Tomato Soup With Gruyere and Fried Capers

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March: She is a sultry, wanton wench with her come hither dance toward Spring as she promises warm breezes and sunny skies then slams the door in your face just as you begin to lose yourself in her lies.

March's ritual of a day of sun followed by four days of rain, repeat, keeps my food hankerings in a tizzy.  What I crave this time of year, when Spring begins to flirt with Winter, is strawberries and asparagus. What I make, when March decides to turn on the faucet, is soup.

And when nothing but tomato soup will do, with nary a sun-ripened tomato in sight, I turn to those delightful tomatoes in a can: San Marzanos.

This is a simple, belly-warming soup that can be whipped up inside of an hour. Make it thick and chunky or smooth and creamy with no dairy added. Make it vegan by using vegetable stock and omitting the butter.  Make as much or as little as you want, adjusting the ingredients accordingly.

Winter to Spring Tomato Soup with Gruyere and Fried Capers
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
Several teaspoons olive oil and butter for the pan.
2 large cans San Marzano whole, peeled tomatoes
2 or so cloves garlic, peeled and finely diced
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 medium carrots, pared and cut into small dice
1 stalk celery (optional), strings removed, cut into small dice
4 cups good, organic chicken stock (I used homemade or Pacific Organic, Low Sodium)
Chopped fresh basil if you can get it, or several sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tablespoons capers, drained and fried
1-2 tablespoons gruyere cheese, shredded
Preparation:
Have a large stock pot ready on the stove.
Put the oil and butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When hot add the onions, carrots and optional celery and saute until just softened, about 7 minutes. Adjust the heat so the vegetables don't burn.
When the veggies are soft, add the garlic and saute another minute, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn.
Turn off the heat and transfer the vegetables to the stock pot.
Add the tomatoes to the skillet and break them up, deglazing the pan in the process, then add to the stock pot.
Turn the heat under the stock pot to medium-high and add the chicken stock and the thyme, if using.
Bring the soup to just under a boil then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1/2 hour or until all the vegetables are very, very tender.  The liquid will reduce a bit during this process.
Adjust the seasonings with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
When done, turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool slightly.  If you are using fresh chopped basil, add it now.
Blend the soup to the consistency you desire, using a stick blender right in the pot, or by transferring in batches to a food processor or blender.
If the soup is too thick, add a bit of stock.

To make a fancy presentation, ladle the soup into wide, shallow, heated bowls and sprinkle with fried capers and grated Gruyere.  Enjoy while the weather is fickle!

Cook's Notes:
Sharp eyes will see that the photo at the top is watermarked with the year 2014 and indeed that is when it was taken. I make this soup a lot when the weather is chilly and this particular photo was the best representation of the recipe.

 

Copyright 2005-2015, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Kuri Squash Soup with Kale Pesto

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February can bring many kinds of weather to us northcoasters:  The ubiquitous rain, of course; frosty mornings; sometimes snow, but also the occasional sunny day to remind us that spring is not far off, no matter what the groundhog saw in your neck of the woods.

So on a recent day, when the sun shone and the temperature reached a balmy 55-degrees, it occured to me that I should use up the remainder of the winter squashes whose presence on my kitchen counter throughout the winter months instills a sense of culinary bounty in my heart.

The squashes I used here were a combination of red kuri and one called Cinderella, which is a French variety, but you can use any orange winter squash that is available to you.  Mine were on the small side, so I used three of them.  I encourage you to use locally grown and organic if you can.

Got pesto?  Swirling a dollop into each serving makes for a nicely visual, and healthy presentation.

