Spork or Foon?

Spring Vegetable Soup

  
I think any cook or chef can agree that we all get excited when spring comes around. Fresh fruits and vegetables start popping up at stores and greenmarkets and shelves and stands are overloaded with a beautiful array of colors and shapes from varying types of produce.  Beautiful, light green stalks of asparagus, full, bright orange carrots, beautiful peas in dark green pods, deliciously red, ripe strawberries spilling out of their baskets - the list goes on and on.  So when I saw this soup when thumbing through Thomas Keller's Bouchon Cookbook, I jumped on the train and headed down to the Union Square Greenmarket. Unfortunately, at the time (2 weeks ago) it was still a little early in the season, so I was only able to get some gorgeous carrots and perfect fingerling potatoes. I headed to the supermarket, got some asparagus, cabbage, leeks, parmesan, prosciutto, shiitaki mushrooms, scallions, and plum tomatoes to finish out the soup. 

I had to replace the fava beans with lima beans. NEVER AGAIN. I hated them when I was young, and I thought to myself, "Well, I'm an adult now. Maybe I won't hate lima beans." WRONG. GROSS. They are disgusting, mushy, bugs of grossness and I'll never consider them again. And they were CANNED, to make matters worse. BLECH.

Besides the lima bean issue, this is an amazing, amazing soup.  It definitely takes more time than any soup than I have ever made before.  First, a tomato confit is prepared by cooking tomatoes sprinkled with fresh thyme, salt and pepper on very low heat for 5 to 6 hours until they are dry.  Later on, I cooked ham with fresh garlic cloves, then added the carrots, leeks, cabbage, chicken broth, and a bouquet garni and finally added a huge chunk of parmesan (yes, a whole chunk) and the potatoes as the soup cooked and developed wonderful flavors. The soup is best when it sits for a day, but I couldn't wait it out.  I blanched some asparagus, and added the asparagus, mushrooms, and scallions and enjoyed the most delicious spring soup that has ever passed these lips. 

Spring Vegetable Soup adapted from the Bouchon Cookbook

For the Soup

1 large carrot

One 2 1/2 inch thick wedge of savoy cabbage

1 small leek

1 to 2 celery stalks

4 to 6 small fingerling potatoes

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

2 Oz. prosciutto (not sliced - but you can use sliced prosciuotto if you have to)

2 large garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Bouquet Garni

One 1-oz piece of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

8 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Garnishes

1 pound fava beans, in the pod

16 medium asparagus spears

24 small shiitake mushrooms, cleaned

2 tbsp chopped italian parsley

2 tbsp minced chives

Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Extra virgin olive oil

For the soup:  You will need 1/2 cup each of the sliced vegetables for the soup.

Peel the carrot and cut away the ends.  Cut it lengthwise in half, then cut each half lengthwise again to give you 4 pieces.  Cut each piece crosswise into 1/4-inch thich slices.  

Remove any dark outer green leaves from the cabbage and reserve for antoher use.  Place the wedge cut side down on a cutting board and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices. 

Cut away the dark green leaves and root end of the leek, saving them for the bouquet garni.  Cut the leek lengthwise in half and risne well under cold water. Cut each piece of leek lengthwise in half and hten cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-wide slices.

Wash and trim the celery. Use a paring knife to pull away the strings, then cut the stalks into 1/4-inch-thich slices.

Wash the potatoes. Cut away and discard the ends, then cut the remaining potatoes into 1 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ham skin or fat side down and the garlic and swirl the pan for a few seconds to coat the garlics, then sweat the garlic for a minute or two.  Add the 1/2 cup each carrot, cabbage, leek, turnips, and celery, stir, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes.  Add 1 cup potatoes, the bouquet garni, Parmigiano, and stock and bring to a simmer.  Add salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

MEanwhile, prepare an ice bath.  When the potatoes are tender, pour the soup into a bowl or other container and chill in the ice bath until cold, then cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. (This soup is best refrigerated for a day.)

For the garnishes: Prepare an ice bath.

Shell the fava beans and peel the skins from the beans (peeling the beans before cooking them prevents gases from being trapped between the beans and their skins that could cause discoloration). Remove the small germ at the sideo f each bean. (You should have about 1 cup). Blanch the beans in a large pot of generously salted water for about 5 minutes or until tender.  Using a skimmer, immediately transfer to the ice bath to chill.

