Posts Tagged ‘soup’

I tried a new recipe last week that called for this ingredient:

Do you know what these are? I plan to post that recipe soon, but I'll give you a chance to guess first.

In the meantime I tried a new recipe for supper tonight that Megan had made for us while we were up visiting her family over Christmas and we really enjoyed it. I saw the recipe posted on another blog and decided to make it this week. The recipe for this soup uses kale:

I had never eaten or used kale before this. It seems to keep its bright green color better than many green vegetables and it's not bitter like collards. (I have never been able to develop a liking for collards, sorry Cathy.) You could probably substitute baby spinach for the kale if you would prefer.

I'll be looking forward to see who is the first to identify the mystery ingredient.

Becka

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We are experiencing beautiful spring-like weather here in South Carolina today with temps in the low 60's. Rob did a little shopping this morning and worked in the yard a bit while I baked a couple of pies (pecan and a new one--pumpkin apple butter.) The turkey is roasting in the oven now and I just finished up a jello salad. I want to make a pan of cinnamon rolls for in the morning and then all I will have left to do tomorrow is the corn pudding and to shape and bake the dinner rolls.

Nora and Topher are hosting the meal this year. It's rather nice to have adult children who can share in the meal preparation. Megan, Jim, and Drew are on their way and hope to arrive by late this evening. Mark, Katie, and Ryan will be celebrating with her family this year, but we all plan to get together for at least one meal before Meg and Jim head back home.

Rob and I drove up into the mountains about a week and a half ago to get one last bushel of apples before the orchards closed for the season. When we arrived at our favorite place they were actually giving away pumpkins and squash. We picked out a large hubbard squash which I split with Nora. Have you ever eaten hubbard squash?

They are huge and rather hard shelled (Rob cut it in half for me with a saw!) but delicious. I cooked my half and used some of it to make this soup.

Corn and Squash Soup
6 slices of bacon, cooked until crisp and diced
1 small onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, sliced
1 Tbsp. flour
1 cup chicken broth
3 cups mashed cooked squash (butternut, acorn, hubbard, etc.)
1 can cream style corn
1 cup evaporated milk
salt and pepper to taste
minced fresh parsley for garnish

In a large soup kettle cook bacon until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Set aside. Reserve 1 Tbsp. drippings. Saute onion and celery in the drippings until they are tender. Stir in the flour. Stir in the broth. Bring to a boil and then cook two minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients. Heat through and serve. Makes 4-5 servings.

I hope all of you will have a very blessed day of Thanksgiving.

Becka

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You can often find nice big heads of snowy white cauliflower at a good price in the fall and winter. If you get tired of eating raw cauliflower, this soup is a delicious alternative. I have been making it for many years following a recipe from an old Farm Journal cookbook. One year after Rob had dental surgery I tried pureeing it in the blender. We actually prefer the creamy consistency of the pureed soup, so now I do it the easy way with the immersion blender.

Creamy Cauliflower Soup

1 medium head cauliflower, cut into small flowerets
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup chopped onion (one small)
2 Tbsps. flour
2 cups chicken broth
1 12 oz. can evaporated milk (can use evaporated skim)
1 1/2 cup cooking water from cauliflower
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
fresh chopped chives or parsley for garnish, if desired

Cook cauliflower until tender. Drain, reserving 1 1/2 cups of cooking water. In soup kettle melt butter and cook onion until soft. Add flour and blend in. Slowly add broth and simmer until mixture comes to a boil. Add cooking water, milk, and cauliflower. Bring back to a boil. Puree at this point, if desired. Add cheese and allow to melt. Serve up and garnish with chives or parsley. Enjoy this delicious soup!

Becka

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It seems like each year there is one crop in our small garden which outdoes itself. This year we have three things in abundance: okra, eggplant, and green beans. I'm already burned out on the eggplants and we have been trying to give them away. I've been freezing the green beans and trying some new okra recipes. Here is one of the new recipes which we have really enjoyed:

Harvest Gumbo

1 Tbsp. olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onion
2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 red pepper, chopped
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
black pepper to taste
4-5 cups water
1 1/2 tsps. chicken soup base or 2-3 cubes
1 cup diced tomatoes (I usually use jarred spaghetti sauce)
1/2 lb. sliced kielbasa
2 cups sliced okra
1 1 /2 cups baby lima beans
1 1/2 cups corn
1 1/2 cups sliced green beans

In a large soup kettle heat the oil and then saute the onions, celery, and red pepper. Add the water, tomatoes, kielbasa, and seasonings. Simmer about 15 mins. Add the vegetables and simmer about 15 more minutes or until tender. This makes 6-8 servings and is very colorful and tasty.

And now, a word about the bread in the picture:

A former co-worker of mine has started a bakery here in the area called Simple Gifts Artisan Breads. He has built a wood burning oven in which to bake his delicious breads which he sells at local Farmer's Markets and to some restaurants. A Lebanese man who lives nearby gave him a special seasoning blend and asked David if he would make him some Lebanese bread. David agreed and the man was quite pleased. One week the Lebanese guy didn't come to the Farmer's Market to get his bread and David gave me a loaf of it. The bread was thin and dimpled like Foccacia but had a very interesting flavor which we really enjoyed. Shortly after that first exposure I saw some of the bread at the Pita House (a middle eastern restaurant and grocery here in the area.) I asked the owner Ziad about it and he showed me the seasoning blend and told me it contains sumac (not the poisonous kind), thyme, and sesame seeds, among other ingredients. I bought a small container of the blend and have made the bread a couple of times. I even found a recipe for it in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I just use pizza dough which I brush liberally with olive oil and then sprinkle on some of the "mixed zaattar". I then bake it right on the pizza stone. It is delicious for sandwiches or with soup and freezes well. So, if you like middle eastern flavors you might want to try this one.

Becka

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We have just over two weeks until the wedding. We have started purchasing a few more of the grocery items and I have begun making some of the cookie dough and stashing it in the freezer to be baked off closer to the wedding.

I've been trying to clean out my freezer to make room. I had some cooked beans in the freezer and made some Pasta Fagioli soup recently to use them up. A big pot of soup is a nice thing to have on hand during busy times since you can generally get several meals from one batch. They make this soup at Olive Garden and it is one of our favorites.

My friend Kathy gave me a copy of The Mast Store Cookbook a few years ago.

There are several Mast General Stores in North and South Carolina and Tennessee and they are really interesting places to shop at and visit. They carry a lot of unique items that you don't find elsewhere. We have one here in Greenville down on Main Street. The recipes in the cookbook are those that have been collected from their employees. The book also has many historical pictures and advice from days gone by.

Here's the recipe with my modifications:

Pasta Fagioli

1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 carrot, peeled and shredded (I used a julienne peeler)
15 oz. can Italian stewed tomatoes (or plain with 1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning)
4 cups beef broth (or hot water with beef bouillon)
2-3 cups cooked or canned beans (I used pinto beans, but you can use navy or kidney beans or a combination)
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup macaroni or ditalini
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Brown ground beef. Add onion and cook until tender. Combine in a soup kettle with the tomatoes, broth, beans, carrot, salt, and pepper. Simmer for about 20 mins. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and add to soup just before serving. Garnish with the parmesan cheese.

This soup is really tasty and you may already have all the ingredients on hand to make it. Have a wonderful weekend!

Becka

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