Garden Chowder

I sat sweating like an Olympic track athlete as the interview questions came pounding on me. "What is a roux"?... asked the Chef.

"Ahh.mmm..... fancy French talk for some concoction".. was my approximate reply.

I got a laugh from it. Or a sharp crusty... can't quite recall...

.. anyhow, later on the job in this wonderful restaurant, I learned what it was and would see Chef make roux many times to create a host of soups and sauces. Ever since then I have been a believer in roux. It makes everything better, because essentially, it's butter and flour, and then liquid added to make a creamy and rich liquid, serving as the base to many a things. And in that, I would run a campaign with Paula Deen on why butter makes life better.

This deliciously addicting and partially healthy (hoorray!) soup, has a roux base to it and then gains even more richness from the evaporated milk and later-added cheese. It's so flavorful- the whole thing, you'll eat at least two bowls in the first sitting. These colder winter months and shorter sunshiny days really beg for something comforting to eat and lemme be the first to inform you, that this is perfectly winter appropriate.

My cousin recommended this recipe to me some time ago, and then I've seen it in a few cookbooks recently.

I can see why now.

A favorite soup. Definitely.

It goes something like this:

Garden Chowder

3 TBSP butter (yes, the real deal stuff)
1 onion

2 zucchini

3 large carrots

¼ cup freshly cut basil

¼ cup freshly cut Italian parsley

1/3 cup flour

3 cups chicken stock

1 can evaporated milk

1-2 large handfuls of cheese ( I used an Italian shredded mix, but use whatever you wish)

1 cup white corn, thawed and drained

2 tomatoes, diced (remove the inner seeds)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

In a large saucepan, sauté the onion, zucchini, carrots, and herbs in the 3 tbsp of butter until mostly tender. Add the flour and stir until everything is coated. Slowly add the chicken stock and bring to a boil- allow it to simmer and medium high heat for 20 ish minutes. Now add the evaporated milk, cheese, corn, tomatoes, and seasonings and allow to cook through for 10 minutes or so, stirring often.

Serve warm. Bon Appetit!

Roasted Tomato Soup with Creme Fraiche, Bacon, & Basil

I gotta be as blunt as possible with you: this is not a perfect recipe. I was the lucky reciptent of a grocery bag's worth of just-picked garden tomatoes, one of life's grand pleasures if you ask me and a few hours later I gave birth to this recipe which probably needs a bit of tweaking and twisting. But keep reading. I have a point.

Being the soup jockey I am, I opted to make a homemade roasted tomato soup. It just sounded delectable. My mind began soaring into different horizons of possible add-in's and potential garnishes- bacon came rolling instantly into my culinary brains because tomatoes and bacon are a perfect duo in one of my favorite sandwiches, the BLT. Then I thought of whipping cream because the best tomato soups I've ever slurped down in this world involve some kind of dairy thickening agent- creme fraiche in my opinion is step above sour cream and whipping cream, and so there we have it. Lastly, and I hope this doesn't need much elaboration, the meshing of tomatoes and basil is probably one of the most popular and outstanding combinations known to man. From that, I knew I wanted a soup with the dominating role of the garden tomato with assistant key players like bacon, creme fraiche, and basil.

As I said, this recipe, it is NOT perfect. You may find that it needs a heckuvalot more pepper, or some more chicken broth, or less of it. I am usually rushing my brains out to get dinner made all while trying to keep two little cutie pie's happy and thus, my precise note-taking abilities for recording what I've done just gets drowned out in the moment. Apologies if you make this and the measuring seems off. The great thing about soup is that you can keep experimenting with flavors until you reach the pinnacle. Soups are quite flexible and accommodating for mistakes.

I hope, if nothing else, this recipe will give you a base of ideas of which to spring from. I know that we certainly enjoyed the outcome- and it tasted even better the next day. Leftovers, you have saved me more than once.

Roasted Tomato Soup with Crème Fraiche, Bacon, and Basil

3-4 lbs of garden tomatoes, diced into fourths

Olive oil

Salt and pepper-lots of it

1 onion, diced very small.

3-4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 Tbsp tomato paste

1-2 cups chicken broth

1 handful of fresh basil, chiffonaded- a little reserved for garnish

1 cup crème fraiche*

1 package bacon, cooked and crumbled

Preheat your oven to 425 F. Over a large jelly roll pan, place all the tomatoes and using your hands, drizzle olive oil all over. Sprinkle with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp of pepper. Mix it all together on the sheet pan, and then throw it in the oven. Roast until tomatoes are juicy hot-they will be bubbling, leaking, and the edges will be nice and crispy golden brownish. Take them out and let them cool for 30 minutes or so.

