Soup’s On!

According to my calendar, today officially marks the start of fall, and if this weekend’s grey and rainy conditions are any indication, it would appear that it has arrived promptly on schedule.    

Coaxed indoors, I have picked up the challenge launched with last week’s blog and seized the opportunity to expand my chard repertoire and to keep up with my garden’s burgeoning crop. This rapid reprieve from summer’s incessant heat has once again opened the door to all the welcoming possibilities of soup. 

One of my favorite go-to sites for such cooking ideas is Epicurious.com.   I tend to relate to their food style and I can usually find reliable ideas such as Michael Romano’s Secret-Ingredient Soup.  My imagination was instantly sparked by his chard soup incorporating a good chicken stock, onion, leeks, and carrots, Italian sausage ― and his mystery ingredient, cornmeal.

Armed with this great starting place, I’ve taken Michael’s basic premise and made a few adjustments of my own.  For a little heartier soup, I substituted a link of Spanish linguica, included white beans and added a bit of fresh sage and rosemary from the garden.

Thank you, Michael, for this lovely taste of fall in a bowl. 

Hearty Chard, Bean and Linguica Soup

Inspired by Michael Romano's Secret-Ingredient Soup at Epicurious.com.  From his book, Family Table: Favorite Staff Meals from Our Restaurants to Your Home by Michael Romano and Karen Stabiner, © 2013 Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

3/4 cup finely chopped peeled carrot

3/4 cup well-washed thinly sliced leeks

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon fennel seeds

½ teaspoon dried oregano

8 ounces Spanish linguica sausage, cut up

2 tablespoons medium-grind cornmeal (polenta)

5 cups Chicken or Vegetable Stock

1 ½ cups cooked white beans, such as cannellini or mayo coba

1 teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced sage

4 cups packed stemmed and coarsely chopped kale or chard leaves, or a combination

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano for serving

Directions

1.       Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, leeks, garlic, salt, black pepper, Aleppo pepper, fennel and oregano and cook, stirring, until the onion becomes translucent, 8 to 10 minutes, and remove from pot.

2.       Cook the sausage to lightly brown, about 5 minutes; remove and drain.

3.      Drain off the excess fat in pot and return vegetables to the pan.   Stir in the cornmeal. Add the stock, stirring, and bring to a boil.  Add the cooked beans, rosemary, and sage; reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

4.       Stir in the greens and cook for 15 minutes more, or until tender.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with grated Parmigiano.  Serves 4 to 6. 

Caldo Tlalpeño

Here’s a soup that is right up there with the ever-popular Mexican Tortilla Soup.  A friendly relative recently wanted to know if I had a recipe for Caldo Tlalpeño―apparently a popular Mexican soup made with chicken, garbanzo beans and vegetables. Huh,  I didn’t have a clue; but it  was enough to set off  flashing lights and whistling bells because garbanzos are one of my favorite beans. I cannot get enough of their hearty flavor and texture.  Give me hummus any day; I sprinkle beans onto salads and include them in entrees to replace or extend meat.    

Since I had never heard of this soup, I was completely flummoxed, and based on its build-up I was really missing the boat.  This is when the internet becomes invaluable.  Before I could get my soup pot out and heated up I was ready to head back to Mexico and try the real deal.  I quickly learned that one of the signature elements of the soup is adobo, a robust smoky sauce soaked with chipotle peppers. 

Caldo Tlalpeño originates from Tlalpan, a highly revered ecological borough in the Federal District of Mexico City.  This heavily forested region has retained much of it provincial charm and is deeply rooted in its Mesoamerican heritage.   Who knew?

After consulting several different sites and recipes, I channeled my Querétaro señora and proceeded.  I started with a rotisserie chicken, the basis of many of my stocks these days.  A note on making a delicious and easy chicken stock: I’ve learned that while the chicken is still warm and moist from the market, the meat will literally fall off the bone and within 3 or 4 minutes it is completely deboned.  

For the stock, place the heap of bones in a soup pot, cover with 6 to 8 cups water, and simmer with onion and carrot trimmings left from the pre-prepped soup ingredients.  Add a stalk of celery or about ½ tsp. celery seed, a couple sprigs of thyme, a bay leaf, and few grinds of fresh pepper.  Bring to a boil and simmer for about one hour.  Strain the stock and allow it to cool and chill until needed.  When chilled, skim off any unnecessary fat congealed on top of the stock, and proceed.   

