Entry #4: Tracey's Chorizo and Potato Soup

Adapted from Emeril's Kale and Chorizo Soup

I added many more potatoes and much less kale than the original recipe. I like soft but hearty potatoes in my soup, and lots of them. I thought more kale than what I used made the soup too bitter and took away from the great flavor of the broth.

2 T olive oil
1 pound chorizo sliced in 1/2 inch slices, if I make this again I will use fresh chorizo
1 large onion chopped
4 large cloves garlic chopped
5 large white potatoes peeled and cute in bite sized pieces
3 quarts chicken stock
2 cups chopped kale, stemmed,
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme
1 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt/pepper to taste
parmesan for topping

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chorizo and onions. Saute the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and potatoes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock and kale and bring the liquid up to a boil. Stir in the bay leaves, thyme and crushed red pepper. Season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are fork tender, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and skim off any fat.

Entry #3: Shawnie's Savory Winter Soup

Shawnie's original recipe entered into our Christmas Soup Simmer Competition.

1 large carrot
1 large sweet potato
1 large parsnip
olive oil, salt and pepper
garlic powder
fresh rosemary
2 packages baby bella mushrooms
butter
3 chicken and spinach sausage links
3 green onions
1 link smoked chorizo
2 cups small cooked pasta
3 quarts chicken stock

Slice carrots, parsnips, and sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch slices. Coat veggies with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, and a dusting of garlic powder. Then sprinkle with fresh rosemary. Roast at 450 for 15 min, then flip on tray and roast for another 15 min. Set aside.

Slice mushrooms into thick chunks and saute in a bit of butter and olive oil combined until browned. Set aside.

Add about a tablespoon of olive oil into saute pan and cook chicken sausage 7-8 min on each side. Let cool and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Set aside.

Chop 3 green onions and smoked chorizo into small bits. Set aside.

If using home made stock (see Shawnie's recipe below), then take stock out of fridge and skim the fat from the top. Place fat into a large frying pan and begin to warm. Once bubbling add 1/4 flour stirring until smooth. Add 2 cups stock, whisking until smooth and thickened. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

In separate pot warm chicken stock and add gravy to thicken and stir. Add all the roasted veggies, sausage, and onions. Heat through. Add 2 cups small cooked pasta, (tubetti, orzo, etc.) right before serving.

Chicken Stock

1 whole chicken
2 celery stalks
2 large carrots
4 cloves garlic
1 large onion
10 peppercorns
1 sprig rosemary

Put all ingredients into a large stock pot. Fill pot with cold water until it just covers the chicken. Simmer uncovered for two hours or until chicken falls off the bone. Strain out chicken and vegetables. Cool stock in the fridge.

Christmas Dinner 2010: Soup Simmer

Grandma Romero

2010 Soup Simmer Judge & Jury

As we mentioned last year, our Christmas dinners are usually made up of hearty, soul-warming foods that carry some ancestral significance. This year...we went crazy...threw out the books...threw in a dash of competitive spirit...and dusted off our crock-pots.

For Christmas 2010 - our family had an inaugural Soup Simmer. It was a competition. And it was phenomenal.

That's right. No roasted side of beast, no football field-sized lasagnas or tamales steamed to perfection (sniff). Everyone arrived, armed with a crock-pot filled with deliciousness...but... you're going to have to wait to hear who our winner was...

Although the men-folk initially found our idea for a soup cook-off a bit lack-luster, we all agreed that the result was just as satisfying and much more entertaining. And, as it turns out, our idea of a non-traditional holiday meal actually has some deep family roots. As we were swapping stories around the dinner table my Grandpa spoke about how our Little Grandma (Great Grandma Romero) always had a pot of soup simmering on the stove. Gramps says she didn't consider her children fit for exiting their home without a serving of warm soup to fuel them. So in a way, this dinner paid homage to her; a little lady, with a huge heart and a gift for making a delicious pot of something out of not much.

So, over the next few posts, we will be sharing the soups that collectively created our Christmas meal. They warmed our hearts, souls and bellies. We hope the same for you and yours!

Happy New Year, and cheers to NEW Holiday traditions!

Entry #1: Grandpa's Smokey Split Pea & Ham

1 bone-in ham

Fixings for making ham broth (see below)

1 lb dry split peas

4 diced carrots

2 cups diced ham

2 tbs fresh dill

salt and pepper to taste

Non-fat Half and half

So, as my Grandpa says, if your broth is tasty - you'll have good soup.

