Onion Soup w/ Cheddar Sage Toast

Jamie Oliver, Jamie Oliver, Jamie Oliver.... if you've seen his perfect cooking show At Home With Jamie on Saturday mornings you know why I'm smitten. Or if you've picked up Cooking With Jamie you've found at least one hearty recipe that caught your eye. His focus is on farm fresh ingredients, foraging, local butchers, outdoor cooking and low fuss fare but his flavor profiles, nostalgia for comfort foods and roguish irreverence toward food snobbery make his food accessible and just fun. Plus he's so damn cute. I don't know anyone gay, straight, male or female who doesn't think he's f'n adorable.

My friends Christina and Patty came to lunch on Saturday. We have missed each other for months. Actually hadn't seen them since Thanksgiving and I needed some face time. So, they graciously gave up some of their precious weekend to come by my house. Patty got a lot of QT with Brody while Christina and I caught up in the kitchen. I put her to work prepping for an apple crisp while I baked off cheese bread with fried sage for the onion soup. There's really nothing I like more than fussing with food while catching up with friends in my kitchen.

I won't repeat the recipes here because I did, in fact, actually use one this time for the Roasted Carrot & Avocado Salad. I may have varied it a bit but it doesn't seem proper to claim it or re-script and give the impression it's mine. As for the Onion Soup I did make one very conspicuous variation that I will share with you here. I don't eat beef, as some of you may know, and I don't care for the idea of beef broth at all so I made a vegan "beef" broth, experimenting as I often do at my friends expense. I thought it came out quite well. Here is the best I can recollect from Science Project Saturday:

Vegan Beef Broth for Onion Soup

2 Leeks - cleaned, sliced lengthwise, green trimmed but left on
1 Lg. Yellow onion - sliced in half, peel dry skin
2-4 Lg pieces of Kambu Seaweed
2 Tbl fish sauce
2 Tbl tamari
1 bnch thyme
1/2 bnch parsley
2 Lg carrots - ends cut off, cut into 3 inch pieces
2 Tbl Mirin
1 Lg handful of dried Shiitake mushrooms (mix in some wild mushrooms of other variety if you have them)
1 Tbl mixed peppercorns
4 Qts water

Now you can really go about this any way that you want. I tend to start with a little oil and sautée onions and leeks for a moment on a high heat to bring out flavors. I add a little sea salt and let them get a bit wilty. Then I add the water. I bring it to a boil and toss in the seaweed, carrots and Shiitake. Give those a second to boil and then bring the stock down to a simmer. I add the peppercorns, Tamari and fish sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes before tasting. You want that fish sauce to meld in with the other flavors. It's not good straight out of the bottle :-(

Taste and keep in mind it will boil down to a stronger flavor so if it's too salty or strong add some water but if it's too mild leave it and continue adding ingredients that are left, herbs and mirin. Mirin is sweet so again, give it some time and taste.

There is no real science to this. I guess you've figured that out by now. It's a mudpie project. Just keep tweaking it until you get the robustness you desire. But these are the basic ingredients to pull off a deep brown, hearty broth worthy of a multitude of sliced, sauteed onions from the farmers market (spring, red, sweet and leeks in my case this day) slowly cooked with olive oil and sea salt for the better part of an hour.

As for the Cheesy Bread I found the ends of a very good parmesan, something like an aged gouda and some soft shredded organic cheddar in my fridge. Mixed those in a bowl and smeared the mix over some thickly sliced and buttered fresh Asiago Cheese bread I got at the market that morning. Bake it on a sheet pan for 10 and then under the broiler for just one to brown the top. Fry up some sage in Ghee if you have it or butter and put it on top. Plop the whole gooey mess on top of the bowl of onions and broth and eat. At least that's how we did it.

Enjoy!

kale & olive summer salad

serves 4

1 bunch kale
8 -12 good, garlicky marinated black olives
(for god's sake don't even consider canned olives)
1 clove garlic chopped (optional if not in marinade)
2-3 Tbl olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
sea salt
cracked pepper
red pepper flakes

As a rule I always cut the leaves away from the spine of kale, chard and other dark greens because I find that they are just extra work and require a second chapter to each recipe (what to do with the spines and how...). I also just don't like the texture. That said you could, if you like, cut them out and then chop them into bite size pieces and simmer, steam or boil them a few minutes before you add the leaves and they should get tender about the same time. I'm sure there are lots of nutrients getting tossed when I omit them. Your call.