The soup can be prepared and is ready to eat in about 45 minutes but it is as good or better the next day.  The key ingredient, the adobo, varies greatly according to maker.  The day I made mine, I noticed the sauce was quite mild―primarily a tomato puree flavored with the chipotle.  You will need to bravely taste your adobo and use your judgment.  I’ve learned that in Mexico, the soup can range from mild to extremely hot.  Err on the side of caution the first time that you try a new adobo sauce; you can always add more!  I ended up using 2 chipotle peppers, seeded and chopped plus about 3 tbsp. of the adobo sauce.  My soup was spicy hot, but not a scorcher.  The following day, it was even milder. 

As with Tortilla Soup, tableside toppings are part of the fun and add to the full flavor of Caldo Tlalpeño.  A few squirts of fresh lime will brighten it; crumbled or grated cheese such as Cotija or other queso fresco offer a lingering saltiness; and cilantro leaves provide perky citrus and herbal notes.  Enjoy with tortilla chips or crush a few and sprinkle them on top, too.   

Caldo Tlalpeño 

Inspired by Gourmet, October 1993, per Epicurious 

Ingredients 

1 rotisserie chicken deboned, 2 – 3 cups meat, cut up; use the bones for quick stock

1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 onion, peeled and cut into medium chop

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 carrots, peeled and cut into medium chop

1 tsp dried oregano

8 cup chicken stock, approximately

1 plum tomato, seeded and chopped

2 drained canned whole chipotle chilies in adobo, seeded and chopped, plus 2-3 Tbsp. sauce

2 cups cooked chick-peas, rinsed and drained

1 ear corn, husk, remove silk and cut into ¾” rounds (optional)

1 zucchini, cut into medium chop

½ tsp. each salt and pepper

Toppings:  1 lime cut into wedges, 1 cup Cotijo, Panela or other crumbled or grated cheese, 1 cup cilantro leaves, 1 avocado, cut up.  Tortilla chips. 

Instructions            

1.       In a large heavy saucepan cook the onion in the oil over moderate heat, stirring, until it is softened, stir in the garlic, carrots and oregano and cook the mixture, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the reserved broth to the vegetable mixture with the tomato and the chipotles, adobo sauce, the corn and the garbanzos; simmer the soup for 15-20 minutes. 

2.       Add the zucchini, add salt and pepper; adjust seasoning,  and simmer 10 minutes.  The soup may be prepared up to this point 1 day in advance and kept covered and chilled.

 To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and add toppings as desired:  lime wedges, cheese, cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.  Yield:  6 servings. 

The Marriage of Fufu and Ndolé

Ndolé and Fufu

I finally had a chance to test a recipe for ndolé, the national dish of Cameroon which features bitterleaf (or other hearty greens such as chard, kale, or spinach), groundnuts or peanuts, shrimp and/or dried or smoked fish, and spices such as ginger, garlic and peppers. Ghana, Nigeria, and other West African countries have their own versions which may include melon seeds and meat such as goat. 

Here’s where the party begins:  fufu, the standard ndolé starch accompaniment, is made with plantains, yams, cassava, or other roots or starches that are pounded in a large mortar and pestle affair until it forms a smooth ball of dough.  The traditional method requires two people to get the job done: one to add, combine, and manually turn ingredients in a super-sized wooden bowl while the other pounds with a long wooden pestle to smash and breakdown the additions.  After considerable practice the two develop a rhythm and harmoniously succeed in creating a silken dough, with no fingers broken in the process.  Once the ndolé is served, individual portions of the fufu are pulled off, and pieces are then dipped with the fingers into bowls of steaming soup or stew to assist in scooping up juicy morsels. 

In all fairness, I admit, I have never been a fan of peanut butter type sauces; Asian noodles with the peanut-butter-spice combinations leave me cold.  The ndolé recipe I use as my beginning point comes from John Gerber's Just Food Now a great website of well-researched food from not only Africa, but  from all over Europe and points beyond.  With full confidence in my source, I was game.  Since this recipe and others I considered tend to use metric weights and measures, I took a few conversion liberties, as well.  But, what the heck, it’s a stew.  I doubt if everyone in Africa measures all their ingredients either. 