This recipe makes amazing broth.

First step is to eat a bone-in ham. ;)

After most of the ham has been consumed (reserve 2 cups chopped) - cover the ham bone with water (about 8-10 cups) in a stock pot, and add 2 onions, 4 carrots, 3 bay leaves and 10 cloves of smashed garlic. Simmer for two hours and then skim SOME of the fat off. You need to leave some fat...that's where the flavor lives.

Strain the broth and place into a soup pot, bring to a simmer.

Add dry peas and cook until al dente.

Add sliced carrots, chopped ham, salt (sparingly), pepper and fresh dill.

When peas and carrots are desired texture, turn off heat and add 1 cup half and half.

Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Entry #2: Lora's New England Clam Chowder

This is actually an adaptation of Tyler Florence's New England Clam Chowder recipe.

I'm not a fan of thick chowder, so I drastically decreased his amount of flour and shhh...I used canned clams and clam juice in lieu of steaming two batches of clams. I really love this recipe though, and the parmesan oyster crackers are a new favorite snack in our house.

• 3 tbs butter
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 stalks celery chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• Leaves from 10 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 tbsps all-purpose flour
• 1 large box organic vegetable stock
• 1 bottle clam juice
• 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 cans chopped clams
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup milk
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 16 littleneck clams, scrubbed well
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• Parmesan Oyster Crackers, recipe follows

Heat butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, celery, garlic, and thyme and cook until the bacon renders its fat and the vegetables are good and soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well. Pour in the broth, clam juice and bring to a boil. Add the cream,milk and the potatoes, bring to a boil and boil hard for about 7 minutes, until the potatoes break down a little. Add the chopped clams and season with salt and pepper.

Now add the 16 clams in their shells. Cover and simmer to open the clams, about 10 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve hot, with crackers.

Parmesan Oyster Crackers

2 cups oyster crackers

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 c olive oil

Salt and pepper

1/4 c shredded parm

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. Toss all ingredients together and bake until golden and cripsy - 25-35 mins.

Stay tuned for the remaining entries!

Mania~

Lora

Christmas Biscotti

One day before Christmas, my mom and her friend Kathy would stay up all night baking. I remember they used to lay clean tablecloths all over the kitchen and living room and every surface would be covered with mexican wedding cakes, chocolate pinwheels, pizzelles, rosettes, oatmeal raisin and thumbprints.

My mom had these tin canisters that she'd line with wax paper, fill to the brim and hide in closets until Christmas parties started. Of course, we all knew the hiding spots. We snuck one at least three times a day. By the time Christmas came, I didn't want to see another cookie for at least a week.

I've never gone to the extreme that my mom has, but I did get into holiday baking a few years ago. The most I made were 3-4 different varieties.

Well, every year it seems there is less time for cookie making, and my list has shrunk accordingly. This biscotti outlasted them all, and it's my favorite treat to give away (and eat by the bag full) for a few reasons...

- Unlike most biscotti I've tasted, this has a buttery flavor and a cookie-like texture

- Biscotti, by nature, is a durable cookie, and seems to have a longer shelf life than its counterparts

- You aren't stuck at the counter rolling out countless dough balls

- The word biscotti means twice baked. I like this recipe because if (when) i'm in a hurry, the cookies taste just fine if they are only baked once! I actually only baked one** of my 8 batches twice this year...shhhh...technically, I guess I make uni-scotti

- This recipe has almond extract....mmmmm...

**I tried a new spin with one batch and added crushed candy canes to the dough (just removed the dried cranberries) and then sprinkled the cut biscotti with more crushed candy canes and baked a second time. Sooooo goood.

~Mangia & We wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

Lora

Adapted from Epicurious.com

White Chocolate & Cranberry Biscotti

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 1/2 cups dried cranberries (about 6 ounces)
• 6 ounces white chocolate chips
• 1 egg white
  

preparationPreheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log. Transfer both logs to prepared baking sheet, spacing evenly. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper or silpat. Combine 2 1/2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt in medium bowl; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, 2 eggs and almond extract in large bowl until well blended. Mix in flour mixture, then dried cranberries and choco chips. Divide dough in half. Using floured hands, shape each piece into 2 1/2-inch-wide, 9 1/2-inch-long, 1-inch-high log on baking sheet. Whisk egg white in small bowl until foamy; brush egg white glaze on top and sides of each log.