Kuri Squash Soup with Kale Pesto
Christine's original recipe
print
Serves 6-8 generous portions
Ingredients:
5 lbs peeled and seeded deep orange squash, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 large yellow onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
4-6 small cloves garlic, peeled and coarsely chopped
1.5-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 very ripe Bosc pear, cored and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine such as Sauvignon Blanc (juice of 1 lemon may be substituted)
1 1/2 to 2 quarts home made or low sodium chicken stock
1 teaspoon porcini powder
1 tablespoon Italian herb blend
olive oil for the sauté (butter is optional)
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preparation:
Assemble and prep your ingredients as listed above.
In a large soup pot, add about 1 tablespoon olive oil or unsalted butter, or a combination of both.
When the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium and add the chopped onions, garlic, ginger and pear.
Stir well and adjust the heat so things will not burn; cover and sweat for about 5 minutes or until the onions are very soft but not caramelized.
Pour in the white wine, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any stuck bits, then add the stock, squash, porcini powder and Italian herb mix.
Bring the mixture up to almost boiling, stir, lower the heat so the soup is maintained at a simmer, cover with a lid and allow to cook until the squash is very tender and falls apart when stuck with a fork.
Remove the soup from the heat and allow it to cool for about 5 minutes then purée it with an immersion blender until it is very, very smooth.
Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper if you choose.  Stir well.
Serve with a dollop of kale pesto swirled in and enjoy.

The Italian herb mix that I reach for during the winter months is made by Frontier. It's organic and is available at many natural food stores and co-ops and also in my Amazon Store.

I use a locally made dried porcini powder from the Arcata-based company Hasta be Pasta and I just found out it can be purchased from Amazon so I've put it in my Amazon Store.
The bosc pear:  It had been left on the counter too long and was becoming way too soft for eating out of hand. And while the chickens would have thought it a great treat, it made a nice addition to this soup. What the heck: a squash is a fruit; a pear is a fruit. It worked. End of story.

Copyright © 2005-2012, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Flame-Charred Red Pepper Soup with Roasted All-Red Potatoes and Carrots

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Dean the "Pepper Guy" at our local farmers market has had a wonderful selection of sweet, hot, hotter and hottest peppers this fall.  And while this summer our local farmers had a tough time due to the weather, peppers and tomatoes have been enjoying a late and extended season.
I love stopping at his stand and talking to him about the different flavors and heat his peppers will impart to food.  And while I'm not brave enough to sample the really hot, hot peppers, I have tried a few that are fairly spicy, flavorful (the best part), but not hot enough to slay my palate.

This soup was made using long, sweet Italian red peppers and one slightly spicy, long red NuMex variety pepper whose name escapes me and I will have to wait until Saturday to ask "Pepper Guy".  (I know: not enough research.)

No matter.  What does matter is that you seek out peppers you like and use them.  Please char and peel them first or you will have annoying, tough little pepper skins floating in your soup.  Little bits of softer charred skin are okay though; it shows what lengths you went to to please your people.

The potatoes (known as All-Red or Cranberry Red) and carrots round out the flavors and give the soup thickness and heartiness; just right for the season.






There is a bit of advanced preparation needed, but it can all be done quickly and pretty much at the same time.  The head of garlic, sprinkled with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt, goes into the oven with the pan of potatoes and carrots while the peppers are charring on the top burners.  After you've finished all that, the rest is a snap. And please do use a full head of garlic. Roasting reduces it to a sublime, sweet, nutty richness which dramatically enhances the flavors of this soup.

Flame-Charred Red Pepper Soup with Roasted All-Red Potatoes and Carrots

Christine's original recipe
(print recipe here)
Ingredients:
5 long (abt. 8-inches) sweet red Italian peppers, charred, skin and seeds removed
1 long red, mildly hot pepper (not too hot), charred, skin and seeds removed
1 head garlic, roasted (at least 10 cloves)
3 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
3 medium All-Red (also called Cranberry) potatoes, or other low-starch potato such as Yukon Gold, peeled, cut into 1-inch dice
1 large bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 - 6 cups vegetable or chicken stock, home made or low-sodium
small amount of olive oil for the garlic and the roasting pan
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional - I just like to cook with wine)

Preparation:
Peel the potatoes and carrots, dice them and put them in a small baking pan with a drizzle of olive oil to keep them from sticking to the pan. Cover the pan with foil and roast in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil during the last 10 minutes of roasting so the vegetables can brown a bit. Remove from oven, loosen pieces from the pan with a spatula, set aside.

