Good Morning.
Except for a few rogues around town, the trees haven't turned yet but they're thinking about it. It is down around forty at night and maybe up to sixty by mid afternoon, but that's a stretch. I am wearing my husband's flannel shirts and wondering if I should get some pumpkins. The stores have gazillions of them sitting outside along with pots of chrysanthemums. It's a
bittersweet but a glorious time of year despite the continuing dreadfulness in the news. I recommend a hot bowl of soup
and a grilled cheese sandwich to ward off the various kinds of chill in the air.
Here's a hearty one, Garlic Potato Soup.
1/4 cup chopped garlic from a jar
2 slices of bacon
1 cup chopped white onion
1 cup chopped, peeled carrot
6 cups peeled baking potatoes, cut into cubes
4 cups chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 sprig of rosemary, leaves removed and finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
In a big pot, saute the bacon until crisp. Drain and crumble. Add the onion and carrot to the same pan and saute in the bacon grease for five minutes. Add the potatoes and broth and return the bacon to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat. Simmer, covered, until the potatoes are tender. Check at twenty minutes. Add the rosemary and stir well. Puree two cups of the soup in a blender and return to the pot. Stir in the cream and cook over low heat until hot. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serves 6.
I have never tried a vegetable broth for this one but vegetarians could certainly give it a go and eliminate the bacon. I think it would make quite a nice soup.
I do not like lima beans. They taste like paper towel to me and I used to hide them in my napkin or wash them down in acute distress with milk when I was small. My husband of the flannel shirts made a splendid beef stew that took hours to get where he wanted it, but the recipe called for lima beans and I told him if he didn't use them, I would make chocolate mousse for dessert. Here is a soup I include in his honor.
Succotash Soup
1/4 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
8 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups frozen baby lima beans
1 1/2 cups frozen corn
1 14 oz. can creamed corn
Melt butter in a soup pot. Add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute for five minutes. Add the thyme, oregano, chicken broth, paper towel, and corn. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for about twelve minutes. Taste and add
salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with croutons. Provide paper napkins for hiding and glasses of milk for
drowning. Have chocolate mousse for dessert.
The following is a British soup. I include this one because it is chilly a great deal of the time in the U.K.
Carrot and Ginger Soup
1 1/2 pounds carrots, peeled and chopped
2 medium white onions, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
3 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. curry powder
3 pints chicken broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
Lemon cream:
7 oz. heavy cream
1 tbsp. grated lemon zest
2 tbsp. fresh chives, snipped
Heat the olive oil in a soup pot. Add the onions and carrots and cook but don't brown. Add the garlic, ginger, curry, broth, and lemon zest. Cover and simmer for twenty minutes. Cool then process in a blender, in batches, until smooth. Return to the pot, taste and add salt and pepper, then heat on medium low until nicely warm. In a bowl, combine the heavy cream and lemon zest. Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with lemon cream, topped with chives. Substitute vegetable broth if desired.
I'd be remiss if I didn't provide a tomato soup that is traditionally paired with grilled cheese. I have two instant associations
with tomato soup - one is having a big dollop of whipped cream on top during my earliest years and the second is a grandson
who, at the age of six or seven, would order a bowl of tomato basil soup and a Caesar salad at a favorite restaurant. No
cheeseburger for this kid who is now six feet tall and plays hockey, fueled by as much pasta as he can inhale.
3 tbsp. butter, divided
1 medium white onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 cups low sodium chicken or vegetable broth
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
Chopped fresh basil for garnish
In a large pot, melt one tablespoon of butter. Add the onion and cook for about three minutes until translucent. Stir in the garlic and cook another minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for fifteen minutes. Stir in the cream. Ladle into bowls and top with a little chopped basil.
And here are three variations on grilled cheese made with processed American cheese that tastes absolutely wonderful
but a detour in the road is okay now and then.
Granny Bacon Cheddar
8 slices any good white bread
4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
8 slices cheddar
2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced
8 slices bacon, cut in half, cooked and drained
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
On one slice of bread, spread a tablespoon of mustard. Place two slices of cheddar, four apple slices, and two pieces (four halves) of bacon. Top with another slice of bread. Repeat this process to make three more sandwiches. Spread each with a thin layer of mayonnaise on each side. Heat a large skillet over medium low heat. Cook the sandwiches about four minutes per side. Serves four.
Cheddar Dippers
8 slices regular white bread, crusts removed
8 slices cheddar
8 slices very thinly sliced ham
Butter
Using a rolling pin, roll bread into flat squares. Place one slice of cheddar and one slice of ham on each and roll up tightly.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt about a tablespoon of butter. Add dippers to the skillet, seam side down, and cook, turning often, until the bread is golden. This will take about three minutes. Add a bit more butter if you need to work in batches. Use these dippers to dunk into the soup of choice. Provide two per person.
Avocado Jack Havarti
This recipe will serve one person a big fat sandwich.
1 ripe avocado
Juice of one lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Butter
2 slices bread, whole wheat is good for this one
1 slice Pepper Jack cheese
1 slice Havarti
In a small bowl, mash the avocado with lime juice and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper. Mix well with a fork.
Heat a skillet to medium heat. Spread butter on the outside of each slice of bread, then spread as much avocado
on the non-buttered side of one slice. Add the cheese slices and top with the other slice of bread. Cook over medium low heat until golden brown, flipping once.
This is a messy sandwich and you could add some bacon or a slice of tomato to make it even messier. Messy is good for
food but not for politics and we got a doozy of a few days coming up.
Best regards,
Elisabeth
Comments