Fresh Tart

This is a variation on a recipe from Jacques Pepin's fabulous cookbook Fast Food My Way.  If you like the idea of easy, fast, flavor-packed, healthy dinner ideas - yes, it delivers all of those things - I can't recommend the book highly enough.

As the name implies, this light-yet-filling soup is on the table in less than 10 minutes.  Jacques refers to it as "fridge soup."  I think of it as "a bowlful of health."  It is delicious.

Though the ingredients are few, the flavor is big.  Punch it up even more with a generous grating of cheese to finish.  If you happen to have anchovy or herb butter on hand, float a teaspoon or so on top (or drizzle with seriously fruity olive oil), grind plenty of black pepper over the whole, and be glad for fast, hot soup on a cold Minnesota day.

Riff on this basic concept to your heart and stomach's content: Add neatly diced leftover roast, a shower of fresh herbs, a fried egg, cubes of firm tofu, a spoonful of kimchi, leftover rice, a squirt of sriracha, toasted croutons...if you can imagine it, it can be yours in mere minutes.

(Also see Using a Pot of Beans Part I: Poached Egg over Lentils, Bacon & Cabbage.)

Almost-Instant Vegetable Bean Soup
Serves 2 (double or more as you like)

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 c. grated vegetables (any combination of cauliflower, cabbage, shallot, carrot, fennel, broccoli, celery, radishes - whatever you have/like)
1/2 c. cooked beans
2 c. water
1 tsp. salt
freshly grated Parmesan or Gruyere cheese (or another that you have/like)
anchovy butter, herb butter, or extra-virgin olive oil
freshly ground black pepper

Heat olive oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat.  Stir in grated vegetables to coat with oil, then add water and salt.  Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, and simmer for 2-3 minutes until vegetables are tender-crisp.  Ladle into bowls and top with plenty of grated cheese, a pat of butter or drizzle of oil, and a few grinds of freshly ground black pepper.

Recipe for Spiced Pork Stew with Roasted Vegetables & Gremolata - over Polentahhh! - at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.

I am stuffed to the max from rich holiday foods.  Even though I was successful in avoiding gluten and grains, the salt really catches up to me.  Puff city.  And after a week of heavier foods, salads, fish, and brothy soups just sound so right to me.

While these recipes aren't new, I thought you might appreciate having a few ideas for taking it down a notch this week.  Above is one of my favorite salads, Grilled Salmon with Greens & Avocado.  Warm salmon, cool greens, and a mustard vinaigrette hit the spot in any season.

I posted my aunt Mary's Chicken Vegetable Soup at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine a few weeks ago.  It's delicious anytime, and can be adapted to use up leftover turkey if you're lucky enough to have some on hand.

Grilled Shrimp Tostadas with Spicy Slaw are easy to mess around with.  Saute or broil the shrimp if your grill is buried in snow.  Skip the tortillas if you're watching your grain intake.  The cool, crunchy slaw sets off the hot shrimp nicely.

A pan of Fried Chickpeas with Chorizo & Spinach can be on the table in minutes and is hearty and spicy enough to chase away a chilly evening.  How do you wind things down when the holidays are over?

Oooh, a Minnesota blizzard!  Despite a reputation for otherwise, blizzards don't happen all that often 'round these parts, so it's rather a big deal.  And fun!  At least if you're inside, well-stocked, with a stack of good movies or books.

I happened to have chicken, chicken stock, and a few vegetables in the fridge, so made up this hearty chowder.

Mighty fine on a cold, snowy day, with a glass of prosecco, if I do say so myself.  Stay warm and safe, Minnesota!  (Follow the fun - Twitter #snOMG.)

Hearty Chicken Chowder
Serves 4

4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped small
1 large Spanish onion, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 c. chicken broth or stock
1 medium sweet potato, peeled, cut into 1/4" dice
1 c. shredded cabbage
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
few gratings fresh nutmeg (optional)
1 c. cooked chicken, pulled into bite-sized pieces
1/2 c. cream
salt and freshly ground pepper

In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, fry the bacon over medium-low heat until the fat renders and the bacon crisps, 5-7 minutes.

Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the sweet potato, cabbage, bay leaf, thyme, and nutmeg (if using) and saute for 3 minutes.  Stir in the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.

Add chicken, cream, and salt and pepper to taste; bring to simmer. Remove from the heat, discard the bay leaf, and serve immediately.

I posted this recipe a few weeks ago at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly Magazine.  It is all soup, all the time in this house right now!  I made both beef and chicken versions over the weekend, might as well add pork too and fill up my freezer.  It is so nice to find a container of delicious soup and heat it up for a quick lunch or dinner. I make my own day when I find such a treasure.

I just returned from a national food bloggers' conference - yeah, there is such a thing. It happened to be in San Francisco, so while the conference food was...conference food, everywhere else I dined was incredible.   From pork liver to crispy tofu, from chicken gizzards to grilled okra, I sampled serious food, washed down with equally serious wine, and while it was unforgettable, after five days of indulgence I was ready to make my way back to reality.

Reality!  Which given laryngitis (I talked too much) and tiredness (see food and wine above), for me turned out to be soup.  I was needing a good dose of restorative vegetables, but was experiencing a bit of pork withdrawal (San Francisco knows good pork!), so I decided that a hearty pork with kale soup would bridge the transition nicely.  And oh did it, wow, my not-kale-loving husband gave this a big thumbs up.  This soup turned out to be exactly what I wanted on my first day home - pleasantly spicy, rich with silky pork shoulder and tender kale, with just a hint of comforting cinnamon.

It's good to be home.

Spicy Pork Soup with Kale
Serves 6

1 lb. pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 4 pieces
1/2 medium onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1 fresh Anaheim or Poblano (mild) chile, chopped
1 dried guajillo or ancho chili, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
dash cinnamon
34 oz. chicken broth
3 c. chopped kale (leaves only, tough center rib discarded)
kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Sprinkle pork pieces with salt.  When pan is hot, thoroughly brown pork on all sides.  Remove pork to a plate and set aside.

Add onion, garlic, and peppers to the pan and saute until starting to soften, about 5 minutes.  Add dash of cinnamon, then stir in the chicken broth.  Return pork to the pan, bring to a simmer, and transfer pot to the oven, where it will very gently simmer.

After two hours, stir the chopped kale into the soup.  Re-cover the pot and return to the oven for another hour.

Remove soup from the oven, then remove pork and gently shred into bite-sized pieces.  Stir shredded pork back into the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Ladle into bowls and serve.

You might have passed right by celery root (also known as celeriac) at the store, thinking it looked anything but edible.  I admit, it freaked me out the first time I shopped for it, but I trusted the description I'd read (pleasantly mild celery taste, texture similar to a potato, overall effect of savory, delicious with cream and/or cheese) and went for it.

I've been very, very glad ever since.

Despite its gnarly appearance, celery root is quite easy to peel, revealing a pale green interior and a lovely, celery-meets-tarragon fragrance.  Slice it thin and layer it into a gratin.  Or chop and simmer with leeks to make this creamy, luscious soup.

In addition to being delicious, celery root just happens to be a very low carbohydrate vegetable, making it a lovely stand-in for potatoes if you're mindful of such things (I am).  I topped the soup two ways for the pics - above, with sliced scallions and crispy bacon; below, with a drizzle of walnut oil and toasted walnuts.  If you're thinking cheese could be happy here, you're so right...

Did you notice that this recipe provides one more option for using creme fraiche?  Given that it's 1) magical with eggs, 2) dreamy with fruit, 3) heavenly as a pan sauce, and now 4) divine swirled into soup, let's make 2011 the Year of Creme Fraiche!

Celery Root & Leek Soup
Serves 4 as a main course, 6 as an appetizer

3 Tbsp. butter
1 leek, pale green & white parts only, sliced thin
2 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt
2 celery roots, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
a few gratings of fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
6 c. water or chicken broth
1/4-1/2 c. creme fraiche
freshly ground black pepper

garnish ideas:
crispy bacon & sliced scallions
toasted nuts & a drizzle of nut oil (i.e. hazelnut, walnut)
shredded Gruyere cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt butter.  Add leeks and garlic, with a light sprinkle of salt, and saute until leeks are becoming tender, about 8 minutes.  Add celery root, nutmeg, and dried thyme.  Stir in the water and 1 tsp. of salt (if using chicken broth, add less salt, to taste).  Bring soup to a simmer, then turn heat to low and cover.  Simmer for 30 minutes or until celery root is very tender.  Puree soup in batches in a blender, then stir back into the pot.  Stir in creme fraiche.  Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  Serve with your favorite garnishes.

