groove food

days of magic

there are some days that have a particular mission of pointing to things.

they will call you to pause on the afterlife of a crayon. 

they will unearth a treasure from the riprap of routine. you will wonder what it means.

it means to wonder.

carrot soup with ginger and coconut milk, for any day

this soup, with all of eight simple ingredients and an even simpler preparation, is pure magic. 

(serves 8)

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 yellow onions, medium diced

2 stalks celery, medium diced

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and minced until you have 1 tablespoon of minced ginger

4 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into 1 - 2 inch lengths

2 quarts chicken stock, low sodium store bought or homemade

15.4 ounces unsweetened coconut milk (1 can)

heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. add the onions and celery once the olive oil is shimmering. season with a little salt and pepper. cook for 7 - 10 minutes, until the onion and celery have softened (adjust the heat if they are browning too quickly). add the garlic and ginger and continue to cook for 2 - 3 minutes more, taking care not to burn the garlic and ginger (stir frequently).

add the carrots and enough chicken stock to cover the carrots. bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. cook for 30 - 40 minutes, until the carrots are tender throughout. stir in the coconut milk.

puree the soup in batches using a blender. add a little water if you desire a thinner consistency. once all the soup is pureed, return it to a pot over gentle heat to bring it back to hot. taste. add more salt and pepper if desired. serve immediately.

improv squash soup

dear reader, i have missed you. you’ve been so patient as this little cyber nook abruptly went grooveless. i had to disappear, marinate, consume matunuk bivalves in quantity. i come to you replenished yet hungry, knives sharpened and hair pulled back. but most of all, i come to redeem myself. i hope you agree that soup is the most acceptable mea culpa for falling off the face of the earth and i trust you’ve been unable to resist a curvaceous butternut or quirky kabocha required for the full realization of my apology. if you’ve wondered how to best honor the alluringly sweet, orange flesh of fall, might i suggest a little pantry playfulness, a favorite soup pot, a handful of friends, and enough oversize spoons for your crowd.

improv squash soup

(serves 6)

aromatics (select 2 – 3 different aromatics. you will need a total of 3 cups)

yellow or sweet onion, medium diced

leeks, sliced in ¼-inch half moons

shallots, finely diced

celery, medium diced

carrots, peeled and medium diced

garlic, minced (use up to 2 teaspoons)


essentials

3 tablespoons olive oil

8 cups winter squash, peeled and cut into 1 – 2 inch chunks (from about 4 pounds butternut squash, kabocha squash, acorn squash, delicata squash, red kuri, pumpkin or a combination)

4 - 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock (start with 4 cups. ad additional stock at the end for a thinner consistency)

kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

flavor boosts (select 1 – 3 of the following)

2 cups apple or pear, peeled, cored and cut into 1 – 2 inch chunks

1 cup apple or pear cider

1 tablespoon curry powder, ground coriander, or garam masala

1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, sage, or rosemary

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, cloves, or cinnamon

finishing touches (select 1 - 3 from the following)

½ cup – 1 cup half & half, heavy cream, or coconut milk

vanilla bean seeds from one pod of vanilla

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon maple syrup

2 teaspoons orange or tangerine zest

chopped fresh herbs, crumbled bacon, crème fraiche, homemade croutons, or toasted nuts for garnish

place a large pot or dutch oven on the stove over medium-high heat. add the olive oil. once the oil is shimmering, add your selection of aromatics. turn the heat down to medium. cook, stirring frequently, until the aromatics have softened, about 7-10 minutes. if using curry powder, herbs, ginger, or spices, add them to the aromatics and cook for an additional 1 - 3 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

add your selection of squash and any apples or pears if you are using them. add any apple or pear cider if you are using. pour in enough chicken or vegetable stock to just barely cover the squash. bring to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer. cook for 30-40 minutes, until the squash is quite tender. add any of the "finishing touches" (with the exception of garnishes) to the pot.

using a stand blender (or an immersion blender), puree the soup in batches. for extra silky soup, press the soup through a fine mesh sieve. return the pureed soup to the pot and place back over low heat to re-warm. if the soup is too thin, bring it back to a boil and cook until it thickens to your taste. if the soup is too thick, thin it with additional stock, cider, or cream/coconut milk.

serve the soup warm with any garnishes you enjoy. it will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

notes

* you are not limited to the add-ins mentioned in this recipe. there are countless other delicious additions--try parsnips, turnips, celery root, sunchokes, or savoy cabbage. you could also experiment with adding a bit of pear brandy or sherry.