So, cut the kale into bite size pieces, rinse well and drain (if you only knew how many bugs you eat a year you'd always wash your produce).

Bring salted water to a boil and add kale for about 5-7 minutes.

The leaves should be darker but still vibrant, soft but still holding there shape (not a metaphor for women of a certain age but occurring as such in my current mood)...

When the leaves are in their prime, so to speak, pluck them out with a slotted spoon or drain them in a colander and then quickly submerge the kale in a bath of ice water. This is blanching and will cool the leaves quickly so they retain their bright color and texture for the salad.

Drain the leaves and pat dry.

In a bowl, toss leaves with oil, lemon and olives. I like to slice the olives but that's usually because I forget to buy pitted ones and can't bare the thought of a friend losing a tooth on pit.

Salt, pepper and flake to taste.

Serve with lemon wedges or a fresh sardines or as a bed for an egg salad.

zucchini spinach basil soup w/ corn

I came across this soups beginnings at a little bistro in Silver Lake called Blair's. Dependable for lunch, really really decent for dinner. It's a charming place and the dinner menu is my kind of eating. Homey, farm to table centric, creative. Understated but elegant.

I have no idea what Blair's actual recipe is but I found myself craving it one day and noticed I had the key ingredients in my fridge and freezer so I set out to make it as closely as I could. This one is pretty close actually. So, here it is, loaded with vitamins, iron, fiber and really tasty. Excellent paired with a salad of red oak lettuce, currents and blue cheese dressing. Make it in large batches. It freezes well. Add corn to each dish never to the whole pot.



Ideally we pick our own squash, corn, basil, leeks and perhaps even our spinach straight out of our own kitchen gardens, those beautiful landscapes we look out at every morning as we sip our tea and plan our day. But maybe you, like me, get most of your goods at a local farmers market and make up the difference at your local Trader Joe's or if you can afford it, Whole Foods. Or Maybe you get all your goods from Ralphs or the corner bodega's freezer section or maybe you pull your fresh veggies out of your neighbors garden! No matter, this is a soup worth the jail time.

If you do have a Trader Joe's near by I want to point out a few quick tricks that will make quick work of this dish. See the cheat sheet photo below....

Leeks are good but any onion will work.... but leeks are good.

Zucchini Spinach Basil Soup w/ Corn

5 large zucchini, washed, sliced and salted
2 quarts fresh chopped or 2 bags frozen spinach
2 large bunch basil or 1/2 package of Dorot's frozen
2 large leeks, washed, halved and sliced
2 quarts vegetable broth or water
2 ears of fresh corn, sliced off the cob
salt & pepper
very fruity extra virgin olive oil

• Toss sliced leeks into a large pot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil.
  
• Sautée until soft.
  
• Pat excess liquid from sliced/salted zucchini and add to pot.
  
• Stir over med heat until zucchini is soft and changes texture, about 10 minutes.
  
• Add spinach, basil and broth. If broth doesn't cover vegetables by 1/2" add more water. I'd add a couple generous shakes of salt here. Always coarse sea salt never that iodized table salt (just break up with that tiresome "the sun 'll come out tomorrow" girl already....).
• Bring soup to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  
• Cool for 10 minutes and portion soup into a blender. Blend each batch on high for 2 minutes at least. Soup should be smooth and velvety. Don't worry if it seems frothy the soup will settle and lose the air.
  
• Complete puree and return batch to the pot to simmer a bit longer.
  
• Add more water, salt and pepper to attain your desired consistency and taste.
• Corn can be flash sauteed over a high heat or steamed or even served raw if it's high summer and the corn is sweet.
  

This soup serves well poured hot with a mound of corn in the center, a garnish of fresh basil and a generous drizzle of your best olive oil. You could even add a dash of paprika or fresh ground pepper over the top.

Eat up!

Watercress Apple Slaw Salad with Goat Cheese

Watercress Apple Slaw Salad w/ Goat Cheese & Cashews

1 bunch fresh watercress, rinsed and air dried, chopped at the base of the leaves, leave the leaves whole, discard stems to compost
1 small or medium crisp sweet apple, cored and julienned thin with skin•
1 large carrot, julienned very thin, same size sticks as apple•
1/4 head green cabbage, sliced very very thin•
1/4 cup dry roasted salted cashews
1/2 round of soft goat cheese, room temp
lemon juice
olive oil
miso dressing

• Take sliced apples and dunk them in cold water with 1/2 a lemon squeezed into it. This will keep the apple from turning brown in the open air.
  