Nathan and I enjoyed the most delicious cold cucumber soup while in East Hampton.  It was dairy-free, yet smooth and creamy in texture, a bit frothy even, tasting of little more than pleasantly salty cucumbers and dill.  We couldn't stop talking about it and I promised that I'd attempt a version at home.

This soup requires a blender to become truly "creamy" and frothy - a food processor alone won't do the trick.  A generous drizzle of olive oil, emulsified with the cucumbers, is what gives the soup its smooth, dreamy texture.

In addition to its addictive deliciousness, cucumbers are nicely de-puffing, a marvelous benefit after two weeks of vacation eating (ahem).  I could blame my doughy eyes on the allergy/sinus issues I'm having right now (it turns out that I'm quite allergic to the dried grasses in late-summer Wyoming/Montana).

But I suspect a core sample of my eyelid tissue would reveal microscopic slices of white bread, shakers of salt, and glasses of wine floating around my eyes.  Pass the green tea, please.

I grilled a pile of shrimps to enjoy with this soup.  Hot shrimps alongside cold cucumber soup made a really light, lovely dinner.  It's nice to be home.

Cold Cucumber Soup with Dill
Serves 4

2 lbs. cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1/4 c. cold water (perhaps more)
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar (perhaps more)
1 large shallot, chopped
1 small garlic clove, chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped dill (or more, to taste)
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. honey (or 1/2 tsp. sugar for vegan)
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

Place half of the cucumbers in the bowl of a blender.  Add cold water and blend on high speed until cucumber is pureed.  Add remaining cucumber, shallot, garlic, and dill and blend until pureed.  With the blender running, slowly add olive oil, blending on high until the soup becomes quite creamy.  Blend in the honey and salt and pepper to taste.  Add more vinegar, dill, honey, or water to tweak consistency and flavor to your liking.  Chill for a few hours for best flavor, although it's delicious right away as well.

It was 96 degrees today, dripping with humidity, a mean fist of heat that punched me in the face each time I was stupid enough to open the door.  Needless to say, not a day for ovens or cooktops or hot soup.

And yet...I made this soup anyhow.  I made it because it's the best tomato soup I make, rich and deeply tomato-y and a perfect way to use a few big beauties when you've grown a wee bit tired of BLTs* and caprese salad.

The downside is that it requires fresh, garden tomatoes, the very ones that ripen and become perfect in 96-degree heat.  Life's unfair that way.

While the tomatoes are roasted, they're not roasted, as in, they're more nicely concentrated than completely dried.  In fact, they emerge from the oven still quite juicy, with lovely caramelized bits that add depth to the soup.  The chipotle cream is just...chipotles and cream.  Stirred together, in a ratio adjusted to your liking, the cream's smoky heat perfectly compliments the sweet, rich tomatoes.

Since you're turning on the oven, you might as well heat a skillet too, and make yourself a crunchy, buttery grilled cheese sandwich.  Even in the heat of a hellishly hot summer, tomato soup with grilled cheese hits the spot.

*And if you haven't grown a wee bit tired of BLTs, check out the Crispy Club Sandwich with Avocado I posted at Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly today.  A pretty dreamy hot/crunchy, cool/creamy showcase for a perfectly ripe tomato.  Summer is good.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Chipotle Cream
Adapted from Gourmet Magazine, March 1993
Serves 6

Stephanie's note: I think this soup is delicious at room temperature and chilled as well.

