asparagus potato soup with a lemony drizzle
May 16, 2013 § 20 Comments
Last week I was profoundly inspired while reading a beautiful post in My French Heaven. Stephane’s Simple Crème d’asperge was magnificent! I loved her minimal ingredients and simplistic method of cooking asparagus soup. I happened to have asparagus in my refrigerator and decided right then and there we were going to have her soup. Her recipe was indeed wonderful. We loved every silky spoonful!
Next trip to the market I was awe struck at the sight of a mountain of asparagus! I had to buy some more. I picked out a nice bunch and then noticed the price per pound. I do not think I have ever seen asparagus so modestly priced. Do you think I bought too many? Obviously we are having a very productive asparagus growing season here in Washington state. Our temperatures have been warming up for several weeks topping out at 80° for a couple of days. This week the rain is falling and it has cooled off to a comfortable 65°…perfect!
This soup recipe is very different from Stephane’s. Her soup was so smooth and much lighter. And the nutmeg added such a nice subtle flavor. Using a blender rather than straining gave this soup a heartier consistency. I added a drizzle of lemon dressing to give it some zing.
Ingredients
- 2 large bunches of asparagus, remove tough lower stem, cut into pieces
- 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
- 1 medium sweet onion, chopped
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 quart of vegetable broth
- 1/2 lemon
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped fine
Method
In a heavy soup pot heat butter over medium high heat and cook the onion until soft. Add the potatoes, asparagus, salt, pepper and stir to coat well. Pour the vegetable broth in and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and slow boil until potatoes are tender. Blend the soup to desired consistency.
L e m o n y D r i z z l e D r e s s i n g
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- a pinch of salt
Mix all three ingredients in a small bowl and stir with a fork. Drizzle on top of individual servings.
Serves 4, with leftovers.
buon appetite.
caramelized onions and hamburgers
May 13, 2013 § 25 Comments
This is simply delicious. I love to make a nice spicy sauce for our buns and top with caramelized sweet onions. This evening I served these with roasted potatoes, garlic aioli and a power green salad, which consisted of baby spinach, mizuna, chard and kale.
s p i c y p i n k s a u c e
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lemon
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (tapatio or cholula)
Put all ingredients in a bowl and season with salt. Mix with a fork until smooth. Set aside, perhaps in the refrigerator.
h a m b u r g e r s a n d c a r a m e l i z e d o n i o n s
Ingredients
- 1 pound of good quality ground chuck
- 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 large sweet yellow onion, sliced into rings
- 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 large juicy tomato, sliced
- handful of lettuce of your choice
- 4 sesame buns
Method
Start your barbecue. I use a briquette grill so I need to get it going first. You may use a grill pan on the stove, lightly brushed with olive oil.
Heat 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a nonstick skillet and fry the onions over low heat until they are golden and sticky. Add the thyme sprigs and a pinch of salt and continue to fry stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 15 minutes until they get a little crisp.
Put the ground chuck, parsley and egg in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Remove your rings and mix well with your hands and shape into four large flat patties. The should be about 4 inches in diameter and not more than 3/4 inch thick.
Grill the patties over a hot grill until they are nicely browned. Make sure they don’t get smoked and try not to allow them to dry out by cooking too long. They should be cooked through but moist and juicy. If you prefer to have a cheese burger, cover your patty with a slice of cheese and let it melt. Gouda or gorgonzola is a nice cheese to use.
Place all of your condiments on the table in separate bowls. Heat the buns on the grill of a couple of seconds. Put the patties inside the buns and serve right away, letting everyone around your table make their own by adding sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and warm onions as they like.
r o a s t e d p o t a t o e s
- 3 russet potatoes, scrubbed
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
- salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 450°. Cut your potatoes into your desired shape and place in a large bowl. Add olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper to the bowl and toss well to fully coat the potatoes. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and roast until nice and brown, approximately 45 minutes. Make sure to give the baking sheet a shake now and again and turn your potatoes over for even browning.
The g a r l i c a i o l i I made was a very simple version I discovered a few years back. I just use mayonnaise with a little olive oil and a few pressed garlic cloves. Sometimes I add different herbs to add another nice flavor.