Now that I have a few preliminary caveats out of the way, I confess, I love this dish ― in all its shrimpy peanut buttery glory.  The bitterleaf was a bit of a stretch, so I blanched a nice bunch of kale and cut it into bite sized pieces.  I channeled my Caribbean cooking days and asked what they would do?  Why, add a little thyme, of course!  I’m glad I added the second poblano pepper along with a good hit of cayenne because they stand up to the dose of ginger and garlic. In fact, the stew would not be same without kale or other assertive greens; to make up for the missing ‘bitter’ element, a splash of lime on the finish supplied a prerequisite brightness.   Who knows, it may not be totally authentic, but it is completely outrageous―and I will be making it again― soon.  

Right, I also took a few liberties with the fufu.  After reviewing a flight of how-to-cook and eat fufu videos on YouTube, there was no way I was going to swallow my fufu without tasting it.  I’ve included a Dutchvlog clip worth viewing on an authentic Ghanaian approach to making FuFu with plantain and cassava, which further supports my position on making fufu: it needs to be tasty.  

Consequently, I opted for what my grocer calls white yams, something that looks suspiciously like a blonde sweet potato (unlike the rough skinned African variety). I used my food processor to begin the fufu event and to add the butter, salt and pepper; then the yams were returned to the straight sided cooking pot where I continued to pound them unmercifully with a wooden spoon until they relented and formed a springy cohesive ball.

In sum, I’m not sure which is better: the ndolé or the fufu. This is a world class marriage destined for eternal bliss: a complex utterly delicious stew lapped up with buttery tinged slightly sweet mashed potatoes with some serious body.  Finger lickin’ good!

Ndole (Bitterleaf Soup)

Inspired by:  Just Food Now, “African Spirit: The food of Cameroon. Just Food Now”.  

500 ml dried bitterleaf (or 1 large bunch kale, collards, turnip greens, or spinach)

1 lb cooked shrimps (size of your choice, I used small)

2 green onions chop

3 clove garlic, divided

¼ tsp cayenne (or more)

3 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1 large onion, chop

1 green pepper; or 2 poblanos, if available, seed and chop

2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp fresh thyme

3 tomatoes, peel and chop (or 16 oz. diced canned tomatoes, drain and save liquid

¾ cup natural peanut butter, (extra-crunchy works well), approximate

2 cups water, approximate

salt and pepper to taste

juice of 1 lime, or to taste

If using dried bitterleaf, soak it overnight; drain in the morning and press out the excess water.

If using kale, collards, or turnip greens, wash the greens, remove spines, chop them, and  simmer simmer in a pot of boiling water 3-5 minutes, until the greens begin to become tender. If using spinach, wash and chop.

Marinate the shrimp:  combine the green onions, 1 minced clove garlic, and 1 Tbsp. olive oil into a thin paste and toss with the cooked shrimp.  Chill until needed.  

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large pot, add the onion, green pepper, 2 cloves minced garlic,  ginger, thyme;  sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.  Add the chopped tomatoes, reduce heat and simmer for about 5 minutes to combine flavors.  Add the reserved tomato juice and enough water to thin as needed, and simmer another 5-10 minutes. 

Add the peanut butter, the greens and additional liquid to thin if too thick.  Cover the pot and continue simmering until greens are tender, another 10 – 15 minutes.  If dry, add additional water, a little at a time, as needed. 

Just before serving, briefly sauté the shrimp, add to the soup, and heat well. Add a dash of lime juice to brighten flavors and correct seasoning. Serve with fufu.  Serves 4.

Fufu

Inspired by:  Jeanne Egbosiuba Ukwendu, editor of the African Culture Site at Bella Online

4 medium white yams, peel and cut into chunks

2 Tbsp butter

½ tsp salt, white pepper

In a heavy pot, simmer the yams in salted boiling water until they begin to soften when pierced with a knife.  Allow to drain well.   

Place the yams in a food processor or beat with a mixer, adding knobs of butter, salt and pepper until there are no lumps.   

Return the mixture to the pot and continue to beat with a wood spoon, mashing against side of pot until a silky cohesive dough forms.  

