From the Sept., 2013 Food & Wine

Soup is one of those food groups that as a rule fail to excite me. With the exception of a really cold winter’s day when a hot bowl of soup suddenly seems like a good idea, soup is usually the last thing you’ll find me eating (the one exception is my longtime Chinese restaurant favorite, hot and sour soup—something I’ll happily consume in any kind of weather). Chalk it up to my gluttonous disposition, but soup has always struck me as a little too insubstantial to get excited about, the thing you eat when there’s nothing else in the kitchen, or when you’re simply trying to be responsible at lunchtime and not eat that BLT. All of which makes it a little surprising that it would be this recipe for creamy zucchini soup to jump out at me from the current issue of Food & Wine. Alright, so there is a walnut cake on page 56 of the magazine that looks pretty enticing, too (and a recipe I will definitely be returning to soon as there’s a whiff of fall in the air), but it was the soup that kept calling me. For one thing the bright green color just screamed summer, much the way a bowl of guacamole or a salad slathered in green goddess dressing does. And then there were the various ingredients called for by the recipe—which in addition to the zucchini included good things like cilantro, leeks, a poblano pepper, and crème fraîche. In other words, here was a recipe with plenty of healthy, seasonal ingredients, but that still offered a dollop of decadence as well.

I should also mention that all of these “healthy,” “seasonal” ingredients are ones that I love, so even without the caloric addition of the crème fraîche, this was a dish whose shopping list I would have been happy to play with under any circumstances. That said I don’t have many occasions to prepare leeks, so it was with a great deal of pleasure that I added my sliced rounds to a pot of hot olive oil and let the nutty/oniony fragrance reach my nose: olfactory bliss! Things were off to a good start, and only improved with the addition of the zucchini slices, a few cloves of sliced garlic, and some chicken stock. (You can also add a rind of Parmesan cheese if you want at this point, something I did and suggest you do as well, as it adds a subtle hint of earthy saltiness to the finished dish).

After simmering the various ingredients for fifteen minutes or so, the soup is taken off the heat, the chopped cilantro is added (and the rind removed, if you’re using), and the chunky mixture is rendered smooth by being given a short turn (in batches, probably three) in either a blender or a food processor. At this point the mixture, creamy but still a vivid shade of green, is returned to the pot, and the cup of crème fraîche is whisked into the puree. This last addition takes the soup from smooth to velvety and lightens the color a few shades, to something resembling sage. In terms of color and texture, you couldn’t ask for anything more enticing.

Even so, none of that would mean much without the benefit of great flavor, as well—something this soup also delivers in spades. It’s subtle and earthy with a (very) gentle kick at the end thanks to the poblano, and as often happens with a good bowl of soup the pleasure lingers, wrapping you in a sense of well-being long after its gone. In fact, although this soup can be eaten either hot or cold, in its marriage of earthiness and refinement, it’s reminiscent of another, better known soup—vichyssoise. Like that potato based dish (which is eaten chilled), this soup, with its base of sautéed leeks and crème fraîche finish, reveals a French DNA, but one that’s enlivened with a variety of ingredients common to cooking in the American southwest, namely cilantro and that poblano pepper. It’s a cultural mash-up that comes together seamlessly here, creating a combination that’s at once classic and adventuresome.

Although the soup is wonderful alone, garnished with just a few cilantro leaves, to kick things up a notch try laying a few pieces of crabmeat across the soup’s creamy surface—a pairing of the sweet and earthy that’s pretty irresistible. Or add a few homemade croutons, for a marriage of the creamy and the crunchy. Whichever way you go, this is a soup that’s sure to please… even those who aren’t sure about soup in the first place.

Ingredients:
—1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
—1 large leek, white and tender green parts only, thinly sliced
—1 large poblano pepper, cored, seeded, and thinly sliced
—5 medium zucchini (2 ¼ lbs), cut into 1-inch rounds
—2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
—Kosher salt, to taste
—Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
—1 qt low-sodium chicken broth
—1 small Parmesan cheese rind (optional)
—One 5-oz bunch cilantro, stemmed and coarsely chopped, plus more leaves for garnish
—1 cup crème fraîche

Directions:
—In a large pot, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the leek and poblano and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes.
—Add the zucchini and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the chicken broth and Parmesan rind and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderate heat until the zucchini is very tender and no longer bright green, about 15 minutes.
—Remove pot from heat, discard the Parmesan rind, and add the chopped cilantro.
—Working in batches, puree the soup in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Return the soup to the pot, whisk in the crème fraîche and reheat gently if necessary.
—Season the soup with salt and pepper and ladle into bowls. Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve.

Note: The soup can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently or serve cold.

8 servings

The post 08/27/13 • CREAMY ZUCCHINI SOUP appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.

From Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London’s Ottolenghi, by Yotam Ottonlenghi

Like much of the country, my Sunday nights have been taken over by the characters of Downton Abbey and their various trials and tribulations. Will valet John Bates succeed at shaking off his vindictive wife so he can marry true love (and head housemaid), Anna Smith? Will Lady Mary and Matthew Crawley finally acknowledge their feelings for each other and seal the deal? And what impact will the scheming Vera Bates have on all this potential happily-ever-after? Yes, it’s a soap opera, but it’s a soap opera of the most delicious kind, and one to which I’m all too happy to devote the end of my weekend. Of course, being a food-oriented person, planning a night in front of the TV also means planning what I’ll be eating there, because what’s good television without good food? And not just any “good food” but something that’s in keeping with the program’s very English storyline.