Bake logs until golden brown (logs will spread), about 35 minutes. Cool completely on sheet on rack. Maintain oven temperature. Transfer logs to work surface. Using serrated knife, cut logs on diagonal into 1/2-inch-wide slices. Arrange slices, cut side down, on same sheet. Bake 10 minutes; turn biscotti over. Bake until just beginning to color, about 5 minutes. Transfer biscotti to rack.

Or skip the second baking and do a taste test to see if it's a good texture. ;)

Tortilla Snowflakes

I bought this present for my niece, Violet. We flipped through it before wrapping it up and stumbled on these little gems. Clipping tortillas into snowflakes, what a grand idea! I think I will make some small cookie-sized tortillas and turn this into a new Christmas tradition.

Whether you use store bought or homemade, all of your work is mostly done. Just fold the tortilla into quarters and clip shapes on the edges with kitchen shears. Line baking sheets with the number of tortillas you want and brush lightly with melted butter. Sprinkle with colored sugar or raw sugar and bake at 350 until lightly brown. Douse with powdered sugar.

A month or so ago I was looking for a flour tortilla recipe with leaven and read about these on the homesick texan blog. They puffed up a little more than my great-grandma's recipe. Shhhhh. But they were equally as tasty, of course.

And check back for a corn tortilla post soon. Lora bought me a tortilla press!! Think that was her oh-so-subtle way of leaving that task up to me.

Texas Flour Tortillas (adapted from The Border Cookbook by Cheryl Alters Jamison and Bill Jamison)
Ingredients:
Two cups of all-purpose flour (can make them whole wheat by substituting one cup of whole-wheat flour for white flour)
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of vegetable oil
3/4 cups of warm milk

Method:
Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and oil.
Slowly add the warm milk.
Stir until a loose, sticky ball is formed.
Knead for two minutes on a floured surface. Dough should be firm and soft.
Place dough in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap for 20 minutes.
After the dough has rested, break off eight sections, roll them into balls in your hands, place on a plate (make sure they aren’t touching) and then cover balls with damp cloth or plastic wrap for 10 minutes.
After dough has rested, one at a time place a dough ball on a floured surface, pat it out into a four-inch circle, and then roll with a rolling pin from the center until it’s thin and about eight inches in diameter. Don’t over work the dough, or it’ll be stiff. Keep rolled-out tortillas covered until ready to cook.
In a dry iron skillet or comal heated on high, cook the tortilla about thirty seconds on each side. It should start to puff a bit when it’s done.
Keep cooked tortillas covered wrapped in a napkin until ready to eat.
Can be reheated in a dry iron skillet, over your gas-burner flame or in the oven wrapped in foil.
While you probably won’t have any leftovers, you can store in the fridge tightly wrapped in foil or plastic for a day or so.
Makes eight tortillas.

Mangia

~Tracey

Soup Stock

Hardly anything is more satisfying (or better smelling) than a big pot of something simmering on your stove. Sauce, stock, soup, stew…

That reminds me.

I saw a commercial this week that really got my goat. It promoted Lean Cuisine's latest brainchild, Market Creations. Have you seen it? It starts of with the sound of a knife chopping against a cutting board and goes on to dismiss the idea of using cooking to de-stress after a long day.

Seriously?!

There is nothing more relaxing for me than cooking. OK, honestly? A massage would probably beat chopping in an arm wrestle… But come on!! Can advertisers dumb up the American public any more?

I think the eras of convenience (enter the 50's and 60's) ruined most American home cooks. Ads shouted at our moms and grandmas, "Hey, you! Yeah, you lady! Don't get stuck in the kitchen a minute longer than you have to! Leave it up to the professionals." Yeah, the guys in lab coats who crafted condensed soups, tv dinners and who now genetically engineer our food. Those professionals.

We all know we are smarter and more capable than any commercial portrays, but we are consistently inundated with messaging that claim otherwise.

Cooking CAN be a stress-reliever and cathartic. Cooking puts you in touch with the ingredients that enter your body. It allows you to care for yourself, and offer nutrition to those you love. And it results in deliciousness! Yes, it can take longer than "a few minutes" (the time-frame Lean Cuisine claims your dinner will be ready), but it probably won't take longer than 30-40 mins.

I made stock for the second time this weekend. It brought me full circle. Creating stock empowers you. It shows you that you can take a raw product and create several delicious, healthy meals with your two hands with no pre-conceived spice packets or powders.

We are all busy, and we all deserve time-savers. But our society has robbed us from one simple truth: We can cook healthy, flavorful meals at home, and they do not take hours to prepare (after the two hours on Saturday afternoon when you simmered your stock, of course :).