Dump (such refined cooking vocabulary!:) the entire jelly roll pan full of tomatoes and all their oily juices into a blender or food processor. Process until it reaches a consistency you are happy with- you can have it as chunky or as smooth as you wish. I am a total fan of rustic textures, so I left it chunky.

In a large saucepan, drizzle some olive oil and over medium heat stir the onion and garlic cloves until tender. Add the tomato puree and 1 cup of chicken broth (you can add more if it’s not thick enough, or leave it at that if it’s too much liquid). Add tomato paste and bring this mixture to a boil for 20 minutes, adding more liquid if needed. Taste and make sure it’s flavorful enough- you may wish to add more salt and pepper (if adding more salt use caution because chicken broth isn’t exactly known for its dearth of sodium). Reduce the heat to low. Add the fresh basil and a ½ cup of crème fraiche, stirring to incorporate.

Ladle into bowls, garnishing with more fresh basil, bacon, and a dollop of crème fraiche.

*Creme fraiche unfortunately, carries an ugly- high price tag with it. So I make my own- always. And it's seriously just as good. I take 1 cup heavy whipping cream (not whipped though) and a 1/2 cup of sour cream and combine them. In a perfect planning-ahead world, I would let them sit at room temperature for at least 12-24 hours, stirring every so often. In a not-so-perfect-planning-world, I still make it and allow it to sit at room temperature (preferably a warmer spot of the abode) for an hour, stirring once or twice in that time. Refrigerate leftovers.

Southwestern Chicken Chili

This soup here has got to be lit-er-ally, a top favorite dish of mine. Of ours, actually. One batch can feed a small family of ours for days and my husband, who isn't much of a "soup" guy, luvs this! Luv isn't a word, I realize. Forgive my colloquial wordage but luv just seems so appropriate here.

Anyway, it's hard to elaborate on something that is simple, economical, and pleases everyone whose palate it touches. Add it to your winter recipe cycle and you will be happy!

This recipe comes from a family cookbook, though I've seen it in nearly every cookbook I've ever looked through. Tis quite a popular dish!

Southwestern Chicken Chili

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb chicken breast (about 3 medium), cut into small cubes

1 large white onion, chopped

1 cup chicken broth

1 4-oz can of diced green chilies

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp cumin

1/4-1/2 tsp white pepper

1 can white beans, undrained ( I added two cans)

1 large can of corn, drained

1 cup half & half

Shredded cheese for serving

Green onions, diced, for serving

Fresh cilantro for serving

Tortilla chips for serving

Heat oil over medium and add the chicken-stirring often for about 5 minutes or until it's no longer pink inside and remove from the pan and put aside momentarily. In the same pan, add the onions. Once the onions look tender, and still stirring often, add the broth, chilies, and spices (if it doesn't look "liquidy" enough, add some water to the mixture, or more broth). Let this simmer for about 20 minutes or so. Add the chicken back into the mixture, as well as the undrained beans (yes, add the bean liquid from the can), the drained corn, and the cream. Continue to simmer for 10-20 minutes, stirring often- if the consistency is still too thick, add either more half & half, broth, or water until it reaches a texture desired. Serve hot bowls with all those yummy fixings piled high- chips, cilantro, etc. You will LOVE it.

"Souper!"

Guess what dawned on me recently?

It's soup season.

And that simple thought is wonderfully comforting with the ailing cold coming upon us!

My penchant for soups started in the adolescence years when friends and I would scurry off during our curtailed lunch hour to the Soup Kitchen which was located a hop and a skip away from our school. The golden part of the entire soup-getting episode was the complimentary 2-4 bread sticks that accompanied each serving of soup. If you were at all a seasoned customer, you knew the art of grabbing maybe one additional bread stick and ordering the cream-based soups to dunk them in. The tomato, at the time, was my personal favorite and the only way to eat it up was not via the spoon. No no. You only used the bread sticks to wipe up every last lick. And it was delicious. I remember our AP English teacher once requested that we bring the extra breadsticks to her. That never happened, for "extra" never existed in that soup kitchen.

Hence, since then, I am a sucker for soup season. I like all kinds. And I like them all the much better when there is some warm bread, garnishes in the form of sour cream, and fresh herbs on top.

I made these two today: pumpkin curry and a quick black bean. Both meatless, both healthy, both inexpensive, and both very, very fast.

I recommend a slice of sourdough bread toasted for dunking. Oh heck it was crazy good.

