use them within a month of purchase. Less chance for freezer burn or becoming that frosty mystery meat at the back of the shelf.

My three tiered lazy Susan (never liked that term) holds my spices that I attempt to keep in alphabetical order, not that they always stay that way. Having a varied supply of spices is a definite plus to impromptu cooking. Label everything you put in the freezer. You’re positive you’ll know what that brown sauce is in the container but two months later it will be an unidentified frozen object that is relegated to the garbage pail.

All I needed to do to prepare for this chili was to thaw out the low fat ground turkey and two bags of frozen roasted tomatoes. I am a Penzeys addict and am always looking for new spices and blends to add to my collection in addition to the basic items I purchase. I decided on adobo seasoning, a combination of onion, garlic, black pepper, Mexican oregano, cumin and cayenne pepper to season the ground turkey. When I added the tomatoes to the chili I added chili powder, chipotle chili powder and just a little unsweetened cocoa. Chipotle chili powder gives a deep smoky flavor and the cocoa powder adds a depth of flavor along with richness and a velvety texture. This chili turned out to be only moderately spicy, if you like it hotter, add more chili powder. Usually I would have added kidney beans to my chili but I only had black beans. Corn or another type of bean would be a good addition. Next time I’ll think ahead and presoak and cook the dried borlotto beans from our garden. A simple garnish of  cilantro, sour cream and cheddar to blend into the bowl and you are set for a warm satisfying bowl of chili.

Fridge and Pantry Turkey Chili

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1T olive oil
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1t finely chopped garlic
• 1 1/4lb ground turkey (mine was low fat)
• 1T Adobo seasoning
• 1 28oz can chopped tomatoes (I use my frozen chopped tomatoes)
• 1T Chili powder
• 1T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1-2T Chipotle chile powder
• 1T tomato paste
• 1 can black beans

Directions

1. In a medium Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes, add garlic and sauté one minute more.
2. Loosely break apart the ground turkey and add it to the pot. Gently stir until slightly more separated and sprinkle the adobo seasoning over the meat. Saute the meat until it starts to turn brown, 5-6 minutes.
3. Stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, medium chile powder, chipotle chili powder and unsweetened cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low or low and simmer, stirring frequently, until the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened, about 20 minutes. Stir in the black beans and taste, adding more seasonings . Garnish with sour cream, and shredded Cheddar cheese, if you like.

The tomatoes in our garden come in every color of the rainbow. We are growing red ones like the Brandywine, Big Mama and Bloody Butcher, orange ones like the Mandarin, Amana and Sun Gold, Green Zebras that remain green when ripe, and even a tomato that is named Rainbow, it has a yellowish orange flesh with streaks of bright red.

One of the most interesting tomatoes we grow is the Garden Peach. True to it’s name, the fruits are small, about 3 ounces, yellow in color with a peachy pink blush when ripe. The skin of the Garden Peach is light and fuzzy, reminiscent of a peach. That slight blush sometimes carries over to the tomatoes’ flesh. They are an heirloom tomato, more than fifty years old and an indeterminate variety, Garden Peaches will produce fruit throughout the tomato season. Their simple sweet flavor is a contrast to the bright acidity in red varieties.

Garden Peach is crack resistant and stores well. It produces fruit up to the first frost and many gardeners bring in the last of their crop to ripen on kitchen counter tops. Maybe I’ll remember to do that this year!

Many of our tomato plants have been quite prolific this year. I have been roasting and freezing countless bags of tomatoes to be made into sauces, chilis and soups. We will enjoy them when the weather turns cold and we are missing the vibrant flavor that only a fresh tomato can bring. Since we have a bumper crop of Garden Peaches along with other yellow varietals, I decided to make some of  them into a soup. The sweetness of the yellow tomatoes contrasts nicely with the smoky bacon and the spiciness of the chiles in adobo sauce. The addition of heavy cream is good, but not really necessary. You can substitute half and half or low fat sour cream with good results. It will last several days in the refrigerator but I made several batches to freeze so that we can enjoy this delicious soup on chilly autumn evenings.

Yellow Tomato Soup

Makes 6-8 cups

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 c chopped onion
• 6 bacon slices, chopped
• 6-8 c chopped yellow tomatoes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 c dry Sherry
• 3 c chicken stock or low sodium chicken broth
• 1-2 t minced canned chipotle chiles
• 1 t dried oregano
• 1/2 c cup heavy cream (if desired) you can substitute half and half or low fat sour cream

Directions

1. Sauté onion and bacon in a heavy large pot over medium-high heat until onion is tender and beginning to brown, about 12-15 minutes.
2. Add tomatoes and garlic and simmer until tomatoes are tender and juicy, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes. Add sherry and simmer another 5 minutes.
3. Add stock and simmer until mixture is reduced to about 6 cups, 15 minutes or so.
4. Stir in chipotle chiles and dried oregano. Working in batches, puree soup in blender.
5. If freezing, pack soup in freezer containers, refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Then transfer to freezer. If serving immediately, return to pot and stir until heated through, add cream if desired.
6. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

It’s around this time of year when the output of garden produce really starts to sneak up on us. The mounting pile of zucchini/yellow squash were calling out to me again. Joe was “looking forward” (not!) to yet another trip to the dentist. Not certain of the state his mouth would be in when he got home, I decided to make a curried summer squash soup. No chewing required!

Curried summer squash soup gets it’s heat from Thai curry paste. A paste, as opposed to a curry powder is made up of mostly wet ingredients. A Thai cookbook I have lists fourteen different recipes for curry paste. Green curry paste is a combination of aromatic herbs such as lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime and gets its color from fresh green chilis. Red chili paste uses dried red chilis.  We grow many of the uniquely Thai ingredients and someday should make my own but I decided on the convenience of a jarred variety.

Since green curry paste is considered the hottest, add it to your own taste. Start with a half teaspoon and go from there. We like a little heat so I used a whole tablespoon.

This recipe is very simple. I peeled the bumpy skin and removed the seeds from the squash.  Just a little chopping, sautéing and into the blender for a spin. It’s equally good hot or cold. The mild nutty flavor of the squash pairs nicely with the heat of the curry paste. Top with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cilantro for a creamy warming summer taste treat.

Curried Yellow Squash Soup

Adapted from a recipe in Bon Appetit

Serves four

Ingredients

• 3T vegetable oil
• 4c chopped yellow squash (zucchini would be fine also)
• 3/4 c chopped onion
• 1/2t to 1T Thai green curry paste
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 1/2c low sodium chicken broth
• Sour cream
• Cilantro sprigs

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan heat 3T vegetable oil over medium high heat.
2. Add squash, onion and curry paste. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook until tender, 8-10 minutes.
3. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is tender, 25-30 minutes.
4. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Taste to correct seasonings.
5. Serve soup warm or cold, topped with sour cream and cilantro sprigs.