It's easy and worth the time. Dare I say, it feeds your soul.

Do you agree? Disagree? I'd really like to know what M&M readers think (use the comment section to post your thoughts).

Well, here's Tracey's recipe if you have (or plan to have) a turkey or chicken carcass hanging around.

Miss out on the turkey remains? Roast a chicken! ;)

~Mangia

Lora

Stock

1 chicken or turkey carcass (don't ya love that word?)

Any veggies you might have roasted with the bird (and reserved)

And/ or some fresh veggies, like: halved onions, celery stalks, carrots, smashed garlic

Herbs. I used dried rosemary, thyme, and sage.

Bay leaves

Peppercorns -0r just some ground black pepper

Healthy sprinkling of salt

Cover everything with water

Bring to a boil

Lower to a simmer and cover

Pour a glass of wine

Put your feet up

After 1 or 2 hours (whenever you feel the broth has a rich color and flavor) turn of heat and let cool

Strain then pour into multiple containers and refrigerate or freeze.

P.S. Since I'm currently obsessed with chipotles in adobo, I added one when I made turkey soup (pictured above) using this soup recipe today. I just used shredded turkey meat instead of meatballs and the homemade stock. The chipotle added the appropriate kick in the pants. Highly recommend it.

Barefoot Onion Rings

Fried food makes me weak in the knees. My willpower hides around the corner when it sees a french fry coming. Don’t even ask me what happens when a plate of calamari hits the table. It's weird that I've never fried anything at home before a few weeks ago.

So what was the catalyst for our foray into the crispy unknown?

I'm so glad you asked.

When we moved in January, Rich and I decided to just get basic cable. My beloved Food Network was the only part of this decision that gave me pause. I could literally watch Tyler, Bobby and Giada cook for hours. Ok, I watch Giada on mute. Her random "authentic" Italian pronunciations make me crazier than when people say "EXpresso".

In case you where wondering, I haven't picked up knitting or mending to fill my time now that food tv isn't readily accessible. I have, however, picked up my unbelievable obsession for food blogs. So it's safe to say that I'm still wasting the same amount of time. But at least now I'm reading, right!?!?

Rich recently came across a few Barefoot Contessa episodes on hulu and we jumped at the chance to sloth and drool for a few hours. Ina Garten is of course the queen of all things fabulous and fantastic. During one of the episodes she made FABULOUS (said in her posh, Hampton-esque way) steak with sides.

Crispy, sweet, salty onion rings were on the list of sides. She soaked them in buttermilk and encrusted them with cornmeal. They looked ridiculously delicious, and it didn't even hit me that these beauties were attainable at home until Rich said, "We are so making those tomorrow." What? We don't have a frier. Fry something? We can’t make THOSE! We don't have the right "stuff"!

Truthfully, all I needed; vegetable oil (check), vidalia onions (check), cornmeal ( check), a deep pot for the oil (check) where all in my kitchen! Wow, we can totally do this!! I felt empowered.

Now? I'm feeling very frightened...

These little babies are only 30 minutes away...

Mangia~

Lora

Ingredients

• 2 large Spanish onions (or 3 yellow onions)
• 2 cups buttermilk
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup (medium) yellow cornmeal
• 1 quart vegetable oil (I think we used far less than a quart)

Directions

Peel the onions, slice them 1/2 to 3/4-inch thick, and separate them into rings. Combine the buttermilk, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Add the onion rings, toss well, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes. (The onion rings can sit in the buttermilk for a few hours.) In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.

When you're ready to fry the onion rings, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels.

Heat the oil to 350 degrees F in a large pot or Dutch oven. (A candy thermometer attached to the side of the pot will help you maintain the proper temperature.) Working in batches, lift some onions out of the buttermilk and dredge them in the flour mixture. Drop into the hot oil and fry for 2 minutes, until golden brown, turning them once with tongs. Don't crowd them! Place the finished onion rings on the baking sheet, sprinkle liberally with salt, and keep them warm in the oven while you fry the next batch. Continue frying the onion rings and placing them in the warm oven until all the onions are fried. They will remaincrisp in the oven for up to 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Source: Food Network, Ina Garten

Chicken Mole

Mole, pronounced 'moh-lay', is elusive. The concept varies greatly from recipe to recipe. Some cooks pride themselves in the literal days of preparation for this deep, rich, and traditional sauce, but there are plenty of quicker versions for us normal people. I mean, really.

