Greens and Beans

This is a recipe we got from Cafe Cappriccio in Albany. It is simple but very good. We have adapted it by using a little more stock and a little more garlic.

We also like to make this with a piece of broiled or sauteed fish on top - delicious.

Ingredients:

On head escarole, cleaned and chopped

1 1/2 tablespoons garlic chopped fine

3 ounces of bacon or pancetta cut in small pieces

2 Tablespoons olive oil

16 ounces chicken broth

1 can (12 ounces) white beans (Great Northern)

Pecorino or pamigiano cheese

Directions:

Sautee bacon or pancetta in olive oil until just crispy and brown. Add escarole and sautee for 3-4 minutes, turning a few times.

Add garlic and cook 2-3 minutes.

Add broth and beans, cover and bring to a boil and cook 3-5 minutes, until beans are soft and greens are tender.

Server in a bowl and grate fresh cheese over top.

Vegetable Soup

This soup reminds me of cool, crisp days growing up. We would play outside until we couldn't feel our fingers and then come in to a warm bowl of this soup with some fresh, warm rolls. I'm getting a bit nostalgic...

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon paprika

6 cups chicken stock

2 potatoes, cut into 1/2" cubes

1 1/2 cup cauliflower florets, chopped

2 carrots peeled and sliced

1 cup frozen peas

1 1/2 cup wax beans, cut into 1-2" pieces

5 peppercorns and 4 cloves in a tea steeper

1/4 cup rice

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

Directions:

Heat 2-3 tablespoons oil in large pot. Saute onions until soft, then add parsley and garlic and saute for just a couple of minutes. Add paprika and saute 1 minute more, being careful not to burn the paprika.

Add the chicken stock, all the veggies and the tea steeper and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes then add rice and cook another 20 minutes until the rice is cooked through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Oma's Potato Soup

This is a soup my Grandmother (Oma) and my Mother made all the time. The best part is the poached egg...yes, it sounds unusual, but trust me, it is delicious.

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
4 Tbl Olive Oil
3 Medium Onions, chopped finely
6 Tbl Chopped Parsley
4 Tbl Paprika
5 Cups chicken broth
5 Cups water (you can add more broth than water if you like)
8 Medium-large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" cubes
2-3 Carrots, cut into 2" pieces
Salt and Pepper
Eggs (number depends on how many your are serving)

Directions:
Saute onion in oil over medium heat until the onion is soft and translucent. Add parsley and paprika and mix with onions for about a minute, making sure not to burn the paprika. Add water and stock and stir together. Add potatoes and carrots, and simmer over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft. Salt and pepper to taste.

Bring soup to a calm boil (medium heat) and add eggs to poach in broth (1 egg per person, approx. 7-10 minutes).

Serve with flat bread or fried pizza dough.

Sweet Pumpkin Bisque

This came out of a few ideas to start off a dinner with a sweet component. You can use either butternut squash or a cooking pumpkin (I used a heirloom white pumpkin) for this recipe. If you are using butternut squash, you can leave the skin on (it will break down).

Ingredients (serves about 8-10 bowls):
5 pounds winter squash or pumpkin, cut into chunks
2 small-medium apples, cored and cut into chunks
4 med carrots, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 medium to large onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
10-12 sage leaves, roughly chopped
1 quart vegetable or chicken stock plus water to cover squash by 1”
4 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon nutmeg (fresh if available)
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Topping:
4 oz mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:
In a large pot over medium heat, put the carrots, celery, onions and garlic in with some olive oil and sautee until tender then add sage leaves and sautee for a couple of minutes more. Add the squash, apples and stock and bring to a boil, cooking for about 30 minutes, until the squash is nice and soft. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes, then add honey, nutmeg, salt and pepper and blend with a hand immersion blender (or break into smaller batches and blend in a blender).

For a sweet topping, take the mascarpone cheese in a cold metal bowl and use a whisk to loosen it up. Add the honey and cream and whisk until you get a nice, thick whipped cream consistency. Plate the soup and put a spoon full of the cheese mixture in the middle, topped by a few roasted seeds from the squash.

Butternut Squash Bisque

This is a great soup from Jamie Oliver. When using butternut squash, you don't need to peel - the skin just boils down and blends well. Can also add roasted garlic, chestnuts, etc. to customize.

Ingredients

Olive oil
16 fresh sage leaves
2 red onions, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
1/2 fresh red chile, to taste, seeded and finely chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 1/4 pounds butternut squash, onion squash, or musque de Provence, halved, deseeded and cut into chunks
2 quarts good-quality Chicken or vegetable stock
Extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:

Put a very large saucepan on a medium heat and pour in a couple of glugs of olive oil.

Add the sage leaves and fry for around 30 seconds or until dark green and crisp. Quickly remove them with a slotted spoon to a bowl lined with paper towels - you'll use these for sprinkling over at the end. In the pan you'll be left with a beautifully flavored oil, so put it back on the heat and throw in your onion, celery, carrot, garlic, rosemary leaves, chile and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Cook gently for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are sweet and soft. Add the squash and the stock to the pan, bring to the boil and simmer for around 30 minutes.

When the squash is soft and cooked through, whiz the soup with an immersion blender or pour it into a standard blender and pulse until you have a smooth puree* (but you can leave it slightly chunky if you like). Most importantly, remember to taste and season it until it's perfect. Divide the soup between your bowls. Sprinkle with a few of your crispy sage leaves and drizzle with a swirl of good-quality extra-virgin olive oil.

Charlie Troter's Braised Leek Soup

This was a recipe I got off of the Bon Appetite Supper Club web site:

http://www.basupperclubandcafe.com/

I think this was nice - not as creamy as a potato leek soup, but allows the full flavor of the leeks to come out. The mushroom sautee really adds a nice depth to this dish. As with my potato leek soup, I believe this can be modified to use different herbs (thyme, tarragon, etc.) and would also go well with some roasted garlic mixed in. Additionally, some cream or yogurt could add a little creaminess.

Ingredients:
3 large cleaned leeks (white part and 2 inches of the green)
5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 sprigs rosemary
1⁄4 cup unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 minced shallot (optional in my opinion)
1 1⁄2 cups cleaned oyster or shiitake or mushrooms
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
Cut each leek in half lengthwise and place in a shallow pan with the stock and the rosemary. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, or until the leeks are tender. Remove and discard the rosemary, reserving the stock. Remove the leeks and roughly chop into bite-sized pieces. Puree 2⁄3 of the leeks, all of the stock and 2 tablespoons of the butter until smooth (or, just use an immersion blender - no need to chop the leeks). Place the soup in a medium saucepan and cook over medium-low heat for 5 minutes, or until warm, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the mushrooms, sweat the shallots in the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, or until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, or until tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon some of the mushrooms into the center of each bowl and top with the remaining leeks. Ladle the soup into the bowls and drizzle with the olive oil.

NOTE: Oyster mushrooms are light in texture and flavor. If you can’t find them in your grocery store, hedgehog or chanterelle mushrooms would work just as well. If these lighter styles of mushrooms are not available, use julienned shiitake mushrooms.

Potato Leek Soup

Very few things rival a good, hot soup on an autumn afternoon. This one uses fresh leeks and potatoes and can be modified with any number of different herbs or additions.

Two of my favorites are to add fresh tarragon or roasted garlic (or both).

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 pounds boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and white pepper
1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley

Directions:
In a large pot, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over low heat. Add the leeks and cook, stirring often, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock and potatoes. Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove from the heat. With a hand-held immersion blender, or in batches in a food processor, puree the soup until smooth. Season, to taste, with salt and ground white pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with parsley.