Fresh Pea Soup...It's the Season!

 

In my much younger days I spent a summer working in Paris as part of an exchange program at the University of Louisville.  My parents had hosted many of the French students who had come to U. of L. in prior years. The mother of one of those French students, Madame Chevé, nearly adopted me. I worked not far from their apartment, and would come often for dinner, arriving well before the rest of the family. She would give me small tasks to do to help in dinner preparation.

                On a few occasions, one of the tasks was to shell fresh peas. This was not something I’d ever done before, but certainly not a difficult chore.  Several times, she made a soup she called “Potage Saint-Germain.” I wrote down almost all her recipes, and when I came home, this was one I liked to make. Later, in “classic” French cookbooks, I found recipes that were quite different. The peas were pureed, there were fewer vegetables, there was lots more butter¸ and often it was thickened with an egg yolk at the end.

                But this is the version I’ve made all these years. I like to use arugula for the greens, because I like the slightly spicy flavor.  Other greens, such as spinach, or even the dark green tops of romaine would work well. 

                This can be made more substantial with diced ham added after the soup has been pureed.  The heavy cream makes it richer but I prefer it without. I like to top it with crumbled bacon, but a dollop of sour cream, or a sprinkle of minced fresh herbs (whatever you used in the soup), or snipped chives would work just as well.

                You can make the soup base as far as the blending well ahead and keep chilled. Then reheat the soup, add the peas and simmer briefly.  What a great soup, then, for entertaining friends on a spring day!

Potage Saint-Germain

1 leek

3 tbsp. butter

1 12-oz. package frozen mirepoix mix (see note)

1 tbsp. packed, fresh tarragon, thyme or mint (or 1 tsp. dried tarragon or thyme)

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup, packed, dark leafy greens

Salt and pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

2 cups shelled fresh peas (or one 12-oz. package frozen, thawed)

Bacon crumbles, herbs or sour cream, for garnish

                Cut the root end and the thick fibrous top off the leeks, leaving the white and pale green part. Slice in half lengthwise and rinse under running water, making sure any grit or dirt is gone. Slice crosswise and reserve.               
              In a Dutch oven or other heavy pot, melt the butter. Add the mirepoix mix and the leeks. Cook over medium-low heat until the vegetables are tender but not browned. If using thyme or tarragon, add it now. Stir a couple of times and add the chicken stock and potatoes. 
           Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until potatoes are very tender, 15-20 minutes. Stir in the greens and let set about 10 minutes. With a blender, food processor or hand blender, puree the soup.  Flecks of the green will remain, and that’s a good thing.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.
                When ready to serve, bring back to a simmer and add the peas.  If using fresh mint, add it now. Simmer just long enough for the peas to heat through. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish as desired.

                Makes four main course servings, or six first course servings.

NOTE: You may replace the frozen mirepoix mix with one cup chopped onion and ½ cup each chopped carrot and celery. But the frozen is easy, time-saving and gives excellent results in a soup to be blended later.



Panna Cotta...it's Not Just Dessert!

                Those who read regularly know that I love the Italian dessert, panna cotta. Over the years, I’ve featured it in several variations.  So when I spied a recipe for a savory one in the French culinary magazine Cuisines et Vins de France, of course I had to try it.

                Titled “Panna Cotta Salée au Bacon,” it is shown as an appetizer. The French have been very fond recently of appetizers and desserts served in little glasses called verrines.  The recipe said it served four, but from similar quantities (converted from the metric) I got six servings, and still they were a bit rich to serve as an appetizer for any but the lightest of main courses.

                But served as a brunch dish, it was perfect with a salad of arugula and grape tomatoes.   Think of it as a BLT sort of brunch dish.

                I like panna cotta with just enough gelatin to set, served in its own dish. The consistency is silkier and more agreeable to me. But it would look lovely unmolded on top of the salad. In that case you would need to add one more envelope of gelatin. You would probably need a bit more water for the softening process.

                The recipe called for all heavy cream. I used half-and-half instead, and substituted a cup of sour cream for part of it because I like the flavor. One of my friends suggested it could be lightened even more by using non-fat Greek yogurt for that cup of sour cream. I haven’t tried that, but it should work.