3 lbs. garden tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
3 unpeeled large garlic cloves
3 Tbsp. finely chopped shallot
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 Tbsp. butter
1 1/2 c. chicken broth (perhaps more, to thin the soup to your liking)
2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 c. heavy cream
1 chipotle chili (from a can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce), minced to a paste (add some of the adobo sauce as well for more heat)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the tomatoes, skin side down, in the one layer in 2 foil-lined baking sheets.  Sprinkle the tomatoes with a little salt.  Add the garlic to 1 of the pans, and bake the tomatoes and the garlic for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the tomatoes are very soft and their skin is dark brown.  Let the tomatoes and garlic cool in the pans on racks.

Stir together the cream and chipotle pepper and set aside.

In a heavy saucepan cook the shallot, the oregano, and a sprinkle of salt over moderately low heat, stirring, until the shallot is soft.  Add the tomatoes, garlic (skins discarded), and broth.  Simmer the mixture, covered for 15 minutes.  Puree in a blender, or use an immersion blender, until soup is smooth.  Add more broth to achieve desired consistency.  Stir in balsamic vinegar and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve swirled with chipotle cream.  (Can be made one day ahead, cover and chill.)

Have I got a gazpacho recipe for you.  This version is smooth and creamy (without cream), made crunchy with a garnish of minced cucumber, green pepper, tomato, and croutons.  Serve it icy cold for summer in a bowl.

Or cup - sip it while you fry a few potato pancakes, poach a few eggs.  That's what I did, while John worked on his 9,500-song - no lie - iTunes library and read me raves from the newspaper.  I cook, he sits with me, that's our thing.

I picked up the tomatoes and cucumber at the Minneapolis Farmer's Market yesterday.  Real garden gazpacho.  Nice.  I plan to sip more later for an afternoon snack.  It's light yet filling, perfect for a hot, sunny Saturday.

Or ooh, pour the gazpacho into a thermos and take it for a bike ride-picnic, with good bread and cheese, cold white wine, and fresh cherries or berries.  Damn, I wish I were doing exactly that right now.

But then I would have missed making the second course...  I know, I know, yet another poached egg dish, sorry for the redundancy.  But poached eggs are so easy and delicious, I can't help myself.  They just make everything special.  Agree?

What are your plans for Independence Day?  We're having our Annual Super Duper Shubert Coopster 4th of July Celebration, including my sister Stacey, and hoping it won't rain all day so we can be in and around the pool.  I'm making the no-fail pork ribs and crunchy, creamy coleslaw I posted on Dara & Co./Minnesota Monthly magazine blog, as well as mini-burgers and boiled new potatoes with olive oil, garlic, parsley, and preserved lemon.

Suz is bringing blueberry kuchen, which we'll top with a scoop of homemade strawberry-rhubarb ice cream.  Red, white & blue, woo hoo!  Have a Bangin' 4th everyone!

Andalusian Garden Gazpacho
Adapted from www.latimes.com
Serves 6-8

Author's note: the gazpacho should be the consistency of light cream.  If it is to be served for sipping, thin with additional cold water.  Lemon juice can be a substituted for the vinegar.

Stephanie's note: I used both a food processor and blender - food processor to puree the bread and tomatoes, blender to puree the gazpacho itself so it would be as smooth and creamy as possible.

4 slices bread, crusts removed (4 oz.); plus 2 slices bread, diced and fried in a little olive oil (for garnish), divided (Stephanie's note: I used the bread crusts to make the croutons)
water
5 tomatoes (2 lbs.), cored and roughly chopped; plus 1 small tomato, finely chopped (for garnish)
1/2 green pepper, cored and roughly chopped; plus extra finely chopped (for garnish), divided
1/2 cucumber, peeled and roughly chopped; plus extra finely chopped (for garnish), divided
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. salt
1/4 c. plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 1/2 c. ice cold water

Break the 4 slices bread into chunks and soak it in water to cover until softened.  Squeeze the water from the bread and place it in a food processor with the garlic.  Process until smooth.  Transfer to the bowl of a blender.

Without washing the food processor, add the chopped tomatoes and process until smooth.  Press the tomato juice and pulp through a sieve or colander, discarding the skin and seeds.  Add the tomato juice and pulp to the blender.