* some popular combinations:

- butternut squash, leeks, pear, pear cider, vanilla bean, 1/2 & 1/2 (a riff on a recipe by molly        wizenberg)

-any squash, onions, apples, apple cider, curry powder

-any combination of squash, carrot, ginger, coconut milk

vegan mushroom soup

my first impulse upon meeting a mushroom is to drown it in a river of cream, fino sherry, and butter. i got to thinking that this was not the friendliest approach on my part, tucking them away before i even got to know them, using them merely as an excuse to consume excessive quantities of spanish booze and dairy fat. given proper attention, mushrooms are very lovely in their own right. this soup is my ode to them. but for a bit of herbs, onion, and garlic, the rest of it is entirely mushroom--earthy and warm with the mysterious ability to open up with each spoonful. it was hard to resist adding a five second pour of cream at the end, but i was surprised to find the texture already quite creamy and full. the taste followed suit. dearest funghi--what a pleasure it has been to meet you. let's do this again.

vegan mushroom soup

(serves 6 - 8)

2 ounces dried mushrooms (porcini or morels work well)

2 springs rosemary

2 springs sage

1/2 cup olive oil

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 pound white button mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced

1 pound shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced

2 quarts mushroom broth or stock (i use pacific brand)

almond milk, crushed walnuts, thyme for garnish (optional)

place the dried mushrooms in a medium bowl. bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil and pour it over the mushrooms. let the mushrooms sit for 20 - 30 minutes, until reconstituted. strain the muhrooms through a paper towel lined strainer or a coffee filter to remove any grit, reserving the mushroom soaking water. coarsely chop the reconstituted mushrooms.

pour the olive oil in a large pot or dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. when the oil shimmers, add the rosemary and sage, pressing against the pot to release their flavor into the oil. cook for 1 - 2 minutes. add the onion and cook until softened, 7-10 minutes, then add the garlic and cook a minute more. add the shiitake mushrooms and button mushrooms to the pot and cook until the mushrooms release their liquid and shrink in size, about 7-10 minutes. add the reconstituted mushrooms, reserved water, and mushroom broth. bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

remove the rosemary and sage sprigs from the soup. using a blender, puree the soup in batches. you may want to reserve 1 - 2 cups of unpureed mushrooms to add to the soup for texture. re-warm the soup, if needed, over low heat. serve hot, garnished with a drizzle of almond milk, walnuts, and thyme leaves.

 

roasted carrot & fennel soup

there is nothing more exhilarating than the cusp of two seasons, particularly summer into fall. white sunlight meets crisp air in a provocative dance that calls our coats from the closet and brings us outside to witness it all. the days of peppers and corn bleed into fall's root vegetables still covered in warm earth. i know i'm in the cusp when i pull out my oversize blue pot and start thinking in soup. i found carrots and fennel beside each other at the farmers market, looking like they wanted to mingle in a roasting pan. it turns out they are natural flavor buddies. fennel is very subtle when cooked. my brilliant friend, susan sbicca, recommended adding fennel seeds for emphasis. i also decided to roast half the fennel and barely saute the rest to add more layers. this soup is equally good chilled or warm. let the weather guide you.

roasted carrot & fennel soup

(serves 6-8)

2 pounds carrots, peeled and cut in 1 - 1 1/2 inch chunks

3 medium bulbs fennel, fronds removed and saved for garnish

1/4 cup olive oil

1 medium sweet onion, sliced in 1/4 inch thick half moons

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cups (1 qt) chicken or vegetable stock (homemade or low sodium storebought)

3 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon honey

kosher salt & freshly ground pepper

creme fraiche or yogurt for garnish

preheat the oven to 375. cut the fennel bulbs in half and core them. chop 2 of the bulbs into large chunks (about 3 inches or so). set the other bulb aside. place the chopped fennel and carrots in a large roasting pan and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over them. season with salt and pepper and toss with your hands to coat all the vegetables. roast for 1 hour, stirring a couple times throughout.

slice the remaining fennel bulb into 1/2 inch half moons. warm the remaining two tablespoons of olive oil in medium-large pot (3-4 qt) over medium heat. add the fennel seeds and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the fennel seeds are fragrant. add the sweet onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and golden. add the remaining fennel and cook for 3 minutes more. add the roasted carrots and fennel to the pot and cover with the chicken or vegetable stock. season with a few pinches of salt and pepper. bring the soup to a boil and then lower to a simmer. cook for 30-40 minutes, until the vegetables are quite soft.

remove the soup from the heat and add the honey and orange juice. working in batches, puree the soup in a blender (for extra silky soup, push the soup through a fine sieve after blending). if desired, add up to one cup of water to change the consistency to your preference. serve warm or chill. garnish with creme fraiche or yogurt and few of the fennel fronds and cracked black pepper.

notes

* if you don't like fennel, don't shy away from this soup. it will surprise you.

* this recipe was written for my darling friend cori b. who, along with being a fellow lover of the summer/fall cusp, is also expecting a BABY! she shared her inspiration last week and it triggered thoughts of soup. this is pureed so it will prepare her for the coming months of mashed up foods (tee, hee). also, fennel is known for settling your stomach. italians often chew a piece of it after a meal or sip it in liquid form...anisette or sambuca!

fine cooking x 4