                For the dessert at this brunch, to carry on the French theme, I put scoops of peach sorbet from the supermarket into small wine glasses and splashed a jigger or so of the French apéritif Lillet on top. Guests enjoyed the sorbet with a small spoon, then drank what was left in the glass. Yummy stuff.

                Vive la cuisine française!

 Panna Cotta Salée au Bacon

 1 envelope unflavored gelatin

3 tbsp cool water

6 slices bacon (regular, not thick sliced)

1 cup minced onion

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 ½ cups half-and-half cream

1 cup sour cream

               In a flat bowl, sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the water, making sure all the gelatin is moistened. Set aside.

                In a medium saucepan, simmer the bacon and onion in the butter until the onion is very soft, but not browned, about 10 minutes.  Drain through a wire strainer over a small bowl. Return to the saucepan and add the cream.  Simmer over very low heat, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.  Remove from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.

                In a blender or food processor, or with a hand blender, puree the cream, bacon and onion until very smooth.  Whisk in the sour cream and divide among four (for brunch) or six (for appetizer) serving bowls or small glasses.               

Chill for at least four and up to 24 hours.  Garnish with snipped chives to serve as an appetizer.  Or, for brunch, serve chilled with a salad of tomatoes and your preferred greens, dressed with a simple vinaigrette dressing. Serves four to six.

Chicken Soup for the Foodie Soul

                 I had a friend who’d had some surgery, and I wanted to take something to cheer her up. “Chicken Soup,” I thought, but this isn’t the kind of friend you’d send a plain chicken-noodle or chicken-rice soup. She is far too much of a foodie for that.

                I’d seen a few recipes for a Thai chicken soup and thought that would be right up her alley. Most call for lemongrass stalks and ginger root and coconut milk.  That sounded pretty good to me, so I took a few different recipes and put them together to my liking.

                I bet you don’t keep a spare lemongrass stalk or two in your fridge, and probably not always a knob of fresh ginger. I know I don’t, but I’ve found a great substitute for both. In the produce section of most markets are tubes of various seasoning pastes.

                The lemongrass has the advantage of being very finely textured. The fresh stalks are very fibrous and tough. If you use real lemongrass, either you must mince the usable part to almost a paste, or leave it in larger chunks and fish out later.

                Fresh ginger isn’t so hard to use, but I always buy a chunk and wind up with a dry shriveled end piece or two that I find later when I give my produce drawer a good cleaning.  I always keep both kinds of paste in my fridge. Of course, if you prefer, in this recipe you can substitute the same amount of very finely minced of either or both.

                The amount of chicken required here is about what you’ll get off one of the rotisserie chickens available almost anywhere you’d buy groceries.  Of course, you could roast your own chicken. I like including the dark meat of a whole chicken, but if you prefer all white meat you can roast or poach 1 ½ to 2 pounds of boneless chicken breast and shred that.

                I made enough to take to my friend and to keep some for ourselves.  For my friend I sent cilantro along with the sliced green onion for garnish. My husband isn’t fond of cilantro, so I used mint for our share. I’d be hard-pressed to say which version I preferred, so you may use either. 

                To accompany this soup, you might buy pre-shredded cole slaw mix, add some fine strips of red bell pepper, green onions, cilantro or mint. Dressed with a splash of bottled Asian sesame-ginger dressing and you have a meal fit for any foodie friends, sick or not.

 Alyce’s Thai Chicken Soup   

 1 tbsp. vegetable oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped

1 small onion, chopped

8 plump cloves garlic, very thinly sliced

1 8-oz. container white button mushrooms, sliced

2 tbsp. each lemongrass paste and ginger paste

2 tbsp. Thai sweet chili sauce (or more to taste)

4 cups chicken stock

1 can (14-16 oz.) coconut milk

4 to 5 cups shredded cooked chicken

Finely grated zest and juice of one lime

1 cup green onion, mostly the green part, sliced, for garnish

1 cup cilantro or mint leaves, chopped, for garnish

1 lime, cut into 8 wedges, for garnish

                Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy pot over medium heat.  Add the bell pepper, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the vegetables start to soften. Add the mushrooms, stir well to cover with the oil. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes. Add the sweet chili sauce, stock and coconut milk.  Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to low and simmer about 10 minutes. Add chicken and lime juice and zest and simmer another five minutes.