Serves 4
buon appetite.
pasta with baby artichokes (orecchiette con carciofini)
May 9, 2013 § 37 Comments
The majority of my dinner inspiration occurs while taking a stroll through the produce area of the market. On this visit I came to a halt in front of the baby artichoke arrangement. Instantly I knew I was going to try them in a sauce for pasta. 
Never having prepared baby artichokes before I knew with a little trimming you may eat the whole thistle. After a little research I found it is very necessary to soak your trimmed artichokes in lemon water, otherwise they turn an unsightly brown hue. I read a couple of appetizing sautéed baby artichoke recipes and came up with an idea. Shallots instead of onions. Herbs from the garden. And one of my favorite pasta sauce ingredients, pancetta.
This is very simple and not too rich. The three herbs really give it a fresh spring-like flavor. For this dish I chose orecchiette because it is my son’s favorite. He calls them hard hats.
Ingredients
- 12 baby artichokes, cut the tops and stems off and pull off any thicker outer leaves
- 1 lemon, halved
- 4 shallots finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1/4 pound pancetta, diced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 pound orecchiette pasta
- handful parsley, finely chopped
- handful mint, finely chopped
- handful basil, finely sliced
- freshly shaved grana padano parmesan
Method
Squeeze your lemon into a large bowl of water and drop the lemons in too. As you are slicing your artichokes add them to the bowl so they do not turn brown.
Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta.
In a large skill, over medium heat add your olive oil and pancetta and cook until brown. Add shallots and garlic and cook another 4 or 5 minutes. Drain the artichokes and add them to the skillet. Raise the heat to medium high and cook until the edges have turned a nice golden brown. Add wine and reduce. Cover pan, lower the heat to simmer and cook another 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
While pasta is cooking chop the parsley and mint together. Slice the basil into little strips.
After your pasta has cooked and before you drain, reserve 1/2 cup of your pasta liquid.
Stir the reserved pasta water into your artichoke sauce and bring to a soft boil. Add drained pasta and parsley to the sauce and toss to combine and coat well. Turn off heat. Serve right away topped with cheese and basil.
Serves 4
buon appetite.
roquette salad
May 6, 2013 § 16 Comments
Here is a very nice salad recipe I think you will enjoy. This tangy dressing was a satisfying alternative to my usual “go to” olive oil and balsamic blend. I think any seed or nut would work well as long as they are roasted and salted first. I had both sunflower seeds and pine nuts in my cache, so I chose sunflower seeds. I kept imagining pumpkin seeds would have been perfect, roasted and salted.
And, of course, along with my new obsession of “putting an egg on top” I just had to include one.
served with a nice glass of dry rose”…
Ingredients
- 3 large handfuls of spring greens….I used arugula
- 1 cup sunflower seeds
- sea salt
- olive oil for coating
- 4 eggs
dressing
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- sea salt / pepper
Method
Heat oven to 400°. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and scatter your seeds, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil, scrape around with a spatula until well coated. Roast for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and let them cool.
Make your dressing by whisking all the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Divide your salad greens among serving plates, top with seeds and drizzle dressing over each.
Heat 1-2 tablespoons olive oil over a medium heat in a non-stick skillet. Fry your eggs according to your preference.
Top each plate with a fried egg and serve with dressing on the side.
Serves 4.
buon appetite.
minted pea soup
May 4, 2013 § 21 Comments
After visiting one of my favorite food blogs dollyrubiano I discovered a beautiful post using kawakawa tree leaves in a delightful looking chicken soup recipe. It was a very enchanting post and after a few back and forth comments to each other we decided we would coordinate a back to back minted pea recipe. Here is my minted pea soup recipe. You must go see her recipe and amazing blog! Her photographs are remarkable and her recipes are extraordinary.
