Posts Tagged soups

Garden Gazpacho

Oh, Oregon. You silly little state, you. Here we are, well into the month of September and it is positively roasting outside. July and August were nice, but it wasn’t until now that it actually got hot. Our summer arrived two months late. Oh well, better late than never, right?

So, while the rest of the country is gearing up for Fall and drinking pumpkin spice lattes, I’m wearing sundresses and drinking iced coffee. My garden is spewing forth tomatoes at lightning speed, and yet I simply can’t bring myself to cook them. It is far too hot to cook.

So what do I do when it’s too hot to cook? Honestly, I usually go to my favorite taco truck. But, a girl can’t live on tacos alone (Lord knows I’ve tried!). So, this weekend I decided to put my taco cravings aside and instead put all my garden tomatoes to good use. I made a big batch of fresh tomato gazpacho.

I’ll admit, I’m a little embarrassed that I’m posting this so soon after my Fresh Heirloom Tomato Bloody Mary recipe. Gazpacho is, after all, not too different than a bloody mary. They are both liquid recipes with a tomato base. They both contain a ton of vegetables and have a hint of spice. But, of course, my gazpacho recipe doesn’t contain vodka. And my bloody mary recipe doesn’t call for stale bread. Really, truly, the two taste completely different. The gazpacho is surprisingly rich, complex, and smoky. The addition of bread crumbs gives the gazpacho a lovely thick texture, and the dollop of avocado on top adds just the right amount of richness. This soup was everything I wanted (and more) on a hot September day.

So, I do hope you’ll forgive me if I continue to post tomato recipes in the coming weeks. As the rest of the country transitions into Fall, the sun is still shining brightly in Portland. So I’m going to celebrate the flavors of summer for as long as I can. I’m going to wear sundresses and eat gazpacho, damn it.

In the wise words of Pedro the Lion: “God bless the Indian summer.” God bless it, indeed.

Garden Gazpacho
Makes 4 servings

Note: This recipe could be changed, morphed, & adapted in a million ways. I chose to roast the roma tomatoes as I wanted some of the richness of flavor that comes with roasting the tomatoes. The heirloom tomatoes were just so lovely that I didn’t have the heart to roast them, and I thought a balance of fresh and roasted tomatoes would be nice. If you don’t have the time or energy to roast your own tomatoes or red bell peppers, you can buy either of these items at the store. I highly recommend Muir Glen Organic fire roasted tomatoes.

3 large heirloom tomatoes, skinned & peeled
7-8 small red (Roma) tomatoes
1 piece stale bread
1 red bell pepper
1 jalapeno
1 mild pepper (such as Anaheim, poblano, etc)
1 cucumber
1-2 cloves of garlic
2 small carrots
1/2 of a red onion
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Optional: splash of tomato juice

Avocado, for garnish
Olive oil, for finishing

Prep the vegetables: Peel & seed the cucumber and large heirloom tomatoes. Halve the roma tomatoes and remove as many seeds as possible. Place halved roma tomatoes in a shallow baking dish and place under the broiler until their skins have blackened (5-7 minutes). Once the tomatoes have broiled, the skins should have loosened. Discard skins. (I left a couple of the skins on as I like having the blackened bits in my gazpacho). Using either your broiler or flame (if you have a gas stove), roast your red pepper. Place red pepper over flame (or under broiler), rotating until all sides are blackened. Once skin is blackened, place red pepper in a bowl and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to set in bowl and steam for 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, peel off outer layer of blackened skin.

Gently toast stale bread (in the oven or toaster) until firm & crunchy. Remove crusts and pulse in a food processor, until the bread becomes coarse crumbs.

In a food processor or blender, blend together all vegetables (except avocado) with the red wine vinegar, lemon juice, parsley, and paprika (and tomato juice, if using). Puree until smooth. Taste and season with salt (and pepper, if desired).

Chill for at least an hour (the longer, the better), to allow the flavors to meld. Prior to serving, stir in a small amount of olive oil. Garnish with cubes of avocado.

the latest and greatest.

Holy smokes! I’ve been a busy little bee.

Come to think of it, when am I not a busy little bee? Let’s be honest: for me, busy is normal. I thrive in the midst of the hustle and bustle. I wouldn’t have it any other way. So, when I say that I’m a “busy little bee” – I’m not complaining. Rather, I’m commenting on my own amazement at how full (and wonderful) my life is.