Traditionally, the dark color of the sauce comes from the charred remains of burned chiles and unsweetened chocolate. The complexity of the flavor comes from the variety of ingredients, sometimes 20 or more. There is a deep family history behind many mole recipes, each one different to one degree or another. The most common ingredients in the recipes I have found are chiles, spices, chocolate, nuts, and tomatoes. Catch your interest yet? Well, I promise this won't take you three days, and it's a tortilla-sopper-upper.

I remember first tasting my Little Grandma's mole when we were quite young. I was thrilled to hear we were having chocolate on our chicken that night! All I remember of the taste is being disappointed that it wasn't more like hershey's syrup. Crazy kids. If only I had known what a treasure it was eating such a dish from her hands. Luckily, Abel likes this version and ate up most of his helping before declaring it "a bit too spicy." I thought it was perfect.

Here were our mole results:

First night with rice…


Second night in enchilada form, even better…

We trucked the leftovers to Lora's and created these oh so yummy enchiladas together. And thanks to our dear friend Zaida for the cilantro and lime cabbage recipe!


Recipe adapted from J.M. Hirsch, Food Editor of The Associated Press

Chicken Mole

2 T canola or vegetable oil
1 chipotle chile in adobo (canned), chopped; taste for heat after simmering
½ tsp mexican chili powder
1 medium yellow onion, diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 T cocoa powder
½ tsp each ground cinnamon and red pepper flakes
¼ tsp each ground cloves and ground black pepper
1 cup smooth almond butter
1.5 cup crushed tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth
salt to taste
1 slice soft bread or tortilla cut into small pieces
1.5 lbs chicken (breast or thigh) cut into ½" chunks

In dutch oven type pot over medium-high heat:
Combine oil, chile, onion, garlic, cocoa, and spices. Saute for 5 min.
Add the almond butter and mix until it melts.
Add the tomatoes, broth, salt and bread; bring to a simmer.
Add the chicken and return to a simmer.
Cover the pot and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Chicken Mole Enchiladas

If using the entire pot of mole it would probably make close to 20 enchiladas. We rolled a small amount of the mole sauce with sauteed onion, grated parmesan cheese, sharp cheddar/Colby jack mixed into a flour tortilla. Line in edged baking tray and top with excess sauce and cheese. Bake at 350°F for 15–20 min, or until heated through.

Top with shredded cabbage and chopped cilantro, tossed together with fresh lime juice.

Mangia~

Tracey

Guest Post: Tomato Basil Bisque

Ladies and Juggamen (Sorry, that's how Vi says it. I couldn't resist), I give you M&M's first ever guest post!

This post is from my lovely friend, Erin. She's a sassy redhead (okay, it's really auburn), with a heart of gold. She's also a SUPERB cook, and bakes like a pro (as well as excessively modest, as you will see in a moment). She and I share a love of all things foodie, and we have fantasized about starting a supper club on several occasions. Maybe, one day, Erin. Maybe.

I'm so glad she's sharing this recipe. We've eaten it, and I think it's not only a winner, but it's one for the weekly recipe planner. If I may be so bold as to suggest a grilled cheese sandwich to accompany it...

Everyone, I give you, ERIN:

Hi Everyone! I met Lora I can’t remember when (is that bad?), but I know that it was at church many moons ago (2006? 2007?). We clicked pretty much from the beginning, and a friendship full of laughter began. (Awww....) I think Lora’s one of the best people around, and I’m envious of her mad culinary skills.

I am by no means the best cook in the world. The extent of my technical knowledge pretty much amounts to knowing what chiffonade means, and I know what a stiff peak looks like when you’re beating egg whites. But, I love it. I love creating something with my hands that can bless someone else or make my husband say, “You should really make this again.” Especially in the fall, I love being in my kitchen, baking and cooking and filling the house with warm, inviting smells that just feel like a giant hug. To me, there’s almost no better feeling than having friends over for dinner and talking and laughing and living while sharing a meal. Memories can be made at the dinner table, people! Likewise, cooking with others...it’s so much fun for me to share cooking with friends and my mom and sisters.

My mom taught me to cook when I was young and so most of the things I make that are “specialties” are really rip-offs of things she would make. I also, gasp!, don’t like to measure. Unfortunately, this means that when I create something that mightalmostcouldquitepossiblybe original, I guess at the amounts for when I want to re-create it. This recipe, however, is the exception. My mom found it when she was sick one day and asked me to make it for her. I have since made it many, many, many times, and my 18-month old will eat this up every time I make it.