Add the green pepper, cumin, and salt to the bread and tomatoes in the blender.  With the blender running, add the oil in a slow stream.  Blend in the vinegar and some of the cold water.  Transfer the gazpacho to a large pitcher and stir in the remaining water.  Serve immediately or chill until serving time.  (Stephanie's note: I like to leave a couple of hours for it to chill and for the flavors to blend.  It's best icy cold.)

To serve, pour the gazpacho into individual bowls.  Place each of the garnishes (finely chopped green pepper, cucumber, tomato, and crispy bread) in small bowls.  Pass the garnishes with the gazpacho and allow guests to serve themselves.

Poached Eggs Over Potato-Green Pepper Pancakes
Serves 2

1/2 c. safflower, canola, peanut, or other high-heat oil
1 large russet potato, peeled and shredded
1/2 green pepper, shredded
1 large shallot, peeled and shredded
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs

Set a saucepan 1/2 filled with salted water on to boil.

Heat oil in a large (preferably nonstick) skillet over medium-high.  While the oil heats, stir together the potatoes, green pepper, shallot, flour, and salt.  When the oil is hot, drop 2 or 3 large spoonfuls of the potato mixture into the oil.  Use a spatula to flatten and spread the potatoes a bit, into pancake shapes.  Fry until golden brown, then turn pancakes over and brown on the other side.  Drain on paper towels.  Fry remaining pancakes; drain.  Place one or two pancakes on each plate.

The water will likely boil as you're frying pancakes, which is great.  Turn heat down so that the water is barely simmering - small bubbles should barely break the surface.  As soon as you're done frying the pancakes, crack one egg into a small dish and slide it into the water.  Quickly do the same with the second egg.  Set the timer for 3 minutes.  The eggs whites will look shredded, but that's OK.  When the timer goes off, use a slotted spoon to scoop one egg out of the water.  Tilt the spoon so the water drains completely off, then place the egg on top of one of the plates of hot potato pancakes.  Repeat with the second egg and second plate of pancakes.  Top eggs with a sprinkle of salt and a few grinds of black pepper each.  Serve immediately.

I posted the recipe below a couple of weeks ago at Dara & Co/Minnesota Monthly magazine.  Asparagus is at its peak right now - don't miss it!  Grilled, roasted, blanched...all fabulous, but make sure to save a bunch for this lovely soup.  (Or for this potato-asparagus frittata, which I posted last week.)

Here's a simple, flavorful soup that makes delicious use of spring and summer produce.  In this version I include chopped asparagus, but later in the season you could stir in pea pods, spinach, arugula, corn, tomatoes, peas, fava beans, or green beans; whatever you like and/or find at the farmer's market.

I'm a big fan of how a little bacon adds huge flavor to a pot of soup (and everything).  It may seem like gilding the lily to add a splash of cream at the end, and perhaps it is, but it's a small amount and it adds a nicely silky finish.  A shower of fresh herbs is a lovely garnish, but a swirl of pesto is even better, adding a layer of flavor complexity to what is in effect a quick weeknight soup.   Crusty bread and a plate of sliced tomatoes are my favorite accompaniments, but the soup is filling enough to stand on its own.  Make a pot for dinner, take the leftovers for lunch the next day, all good.

Hearty Summer Soup
Serves 6

2 slices bacon, chopped
2 leeks, white and pale green parts only, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 c. raw rice
48 oz. (6 c.) chicken broth or stock
1 bunch asparagus, tough ends removed, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 c. cooked chicken, pulled into bite-sized pieces
1/4 c. cream
salt and freshly ground pepper
chopped fresh herbs or pesto for garnish

In a Dutch oven over medium heat, sauté bacon until crisp. Stir in leeks with a sprinkle of salt and lower heat. Cook leeks gently, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and rice and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add chicken broth, bring to boil, then simmer uncovered over lowest heat for 20 minutes, until rice is tender.

When rice is cooked, stir asparagus into the soup.  Simmer for a couple of minutes, then stir in chicken and cream. Taste for salt. To serve, ladle soup into bowls  and finish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs or a teaspoon of pesto and a generous grind of black pepper.

(To do ahead, you could prepare the soup up until adding the asparagus, cool, then chill. Before serving, heat the soup, add the asparagus, then cream and chicken, and serve as described.)