The temperatures reached upwards of 100 degrees this past week. Because of so many incredibly hot days, this blog is very quickly becoming a reflection of the weather. When the weather is scorching, it's very hard to get excited about firing up a grill or basting something in the oven. We need to cool off! Cucumbers have always had a cooling effect which is why many spicy foods are accompanied by cucumber to act as a sort of palate cleanser. Creamy avocado joins with buttermilk in this filling, chilled soup while the cucumber adds a satisfying crunch!
INGREDIENTS
2 each Cucumbers
2 each Avocados
3 each Scallions, chopped
1/4 C. Mint Leaves
2 C. Buttermilk
1 1/2 C. Cold Water
1/2 tsp. Salt
Cut the cucumbers in half and use a spoon to remove all the seeds. Reserve about one half of a cucumber and mince it and set aside.
Coarsely chop the remaining cucumbers and place into a food processor.
Peel the avocados and mince one, setting it aside with the minced cucumber. Coarsely chop the other avocado and place it into the food processor.
Puree the cucumber and avocado until smooth. Add the buttermilk, water, salt, mint, and scallions and continue to puree until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Chill the soup until ready to eat, at least 15 minutes. Float the minced cucumber and avocado in the soup when serving.
Sometimes flawed recipes can turn into delicious mistakes. This recipe is one of those. I set out to make a braised chicken dish and ended up with soup. Errors in recipes are often times salvageable if the recipe is approached from another angle. In this particular instance, I mistakenly incorporated too much liquid, so I thought, why not continue with the recipe, puree everything at the end, add cream, and reduce? So, you'll see many of these ingredients in the future when I remake this recipe for the blog. In the meantime, enjoy this impromptu soup dish.
INGREDIENTS
3 Chicken Portions, leg quarters
1 Gallon Chicken Stock
4 Celery Stalks, halved
3 Leeks, white parts, chopped
2 Red Onions, quartered
4 Carrots, chopped
2 oz. wt. Thyme sprigs
3 Stalks Lemongrass
1 Gingerroot, bruised
1 Bunch Cilantro, chopped
1 Qt. Heavy Cream
Bring the stock to a boil and add the chicken. Boil for 5 minutes and then add the vegetables, herbs, ginger, and bring to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 45 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, pull the chicken from the stock and remove the meat from the bones. Meanwhile, add the cream and increase the heat to high and reduce the stock by half.
When the soup is reduced and seasoned, use a blender or stick-mixer to puree. Add the pulled chicken back into the soup and heat for 10 minutes.
I've said it many times before - "this recipe is so simple". Well, this time it isn't. You need a lot of ingredients, a lot of time, and a lot of patience. There is a lot of prep involved with this soup. If you take the time to do ALL of your prep before you begin you'll be able to make this dish by simply adding ingredients when the time is right. I recommend taking two days to make this soup. The first day will be set aside for prepping only. The second day will be the actual cooking. If you do everything that is laid out in this recipe on day one, then day two will be "so simple".[I will be making this dish 100% from scratch, but many of the raw ingredients can be substituted for canned products. These ingredients will be marked with an asterisk (*) for those who wish to follow the canned version of the recipe.]
INGREDIENTS
4 Tbsp. Butter
3 Carrots, diced (6 oz. wt.)
3 Celery, diced (6 oz. wt.)
3 Onions, diced (6 oz. wt.)
1/4 C. Garlic, minced
8 C. Vegetable Stock
1 Tbsp. Basil
2 Tbsp. Oregano
1/2 tsp. Crushed Red Pepper
1/2 tsp. Thyme
1 Bay Leaf
1/2 tsp. Black Pepper
1-1/2 lb. Tomatoes, diced, skin removed*[1]
2 C. Cannelini Beans*[2]
1 C. Garbanzo Beans (also called Chickpeas)*[3]
2 C. Idaho Potatoes, diced
3/4 C. Parmesan, grated
2 Tbsp. Pine Nut Pesto [recipe follows]
TT Spinach
Pine Nut Pesto
2 Tbsp. Pine Nuts
1 Tbsp. Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Pepper
1 oz. wt. Parsley
2 oz. wt. Fresh Basil
3/4 C. Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Parmesan, grated
Day One - Heavy Prep
For the pesto, I use a stick-mixer, but a food processor or blender will work as well. Place all the ingredients except for the oil into the process and pulse. Once the the ingredients are coarsely chopped up, puree them on a high speed while slowly pouring in the olive oil. Continue blending until everything is well incorporated. Place in the fridge to set overnight.