Pumpkin Curry

{slightly adpated from Keeping Up Cookbook}

1 onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbsp butter

1 1/2 tsp mild curry powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups chicken broth

1 15-oz can of pumpkin puree

1/2 cup heavy cream OR 1 can evaporated milk

Roasted pumpkin seeds (garnish)

Sour cream (garnish)

In a large pan, melt the butter and add onions and garlic. Cook, stirring often for about 5 minutes or until the onion begins to get tender. Add the spices. Slowly stir in the chicken broth and pumpkin puree. Combine with a whisk and bring to a boil for 15 minutes. In small batches, and very carefully, place the soup in a blender and puree until smooth (I only pureed about half of the soup, as I enjoy a little texture and roughage). Pour back into pan, bring to a gentle simmer, and stir in cream. Heat until combined and serve with sour cream and roasted pumpkin seeds.

Quick Black Bean Soup

{slightly adapted from Keeping Up Cookbook}

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, chopped

3 large carrots, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1/2 tsp coriander

1 1/4 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth

1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1 small can of green chilies (diced)

1 15-ounce can black beans, pureed in liquid, until smooth

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained

Fresh cilantro, chopped- garnish

Sour Cream- garnish

Lime juice-garnish

Drizzle olive oil in a large pot. Turn heat up to medium high and add onions, carrots, garlic, and celery. Continue stirring for 5 minutes and add spices. Add the tomatoes, broth, and chilies and allow this to boil for 15-20 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, add the pureed beans, as well as the drained can. Serve warm with garnishes.

African Sweet Potato Peanut Soup

Today's featured recipe is NOT for anyone ridden with peanut allergies: I must warn you upfront.

This is such a fun little soup to make; the aroma transports you right to Morocco or somewhere in that part of the world. It's different. It's healthy. And it is RICH with flavor. I loved every bite of it.

I also recommend, if you have young children, that you make it during naps or when they are preoccupied playing with their toys. It requires a bit more elbow grease then I expected and I learned the hard way that making this while juggling the necessities such as, eh, nursing an infant and getting a toddler dinner isn't what I consider to be an optimal time for such things like this:).

Many thanks to my friend Danielle D. who emailed me this recipe- she always is finding such good and interesting recipes to try.

Hope you enjoy it! We served this with oven-roasted asparagus spears as well as bacon-Parmesan cheese toast thingies.

African Sweet Potato and Peanut Soup

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 t. ginger, minced

1 1/2 t. cumin

1 1/2 t. coriander

1/2 t. cinnamon

pinch ground cloves

3 medium tomatoes, chopped (I omitted this)

1 1/2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used yams)

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

4 1/2 c. water

1 t. salt

pinch cayenne

1/4 c. unsalted dry roasted peanuts

2 tbsp creamy peanut butter ( I find that natural PB works exceptionally well-melts better)

1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in saucepan over medium high heat. Saute onion 10 minutes until lightly browned. Mix in garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and cloves.

Stir in tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and carrot and continue to cook and stir about 5 minutes.

Pour water into the saucepan and season the mixture with salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes. Remove mixture from heat.

In blender, process the soup and peanuts until almost smooth. Season with cayenne. Return to saucepan. Whisk in the peanut butter and cook until heated through.

Serve warm topped with fresh cilantro..

Lunchtime: Tuna Salad and Soups

Oh dear me... I have so many recipes to post...

..but unfortunately, I've been a very neglectful photographer as of late and haven't snapped photos of not one recipe.

I'm feeling the shame...

Can you get by, though, if I don't post photographs?

Use your imagination?

Super.. I'll post a few then!


Tuna Salad

This recipe was passed onto me from my friend Cassi.... She's an amazing photographer and I wish she had one of her pictures of this salad because if you like Tuna, albeit stinky, it's really good, healthy, and filling. I like eating it with either lettuce leaves or a baguette. These measurements are approximate, and of course, you may add or subtract everything depending on your preferences. The ground mustard gives it zing, but don't add TOO much because it is very strong and you can't take the flavor away once you've added it, so sprinkle it incrementally until you have the perfect "zing".

2-4 cans Albacore White Tuna, drained
1/2 cup red bell pepper, diced
1/2 cup purple onion, diced
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2-1 cup Craisins
1/2 cup pine nuts

1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2-1 tsp ground mustard seed
S & P

Mix everything together, let sit in fridge for a couple of hours, and enjoy!