There’s just so much goodness happening, and so little time to share about it all! But I’ll do my best to tell you about some of it, especially as it pertains to this blog (i.e. the food related stuffs). As a person who loves to cook – and who cares about what type of food I eat, where my food is grown/raised, etc – I’m really excited to share about some of these things. So, then, here’s what I’ve been up to:

1. I joined the Food Buying Club through the Montavilla Food Co-Op. The club allows members to join in on bulk orders of local produce, grains, coconut oil, frozen berries, meat, butter, etc. For example, Chris from Lost Arts Kitchen did a bulk butter order from a local creamery earlier this month. She sent out an email to the food buying club: we then each ordered (& prepaid for) however much butter we wanted, and then picked up the butter at a specified drop point. Easy as cake. Since then I’ve also ordered local grassfed ground beef (for $3/lb) and free range corn-free eggs (for $3.50/doz). I absolutely love this system of buying food! It feels like so “old world”; like a long-forgotten way of doing business. I personally think it is a fantastic way to support local farms and businesses, while connecting with my community.

2. It’s finally garden time! Now that I live in a place with a quaint little yard, I can finally have a real garden. Nich and I have our own private side yard and share a big back yard with our next door neighbor, Rowan. Rowan is quite the gardener and has grandiose plans for our backyard (and I am going to soak up her knowledge!), and so this weekend we set about planting our spring garden. It is a bit early to plant warm weather crops (tomatoes, zucchini, etc) but in Oregon you can plant winter greens and peas around this time (“Peas in by President’s Day!”). I am just so excited about my garden, as I think that gardening is one of the most simple and cost effective ways to eat whole foods. I’ve not had the luxury of having much of a yard in the past, and so I am overjoyed at the prospect of having a real garden this year. This is a cook’s dream! (And here’s to hoping I don’t kill all my lovely plants!)

3. I am the proud godmother to 3 wonderful chickens: Jackie O., Amy Grant, and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (SCJRB). Godmother, you ask? Let me explain. A while back, my friend Beyth mentioned that she was considering getting chickens. I was envious, as we can’t have chickens at our place. But how I wished I could have chickens! Alas, Beyth and I hatched a plan for communally raising chickens. I would help pay for chicken feed and take care of the chickens whenever Beyth was out of town. In exchange, I would get paid in eggs. Beyth got the chicks this past August, and we were told that we could expect them to start laying eggs in late spring (of 2011). But, to our surprise, the little chicks grew up fast and they started laying in January! Each chicken is consistently laying one egg per day. Even though I get just a share of the eggs (as Beyth and her husband Joe really do all the work caring for the chickens), the chickens are laying a lot and I’m really quite pleased with how many eggs I’m getting! Having access to fresh eggs from chickens I know (and love) is the best feeling. Seriously. If you’re like me and you don’t have the ability to raise chickens of your own, I strongly encourage you to try out a system of communal chicken raising. So far, things are going splendidly! I owe a huge thanks to Beyth and Joe for allowing me to be part of their chicken’s lives. :)

Pictured below: Jackie O. (Photo by Joe Greenetz)

4. And, lastly, I have started volunteering for my local farmer’s market: The Montavilla Farmer’s Market. I really love this little market and am so thrilled to be part of their marketing and outreach team. I haven’t done much for them yet (as this is the quiet season for the market) but I did just write a new blog post for the market blog (which is called Seasonal Abundance). After shopping at the last winter stock up market, I was inspired to cook a Root Vegetable Soup. See below for a photo and a link to the recipe!

Pictured below: Winter Market Root Vegetable Soup. For full recipe, see my blog at the Montavilla Farmer’s Market site!

French Onion Soup

What can I possibly say about French Onion Soup that hasn’t been said before?

Such is the dilemma with making such a classic recipe. This soup has been made thousands of times by thousands of cooks in thousands of different kitchens across the world. And to think, I’m supposed to write about such a classic?! It just seems so daunting.

So, then, I won’t even attempt to write anything new or profound about French Onion Soup. It is what it is: a delightful bowl of rich broth and caramelized onions, topped with crusty bread and melted cheese. In my opinion, this soup is perfection in a bowl.