Removing the skin from the tomatoes can be a tricky process. Boil a pot of water large enough to hold all the tomatoes. Prepare a container of ice water as well. I prefer using romas whenever I have to skin tomatoes. With a paring knife, cut out the stem on the top by inserting the blade at a forty-five degree angle and rotating the tomato all the way around. On the bottom of the tomato carve an "X" (approximately 1/4" deep). Drop all the tomatoes into the boiling water and blanch for 90 seconds. Quickly remove the tomatoes and place them in the ice water for later use.
*[1] If using canned tomatoes, skip this step. Buy two 28oz cans of whole peeled tomatoes and dice them.
Place 1 Cup of cannelini beans in a container and cover with cold water. Place in the fridge overnight. The beans will soften and double in size to produce about 2 cups of beans. If you don't have enough time to soak them overnight, you can boil the raw beans for about 30 minutes before adding them to the soup. If you can't find Cannelini beans, you can substitute Great Northern White kidney beans. They're part of the same family.
*[2] If using canned cannelini beans, skip this step. Buy two cups of beans and add them to the soup when specified.
Place the garbanzo beans in a container and cover with cold water. Place in the fridge overnight.
*[3] If using canned garbanzo beans, skip this step. Buy one cup of beans and add them to the soup when specified.
Dice the potatoes until you have about 2 cups and place in cold water to prevent browning. Hold them cold in the fridge overnight.
Dice the mirepoix (carrots, onions, and celery) with the garlic and place in the fridge overnight. You can put them all in the same container.
By this time, the tomatoes should be ready to peel. Remove one tomato at a time and, using your fingers, peel back the skin. The skin should come off easily and require very little effort. Some of the tomatoes may slip out of the skin on their own. Once all the tomatoes have been skinned, either dice them (saving all the juice) or hand-crush them into a container and hold in the fridge overnight.
Combine all of your spices in a small bowl and set aside.
Day Two - Mise en Place
In a heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, melt the butter. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic, and spices and saute until soft (about 12 minutes). Be sure to stir frequently. Don't be afraid if the bottom of the pan starts to become spotty with brown "cracklin". This is called fond and fond = flavor. All of this fond will be released from the pan when liquid is added.
When the vegetables are soft, add the stock to the pot and bring everything to a boil. Add the cannelini beans, garbanzo beans, potatoes, and tomatoes. Simmer everything for about 30-40 minutes to blend all the flavors.
When the potatoes and beans are softened, turn off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and pesto. Finish the soup with fresh spinach.
Burgundy is one of France's most famous gastronomic regions. A La Bourguignonne is a French term meaning "as prepared in Burgundy". Boeuf Bourguignon is a beef stew braised in red wine with root vegetables and onions. This recipe was fashioned after the Boeuf Bourguignon served at Anthony Bourdain's NYC restaurant, Les Halles.
INGREDIENTS
2lb. Beef Shoulder, cut into 2" pieces
1/4 C. Olive Oil
4 Onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. Flour
1 C. Red Wine
6 Carrots, cut into 1" pieces
1 Garlic Clove
Parsley
Salt & Pepper
1 Bouquet Garni*
*A bunch of herbs, classically being 1 sprig of flat leaf parsley, 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, and 1 bay leaf, that are either tied together with string or placed in a cheesecloth and used to flavor soups, stews and broths. Tying or bagging the herbs allows for their easy removal before the dish is served.
Season the meat with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottomed pot, heat the oil over high heat. Sear the meat in batches. You want to get some nice color on the meat. If you add all the meat at once, you'll "crowd the pot" and cool it down which won't retain enough heat to properly sear the beef. Remove the meat and set aside to sear the next batch. When all the meat is dark brown and set aside, add the onions to the pot. Lower the heat to medium high until the onions are soft and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the flour over the onions and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring. The flour will bond with the fat from the oil to create a roux which thickens and produces delicious "fond" on the bottom of the pan. Scrape up all the fond with a wooden spoon and deglaze with the red wine. Bring the red wine to a boil.
Return the meat to the pot and add the carrots, garlic, and bouquet garni. Add just enough water to cover the meat by one third - meaning you want a ratio of 3 parts liquid to 2 parts meat. Stews should have plenty of liquid, even after reducing. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and let cook for about 2 hours. You can add some beef stock or demi-glace if you'd like, but remember that they're generally pretty salty, so bare that in mind when seasoning your meat in the beginning.
Check the stew every 20 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot to avoid scorching. When finished, remove and discard the bouquet garni, add the chopped parsley and serve. This stew is amazingly flavorful the following day. It's delicious when served right out of the pot, but the flavors marry incredibly well in the cooler overnight.
Theoretically, a soup can be any combination of vegetables, meat, or fish cooked in a liquid. It may be thick (like gumbo), thin (such as consomme), smooth (like bisque), or chunky (chowder or bouillabaisse). Though most soups are hot some like vichyssoise and many fruit soups are served cold. Soups are often garnished with flavor enhancers such as croutons, grated or cubed cheese or sour cream. They can be served as a first course or as a meal, in which case they're often accompanied by a sandwich or salad.