At the same time, remove the outer skin from the head of garlic and trim the roots but don't cut through to the cloves. Place the garlic head in a small lidded, oven-proof container, drizzle it with a tiny amount of olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt. Place in the oven with the lid on, alongside the pan of potatoes and carrots and roast until the cloves are very tender; this may take a little longer than the vegetables. Remove from the oven, remove the lid and allow to cool until you can easily handle them with your fingers. Pull the skins from the now-succulent garlic cloves and set aside.

While all this roasting is going on, place your peppers directly onto the burners of a gas stove on high heat. They will immediately begin to blister which will loosen the skin so you can remove it.  Using tongs, turn the peppers as they blister and char until the entire surface looks, well, blistered and charred.  Don't let them turn totally black - that's just too much charring.  The photo at left, while it is not a sweet Italian pepper, is a good example. As soon as they are done, pop them into a large paper bag, fold the top of the bag down, and let the peppers rest within for about 12 minutes.

Along about this time, place 4 cups of chicken stock in the large soup pot. Add the bay leaf and garlic cloves and bring the stock to a gentle simmer.  (If you want this soup to be vegetarian or vegan, you can substitute vegetable broth or water for the chicken stock. (See Cook's Notes).
Remove the peppers from their paper bag and, using a sharp paring knife, scrape the skin from each pepper. This is a messy job and will enwrap your fingers with charred pepper skins. You can rinse your fingers and knife under cool running water, but please don't run the peppers under the water as you will wash away their delicious flavor. I am of the school that a bit of pepper char is a good thing; its presence imparts character, of sorts.
Peeling done, slice the peppers from stem to stern (length-wise), open them up and remove all the seeds and the stem end.
Chop the peppers into about 1-inch square pieces and pop them into the stock.
Add the potatoes and carrots to the stock now, pour in a little white wine if desired, check for seasoning and add kosher salt and ground black pepper as desired.
Give the soup a stir and simmer for 45 minutes to one hour. Be gentle; don't allow the soup to boil.
Check and adjust seasonings again, turn off the heat and allow the soup to cool for about 15 minutes.
Using an immersion blender or your food processor, blend the soup until no chunks remain and the texture is coarsely smooth.  If the soup is too thick, now would be the time to incorporate more stock.
Heat the soup to serving temperature on a heat-spreader over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
If you happen to be as lucky as Mr CC and I are, Simona's flax seed baguette goes delightfully well with this warming, hearty soup.

Enjoy!

Cook's Notes:
When using vegetable stock or broth, be careful that the flavor won't overpower that of the peppers in the soup.  Some vegetable stocks use too much green pepper and celery and therefore will change forever what you are trying to achieve.  And what we are trying to achieve here is fresh, flavorful red pepper soup, right?

Ahem: One doesn't have to be too terribly observant to see that there is a sprig of thyme in the top soup photo but nary a mention of thyme in the post.  And that's because there is no thyme in this recipe.  The thyme sprig happened to be sitting on my kitchen counter because I was actually preparing two separate dishes on the same day; one, of course, using thyme.  What can I say?  I got mixed up.

Just what is a drizzle of olive oil?  For me, it's enough to barely coat the bottom of a pan in order to keep food from sticking.  I'd say it's about 1/2 teaspoon.  But I never measure so I can't be certain.

Copyright © 2005-2010, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Earthquake Country Plus a Recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Cheese Soup with Fresh Marjoram

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6.5 on the Richter scale is the official measurement of yesterday's earthquake that shook us up around 4:30 in the afternoon.

Sitting in my office chair, I felt a big jolt as if something had hit the building, a pause, the power went out, then bigger jolts, jumps, lateral shaking that scooted my chair several feet away from my desk, rolling - all lasting way too long.

This was a big one.

By that time I was up and out of my chair yelling up the stairs to Mr CC asking if he was okay - my heart pounding.

I'd experienced big earthquakes before in Chile and Argentina. Some of them rumbling through like a freight train on steroids, some of them the toss-you-against-the-wall type. But in all the years I've lived here, through all the earthquakes that happen fairly regularly, I'd never felt one like this. It had it all: that vertigo-inducing rolling, jumping up and down, shaking side to side. It was unreal; hard for the brain to grasp.