             Ladle into flat soup plates and sprinkle with green onion and herb of choice. Put a lime slice on the side to be squeezed over the top at the table. Serves six to eight.

A better burger!

 

Photo from the Commercial Appeal

            It seemed kind of a long trek out to Arlington, in search of what one friend called “the best burger in town.”  The owners, Ron and Kathy Files, have certainly captured the loyalty of folks from all over town. He worked for about 20 years for restaurant chains. When the opportunity to open a restaurant of their own came along, they took it. It’s off the beaten path, but they have no trouble filling Off the Hoof in the evenings and on weekends.   

            So with the hope of a great burger, a group of us made the trip.  We were warned that we should arrive early or risk waiting for a table, so we were dining earlier than our usual dinner hour.  When we got there, there were plenty of empty tables, including one big enough for all eight of us.  Part of the group was running a bit late, so we ordered a couple of appetizers: the Frickles, battered and deep-fried pickle slices, and the Bella Bites, battered and deep-fried chunks of portobello mushrooms. 

Both were obviously done to order, and obviously neither was made ahead since at the bottom of the basket there were lots of crunchy dribbles of the light but very crisp coating. One of the nice things about using Portobello mushrooms rather than the more common button mushrooms is that they have less moisture, so there’s no unpleasant squirt of mushroom juice when bitten into, and the whole basket stayed crisp for the short time it took us to dip them into the ranch dressing and finish them off.

There are lots of choices besides burgers on the menu. One of our party ordered the Alaskan salmon burger. It was nicely browned, well-cooked but not dry, and very flavorful. It was served, as all the burgers are, with lettuce, a wan pale slice of winter tomato, rings of red onion and pickles.  There is also a long list of toppings you can add to your burger of choice, including several cheeses, bacon, chili, cole slaw and more.

I ordered the Crabby Sliders, two plump little cakes on small buns. They were certainly not jumbo lump crab meat, and there was a good bit of filler, but they had a very good crab flavor, and were priced at only $5.00 for two.

            Another person at the table ordered the Bologna Burger. It was a thick slab of real country bologna, the kind I remember my grandparents eating. Well browned on the outside, but still juicy on the inside, served on a Kaiser roll, it was pronounced delicious.

           But there’s no doubt that the beef burgers are the stars of the menu.  My husband ordered the Pat LaFrieda Steak Burger. A mixture of ground round and ground boneless short rib, it was well-seasoned, and cooked perfectly to medium, crusty on the outside but nicely pink and juicy on the inside. And it came on an “81 layer all butter croissant roll.”  I was able to talk him out of a bite and it certainly lived up to its top billing on the menu.   Two others ordered the Kobe burger, one with cheddar, one with blue cheese. Both were also perfectly cooked, and very well-seasoned.

                There are a number of interesting sides, and we got several of them. The Spicy Onion Straws were more like thin cut onion rings, also dipped in the same light batter and deep-fried. They came with a sauce that complemented them nicely, and was reminiscent of the mustard style BBQ sauce seen in states more to the east of us. They were really yummy.

                The Swaffle Fries were deep-fried waffle cut sweet potatoes, served with either cinnamon sugar or chipotle ranch dipping sauce. We asked for both on the side, and decided that dipping first in the ranch and then in the cinnamon sugar made for a great taste.

              Both the Swaffle Fries and the Spicy Onion Straws were hot and crispy. The hand-cut fries, ordered both plain and as Freta Fries, topped with feta cheese and drizzled with a very hot buffalo sauce, were neither. In fact, the Freta Fries were so cool that they were sent back for a fresh order. 

               Part of that may have been a service issue. While our server was very pleasant, when it got crowded we saw very little of her.  Some of the orders were brought a good bit before others, and it took more than a half-hour from the time we placed our orders for them to arrive at the table.