Cut away the bottom third of each asparagus spear and sicard. Cut the remaining spears on a sharp bias into pieces about 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 to 2 inches long. Blanch the asparagus in the boiling water until just tender and trasnfer to the ice bath to chill.  When they are cold, drain the favas and asparagus and spread on paper towels to drain.  Cut off and discard the mushroom stems, then cut the mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices.

To complete:  If any fat has solidified on the surgace of the soup, remove and discard it. TRansfer the soup to a saucepan, and remove and discard the bouquet garni and Parmigiano.  Remove the ham, cut away any excess fat, and cut into lardons about 1 1/2 inches long and 1/4 inch thick.  Return the lardons to the soup and bring the soup to a boil.

Add the mushrooms to the soup, reduce the heat, and simmer for a minute.  Add the fava beans, aparagus, and remove from heat.  Stir in the parsley and chives, taste the soup, and adjust the seasoning.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish each bowl with shavings of Parmigiano Reggiano and a drizzle of olive oil.

Franco-Mexican Onion Soup

We wanted French Onion Soup but we didn't have gruyere cheese. The only cheese we had was Oaxaca, left over from our Latin American Barbeque.

This is the best Onion Soup recipe I have ever tried.  The broth is intensely flavored with caramelized onions, thyme and bay leaves and the Oaxaca cheese is a perfect cheese to melt over the top.  

Franco-Mexican Onion Soup adapted from Gourmet Magazine

• 2 lb medium onions, halved lengthwise, then thinly sliced lengthwise
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 Turkish bay leaves or 1 California
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 4 cups reduced-sodium beef broth (32 fl oz)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 6 (1/2-inch-thick) diagonal slices of baguette
• 1 (1/2-lb) piece Oaxaca Cheese

• Special equipment: 6 (8- to 10-oz) flameproof soup crocks or ramekins; a cheese plane
•   

• Cook onions, thyme, bay leaves, and salt in butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over medium-low heat, uncovered, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and deep golden brown, about 45 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in wine and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Stir in broth, water, and pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.

  While soup simmers, put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

  Arrange bread in 1 layer on a large baking sheet and toast, turning over once, until completely dry, about 15 minutes.

  Remove croûtes from oven and preheat broiler. Put crocks in a shallow baking pan.

  Discard bay leaves and thyme from soup and divide soup among crocks, then float a croûte in each. Slice enough Gruyère (about 6 ounces total) with cheese plane to cover tops of crocks, allowing ends of cheese to hang over rims of crocks, then sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano.

  Broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until cheese is melted and bubbly, 1 to 2 minutes. 

 

Cauliflower Soup with Seared Sea Scallops, Lemon Oil, and American Caviar (aka, Excuse Me, May I Impress You With My Fancy Ingredients and Mad Skills?)

Yes, that's right. I said it. MAD SKILLS!  Throwback to 2001!

This soup is the epitome of elegance.  Rich and creamy, the flavors are so subtle but marry so well. When Jack and I first tasted this soup, we both looked at each other with a smile. We had the same thought. We both expected this soup be as extraordinary taste-wise as it was looks wise.  But it wasn't. It was, however, a perfect soup that didn't need extreme flavors or a savory "punch". The flavors all married so well, from the light taste of the scallop and cauliflower, to the subtle and refined flavor of the leek to the complex, smoky flavor of the caviar, finished off by a hint of lemon and oil. Pure perfection.

And I only paid $10 bucks for the caviar at Harris Teeter! 

Man, that totally cheapens it, no? OK Don't tell anyone! This is actually fine imported caviar farmed from the Caspain Sea! Play along!

SHHH! 

If you don't have lemon infused grapeseed oil (what do you mean, you don't have lemon infused grapeseed oil? Isn't it a pantry staple?), you can do what I did (ok, I don't have it either):  Heat large pieces of lemon zest in 1 - 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1/4 tsp lemon juice and cook until fragrant. Let cool. Strain.  

Cauliflower with Seareed Sea Scallops, Lemon Oil and American Caviar (adapted from Bon Appetit)

•  3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 cup chopped white onion
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 3 3/4 cups (1/2- to 3/4-inch pieces cauliflower (from 1 large head)
• 2 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• Coarse kosher salt
• Freshly ground white pepper
• 1 leek (white and pale green parts only), cut into 1/8-inch-thick rounds
• 6 sea scallops, patted dry
• 1 (30-gm) jar American white sturgeon caviar (about 1 ounce)
• 6 teaspoons purchased lemon-infused grapeseed oil
• Finely chopped fresh chive

·     Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower, broth, and cream. Bring soup to boil. Reduce heat to low, partially cover, and simmer gently until cauliflower is tender, about 18 minutes. Puree soup in small batches in blender until smooth. Return to same saucepan. Season soup with kosher salt and white pepper. Do ahead Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Cover and chill. Rewarm before serving.