You can make it as healthy as you like, but let’s be real. Who doesn't love using real cream when the opportunity presents itself? Like when making truffles...mmm...truffles. Oh wait, this is a soup recipe.

So, bon appetit!

Tomato Basil Bisque

1 cup diced celery

3/4 cup chopped carrots

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 tbsp. minced fresh garlic

2 tbsp. butter

3 cups tomato juice

1 cup chicken broth

1 can diced tomatoes

3 oz. tomato paste (1/2 a small can, essentially)

1 tsp. dried basil 1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1 cup half-and-half (ahem, HEAVY CREAM)

4 tsp. sugar (I don’t add that much because I find it makes the soup too sweet for my taste, but add as much or little as you want. You will want to add some sugar though, to cut the acidity of the tomatoes.)

In a large saucepan, saute your veggies (including garlic) in the butter till tender (not brown). You will want them pretty tender. Add the tomato juice, broth, diced tomatoes, tomato paste and spices, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes or till slightly thickened. *Now, here’s the slightly tricky part...and as complicated as the recipe gets.* Puree till smooth. If you do not have a handheld blender/immersion blender, tell your loved ones you MUST have one for Christmas, and then pull your food processor or blender down. Only puree HALF of the soup at a time and then return to the cooking pot. If you have a handheld blender, plug that baby in and start stirring away right there in the pot. (Turn the heat off.) Once your soup is pureed (it probably won’t be perfectly smooth and that is okay), stir in the half/half (HEAVY CREAM) and sugar. Heat your soup through and voila! You have made bisque! Pat yourself on the back, reach for a glass of wine and enjoy. I have topped this with fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. Both are unnecessary, but add tastiness. Also, feel free to serve this with a salad and crusty bread and you will have a meal that will impress. :)

Halloween Night

Before we headed out yesterday to stuff our molars and gullets with refined sugar and chocolate, we ate vegetables. Yes, I HAVE turned into my mother. Although, I don't think my mom was so cruel as to serve us swiss chard and spinach salad before trick-or-treating. I remember warm soups and stews. Turns out I'm not as nice as my mom.

Halloween coincided with the collection of our last share of harvest from Mud Creek Farms (sniff). The last haul brought us a rainbow of swiss chard, yellow cauliflower, tender spinach, and celeriac root. My mom and Tracey were here, and we worked every single one of 'em into our menu: roasted veggies, spinach salad with apples and penne with swiss chard and cider.

I was placed in charge of the chard. What to do...

I've eaten it before but never prepared it before this fall. The last time I prepared it, I served it over mashed potatoes. We knew we had to incorporate pasta into the deal somehow since Poppa G was here. So that's where the penne came in.

Now, I'm convinced the organic methods used by Mud Creek produce the best tasting vegetables I've ever eaten. This swiss chard was so fresh and delicate tasting it could have been a salad green! It did present some bitterness though, so to be sure the kiddies would gobble it up I added some cider to the mix.

Mangia~

Lora

P.S. I also promised Karie that I would share this recipe I used for the Jalapeno Popper dip I made for a Halloween party this weekend. It's soooooooooo bad (bad meaning good).

Penne with Swiss Chard and Cider

A large bunch of swiss chard (about the size of the bunch above)

1 lb penne

1 largish glug of olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

1-2 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup apple cider (maybe more if you are using store-bought chard? just taste as you go and if you need the bitterness cut more, add another splash)

pinch red pepper flake

salt and pepper to taste

Generous handful of Parm cheese (although my mom and I agreed that crumbled goat cheese would be even better)

Put pot on to boil for pasta.

Glug olive oil into a deep, saute pan.

Add minced garlic and turn on the heat to low-med.

Let the garlic bubble away for a few minutes until the scent fills your kitchen (or the deepest corners of your bedroom closets, like at my grandma's house).

While the garlic is getting toasty, tear the chard away from the stem and begin to toss bite-size pieces into the pan.

Mix to incorporate with oil and garlic as you go.

Add 1 cup of stock, cider and turn up the heat to med-high. Cook until wilted and tender and then turn down to low. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flake to taste and simmer for a minute more (this is when you would add more stock if you need it. This IS the sauce for the pasta so it needs to have some looseness to it).

When pasta is cooked, add to the pan and simmer together until ready to serve.

Add cheese and mix and then sprinkle more on top.