Portion into individual rounds and serve each surrounded by soup or stew; use the fufu as bread for dipping with fingers. Serves 4. 

A Happy Threesome

It’s funny how our minds free-associate and link favorite foods together. For example, when I think of tomatoes, basil quickly comes to mind. And when I think of cucumbers, I think of dill. And, now that dill and cucumbers are returning to the market, it’s time to re-visit one of my favorites: Dill and Cucumber Soup.

When I think of a refreshing cup of Dill and Cucumber Soup, nothing comes to my mind faster than another favorite: screaming fresh salmon. There is no question that this combination surely equals one of the Pacific Northwest’s happiest threesomes: dill, cucumber and salmon. It's important to remember that working with such classic flavors will result in an end product that is more than the sum of its parts. The point is, keep it simple.

My version of the timeless cucumber soup includes a healthy amount of yogurt - which provides a perfect counterpoint to the fresh, lightness of cucumber and dill. These bright, clean flavors perk up the appetite and perfectly prepare the palate for the satisfying earthiness of the king salmon – grilled, baked, or poached.

On those occasions when fresh salmon isn’t my planned entrée, smoked salmon is a great alternative. A lovely platter of chilled salmon, a little cream cheese, a few slices of red onion, some pumpernickel or rye bread, a few radishes for vegetable variety… and I’ve got an easy dinner.

I’ve also garnished my soup with lovely slices of cucumber dabbed with tiny spoonfuls of inexpensive Tabiko caviar or other non-fertilized salmon eggs – plus a perky feather of fresh dill. Absolutely fabulous.

Since I rarely tire of the dill and cucumber combination, I’ve planted my own dill seeds which are now sprouting - and my cucumber plants are on their way up. Oh, boy, it’s going to be a great summer!

This year, I think I’ll take up fishing… more on salmon later.

Dill and Cucumber Soup
From Soup A to Z, A traveling chef’s little black book of secrets

1 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, diced or grated
3 Tbsp. fresh dill, minced
2 Tbsp. scallion, chopped
½ tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups plain yogurt
2 cups defatted chicken stock (approx.)

Place the cucumbers in a bowl with the dill, scallions,the salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon juice and olive oil; combine well.

Fold in the yogurt and thin with enough stock to reach desired consistency. Adjust seasoning, add more lemon juice if necessary.

Chill thoroughly. Garnish with fresh mint or dill. Serves 4 to 6~~

Off the Deep End with Spaetzle

This past weekend I had a little extra time which morphed into another excellent culinary episode.  It all began with a few fresh chicken thighs. To make the most of these tasty thighs, I decided a hearty chicken vegetable soup with a Caribbean edge would be just right. If that wasn’t enough, I also pictured a noodle or a dumpling… something interesting afloat in the soup.

When it comes to stock, I have previously mentioned that I like making my stock from baked, grilled, or roasted bones. I often freeze the bones from chicken pieces that I have eaten and when I have a nice collection I make a batch of stock. This may sound marginally peculiar, but I prefer to consider it a form of re-cycling.

I am not suggesting that you follow all of the steps presented here, but I do recommend the final outcome. We begin the soup with sautéed mushrooms and garlic, then flour is added to create a light roux base. The chicken stock is stirred in to create a slightly thickened soup, then onion and root vegetables are added and simmered until al dente. Any greens such as collards or chard would be lovely, too. The meat from the thighs is added to the soup and pointed up with a bit of lemon or lime zest and juice. This perky curry-spiced soup can be served now or reheated later.

For me, The X factor - the noodle or dumpling dilemma – took a bit longer to resolve; mystifyingly, it arrived later that night in the form of Spaetzle, Austrian or German irregularly shaped noodles.  They are formed by dough pressed through the holes of a colander into boiling water. I recall enjoying these delights years ago, but not enough to rush home and make my own.

This weekend, however, I was so impressed with my first attempt at Spaetzle making that I quickly whipped up a second batch; they are that easy – and addictive! No special ingredients or tools are required, and unlike pasta, the little dumpling-like noodles do not stick together when drained and they reheat beautifully. I tossed mine with a tiny bit of butter, salt, pepper, and a dash of scallions for good luck. I’ll be making these again!