Blanch leek in small saucepan of boiling salted water 1 minute; drain. Place some of leek in center of each bowl. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in medium skillet over high heat. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper. Sear until brown and just opaque in center, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Place 1 scallop on leek in each bowl; top scallop with caviar. Ladle soup around scallop, drizzle with 1 teaspoon lemon oil, and sprinkle with chives.

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup

This is my go-to winter soup.  My boyfriend, Jack, makes a mean winter minestrone soup. Well, I make a mean winter squash soup.  We're going to have a soup-off one day. I'm totally going to win.

I love butternut squash.  Despite what you see posted here on this blog, I often try to eat very healthy.  My favorite snack is a roasted butternut squash drizzled with a touch of olive oil and sprinkled with kosher salt and cinnamon.  It is filling and actually satisfies my sweet tooth!  

I love to curl up on the couch with a bowl of this soup and savor its rich, silky texture.  The best part is, it is very healthy, as butternut squash is high in fiber, vitamin A, beta carotine and Vitamin C. And there is absolutely NO cream in this soup. Just butternut squash, garlic, onions, sage, rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

I bathe in butternut squash soup.

Winter Squash Soup (adapted from Martha Stewart Living)

Ingredients

2 lb butternut squash, peeled and cut into 2" chunks

2 medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and chopped

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth

2 cups water

4 sage leaves

2 stems rosemary

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large suacepan over medium heat.  Add garlic and onion and saute until onion is transparent, about five minutes.  Add butternut squash, potato, chicken stock and water. Tie together sage, rosemary, and bay leaf with kitchen twine and add to pot.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer for 15 minutes, or until squash and potato are tender.

Remove from heat and process in batches in a food processor or blender until smooth.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serves 4.

Pumpkin Coconut Curried Soup

I take crappy photos.

Now that that is out of the way, let's talk about this amazing soup.  I had leftovers from my pumpkin pizza, so I decided to take them and make something delicious out of it.  I topped this with a fried piece of sage, but that is completely optional.  The rich pumpkin flavor is complimented well by the sweet pumpkin milk and dynamic flavors of the curry.  This soup was pretty thick, so next time I may add more vegetable broth to thin it out.

Oh, and that odd object floating in the soup is a fried sage leaf. 

Serves 2

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/2 stalk celery, finely diced

1 carrot, finely diced

1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced

1 cup vegetable broth

3 pieces whole sage

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp garam masala (optional)

1 tsp ras el hanout (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut milk, plus more for drizzle

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil for sauteing

Fried sage (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a sauce pan over medium high heat.  Saute celery, carrot and onion for 7 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and fragrant.  Add pumpkin puree and vegetable broth and saute for 5 more minutes.  Add curry powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper, sage and, if using, garam masala and ras el hanout. Cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and remove sage leaves. Process mixture in a blender or food processor until smooth. Run mixture through a chinois or fine strainer so that any chunks of food are removed.  Place back in pan and heat over medium low heat. Add coconut milk. Adjust seasonings to your preferences.  Spoon into bowls.

If you would like to top this with a piece of fried sage, fill a small saute pan with vegetable oil and heat until oil reaches 350 degrees Farenheit.  Mix one egg and dip sage leaves in to cover.  Coat leaves with flour and  fry in oil until crisp, about 2 minutes. Drain on a paper towel. Garnish soup with fried sage.

Whisk Wednesdays: Where is my $%^& upload cord???

You know how Brad Pitt is starring in a movie called "The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttons"? Well, Teanna DiMicco (me) is starring in a movie called "The Curious Case of the Missing Digital Camera Upload Cable".

I finally was able to get myself together and start up with Whisk Wednesdays again. This week was a Beef Stew of Lamb and Spring Vegetables. I did heartier vegetables in honor of the fall, so I used butternut squash, parsnips (are those a fall vegetable? All I know is that I didn't like them, and I'll never be cooking with them again, no matter what season), carrots, celery and potatoes. So I guess the only fall vegetable I used is the butternut squash. But it makes me feel like I'm cooking seasonally, so humor me.