• Drain apples and toss apples with carrots & cabbage.
  
• Squeeze the other 1/2 lemon over mix and toss with clean hands.
  
• Add sea salt and fresh ground pepper and a bit of olive oil and let sit (the longer the better - will be best in a couple days)

• Assemble watercress on a small plate.
  
• When you are ready to serve salad toss the apple slaw in a miso (any brand from the store will do) dressing and pile on top of the watercress.
  
• Place a round of goat cheese in the middle. If you have the time to bread it and fry it so it's golden brown and warm in the middle, have at it! If the cheese is still cold simply crumble it on top of the slaw and watercress.
  
• Garnish with toasted cashews

• these items can be sliced on a mandolin for even more delicate pieces.

soup for sister

I love to cook for family. I especially like cooking for my sis who is a very good eater and a great appreciator of the mystical kitchen beast called "the cook". Simple food is best, no fuss, no show. I just really want the people I love to be well fed. I’m a believer in whole ingredients, organics, locally grown and seasonal food. Go to your local farmer's market people! It makes a difference.

I was a chef for a short time and I enjoyed learning new things, running a kitchen and designing balanced menus. But there is something so eternal and edifying about making a meal for the folks you love. And because they're family you can futz around in the kitchen for hours experimenting and trying new things without the pressure of looking good. I was enjoying just such a day of futzing recently making soup in my sister’s kitchen while she worked in her studio designing these beautiful dolls.

This butternut chickpea soup would pair nicely with a large Parmesan crouton or toasted Asiago bread from Acme Bakery. But if you're wheat free like me then roast the pumpkin seeds in a spicy cumin blend and add just a tiny kick of heat as well as a seasonal garnish.

And of course, a crisp dry white wine wouldn't hurt.

Butterpea Chicnut Velvet Soup

1 large butternut squash (look for thick necks)
1 med pumpkin (sugar pumpkin works fine but any will do)
1 lg sweet onion
¼ cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (use the good one at the end for flavor an inexpensive organic blend will do nicely)
1 12oz can organic chickpeas (AKA garbonzo beans)
2 leeks
1 qt water or veg broth (fresh or store bought but avoid a bullion they’re so salty)
salt
pepper
nutmeg
soymilk/almond milk/milk

• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Chop onions & leeks and toss them into a large pot with the olive oil. Simmer over a low/med heat. Sweat onions with some salt. Stir occasionally.
• Take a very sharp knife and cut the pumpkin & squash in half. Gut seeds from pumpkin and toss in to a strainer. Toss guts from butternut squash.
• Spray or rub pumpkin halves with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and put into oven face down to roast for 15 minutes. Turn halves over and roast another 15. More or less…
• Cut butternut squash into large chunks. Now a word about peeling squash, I hear from Jamie Oliver that you don’t have to peel butternut. That, in fact the peel just softens and can be pureed into the soup never to be noticed again. I take a vegetable peeler and peel. But I’m like that. Feel free to experiment.
• Toss butternut in with onions. Add a little salt and pepper.
• Open can of chickpeas and drain in strainer. Rinse, rinse, rinse! Any time you open a can of beans rinse them under running water several times. This is how you get the gas out before you end up letting it out at inopportune times.
• Toss in with onions and butternut and stir over heat for 5 min.
• Add broth or water. Bring to a boil over a high heat. Keep a steam lid on it or cover mostly with a little room to breath. Keep the flavor in without letting the pot explode is the point.
• Boil it until everything gets soft enough to smoosh with a fork.
• Turn heat down to slow simmer.
• When pumpkin is soft enough to pierce with a fork easily, pull it out and scoop it out of its skin. Dump pumpkin into pot with other ingredients and remove from the heat.
• Puree soup in a blender or food processor. Use every bit of liquid and add more if it seems more like sauce than soup.
• Return blended soup to the stove. Simmer over low heat. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and whatever milk and stir. Don’t boil it again.
• Pumpkin seeds
• Clean and rinse seeds. Dry with dish towel (not paper). Toss in bowl with olive oil, sea salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne, garlic or onion powder and dried herbs like oregano, thyme or parsley. Spread onto baking pan and bake for 10-15 minutes. Shake seeds occasionally to flip them over so they don’t burn.
• Serve soup with pear and aged mild goat cheddar. The combination is lovely.