With this recipe, I am not improving upon anyone else’s recipe, nor am I trying to re-invent the classic. I just make french onion soup the way I make it. I’ve tried a number of different of recipes and variations over the years, and have finally figured out the way I like to make this classic soup. And while there may not be one singular thing that separates my recipe from the rest, I do have a couple tips and tricks to ensure that the soup is rich and full of flavor. Because, let’s face it: there is nothing worse than a bland, watery bowl of soggy onions.

Here are my tips to ensuring that your french onion soup tastes awesome:

1. Take your time. The slower the onions cook down and caramelize, the better your soup will taste. Just set your burner over Low (no higher than Medium) and walk away! Stir occasionally and ensure that the onions aren’t getting brown, but that’s all you need to do. Just wait for them to do their thing. 2. Don’t cook all of the onions at once. Cook half of the onions down first, and add the rest after the first batch has caramelized. This will add texture to your soup (as some onions will be softer than others). 3. Use good stock. Since the soup is broth-based, the better the stock/broth you use, the better your soup will be. If you have homemade beef stock, use it! If you don’t have homemade stock, spend a few extra pennies and buy a good quality organic beef stock/broth. Its worth it! 4. Toast your baguette slices. No french onion soup is complete without some crusty bread and melted cheese on top. If you toast the bread/baguette before placing them on top of the soup, this will ensure that your bread doesn’t turn to soggy mush. The bottom of the bread will soak up the soup (and get slightly soggy) but the top should remain crusty and delicious!

French Onion Soup
(Serves 4-6)
*Supplies needed: oven-safe ramekins or bowls

6 cups beef stock (organic or home-made, preferable)
3/4 cup good quality red wine (Cabernet)
4 small white onions, thinly sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1-2 bay leaves
2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper to taste
Baguette, sliced thinly & toasted
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

Melt butter over Med-Low heat in a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Add 1/2 of the sliced onions and cook slowly, over low heat until caramelized – at least 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add more butter if needed. If the onions start to brown, turn the heat down. After the first batch of onions are mostly caramelized (after 30 minutes or more), add in a bit more butter and the rest of the onions.

After all of the onions have been added, raise the heat slightly. Every 5 minutes or so, scrape the sides of the pot and add a splash of red wine to deglaze the pan. Continue to cook over med-low heat, occasionally stirring, for 30 more minutes.

Once the onions have all cooked down, add in the stock, the rest of the red wine, bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce down to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes. Taste broth, season with salt & pepper. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

When the soup has reduced down and a rich broth has formed (after 30+ minutes of simmering), remove the soup from the stove. Ladle soup into ramekins or oven-proof bowls. Top with 1-2 baguette slices. Sprinkle a generous amount of grated gruyere over the top of the baguette slices.

Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 5-10 minutes, until the cheese is melted and slightly browned. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. (*Note: even after 5 or 10 minutes the ramekins will still be really hot! I would set the ramekins on top of a plate, napkin, trivet, hot pad, etc). Garnish with fresh grated black pepper and a bit of fresh thyme.

potato leek soup

The blur that was October has come and gone, and suddenly I find myself a week into November. I don’t know how I got here. The Fall has been beautiful thus far. The leaves have turned, the sun has been shining, the air is crisp. There isn’t much better than fall in Portland. I am thankful for so many beautiful days…it has done my heart a lot of good.

And with the fall comes the cold – the scarves, the jackets, the sweaters – and the brisk bike rides to work. And with the fall comes the endless opportunities to make big batches of delicious soup. And, this, my friends, is the best thing about fall: it is officially soup season! (Let it be known that I am strangely insistent in the fact that I will only eat/make/enjoy soup when it is cold outside. I just don’t think that hot soup makes sense in the summer!)

So, soup season is finally here. And what better way to ring in the season than with an old classic? I kicked off soup season with an old standby: Potato Leek Soup. And while this soup is anything but fancy (and I wouldn’t go so far as to call it “healthy”) – it is so very simple, hearty, and delicious. It is the perfect comfort food! And, since the main ingredient in the soup is potatoes (which are usually dirt cheap) – this is a very affordable way to feed a crowd. For all of these reasons, this is one of my absolute favorite soups to make. It is warm, comforting goodness in a bowl.

So, here is to fall! To the changing of seasons, to cold nights and cute jackets, and to big bowls of goodness (aka Potato Leek Soup!).