              The dessert list was interesting but we were all too full to order one.  And besides, by that time, there was a great long line of people waiting for a table, all looking at our empty baskets and obviously hoping our chairs would be equally empty soon.

             We went back another day, at lunch, and again there was a good crowd.  Two different servers took our beverage order, but neither brought them until we flagged down one of them.

             Since I’d missed out on the beef the first visit, I ordered the Kobe burger. Mine too was perfectly cooked, and very juicy and well-seasoned. My companion had the elk burger. Although it was cooked to medium-rare, it was so lean that there wasn’t nearly the flavor.  He didn’t think elk would put beef out of business.  

            There are other burgers on the menu. One was an ostrich burger. Our server said she’d never tried it, but that it sold out early most of the time. There’s also a buffalo burger, a turkey burger, an Angus burger and a country-fried burger. If you are especially hungry, several giant burgers are available, up to a four-pound one.

                If you aren’t in the mood for a burger, there are also chicken sandwiches, Portobello mushroom sandwiches and Nathan’s foot-long hot dogs.

               It’s definitely a family friendly place, with a kid’s menu and a small area with a black-board on the wall, where restless children might pass the time until their meal arrives. And the tables are spaced widely enough that even when the restaurant is packed, there’s not so much noise that you can’t talk to your table-mates.

              This time we saved room for dessert, all of which are made in house. We had to try the fried Oreos. We got four, dipped, I’m pretty sure, in the same light and crispy batter as the appetizers and deep-fried. They were surprisingly good, and a great deal at four for $2.00.  The Key Lime Mousse Cheesecake had a good crumb crust, and had two layers, both with a very pronounced lime flavor. The fudge pie was similar to the very good one a friend of mine makes, but the texture was a bit grainy. We chose not to have ice cream with any of them but both the Oreos and the fudge pie would have been enhanced by a nice scoop of vanilla.

Other desserts include pecan and fruit pies (cherry and apple the days we were there), and the Ultimate Brownie, with pecans, marshmallows, caramel and chocolate frosting, and more. I’m going to save room for that one on our next visit!

 

Address: 12013 US Highway 70
Arlington, TN 38002

Phone:  901-867-3565

Hours: Monday-Saturday, 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM





German Pork Roast

 

 

              Recently a friend asked me to help with a luncheon for her language students.  She wanted one French, one Italian, one Spanish and one German dish.  I had plenty of the first three languages but came up short on the German. It’s just not part of my repertoire. 

                I had eaten, a while back, in a German-style restaurant in St. Louis and had a pork roast with mustard sauce. But I couldn’t find anything quite the same in my research.  So I did as I thought it had been done, and it turned out to be quite tasty. So tasty, in fact, that I made it again a few days later for friends.

                I used a pork loin roast, but you could quite easily substitute pork tenderloin.  If you don’t care for pork, this sauce would be equally delicious on chicken breasts. 

                I sliced it and served it open face style on dark pumpernickel bread.  The bread was a perfect accompaniment to the flavors in the pork and sauce.  Add roasted or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable and you have a great meal for your dinner guests.

 Schweinebraten mit Senfsosse

(Roast Pork with Mustard Sauce)

1 3-pound boneless pork loin                                                                                                    

2 tbsp. olive oil                                                                                                                 

¼ cup brown mustard (such as Gulden's),divided                                                                                                             

½ cup dry white wine                                                                                                                    

1 cup chicken stock

2 tbsp. butter, melted

3 tbsp. all purpose flour

3 tbsp. fresh sage, minced

Dark pumpernickel bread

                Preheat the oven to 375^o.  Mix the olive oil and 2 tbsp. mustard and rub over the pork roast. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.  Put in a heavy skillet or roasting pan. Place in the oven and roast until a meat thermometer reads 145^o, about 20 minutes per pound.  Remove the pan from the oven, place the meat on a platter and tent with foil.

                Place the pan on the stove over medium heat. Add the wine and chicken stock and stir to dissolve any browned bits in the skillet.  Mix the butter, flour and remaining 2 tbsp. mustard together. Whisk into the pan. Simmer until thickened, then whisk in the sage. Simmer a couple of minutes.