INGREDIENTS
6 Onions, sliced
4 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. Butter
6 Tbsp. Flour
6 C. Chicken Stock
4 Tbsp. Ground Mustard
4 Tbsp Heavy Cream
TT Salt & Pepper
Color the onions in the butter over medium high heat for about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the flour and mustard and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. The flour will bond with the fat in the butter to create a roux and produce wonderful fond in the bottom of the pan. Deglaze the pot with the chicken stock and bring everything to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the heavy cream and simmer until the flavors have married. For thinner soups, pulse in a food processor or hand mixer until your desired consistency is acquired.
Typically, my soups have stock in them for a nice hearty base, but this simple soup is just broccoli and water. We're going to throw in some creamy cheese and warm walnuts for a twist, but the soup itself is as simple as can be. As you're eating this dish, the cheese melts into the soup creating a velvet texture on the back of your spoon.INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 lb. Broccoli
1 Slice of Goat Cheese*
1/4 C. Walnuts or Almonds
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
*I took some goat cheese and rolled it in some Italian Herbs, then formed it into a roll and placed it in the fridge to set. This way I could cut circles out of it.
Cut the broccoli into florets. Bring 1 quart of water to a boil. Salt the water, add the broccoli, then salt the broccoli in the pot. Simmer the broccoli for about 3-4 minutes with the pot covered. Keeping the lid on the pot will boil the broccoli rapidly and maintain it's bright green color. Drain the broccoli and reserve the boiling liquid.
Puree the broccoli in a blender or food processor, with enough of the liquid to fill the blender half way. Reheat the soup in the pan; adjust the seasoning. While the soup is reheating, toss the walnuts into a dry skillet and toast until fragrant. I placed the walnuts in the center of the bowl, then placed the wheel of herbed goat cheese on top and seasoned with cracked pepper. Finally, I poured the soup down only one side of the bowl making sure not to cover the goat cheese. I finished the soup with a drizzle of olive oil.
I felt I had to do a bit of research before I tackled this next blog. Then, I almost gave up when I found out how many different kinds of Borscht there actually are. There's Russian Borshch, Ukranian Borshch, Jewish Borscht, Polisch Barszcz, Romanian Bors, Lithuanian Barsciai, Estonian Bors, Czechoslovakian Borsc, Chinese Borshch, Mennonite Borscht, Belarusian Borscht, Armenian Borscht, American Borscht, hot Borscht, cold Borscht, Borscht with beef, Borscht without beef, Borscht with Kvas, Borscht with chicken... phew! How do you know which one is authentic? So, I decided that I'd combine what knowledge I had accrued and make up my own recipe. I started with a basic Russian version, which traditionally has no meat, and decided to add a bit of a French twist to it by incorporating a mirepoix into the base of the soup. This was truly an adventure. Enjoy!
The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish, admittedly, is the more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent not passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious. -Tom Robbins, Jitterbug Perfume
INGREDIENTS
4 Red Potatoes, chopped
4 Beets (3 Red, 1 Yellow), chopped
1 Qt. Water
2 Tbsp. Butter
2 C. Onion, diced
2 C. Celery, diced
2 C. Carrot, diced
3/4 C. Tomato Paste
1 Small Head Cabbage, shredded
2 C. Roma Tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. Cider vinegar
2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
Sour Cream
Dill Weed
Salt & Pepper
After chopping the potatoes and beets, boil them in the quart of water for 45-60 minutes, until they are tender. You can then move on to prep your other ingredients. Go ahead and dice your onion, carrots, celery, tomatoes, and shred your cabbage. Be sure to keep them all separate because you will be adding them at different times.
Once the vegetables have all been cut and the beets are halfway cooked, you can start your soup. (You can follow these steps by looking at the photos from Left to Right, Top to Bottom).
1. Sweat the onions in butter and a touch of salt until they are translucent.
2. Add the celery.
3. Add the carrot.
4. Mix and cook until the celery and carrot are tender.
5. Add tomato paste and caramelize until everything is well blended and the paste starts to stick to the bottom of the pot.
6. Deglaze with half of the beet water and stir until the bottom of the pot is clean. Cook about 10 more minutes.
7. Add the cabbage.
8. Add the tomatoes.
9. Add the cider vinegar and brown sugar. Cook for 3 minutes.
10. Add the beets, potatoes, and the rest of the beet water.
11. Stir and cook until beets and potatoes are fully cooked and tender.
12. Change consistency to your liking. I used an immersion blender to coarsely puree the soup. Some people like it chunky so this part is completely up to you. Be sure to adjust your seasonings at this point.
Plate your soup and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and sprigs of fresh dill weed.