Tomato Bisque
{Williams Sonoma Healthy Eating Cookbook}

This is one of my favorite tomato soup recipes. It's only downfall is that it contains no whipping cream (bisque=cream, am I crazy??) but I guess that wouldn't qualify it to be in a "healthy"-titled cookbook. And surprisingly, for as few ingredients as it calls for, the soup is full of flavor- the real recipe calls for sweet paprik and since I don't keep the stuff on hand, I used Herbs de Provence, a mixture of thyme, rosemary, lemon, etc and it was fabulous... My other real downfall, while we're being straight up, is that it makes so little--- it serves 4 at the MOST, and 4 scrawny portions at that. I'll give you the original recipe, but I REALLY urge you to double it because you'll want leftovers. Okie, ciao!


2 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved
2 Tbsp olive oil, seperated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
S & P
2 cups water
4 tsp sour cream, for garnish
2 tsp freshly chopped Italian parsley, for garnish

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Place halved tomatoes on a large cookie sheet, and drizzle 1 Tbsp olive oil over all of them, and season with salt and pepper. Roast for about 20-30 minutes, until tomatoes are "bursting" and tender. Remove from oven, and meanwhile.....

...heat up remaining 1 Tbsp olive oil in a large pan. Add onion, and garlic, and cook for three minutes on high, stirring all the while. Decrease the heat to low and cook until the onion has released its juices and is tender. Add paprika, and add the tomatoes, as well as any juices that have collected on the pan.

Add water and bring everything to a rolling boil. Simmer on medium high for about 25 minutes until everything is nice and tender.

Working in small batches, puree this mixture in food processor or blender until it reaches your preferred consistency (I still like mine kinda chunky!). Taste, adjust salt and pepper as needed, and serve warm with garnishes.


Pumpkin Soup

Now, this recipe is dynamite. I barbarically licked my bowl clean like a cat and was enticed to ask for thirds, but at a lunch party, had to put the self - control brakes on. Many , many thanks to my friend Kelley for showing us this gem of a recipe: perfect for a brisk but sunny November day! Eat, drink and be merry with pumpkin soup!



1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp butter
1 fresh bay leaf (or dry works fine too)
2 ribs celery with greens, finely chopped
1 medium yellow onion
S & P
3 Tbsp all purpose flour
2 tsp poultry seasoning or 2 tsp ground thyme
2 tsp. hot sauce, or to taste
6 c chicken stock
1 (28 oz) can pumpkin puree
2 c heavy cream
½ tsp nutmeg


Heat medium soup pot over med to medium high heat. Add oil and melt butter. Add bay, celery and onion. Season veggies with salt and pepper. Cook for about 7 min, until tender. Add flour, poultry seasoning and hot sauce, to taste, then cook flour a minute. Whisk in chicken stock and bring liquid to a bubble. Whisk in pumpkin in large spoonfuls to incorporate into broth. Simmer soup about 10 min to thicken and then add in cream and nutmeg----reduce heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve.

Whips out 6 servings or so.

Butternut Squash Bisque

Ah, the epitome of autumn soup: you can't get much more "fallish" than using this bright orangey yellow squash accompanied with pears, apples, and thyme. Hmm Hmm! I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner each day this month.

Peeling the butternut squash always requires a bit of elbow grease and light cussing from the bajillion cuts you get, but the outcome redeems all that.

Oh, and I would really have some good rustic bread on the side for dippage- my favorite part of the whole thing. Personally.

Butternut Harvest Bisque

1 3 lb butternut squash
1 large onion, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
2 large tart apples, peeled and chopped
1 large ripe Bartlett pear, peeled and chopped
3 1/2 cups chicken broth (or more if needed)
2 tsp thyme
1 tsp fresh sage (and more for garnish)
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2- 1 cup half and half


Cut squash in halves and discard seeds. Peel with a veggie peeler and cut into 1" chunks.

Saute the onion in the butter in a large saute pan over medium high heat. Add squash, apples, pear and chicken broth. Add spices and herbs, as well as salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until everything is tender. Cool to room temperature.

Puree the mixture in batches in your food processor or blender. With a fine mesh sieve, pour mixture through and press into a clean saucepan-- this will ensure a nice and smooth consistency. Stir in half and half (milk works too, peeps!) and heat to just a simmering stage; do not boil.

Ladle into bowls and *garnish with nuts and sage.

* I have a friend who also garnishes this with sauteed crimini mushrooms- that's a real hit!

Roasted Tomato Bisque

{Williams-Sonoma, "Essentials of Healthful Cooking"}
Serves 4

2 1/2 lbs Roma tomatoes, halved lengthwise
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 small garlic clove, minced
1 tsp sweet paprika
4 tsp light sour cream
4 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cover one large baking sheet with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomatoes, cut side up, on sheet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes until they are soft, but still hold their shape, about 30 minutes.