POTATO LEEK SOUP
Serves 6-8

5-6 Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 large (or 3 small) leeks, washed and sliced thinly (white and light green parts)
2 Tablespoons butter
1/2 cup heavy cream (or milk)
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (homemade is best!)
2- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add in the leeks, and saute until soft (7-10 minutes). Add in the chopped potatoes, bay leaf, and thyme and cook for 1-2 minutes.

Add in the stock. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are soft (can poke a fork through them). Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne (note: depending on the type of stock you use the amount of salt you need to add will be quite different. Just salt to taste!).

Once the potatoes are fully cooked, remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Puree the soup – using a blender, immersion blender or food processor (if you don’t have any of these – you can just use a potato masher!). After the soup is pureed, stir in the cream. Taste, and adjust seasonings as necessary.

Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Cilantro and Bacon.

So, the same night that Nich set about making butter, I decided to make another one of Thomas Keller’s recipes: Lentil and Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon and Cilantro. Just take a moment and soak in those words. Lentils. Sweet Potatoes. Bacon. Cilantro. So much goodness in one pot of soup! Of course, I had to make it.

We had invited our friends Beyth and Joe over for dinner, and I warned them ahead of time that they were going to be my guinea pigs for the evening. I felt the need to warn them, as I always get nervous making a brand new recipe for friends. Even though it sounds terribly delicious, what if it turns out awful? (Like this summer, when I decided to make tempura for a few friends. Lets just say, I burned the oil and smoked out our tiny apartment and we had to sit and drink wine on the front porch for a half hour until the smoke cleared. Awesome.)

Thankfully, the soup wasn’t awful. It wasn’t awful at all. In fact, this might be one of the best soups I’ve ever made. It was that good. It had all the right elements – it was hearty, savory, with a touch of sweetness. The bacon adds just the right amount of fatty and salty goodness, and the cilantro adds a delightful freshness. I couldn’t get over it. The soup is great.

I had seen a couple variations of the recipe online and was going back and forth as to which variation I wanted to follow. One recipe (which I think is closer to the original Keller recipe) called for boiling the lentils in one pot, and the sweet potatoes in another pot, and then adding them later to the pot of onions, carrots, and broth (i.e. cooking things separately so you don’t get a pot of mushy soup). The other recipe threw everything into the same pot and let it all cook together until everything was cooked thoroughly.

In the end, I decided to try a combination of both recipes. I cooked the sweet potatoes separately (boiled them in a pot of water with a bay leaf, sprig of time, and some black peppercorns until they were soft) and set them aside until later. I know that lentils take a lot longer than sweet potatoes to cook, and so I didn’t want them breaking down too much. I added the lentils to the carrot, onion, and stock pot and let that simmer for 40 minutes or so. Then, right before I was ready to serve the soup – I added in the sweet potatoes, and took a potato masher to the whole pot and let it simmer for just a couple minutes (so that the soup was nice and thick and the flavors melded together). The recipe I’m posting here is the ‘throw it all in one pot’ variation, as I’m guessing that most people would prefter this method (less work, less dishes, etc), but feel free the recipe any way you like.

Lentil & Sweet Potato Soup with Bacon & Cilantro 
Adapted from Thomas Keller’s Ad Hoc at Home and the Bitchin Camero blog.

6 thick slices applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch strips
1 large yellow onion, diced
2 large carrots, diced
3 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups French Lentils (Lentils de Puy)  (I actually used Spanish Lentils, which worked just as well)
8 cups chicken stock
1 – 2 tsp. yellow Curry powder
1 bay leaf
2 Sprigs of Thyme
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
salt & pepper  to taste
1 large handful of cilantro leaves

Set a very large pot over medium-low heat and cook the bacon until the fat renders and it begins to crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve the bacon. Add the onions, carrots, and curry powder to the pot and cook in the bacon fat until soft – about 10 minutes.

Add the sweet potatoes, lentils, chicken stock, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low or low and cook for 30 – 40 minutes, or until the potatoes and lentils are tender. I wanted to thicken my soup up a bit, so I mashed the soup with a potato masher about 15 times. This is optional.

Remove bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Add the sherry vinegar and taste the soup. (*To be honest, I think I was too over-eager to eat the soup and forgot about adding the vinegar. I’m sure it lacked a little bit of that acidic punch that vinegar added, but the soup was still amazing.) Add salt and pepper as needed. Ladle into bowl and sprinkle with bacon bits and fresh cilantro leaves.