Amazingly enough, no damage occurred chez nous; nothing jumped off shelves or walls. Unlike Ferndale, parts of Eureka and Arcata, who all sustained some damage, we live on a rocky marine terrace above Trinidad and somehow escaped the worst of it. Thankfully, no people were badly hurt and no tsunami followed the earthquake - something we are all too aware is a possibility in our triple-junction corner of the world.

So with no power and darkness beginning to fall, we invited neighbors over to share the evening and a pot of soup with us. My trusty 1950s-era Wedgewood gas stove never fails to do the task assigned to it. That I couldn't use my stick blender as originally planned became a non-issue; the potato masher did a fine if more rustic job. The light and warmth from 25 candles, our good friends, a bottle of red wine, and the hand-cranked radio to give us updates, we were doing pretty well.

Roasted Cauliflower & White Cheddar Soup With Fresh Marjoram
Christine's original recipe
(print recipe)
Ingredients:
2 medium-sized heads cauliflower, separated into florets (organic and local is always best)
1 large yellow onion. peeled and chopped
2 Yellow Finn potatoes, cut into 1-inch pieces (yields 3-4 cups)
1 tablespoon (more if you wish) fresh chopped marjoram or 2 teaspoons dried
1/2 cup white wine
6 cups chicken stock (preferrably your own, but a good organic, low sodium broth will work just fine)
olive oil
unsalted butter for the pan
1 tablespoon kosher salt (more if necessary) and numerous grindings of black peppercorns
3 cups coarsely grated white cheddar cheese

Preparation:

At least 1 hour before starting the soup, put the cauliflower florets in a roasting pan with a drizzling of olive oil, cover the pan with foil and roast in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally.

Remove the foil and continue to roast the cauliflower until it is tender - about 20 minutes more. You may need to add a bit more olive oil to prevent sticking and you may need to adjust the heat in your oven to prevent burning.

Begin sautéing the onions in about 1 teaspoon each olive oil and butter in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté until the onions are tender. Adjust the heat so they don't burn.

Toss in the white wine and give it a stir.

Add the potatoes, chicken stock, salt, pepper and marjoram to the pot and cook over medium high heat, partially covered until the potatoes are tender.

Add the cauliflower and stir to blend and heat.

Remove the pot from the heat and, if your power is out, mash the soup with a potato masher until all the chunks are broken up.

Alternatively, run the soup through a food mill if you have one. Something I could have done but was vetoed from doing so by the hungry mob.

If you have lots of power, use a stick blender to make your soup smooth and creamy.

At this point you might need to add more chicken stock if your soup is too thick.

Taste and add salt and more pepper if desired.

Stir in the grated cheddar cheese until it is fully melted.

Et voila!, you are ready to sit around the table with candle-power all around you, great friends to talk to and share the events of the day with, and a hearty soup for the earthquake-stressed soul.

What could be better?

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Christine's Recipe for Potato Leek Soup with Uncured Ham, Marjoram and Thyme

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When I stopped eating wheat, I lived mostly on vegetables, leafy greens, eggs and fruit, with the occasional piece of fish or shellfish thrown in for protein. A good four months went by before I ventured into trying wheat-free substitutions such as rice and potatoes.

I found that I can eat potatoes with no marked change in weight (leave out the butter and sour cream!). Nor did I experience that heavy, bloated feeling that comes with eating wheat.

And although I don't eat them regularly, I don't fear them like I used to - all that high-glycemic starch - and have found out that they are a nutritious, high antioxidant (red and purple ones especially) addition to a wheat-free diet.

So in celebration of the potato, I offer a hearty, warming soup that is so easy to make you practically can do it blindfolded, although I would not suggest you do so unless your knife skills are at Samurai level.

One hour, from start to finish, this soup was the perfect main course for a chilly night, watching a wonderful old movie with our friends Robert and Simona.

Popcorn was the first course, but that's for another post...

Potato Leek Soup with Uncured Ham, Marjoram and Thyme
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
6 cups quartered small potatoes (a mix of red and yellow work well)
6 cups chopped leeks, white and pale green parts only
4-5 long stems fresh marjoram
3-4 stems fresh thyme
6 cups chicken stock, preferrably home made (use low sodium if store bought)
1 heaping cup cubed applewood smoked, fully cooked, Niman Ranch uncured ham (optional, but really good)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
small amount of olive oil for the pan
1/2 cup dry white wine
Preparation:
Add the chicken stock to a large soup pot and heat over medium flame.
Add the potatoes, bring to just under a boil then lower the heat to a simmer.
Toss the herbs, stems and all, into the soup pot and push them into the stock with a spoon.