In a large pot, warm the olive oil and add the onion and garlic, sauting until translucent. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until onion releases its juices, about 8 minutes. Stir in the paprika. Raise heat to medium-high and add the tomatoes, along with any juices collected on the cookie sheet, and then pour 1 cup water. Reduce heat to medium, cover and simmer until veggies are all very soft, about 25 minutes.

Remove from heat, and in batches, pass the soup through a food mill or a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl, pressing against if with the back of a wooden spoon. Return soup to pan and stir in salt and pepper, and heat until warm. Divide soup among bowls and garnish with sour cream and parsley.

Soothing...

Split-Pea Soup

If you don’t like split pea soup, you’re nuts- I’m still working on my husband to enjoy it, but he can’t get passed the toilet-related color of it. Sorry, hope I didn’t just ruin it for ya! Anyways I experimented, and whew, it’s g-o-o-d. Easy too!

4-5 long carrots, peeled, and cut into chunks
1-2 small onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 Tbsp safflower or olive oil
1 1-lb ham steak, cut into cubes
1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence (or Thyme if you don’t have it)
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
1 lb green split peas
1 quart water
2 cups chicken stock

In a large saucepan add safflower oil, celery, carrots, and onions and cook until onion is tender. Add ham, cloves, and spices, cook just a couple minutes. Add peas, water and stock- bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat, cooking under an hour until peas have “burst” and are tender/creamy. As the Germans say, “Lecker!”

Party In the Pot

Hearty Beef and Vegetable Soup
{Grandma double-ya.. 'W'}

This is my maternal grandmother’s recipe- it tastes pretty darn good on a lugubrious (weather-wise, or emotions-wise, for that matter!) day. I made my soup a bit different, and those alterations are asterisked.


1 ½ lbs ground beef (lean)
3 onions, chopped
1 green pepper, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 quart water
*1 quart veg. stock
2 medium carrots, pared and diced
5 potatoes pared and diced
1 Tbsp salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp parsley flakes

*1 Tbsp Herbs de Provence
1 can tomatoes
1 can whole kernel corn, undrained
1 can kidney beans, undrained
1 can lima beans, undrained( I didn’t use these)
*2 cans cannellini beans

In a large saucepan, brown ground beef with onions. Add green pepper and celery and cook until tender. Add remaining ingredients and cover. Simmer everything until vegetables are tender. Makes about 12 servings.

Better The Next Day

Mexican Chicken Corn Chowder

{"Ivory Family Favorites"}

I really enjoy this soup served in bread bowls, garnished with cilantro, sour cream, chopped avocado and some extra Tabasco for da heat!

1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 cup chopped onions

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3 Tbsp butter

2 chicken bouillon cubes

1 cup hot water

1 tsp cumin

2 cups half&half

2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 14 oz can cream-style corn*

1 can diced green chilies, drained*

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 tomato, chopped

Fresh cilantro

In a large saucepan, brown chicken, garlic, and onion in butter until chicken is no longer pink. Dissolve the boullion in hot water, and add to pan long with cumin; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add half & half, cheese, corn, chilies, and tabasco sauce. Cook and stir over low heat until cheese is melted. Stir in chopped tomato and serve immediately, garnishing with cilantro.

*I added one can of great northern white beans, as well as one additional can of both the cream-style corn and chilies.

Warm..

Cheddar Corn Chowda'

{Ina Garten, "Barefoot Contessa Cookbook"}

8 ounces bacon, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

6 cups chopped yellow onion (about 4 large ones)

4 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 cup flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp turmeric

12 cups chicken stock (I split this, did 8 cups stock, 3 cups water, and left the other cup out)

6 cups medium-diced white boiling potatoes, about 2 lbs (peeled or unpeeled)

10 cups corn kernals (10 fresh ears) or 3 lbs frozen

2 cups half n half

1/2 lb sharp white cheddar cheese

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon and olive oil until the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions and butter to the fat, and cook for 10 minutes, or until onions are translucent.

Stir in the flour and seasonings, cook about 3 minutes. Add stock, potatoes, and bring to a boil- cooking until potatoes are tender. If using fresh corn, cut the kernals off cobs and blanch the kernals for 3 minutes, drain, then add to soup (if using frozen corn, just skip this step and pour into boiling mixture). Now add half n half and cheese until cheese is melted. Season to taste and garnish with bacon.

*This makes quite a lot! Be prepared with clean mason jars to give away, or tupperware to freeze, unless you have a hungry family of 12.