This soup was sensational! Very simple to prepare, especially if you are fortunate enough to find fresh english peas…already shelled. If you are unable to find fresh peas I think using frozen peas for this soup will be delicious all the same. I roasted a handful of the peas, tossed in olive oil and salt in the oven to create a nice crispy topping for the soup. The chives in my garden are just now blooming so I added a few of the buds on top.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 2 leeks, white and light green parts, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 5 cups freshly shelled peas or 2 packages frozen peas
- 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, finely chopped
- sprinkling of salt / pepper
- creme fraiche
- freshly chopped chives
- Crusty garlic croutons, for serving (see recipe at the bottom of post)
Method
Heat the butter in a heavy stock pot, cook the onion and leeks over medium heat until tender. Add the peas and stir to coat well. Pour in chicken or vegetable stock, increase to high heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until peas are tender. If you are using frozen peas they will take less time to cook. Turn the heat off and add the mint, salt and pepper.
Puree your soup using a hand blender. I discovered using a hand blender for soup is much easier and less clean up. You may blend directly into your cooking pot. If you are using a counter top blender, puree the soup in batches. Place 1 cup of soup in the blender, place the lid on and puree on low speed. With the blender still running open the vent hole and slowly add more soup until soup is pureed.
Ladle into serving bowls, spoon in the creme fraiche and top with chives and croutons.
Generously serves 4.
Crusty garlic croutons
Several weeks ago I posted a crouton recipe. Now I have found a much improved method of preparing croutons I would like to share with you.
You’ll need 4 or 5 slices of crusty day old bread, sliced into cubes. Place bread in a large bowl, drizzle 1/4 cup olive oil, sprinkle a little salt, 2-3 chopped or pressed cloves of garlic and 1/4 cup parmesan cheese. Toss well to evenly coat and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Bake in a 475° oven until toasted, turning occasionally with a spatula until well toasted. Simple. You may want to add some fresh herbs too!
buon appetite.
refreshing watermelon mint salad
May 3, 2013 § 19 Comments
I found some nice-looking watermelons at the market yesterday. I realize it is not quite watermelon season here in the Pacific Northwest, nevertheless, once I saw them I decided to pick one up. We were not disappointed at all because it was bright red, juicy and sweet. It is the season for mint. I have been using mint quite a bit because I have it growing as weeds around the side of my house. Here is a recipe for a refreshing fruit salad. I had this salad at a dinner party several months ago. I loved the simplicity of it and minimal list of only three ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 medium size watermelon, cut in bite size shapes
- large handful of mint, finely chopped
- 3-4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
- sprinkling of salt
Method
Combine all ingredients in a serving bowl. Simple.
Serves 4
buon appetite!
company eggs for dinner
May 1, 2013 § 23 Comments
When I was a little girl I remember having a good laugh with my mom over our neighbor’s salad spinning technique. After washing her lettuce she would put it in a pillow case, take it outside and spin it around and around like a propellor. The water would spin off brilliantly! She would spin a few times, stop, shake the lettuce a little, then spin again until she had perfectly clean, dry lettuce. It was a comical site to see. When I grew up I purchased a really spiffy salad spinner. I used it, however, it took up an enormous amount of space in my small kitchen. One day, by accident, I dropped the spinner and the bowl cracked in half. Left without a choice that evening I turned to the pillow case spinning. I was stunned. It worked beautifully. I was laughing as I spun and spun. Needless to say, I did not replace my salad spinner. I have a pillow case in my kitchen towel drawer specifically for my greens. You may want to try it for the swiss chard in this recipe…
The other day I opened up the latest issue of Bon Appetite magazine and saw a beautifully photographed baked swiss chard and egg recipe. I have been seeing a lot of gloriously baked dinners with eggs on top. Loving eggs as we do in our family, I have been cracking them on top of thick creamy soups, baking them on pizzas and now….casseroles. This is not your usual company egg recipe. The company egg recipes I have read are more like a frittata; scrambled eggs combined with cheese and mixed with other ingredients, then baked until firm. Swiss chard is abundantly in season right now and suddenly I knew what we were going to have for dinner that night.