One thing I need to practice: the art of turning vegetables. Turning a vegetable is taking that vegetable and shaping it like a little, itty, bitty football, with seven sides. My vegetables ended up with three sides, five sides, eight sides - shall I go on? I never got one - not one! - seven sided football. My vegetables looked like that game I used to play when I was a kid where I had to fit the blocks through the corresponding holes of the box. You remember that game? Star goes in the star, heart through the heart... not for the geometrically challenged, I can tell you that much.

I got frustrated. I cut myself. I remembered my new best friend and number one weapon: my creme brulee torch. I got the gleam in my eye. If these vegetables wouldn't cooperate, then I'd make them rue the day they were ever plucked from the ground.

And maybe I just wanted to play with some fire.

I had the pyrotechnic devil on one shoulder telling me to do it. But my little angel on my other shoulder, dressed in full on fireman's garb, spoke me down from the ledge. I forged on, ugly vegetables and all.

But the stew was good. Hearty. I didn't die over it, but it was definitely very pleasing. I am finding with a lot of the Whisk Wednesday recipes that the French really like subtly behind their foods. I can appreciate that. I'm down with the French.

Just to prove that I did it, here is another (blurry) photo from my iPhone. I took a picture of the picture I took on my digital camera. Now I'm off to hunt me some elves.

Click here for some REAL Whisk Wednesdays photos!

Whisk Wednesdays: Split Pea Soup

Sorry for the short post, but lets face it, my posts are just too long as it is.  I just get carried away and I can't stop. Here are some pics... with and without ham (I've never had split pea soup, but my boyfriend insisted there must, MUST be ham in the soup!  I don't know why.)

This is my favorite soup that we have made on Whisk Wednesdays yet.  To make the soup, add diced carrots, onions, leeks, bacon, split peas (I used green), chicken stock, a bouqet garni and let simmer for 40 minutes.  Process in a blender, put it back in the pot, add some cream, and you've got yourself the best split pea soup EVER. I WANT WINTER!

LOVE the fact that the bacon is cooked into the soup and pureed and becomes a integral part of the flavor. So smoky and delicious. Great, great soup, and a keeper.

I just realized that, although I am an adventurous eater, I have never had classics (can I call them that?) like French Onion Soup and Split Pea Soup.  Or tunafish with cheese melted on top.

Seriously, why do people do that? I don't get it.

In Honor of the Olympic Games in Beijing.

My boyfriend and I had high hopes for the opening ceremony last week and we were not disappointed. Neither of us are huge fans of the Olympic Games, but we fell victim to the hype, and to be even more cliche`, we decided to have a Chinese spread for dinner. 

We had high hopes.  We were going to make dumplings from scratch, spare ribs, spring rolls, and a type of soup, to be finished off with homemade ginger ice cream and fried bananas. 

None of that happened.  It was 6:30 on a Friday and the opening ceremony was to begin in an hour.   

Off to Trader Joe's! What a great supermarket.  When I lived in NY, I would actually take a cab from my apartment on 68th and Madison down to Union Square just to shop there. To save money. Obviously, my reasoning skills were desperately in need of some tweaking, because I never took into account the cost of the cab ride. But that is neither here nor there. We were able to get delicious dumplings (that aren't that bad for you!), spring rolls (that aren't that bad for you!) and ribs (which are really bad for you!).  But I still made the soup- I was really looking forward to that one. And wow, was it amazing.

Chinese Style Pho Bo Beef Noodle Soup

For Beef Broth:
1 small onion, diced
1 2 inch stick of ginger
2 pounds beef bones
12 cups water
6-8 star anise (or fennel or coriander seeds)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1 pound lean beef

Noodles:
1 16-ounce package dry, flat Pho rice noodles

Garnish:
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
10 cilantro sprigs, finely chopped
1 cup bean sprouts
10 sprigs opal basil (you can use fresh if you can't find opal basil)
10 sprigs fresh culantro (ngo gai)
fresh red or green chile pepper, thinly sliced

Optional:
lime or lemon quarters
fish sauce
hoisin sauce
hot chile sauce

Directions

Directions:
Broil onion and ginger until very crisp and brown. Smash the ginger and set aside.