                Slice the pork and arrange it on top of the bread slices.  Serve with the sauce drizzled on top.  Serves 6 to 8.

 

Italian butternut stuffed onions, oh, YUM!

      Our church has small groups to encourage folks to connect with others with similar interests. All sorts of topics are included and I lead a culinary group.  Each month I try to demonstrate dishes that are interesting sounding, but easy enough to do for those who may not be inclined to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

                This past week, we featured a great fall vegetable, butternut squash. One of the dishes was an Italian first course. It would make a perfect side dish for your holiday dinners. But larger onions would make a lovely main dish for a brunch or luncheon with just a salad on the side.

                The original Italian version would include mostarda, an Italian concoction of fruit preserved in mustard oil syrup.  It is very difficult to find in the US.  Italian cookbook author Marcella Hazan recommends a combination of quince preserves and mustard to replace it. That’s what I do. If you have a tough time finding quince jam or preserves, I'm pretty sure orange marmalade would be equally delicious.

                The Italian versions don’t normally use a sauce, but a couple of weeks before at our monthly wine dinner group, Joel and Mary Smith served a sausage stuffed onion. They made a lemon sauce that I knew would be perfect with this. And it was.  With the cream and butter it’s a bit of an indulgence but it only takes a couple of spoonfuls to complement the onion. You won’t be sorry!

Butternut Squash Stuffed Onions

1 small butternut squash 
¼ cup quince jam 
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 
10 amaretti cookies, finely crushed 
½ cup freshly grated pecorino romano, plus more for garnish 
small onions, trimmed and peeled

                Preheat the oven to 375^o.  Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and pith.  Place cut-side down on an oiled baking sheet and bake until tender, 1 to 1 ½ hours.  Cool.

Cut off about 1/2” from top and bottom of onions.  With a melon baller or sharp knife, scoop out the centers, being careful not to cut through the bottom.  Discard the centers or reserve for another use. Place the onions in an oiled baking dish, brush with olive oil, cover and bake for about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, scoop out the pulp of the squash and place in a mixing bowl. Mash with the back of a spoon.  Add the quince jam, Dijon mustard, amaretti crumbs and pecorino romano.  Mix well. 

Fill the onions with the squash mixture.  Butter a baking dish just large enough to hold the onions in one layer.  Bake until the onions are tender and golden, 20-30 minutes.  Ladle a couple of spoonfuls of lemon sauce on each serving plate and top with an onion. Grate a bit more pecorino on top and serve immediately.

Lemon Butter Sauce

 1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped shallot 
½ cup dry vermouth or dry white wine 
Juice and finely grated zest of one lemon 
1 cup heavy cream 
4 oz. butter, at room temperature

                In a saucepan, simmer the oil, shallot, vermouth and lemon zest and juice until reduced by about half.  Add the cream and bring back to a simmer.  Simmer, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Reduce to heat to as low as it will go and whisk in the butter a little at a time.  Spoon a couple of tablespoons onto a serving plate, then set the hot stuffed onions on top.

NOTE: Amaretti are small crisp cookies, available at Fresh Market and some supermarkets.

A variation on one of my favorite dishes!

A few years back, one of my columns was for chicken leg quarters with peperoni and fontina cheese under the skin, roasted atop a bed of potatoes and onions, with fresh thyme.  I thought it was the perfect company dish, needing no attention after putting into the oven, inexpensive, and visually appealing.  Every few months I still get a note from someone who had made it again and who loved it as much as I did.     

Recently I had an out of town guest and invited a few of her friends to join us for dinner.  Once again I went for chicken leg quarters, but with a little different touch: orange and rosemary.  Instead of white potatoes, I used sweet potatoes, and added a handful of whole garlic cloves.  The only other difference was that I did open the oven to brush on a marmalade glaze a couple of times near the end of the cooking time.  With roasted asparagus and a salad, everyone agreed that this recipe was a keeper!