Meanwhile, sauté the leeks in olive oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet (I use cast iron), tossing with tongs to keep them from burning, until they are softly cooked and slightly caramelized, about 8 minutes.

Scrape the leeks into the soup pot and return the skillet to the flame.

Deglaze the skillet with the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, then pour it all into the soup pot.

Simmer the soup, partially covered, until the potatoes are tender and the herby smells fill your kitchen, bringing hungry folks in to see what's cooking.

When the soup is done, remove the herbs with tongs and strip the leaves from the stems, tossing the leaves back into the pot. This is a rather messy job, but worth it in the end.

Remove the pot from the heat and, using a potato masher, mash the contents until they thicken the stock but still retain some shape.

Put the soup over low heat, toss in the ham cubes to warm.

Serve and enjoy.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

A Cooling Summer Apéritif: Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup Shots

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Icy-cold cucumber yogurt soup spiked with bits of fresh mint and fennel fronds, served in shot glasses on the back deck. What better way to spend the apéro hour, waiting for the evening to cool down before lighting the grill?

Well, you could be up here on the north coast of California where, as evening falls, we change from shorts and t-shirts to long pants and sweatshirts, or, like last night, down vests. Yes, really. One of California's best kept secrets, our summer weather. It's even foggier and colder than a summer in San Francisco.

However, once in a while we get stunningly sunny, warm afternoons. One warm enough a few days ago to prompt me to pull out a recipe that I made often during the hot summers of the Sacramento Valley where I used to live.

I adapted this recipe years ago from Molly Katzen's Moosewood Cookbook. The recipe lends itself well to adaptation and as I happen to have both fennel and mint growing in my garden, I thought they might be a good pairing. I was right. I used the fennel fronds, chopped fine, but I think that a peeled, chopped small fennel bulb would also be perfect.

With seedless cucumbers and a good, organic, plain yogurt, full-fat, low, or non, as your base, think up your own herbal combinations and go for it.

Chilled Cucumber Yogurt Soup with Mint and Fennel
Adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook
Ingredients:
4 heaping cups peeled and chopped seedless cucumbers
3 cups non-fat plain yogurt
2 cups spring water
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons agave
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons (packed) finely chopped mint leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped fennel fronds
Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and buzz until finely emulsified.
Refrigerate until very, very cold.
How simple was that?

Cook's Notes:
Owing to the cucumber pulp, this soup can have a grainy texture. If you wish to present a more refined, smoother concoction, strain it before serving.
Had I reserved any, which I did not, I would have served these shots with a spear of cucumber as a stirring stick.

Copyright © 2005-2009, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Winter Squash Soup with Ginger, Turmeric, Meyer Lemon, Sage and Crimini Mushrooms

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Okay. That's a long title, I admit. But I wanted to catch your attention because this soup is everything you could possibly want and need in the depths of winter. It is made completely with ingredients from the top 100 of the World's Healthiest Foods list. It's packed with anti-oxidents, vitamins A and C, Omega 3s and B vitamins. Anti-inflammatory and cancer fighting properties abound. It's low in fat and sodium. In short, it's a heart warming, good for what ails you bowl of goodness.

I put this together, from the two whole squashes sitting on my counter waiting to be peeled and cut to this hot steamy bowl, in just under two hours. Quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal.

Healthy ingredient number one: Meyer lemons. Use all the juice, it brightens the soup and adds a healthy dose of vitamin C. And remember to save the zest to sprinkle over hot steamed green beans or to add to your lemon cake. You will be making lemon cake, won't you?

Healthy ingredients numbers two and three: Fresh ginger and fresh turmeric (forgive the photo). They warm you up on a cold day empowering you with their healthy goodness.

Garnish with sautéed crimini mushrooms. Generously. Don't forget the onions and garlic. A winter soup just wouldn't be without them.