Something, as it happens, like this week’s recipe — a broccoli and Gorgonzola pie from Yotam Ottolenghi’s new cookbook, Plenty. Now, what’s so English about a broccoli and Gorgonzola pie you may well be asking? Quite a few things, as it turns out, so stick with me here. For starters, Ottolenghi is the author of a regular vegetarian cooking column for the Guardian, one of Britain’s preeminent newspapers. And he’s the co-owner of four eponymous food shops around London, all restaurants known for their creative approach with vegetables and grains (though Ottolenghi is not himself a vegetarian). And then there’s the fact that a savory pie is by it’s very nature English — think meat pie, chicken pot pie, leek and potato pie…well, you get the idea.

Having said that I should probably make it clear that I’ve never eaten at any of Ottolenghi’s restaurants, nor was I acquainted with any of his recipes prior to the Christmas holiday, when my friend Dennis presented me with a copy of Plenty. It was a gift prompted by a challenge I recently gave myself — to balance my meat centric cooking with more vegetarian options. Ottolenghi makes it easy to do that, largely by creating dishes that are so full of flavor and texture (and yes, cheese and eggs) that the absence of meat is barely noticeable. This broccoli pie is a perfect example.

For one thing it calls for puff pastry, which is always a good place to get things started, especially when purchased ready-made as Ottolenghi suggests you do here (making your own puff pastry is a hassle and the end result isn’t much different than the packaged variety). Once the pastry has thawed completely (it’s sold frozen so allow plenty of time for this), roll two-thirds of it out into a circle of about 1/8” thick for the base and sides of the pie, as well as a slightly thinner piece to cover the top of what will ultimately be a large quantity of pie filling. Both of these are then placed in the freezer for ten minutes or so to harden up — the thicker piece already nestled in its pan, the second on a dinner plate.

Once this step has been completed it’s time for the shell to be “baked blind,” which for those not familiar with the term (I wasn’t) simply means pre-baking the empty crust so it doesn’t get soggy once the filling is added. This is where your granny’s pie weights come in, or, perhaps more realistically, several handfuls of dried beans. Whichever you use, these are spread across a circle of parchment paper that lines the pastry shell. Place the crust in a 400-degree oven, breathe deeply to savor the buttery smell enveloping your kitchen, and once brown (15 to 20 minutes later), remove the pan from the oven, discard the beans and parchment paper, and return to the oven for a final 5 minutes of pre-bake. Piecrust made easy.

As for the all-important filling, this is simply a matter of boiling a few handfuls of broccoli florets (just until tender), then sauteing a quantity of thinly sliced leeks for ten to fifteen minutes. (When slicing the leeks it’s best to avoid the green parts, as the lighter sections tend to be sweeter and more tender.) Once the leeks have been cooked down a bit, a variety of good things are added to the pan (cream, mustard, chives, tarragon) along with some salt, pepper, and a small amount of water to keep everything nice and moist. At this point you may well find it hard to keep your fork out of the pan — an understandable reflex given that few things smell better than warm tarragon and mustard simmering in a cup of cream. And then there’s the flavor, which recalls that classic of French cooking, leaks vinaigrette (a discovery that, in turn, may well call for a few more forkfuls, just to confirm the association).

Anyway, this is your base, to which is added the broccoli, followed by a scattering of chopped Gorgonzola. It’s a combination that when baked beneath the puff pastry lid yields something compulsively eatable — the slick, buttery crackle of the crust giving way to the earthiness of the broccoli and the richness of the leaks, all of it offset by the funk of the cheese and the creamy tang of the mustard. In a word: delicious. And even a little decadent. Who knew vegetarians had it so good?

Ingredients:
—1 lb (16 oz) puff pastry
—2 broccoli heads (1½ lbs total), cut into florets
—2 tbsp butter
—3 to 4 leeks, trimmed and thinly sliced
—2/3 cup heavy cream
—1/2 cup water
—1/3 cup chopped chives
—1/3 cup chopped tarragon
—3 tbsp grainy mustard
—1 tsp salt
—Black pepper
—7 oz. (just under a 1/2 lb) Gorgonzola, cut into medium sized chunks
—1 egg, beaten

Special equipment:
—10” loose bottomed tart pan

Directions:
—Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out two-thirds of the pastry into a circle that is 1/8 inch thick and large enough to line a 10” loose-bottomed tart pan. Line the pan and trim off the excess pastry. Roll out the remaining pastry into a thinner disc, large enough to cover the surface of the pie, and lay it on a plate. Place both shell and lid in freezer for 10 minutes.
—Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill it with baking beans. Bake blind for 15 to 20 minutes, or until light brown. Remove the paper and beans and return to the oven to bake for 5 minutes, or until the bottom of the shell is golden. Set aside to cool.
—While the tart shell is baking, prepare the filling. Cook the broccoli florets in a large pan of boiling water for about 2 minutes, or until tender but still firm. Drain in colander, rinse well with cold water and leave to dry.
—Melt the butter in a pan and sauté the leeks on gentle heat for 10 to 15 minutes, or until soft but not colored. Add the cream, water, chives, tarragon, mustard, salt and some black pepper. Stir well and remove from the heat.
—To assemble, spread the leek mixture over the bottom of the pastry base. Scatter the broccoli on top and gently press into the leek mix. Dot with the Gorgonzola. Brush the rim on the tart base with the beaten egg and place the pastry lid to the case. Trim off any of the lid that hangs over the edge.
—Glaze the lid with beaten egg and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown. Allow to cool a little before removing from the pan.

—Serves 6.

The post 01/26/12 • CHEESY VEGGIE PIE appeared first on THE RECIPE GRINDER.