ROSEMARY CITRUS CHICKEN

4 chicken leg quarters, trimmed of excess fat

4 slices smoked gouda cheese

About 1/3 cup olive oil

3 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 2” chunks

8 cloves garlic, whole, peeled

1 pkg fresh rosemary

1 cup orange juice

½ cup dry white wine

Salt and pepper

½ cup orange marmalade

                Preheat the oven to 350^o.   Carefully loosen the skin of the chicken and slip one slice of cheese under each one.  With a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, grease a baking pan just large enough to hold the chicken in one layer.  Place the sweet potatoes in the pan and scatter the garlic cloves among them.  Place the chicken on top and brush with additional olive oil.

                Finely mince one tablespoon of fresh rosemary and reserve.  Tuck a large sprig under each chicken piece, reserving the rest for garnish.  Pour the orange juice and white wine over the chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.

                In a small saucepan melt the marmalade and stir in the reserved chopped rosemary.  When the 45 minutes are up, brush the chicken with about half the marmalade mixture.  Return to the oven and bake another 15 minutes.  Brush again with the remaining glaze and return to the oven until chicken is golden brown, another 15 minutes or so.

                Remove from the oven, tent with foil to keep warm and drain off the pan juices.  Over medium high heat, reduce by half.

                To serve, divide sweet potatoes among four plates, top with a chicken leg quarter and drizzle some of the pan juices over all.  Garnish with remaining fresh rosemary and serve at once.  Serves four.

Everything's Better with Bacon!

If you’re a frequent reader of this column, you know that I am a big fan of Mark Bittman.  For those who aren’t familiar with him, he’s a food columnist for the New York Times, and in several previous columns I’ve referred to some of his work.  One of my favorites came from a 2009 column “101 Simple Salads for the Season.”  Here were his instructions: “Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half; toss with soy sauce, a bit of dark sesame oil and basil or cilantro.”  I’ve made that so many times it is almost embarrassing.

A couple of weeks ago, in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, he offered 25 ways to cook with bacon, in much the same format. One, simply listed as “Spanish style,” involved cherry tomatoes and a touch of Spanish pimento (smoked paprika).  I made it once, adding my own touches to it, and loved it so much I invited friends for dinner just so I’d have an excuse to make it again.

Mr. Bittman suggested it be topped with toasted bread crumbs. I used it as a pasta sauce, rather than a side dish and topped it with grated cheese. Of course I had to add garlic, and at the end, I thought it needed a touch of color so I added a handful of arugula and let it wilt a bit.               

                The first time, I used linguine, but the chunkiness of the sauce called out for a chunkier pasta. Cavatappi, fusilli, penne, rigatoni, all would work better than long skinny pasta.

                A green salad is all you need to make this a meal you’ll be proud to serve to your friends.

 Mark Bittman’s Spanish Bacon Sauce

 12 oz. good smoky bacon (see note)

1 pint grape tomatoes
3 plump cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 can chickpeas, drained
A large handful arugula
2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
12 oz. chunky pasta
Grated pecorino romano, for garnish

               Cut the bacon crosswise into 1/2” pieces.  In a large heavy skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat, stirring often, until just barely crisp.  Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.  Add the tomatoes to the pan and cook without stirring, until the bottom side is browned.  This is the time to use a splatter screen if you have it; the tomatoes tend to pop and splatter. Once one side is brown, shake the pan a couple of times so the tomatoes roll around in the pan juices.  Add the garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas.  You can do this to this point a little ahead, then reheat when the pasta is done and you’re ready to serve.
                 Cook the pasta in plenty of well salted water. Follow the package directions for the proper length of time for al dente pasta. Reserve a cup of the cooking water, drain and return to the hot pan.               Add about a half cup of the cooking water, the arugula and smoked paprika to the pan and warm through. Return the bacon to the pan.  Add a little more of the pasta water if you think it needs it. Add to the pasta, toss to combine. Turn into a well-warmed bowl and serve immediately. Pass the cheese at the table.  Serves four as a main course, or six as an Italian style first course pasta.

NOTE: I used Benton’s bacon, which is a very delicious, very smoky bacon from East Tennessee.  You can now find Benton’s bacon at Lucchesi’s, on Sanderlin.