Curried Chicken Vegetable Soup with Spaetzle

Chicken Stock:
6 chicken thighs, roasted and skinned, reserve bones
1 onion, the trimmings: tops, bottom and outer peel
2 stalks celery, leaves and stems
1 bay leaf
Soup:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 cup baby portobellos, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon thyme
6 cups reserved chicken stock, approx.
1 can chicken stock, or water as needed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 turnips, peeled and chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, peeled, seeded, minced
1 small red pepper, seeded and chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 lemon or lime

Roast the thighs at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes - until firm when pressed and skin begins to brown. Allow to cool, discard the skin, reserve the bones and cut the chicken into pieces and set aside.

For the stock: combine the bones, vegetable trimmings and bay leaf, cover with 6-8 cups water, bring to a boil and simmer for 45-60 minutes. Allow stock to cool, strain and reserve.

For the soup:  in soup pot over medium heat, sauté mushrooms in oil with garlic until mushrooms release moisture, stir in flour, turmeric, curry, allspice and thyme and allow it to cook until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Add the reserved onion in large chop and the celery chopped well. Continue to toss until onion softens slightly, approximately 5 minutes.

Slowly stir in the reserved chicken stock and allow it to thicken slightly. Add the remaining vegetables through red pepper and simmer for about 20 minutes; use the canned chicken stock as needed.

Stir in the reserved chicken and simmer additional 15-20 minutes. Add 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest, and juice from 1/2 lemon (or lime). Adjust salt and pepper as needed. Serve with ginger Spaetzle rimming the bowl and sprinkle with fresh green onion. Serves 4~~

Ginger Spaetzle
Inspired by Tyler Florence, Food Network

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 tsp. fresh
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chives or parsley, minced

In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients. In mixing cup, measure milk and whisk in 2 eggs.

Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour in the liquid. Stir flour from edges into center liquid until well combined, smooth and thick. Let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Bring pot of salted water to a boil and reduce to simmer. In batches, press portions of the dough through a large holed colander or a slotted spoon into the simmering water. Cook 3-4 minutes or until the Spaetzle float to surface - stirring gently to prevent sticking. With slotted spoon, remove Spaetzle to a colander; rinse quickly with cool water and drain. Repeat until all dough is used.

Toss Spaetzle with melted butter, chives or parsley, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serves 4~~

A Veritable Quandary

No, this is not a review of that legendary Portland Restaurant.  I’m referring to my state of mind upon a first appraisal of my bumper crop of green tomatoes. I am learning that this is one of the benefits and challenges of a successful garden. The zucchini plight, I understand, but what about all those green tomatoes?

I dashed outside between rainstorms this past week and gathered up a big bowlful of green plum tomatoes that were still clutching onto their vines. Ever the unengaged gardener, I had to reach this point before I could fully confront the obvious: what do I do with all these green tomatoes? Now, there are the old stand-bys--like Fried Green Tomatoes or Green Tomato Pie, but they seem just a little too pedestrian for my first foray into a new and exciting food realm. Well, of course. It’s my best rainy day default: Soup.

Peppered bacon gets all the credit, because that’s what started the ball rolling. At Food Network, Emeril and I seemed to be thinking along the same lines: I imagined a sort of BLT in a bowl. This lovely bright soup is so yummy that admittedly, I had a second sampling just to make certain it was that good. Emeril suggests a drizzle of Cilantro Oil, which I passed on; it just doesn’t need any further embellishments—beyond a healthy smattering of peppered bacon.

Spicy Green Tomato Soup

Inspired by Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

2 slices pepper bacon, diced

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 whole garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 bay leaf

2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced

2 yellow Hungarian or banana peppers, or others such as Anaheim, or poblano, seeded and diced

1 3/4 pounds firm green tomatoes, cored and cut into eighths and chop

3 cups chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 teaspoons hot sauce

In a soup pot cook the bacon until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon, and drain on a paper towel. Remove all but 2 tbsp bacon fat from pot.

Add the onion to the pot and saute until soft, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic, bay leaf and peppers, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock, salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook soup for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes soften.

Remove the bay leaf, and using a handheld blender, lightly puree the soup leaving a slight chunky texture so that ingredients are still identifiable. Stir in the lemon juice and hot sauce to taste. Adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish with reserved bacon. Serves 6 ~~