And, of course, the star of the evening, winter squash. You can use Red Kuri, Red Kabocha, Cinderella or other bright orange winter squash. They have dense, dry meat and purée to a velvety smoothness. Plus the good-for-you stuff in these babies will boost your immune system and get you through the winter.

There's one more healthy ingredient in this soup that deserves a sentence all its own: sage. An anti-oxident, anti-inflammatory brain booster, there's a reason that sage is most often used in cold weather recipes. After you've visited all the links and read about the health properties of these ingredients, do come back and make some for yourself, and your loved ones.

Winter Squash Soup with Ginger, Turmeric, Meyer Lemon, Sage and Crimini Mushrooms
Christine's original recipe
Print recipe
Ingredients:
2 medium red Kuri squash, peeled, seeded and cut into small chunks
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
7 cups water, or just enough to barely cover the squash
1 tablespoon fresh turmeric, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and diced
1 tablespoon dried sage, crushed
juice of 1 Meyer lemon (1/4 to 1/3 cup if they're as big as mine)
8-10 crimini or shiitake mushrooms, thickly sliced, sauteed in olive oil
Preparation:

Peel, seed and cut the squash. See this link for instructions. Set aside.
Heat about 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat then add the chopped onions and garlic. Saute until softened and slightly golden. Don't allow the garlic to burn.
Add the squash, turmeric, ginger, sage and water, and simmer until the squash is tender, about 30 minutes.
Off heat, using your immersion blender (What? You still don't have one? Well then use a food processor), purée the soup until it's all velvety smooth and no pieces are left. The soup will thicken as you do this.
Still off heat, add the Meyer lemon juice until it all tastes just right.
Ladle into bowls and garnish with slices of sauteed mushrooms. Listen to those YUMS!

Cook's Notes:

I opted to season this soup with the lemon juice, letting the heat of the ginger and turmeric shine and avoiding the addition of salt entirely. If you are going to salt the soup, I suggest passing a good sea salt such as Sel de Guérande or Maldon around the table so folks can add their own if they wish.

Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Celeriac Soup With Fresh Green Peas, Shiitake And Chanterelle Mushrooms

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The farmers market is packed with late fall produce right now: Chard, cipollini onions, the sweetest carrots on earth, celeriac, a surprise showing of a delicious little-known Peruvian tuber called Yacón (which will be featured in another post), winter squash, exotic mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, leeks, Brussels sprouts, and the end of the late summer peppers, to name but a few. Speaking of mushrooms, just across the street from the market, two young men were selling huge chanterelle mushrooms that they'd hand gathered further north, for $8.00 per pound - 1/3 to 1/2 the price in local markets.

Needless to say, we came home with lots of vegetables and with 5 glorious days off from work, I am looking forward to cooking them all. First up, this easy and delicious soup that is packed with so many healthful foods you could drink it all winter and quite possibly avoid another cold or flu bug*.

Christine's Celeriac Soup with Fresh Green Peas, Shiitake and Chanterelle Mushrooms
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
1 heaping cup peeled and cubed celeriac, cut 1-inch dice
1 large cipollini onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 heaping teaspoon dried thyme
5 cups good chicken stock

10-12 medium to large shiitake mushrooms, stems removed, caps sliced
4 large chanterelles, cleaned, stems chopped, caps gently torn lengthwise
1 cup shelled fresh green peas
1/3 cup tawny port
1 tablespoon each olive oil and unsalted butter
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation:

Warm the chicken stock in a large stock pot on the back of the stove.

In a large, heavy skillet, sauté the cipollini and celeriac in the butter and olive oil until both are tender and golden brown.

Crush the thyme and add it to the sauté, stirring to blend.

Scrape the vegetables from the skillet into the stock pot and heat to a simmer.

Remove the pot from the heat and puree the vegetables and stock with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, let the stock cool for a few minutes then puree in batches in a food processor.

Return the pureed soup to the stock pot and bring to a simmer.

Taste and adjust for seasonings.

Add the mushrooms, peas and port to the soup and cook until they are tender but the peas are still bright green.

Remove the soup from the heat and season to taste with the kosher salt and black pepper.