When I stopped at the market to buy the swiss chard, I picked up a delightful aged white cheddar. I imagine a typical cheddar would be fine in this recipe, however, the flavor of this mature cheddar was extraordinary. When I make this recipe again I will use 4 bunches of swiss chard. I felt the “bed” the eggs laid on was a little thin. The original recipe used 12 eggs. With three of us around our table I only used 4 eggs. Add more according to your appetite and number of gathered guests. I used half and half instead of heavy cream, only because that is what I had in the refrigerator. I served our company eggs with warm naan and roasted beets topped with garden fresh chives.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- sprinkling of sea salt and pepper
- 2 bunches Swiss chard, thick center ribs and stems removed, washed, dried and coarsely chopped (about 12 cups)
- 1/2 cup half and half
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ounces aged white cheddar, grated (about 1/2 cup)
Method
Preheat oven to 400°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add chard to the skillet by the handful, tossing to wilt between additions. Cook until tender, 5-8 minutes. Add half and half, simmer until thickened and almost evaporated. Place your chard mixture evenly in a 13x9x2-inch baking dish. Using the back of a spoon, make evenly spaced divots in the chard mixture. Crack 1 egg into each divot. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Sprinkle your cheddar all over. Bake, rotating dish once, until egg whites are almost set and yolks are still a bit runny, 15-18 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving while the eggs set.
Served 3
buon appetite.
spiced rubbed halibut (with two simple sauces)
April 29, 2013 § 24 Comments
A number of my dinners are created from a single craving. The other day I had a craving so, I went to the market specifically to buy salmon. The only salmon available was “fresh farm raised” or “previously frozen wild caught”. Because I prefer to purchase fresh wild caught fish I scratched the salmon idea and decided on the halibut. Obviously I really take heed to my cravings. Sometimes I think when I crave a specific food it is because my body needs it. I felt like we needed fish. Feeling very enthusiastic and eager I brought the fish home and started working on a dry rub. To accompany our fish I prepared smashed potatoes with shallots and a hearty mixed green salad. Heavenly.
For some reason when I get to the fish counter I always forget how much fish I need to bring home. Fishmongers have recommended anywhere between 1/2 – 1 pound per person. I imagine it depends on the appetite of your guests. For our family 1/2 pound each is a perfect portion.
For the sauces I used what I could find in the refrigerator. I made a chermoula style pesto using cilantro, garlic, cumin, lemon, olive oil and salt in the food processor. The other sauce I prepared was greek yogurt, garlic, dill, lemon, olive oil and salt. These two sauces were set on the table in little serving bowls to add to our plates as desired.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound fresh wild caught halibut
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
For the dry rub
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Chermoula sauce
- large handful cilantro
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Yogurt sauce
- 1 cup whole milk greek yogurt
- handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Method
Rinse your halibut and pat dry with paper towels. Combine all dry rub ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Using your hands rub both sides of your fish with rub and set aside to “marinade a little”.
Prepare your sauces. For the chermoula, in a food processor chop the garlic first. Then add everything else except the oil. Blend. With the motor still running gradually add the olive oil until you have a loose, pesto-like paste. For the yogurt sauce, in medium size bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed. Place in small serving bowls on your dinner table.
Heat a skillet over medium high heat until it is good and hot, and then add the tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the butter for extra flavor. Since the pan is already hot, the oil needs only a second or two to heat up. (I have read this is the secret to good searing technique…heat up the pan first.)
Gently lay the fish skin side up in the hot pan. Lower the heat to medium and sear for 3-5 minutes. Flip the fish over. Since most of the cooking was done on the first side, the fish may only need a minute or two on the other side depending on its thickness.
Divide your fish and place onto individual serving plates. We topped ours with a little roasted spring onions.
Serves 3
buon appetite.
spaghetti aglio e olio stuffed tomatoes (ripieni di pomodoro)
April 26, 2013 § 10 Comments
Long ago I had a friend from from Vicenza Italy who was one of my greatest cooking influences. Every sunday several of us would gather around his table to enjoy perfectly prepared northern italian meals. Undoubtedly I was inspired by his delectable dinners, however, he didn’t “teach” me a thing about cooking. As a young aspiring cook I wanted so badly to be involved in his kitchen. I think he wanted to keep his ingredients secret because he wouldn’t allow anyone near while he was cooking. He would chase you out as soon as you made an appearance. Although he didn’t teach me about cooking, I learned a great deal about food and cookery just by being present around his table.