Wash beef bones, place in a large soup pot and add water to cover. Bring to a boil and immediately pour off this first boiling water and discard. Add another 12 cups of fresh water and again bring to a boil. Skim off foam. Add the broiled onion and ginger, star anise, salt and sugar. Over medium-low heat, simmer for 25-30 minutes.

Slice raw beef into thin strips and sear for 2 minutes until cooked.  Set aside

Remove bones from broth and strain out vegetables and seasonings.

Soak noodles in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain. In a soup pot bring two quarts of water to a boil. Add drained noodles and cook eight minutes at a rolling boil, stirring occasionally until noodles are tender.

Rinse noodles under cold running water and set aside.

Return the broth to a boil over high heat.  Add noodles, garnishes, and beef. Enjoy.

*Culantro is a leafy herb with a similar aroma to cilantro, although more pungent. If it is not available, increase the amount of cilantro or simply leave it out.

Note:  For a quick way to make the broth, replace water and beef bones with beef broth

Whisk Wednesdays: Onion Gratinee

 

Ahhh, the French Onion Soup.  Can you believe I have never had French Onion Soup?  Never!  What is wrong with me?  Broiled, cheesy goodness? A big hunk of bread? Onions? In soup form!?  What is up with these French and their brilliant creations?  Even the lactose intolerant can't resist. 

What happens to lactose intolerant people in France?  There is a lot of cheese served in that country.  Those poor people. Either live your life with pills and cheese or suffer the consequences. *Sigh*

But I digress.  The soup went beautifully. But AGAIN, it tasted bitter. It has to be the wine!  Sarah of The Wine Makers Wife, what do you suggest I use? This time, I used a Chardonnay. Bitter! GAH!  I had to add more water and salt and pepper to get that bitter flavor out.  Thankfully, it worked.

Again, I whipped out my trusty ramekins. I don't know how I lived before them. 

Maybe I needed to add a bit more cheese, but the amount of cheese I had already used to cover the top was astounding.  I felt my arteries clogging with each sprinkle of gruyere.  Could you imagine how much cheese the restaurants actually use!?  I shudder at the thought.

The flavor was subtle, and I feel that the US version may be made with beef broth. I could be wrong and I'm too lazy to look it up.  The color on this soup was a lot softer than I remember seeing (not tasting) in French Onion soup, and for some reason I expected the flavor to be bolder.  My boyfriend also agreed, while scooping up the last bites of his soup and reaching over and grabbing my ramekin to finish my soup.

I think the biggest reason men like having girlfriends is because they get to eat one and a half meals- their own and their significant other's.

Check out the rest of the blogroll here for more cheesy (in a good way) goodness.  Not for the faint of stomach. 

Whisk Wednesdays: Velouté Agnès Sorel (Cream of Chicken Soup)

I love trying to pronounce these names:Vehlooote Agnis Sorrul.  That's how I say it.  The French would poo poo me right away. When in Paris during college, I was trying to communicate with the local barrista.  He spoke French (obviously), I, English (same).  But we both spoke Italian.  So we tried to communicate in Italian.  We would have had better luck speaking in our own languages.  The Italians are strong on the r's (pronounced eh-re), the French  swallow their r's.

I'm sure that was super interesting to you.

I'm loving learning about these soups. I used to fear warm liquids as a youngster. No more, I say! There is something so warm and comforting about a thick, hot soup going right down on a cold, rainy day.  Now, it's around 90-100 degrees here, so I'm done with that.  My next step: Cold Soup. Gazpacho really freaks me out, but I am oddly drawn to a great gazpacho recipe I found online.  We'll see.

This soup was deliciously creamy.  Rich. And pasty white. My pictures aren't so good.  The soup, on the other hand, was.  I'm not going to lie, however. I totally cheated. I had to add a roux so that my soup would thicken. To be honest, I was very distracted the whole time I was cooking, on top of the fact that I had cut down the recipe to one serving.  Do you know how hard it is to measure 1/6 of 2 egg yolks?  I'm sure there is an easy way, but I couldn't wrap my distracted mind around it at the time.  Eek.  And then I julienned carrots to add into the soup. Yeah. Not really included in the recipe this time around.  I was going to throw them in for some color. I did. It did not taste good. BUT I took them out and VIOLA`! (pronounced Vie-oh-la).  Good as new!

I need a new camera and a new "set".  Hopefully, one day, my pics will look like Shari's!  Aur Reservoir!

YUCK to the carrots!