Cook's Notes:
> For best presentation, serve immediately; the mushrooms can get a bit waterlogged and start sinking, as is evidenced in the top photo.Click here to see how to peel and chop the celeriac.
> To make this vegan, one could use water or vegetable stock and substitute Earth Balance for the butter.

* This is not a medical statement. Shiitake mushrooms are said to boost the immune system and especially ward off viruses.

Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Pumpkin Soup With Cilantro For Kalyn's Last Weekend Herb Blogging

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Congratulations, Kalyn!

Regional French cooking classes, taught by chef Alex Begovic, have begun at Eureka's North Coast Co-op's Community Kitchen after a hiatus over the summer and I'm happy to be attending them again. One of the things I know I will always learn from Alex's classes is how to simplify and get the most out of the fewest ingredients.

The first recipe Alex made for us last week was a velvety smooth Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro. Now Cilantro just happens to be my friend and fellow blogger Kalyn's all-time favorite herb. So how could I not feature cilantro as Kalyn wraps up 3 years of being at the helm of her wildly popular blogging event, Weekend Herb Blogging? No way could I not.

The pumpkin soup, which I made following Alex's recipe to the letter, is surprisingly simple, using just three main ingredients - pumpkin (or squash), onions, and cilantro - enhanced by a little sherry, a little dry white wine, salt, pepper. Just before serving, the freshly chopped cilantro is added, which kicks the finished soup into the culinary stratosphere. And while I opted to make a cilantro oil to garnish my soup, I highly recommend using Alex's method of coarsely chopping the cilantro, stems and all, and stirring it into the hot soup just before plating. The pungent, fresh taste of the cilantro compliments the smooth, rich soup and is a treat that should not be missed.

I chose two smallish red kabocha squash called Sunshine at the farmers market last weekend then added one that I grew in my garden this summer, a French heirloom (in photo on the left) called Cinderella. As I learned from Chef Alex, they are easily peeled by cutting off both the stem and blossom ends, creating flat surfaces (rendering them looking much like a wheel of cheese) that can easily be grasped then peeled using a sharp vegetable peeler. Much, much easier and safer than trying to shave them with a knife.

Alex's Pumpkin Soup with Cilantro
Ingredients:
12 cups peeled, seeded fresh pumpkin, cut into large pieces
3 medium onions, medium dice
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Enough cold water to barely cover
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped, stems and all
Preparation:
Place a large soup pot over high heat and allow to get hot. Add the oil to the pot then the onions and 1/3 of the salt. Stir and allow to cook until soft and translucent. Lower the heat to prevent burning if necessary.
Add the sherry and white wine and let reduce for a few minutes.
Add the pumpkin, another 1/3 of the salt, some grindings of black pepper, and enough water to barely cover the pumpkin. Bring to a boil and let cook until the pumpkin is just tender but not mushy.
Remove the pot from the heat and puree with an immersion blender.
Add the rest of the salt if needed, a few more grindings of black pepper, and the chopped cilantro.
Serve immediately.

Cook's Notes:
Use your immersion on #6 speed and puree until the soup is completely smooth. If you don't have an immersion blender, puree the soup in batches in a food processor, again, buzzing until the soup is completely smooth.

The cilantro should not be finely chopped as if you are making a pesto. Rather, chop it until the leaves and stems are small but still recognizable.

Be sure to visit Kalyn's blog this Sunday for what I'm sure will be the biggest Weekend Herb Blogging yet. And if you want to join in and be a part of history, you've got until 3:00 PM Utah time this Sunday so click here to see how to do it. Send your entries to kalynskitchen (at) comcast (dot) net.

And last but certainly not least, a very important announcement:

Haalo, of Cook (almost) Anything (at least) Once, is taking over the helm of Weekend Herb Blogging. Visit Haalo's post here to read about how you can join in beginning the week of November 3rd. Best of luck to you Haalo, you've got some big shoes to fill but I know you can do it.

Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Corn And Crab Chowder

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Simple, fresh, satisfying.

There's something about the summers up here: One day a little warm and sunny, another day foggy and cool, yet another warm in the sun, cold in the shade. It's chowder weather.