This recipe features spaghetti with garlic and olive oil, also known as spaghetti aglio e olio. I vividly remember having spaghetti aglio e olio for the first time. I was mesmerized. Up until that point spaghetti for me was tomato sauce with ground meat either cooked in the sauce or made into meatballs. The simplicity of this sauce makes it so easy to throw together. Most of the time I already have all the ingredients in house. In my opinion, the sauce relies on a good quality spaghetti. Try to buy the best brand from Italy you can find.
Aglio e olio is profoundly satisfying served in a large bowl with freshly grated parmesan. Or, ripieni di pomodoro is a pleasing arrangement for guests as a side dish. If you choose to make the tomato stuffed recipe it is best to buy capellini, also know as “angel hair” pasta.
Agio e olio
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- a few pinches of red chili flakes
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- sprinkling of fine parmigiano-reggiano
Method
Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to a roaring boil over high heat and add the spaghetti. Cook for 9 minutes stirring occasionally.
While spaghetti is cooking, Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and chili flakes. Cook until golden and turn off the heat.
Drain the spaghetti and place it into the skillet. Carefully toss the pasta until every strand is coated well. Add the parsley and continue to toss until well incorporated.
Divide into large serving bowls, sprinkle with parmesan and serve right away.
Serves 4.
Follow this recipe if you choose to make the stuffed tomato version.
ripieni di pomodoro
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound capellini
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
- a few pinches of red chili flakes
- 3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- sprinkling of fine parmigiano-reggiano
- 4 large beefsteak tomatoes
Method
Heat the oven to 300°.
Fill a large pot with cold water and bring to a roaring boil over high heat .
While you are waiting for the water to boil chop all your ingredients and set aside. Cut the tops of the tomato off 1/4 way down. Scoop out the inside. Set aside.
When the water boils and before you add the capellini, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, and chili flakes. Cook until golden and turn off the heat.
Now add the capellini to the water and boil for 2 minutes.
Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. Drain the capellini and place into the skillet. Carefully toss the pasta until every strand is coated well. Add the parsley and continue to toss until well incorporated. If your pasta seems to be dry add a little of the cooking water to loosen it up and to moisten.
Fill each beefsteak tomato with your capellini aglio e olio. Put the tops back on and bake for 15 -20 minutes until the tomatoes are tender and cooked. Serve promptly with a sprinkling of freshly grated parmesan.
Serves 4.
buon appetite.
coconut sweet potato soup with thai pesto
April 24, 2013 § 12 Comments
There are few things more enjoyable than get togethers with friends and family. This morning I read a book review for a newly published cookbook and without a doubt the book is spectacular. I read a profound quote from the author. He said, his book comes at a time “when home cooking is quickly vanishing from our homes. Americans typically devote a mere 27 minutes a day to preparing meals, with four more minute for cleanup.” This is astounding. Why and how did our culture come to this? My hope is we can get back to the basic values of family and the importance of gathering around the table everyday for a soul nourishing home cooked meal.
This soup is such a pleaser you could confidently serve it for your guests, but make sure you made enough! The texture of the soup is velvety and creamy. The thai pesto complement adds a spicy, herbal, subtle nutty crunch, assuredly to bring a sigh of food bliss.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- 2 cups coconut milk
Thai pesto
- 1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, lightly toasted
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 1 green chili, seeded and chopped (I used serrano)
- a large handful cilantro
- a large handful mint
- a large handful basil
- 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce or light soy sauce
- juice of 1 lime
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Method
Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the sweet potato and onion and cook for 15 minutes, partially covered, stirring occasionally, until soft and just starting to turn golden.
Increase the heat to high and add curry paste. Stir until sweet potatoes are well coated. Continue to cook for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer. Once the potatoes are tender use a hand blender and whizz the soup until creamy and smooth. If you are not using an hand blender, transfer the mixture to a blender and carefully whizz until smooth.
To make the pesto
Put all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender and whizz until you have a chunky paste and the ingredients are all evenly chopped. If you are not using a food processor, finely chop all ingredients, place in a bowl. Add Thai fish sauce, lime and brown sugar and mix well.
Ladle the soup into warmed serving bowls and serve right away. Top with a generous spoonful of thai pesto. I place the leftover pesto on the table. You’ll be going back for more!
Serves 4
buon appetite.
COTTAGE GROVE HOUSE 