The last of December's crab catch combined with fresh, local vegetables and this gentle corn stock make a very satisfying meal-in-a-bowl. If you don't happen to have crab on hand, use scallops or a thick white fish such as halibut or cod. I think catfish would work as well.

If you're vegetarian, skip the fish business entirely. Vegans can be assured that this chowder will still be wonderful without the dairy.

The important thing is to use the freshest ingredients you can find. Enjoy!

Christine's Corn and Crab Chowder
Ingredients:
1 quart corn stock
2 yellow summer squash, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 fennel bulb, cut in half again and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8-10 yellow cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
corn kernels and corn milk cut from 4 ears of corn (save the cobs for your next stock)
1 teaspoon dried thyme, heaping, crushed
1/2 cup half 'n half
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 pound crab meat (fresh is best, freshly frozen is a good substitute)

Preparation:
Bring the stock to a simmer in a large pot.
Add the carrots and fennel and cook for about 7 minutes or until they are just tender.
Add the summer squash, corn and tomatoes and cook for 5-6 minutes more.
Add the crushed thyme and crab and cook until the crab is heated through.
Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Gently stir in the cream and half 'n half and your chowder is ready to serve.

Cook's Notes:
Use whatever summer vegetables you have available for this chowder but avoid broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and others of that nature as they will overpower the stock.

The addition of a little dry white wine wouldn't be a bad thing at all.

Copyright © 2005-2008, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved

Chicken Broth for the Flu

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Never one to state the obvious (uh-huh), I'm going to go out on a limb here and say ...

It's definitely flu season.

Nasty, achey, stuffy head, sore throat, coughing, itching, sneezing, god-would-it-please-go-away! flu season. And it seems there are several types waiting to bring even the strongest person to his/her knees. You barely get over one and another one attacks while your defenses are down. Does this sound familiar, Buckaroo?

Soup is what I crave when the flu strikes. Hot, steamy, easy to fix, immune system-boosting soup. Mr. CC made a delicious one for me while I was down, full of garlic and fresh vegetables. It pulled me through the worst days. Today I made a simpler version and decreed it blogworthy - its health factor notwithstanding. I'm not saying this will cure you instantly but, with these ingredients, I'll bet it will get you on the road to recovery a bit more quickly.

Chicken Broth for the Flu
Christine's original recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups chicken broth or stock (see Cook's Notes)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced paper thin (more is even better!)
juice of 1 Meyer lemon
1 large fresh egg
1 teaspoon or so fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped fine

Preparation:

Heat the chicken broth in a saucepan over medium high heat.

Add the garlic slices and allow to simmer for several minutes until the garlic is softened. You don't want the broth to boil at any time during this preparation so keep your heat adjusted accordingly.

Stir in the lemon juice and bring the liquid back up to a simmer.

Break the egg into a small bowl.

Stir the broth with a spoon until you get that vortex thingy going on in the center then gently drop the egg into that center. Keep stirring gently around the edge of the saucepan to keep the egg moving. Allow it to poach for a few minutes until it is gently cooked. Unfortunately mine broke, which doesn't alter the taste, just the presentation. And actually, you could break the egg up before adding it to the soup and just let it cook for a bit. Leaving all that vortex nonsense for another time.

Ladle the finished soup into a bowl and sprinkle with the parsley. Let the lemony-garlicky steam clear your sinuses as the hot broth soothes your throat. There, isn't that better?

Cook's Notes:

The chicken broth can be your own homemade stock or some good store-bought stuff. I have homemade stock in my freezer most of the time, but when you're sick, who wants to wait for frozen stock to thaw? In this recipe I used an organic, no fat, low sodium boxed broth and added a teaspoon of Organic Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base which made the broth taste richer.

If you don't have a Meyer lemon, I would use the juice from just one half of a regular lemon, otherwise you may end up with mouth-puckering broth.

Standing around peeling garlic when one is not feeling well can wear a bit thin, but if you can stand to do so, the more garlic in this broth the better.

That deep green, packed-with-vitamins parsley you see in the photo above is from a very happy plant that's growing in my greenhouse. Oh happy cook.

Copyright © 2005-2007, Christine Cooks. All rights reserved