Chilled Fig and Avocado Soup

Soup is one of my favourite things to create and eat. I first started making my own soups out of necessity because I hate to waste food. It's a great way to use up leftovers or odds and ends in the fridge that would otherwise be on their way out. While this will always be a part of my cooking regimen I prefer to forge a soup from selected ingredients. I pride myself on creating new and interesting soups and this recipe is lacking neither. A perfect prelude to a summer grill.

The Soup
16 small, fresh and ripe figs
1 large, ripe avocado
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 Spanish onion, chopped
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
dash each of lime and lemon juice
salt, white pepper and allspice to taste
water or vegetable stock, as needed
olive oil

• to a heated pot add enough oil to coat the bottom. Caramelize* the onions.
• add the garlic, figs and season** with salt, pepper and allspice (allspice and white pepper are strong flavours so make sure to start with only a dash or so. You can adjust to taste at the end.) then stir in the cilantro.
• Add the avocado, lemon and lime juices, and enough water or stock to just cover the ingredients in the pot. Season, then pure. (I find that immersion blenders work best because you can mix right in the pot.) If needed add a little more liquid at a time until the soup has the consistency of a tomato sauce. Season.
  
• transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate. Adjust the seasonings once the soup is chilled. Flavours change with temperature.
• Serve into shallow, chilled bowls and top with a generous dollop of pistachio sour cream.

Pistachio Sour Cream
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup pistachios
1 tbsp honey

• using a blender or mortar and pestle, grind the nuts.
• stir in sour cream and honey.
• chill.

*caramelize- the oxidization of sugars in foods during cooking, producing a caramel colour and flavour. To achieve this, cook slowly in a little oil at a medium to low heat stirring scantly and without the use of salt. Salt draws out moisture from foods and can inhibit the sugars from browning.
**season- this refers to the heightening or enhancing of the main ingredients in a dish. Seasonings include herbs and spices and most often salt. Seasoning should not be confused with flavouring which adds another dimension or profile to a dish. Seasoning takes practice and is best achieved if done as you go, building a little at a time. It's always easier to add just a little more then to make adjustments if you've added too much.

Pear and Potato Soup

3 Green Anjou pears, peeled, cored and diced
2 large yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
3 leeks, washed and sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of extra old white cheddar (2yrs or older), crumbled
1/4 cup of butter
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1/8 tsp white pepper
few dashes of allspice

Melt the butter in a stock pot. Then add the garlic, pears and potatoes. Cook for 10 minutes on medium heat. Add the leeks and seasonings and cook for another few minutes. Add stock and bring to a boil. Reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes. Puree in the pot with a hand mixer or in a blender. Taste and correct seasonings. Serve into bowls, garnishing each with a portion of the crumbled cheese. Serves about 6.

You're welcome ;o)

Soupe D'Aubergine

Along with the tomato, the aubergine is actually a fruit and not a vegetable. More commonly known to North Americans as eggplant, this versatile food is not only misunderstood but strangely unpopular. Perhaps it's the name eggplant? Certainly sounds frumpy and dull. But with a name like aubergine, who could resist? It' s gorgeous: supple, smooth and richly coloured. Or maybe it's all that natural beauty which makes it so intimidating to the average house chef. In fact, aubergine is one of the more forgiving foods an untrained hand could choose. It takes on the flavours of the rest of the dish and enhances them. Aubergine can be rich or refined depending on how it's handled. For complexity and flair, roast it and add it to a rich sauce. For subtlety, salt, rinse and grill it. Although it is best enjoyed cooked, because when raw it can be bitter, try marinating and adding it to a salad; Aubergine loves oil and will absorb most marinades and sauces with ease. Today I have paired my aubergine in a soup with mushroom and tarragon. The gentle aromatics of the tarragon and the subtle earthy tones of the mushroom are quietly enhanced by the strength of the aubergine. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Getting Started
1 large aubergine, peeled and sliced into small quarter inch strips (So they look like french fries)
1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and diced
2 baby portabello mushrooms, rinsed, destemmed and then thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp flour
6 cups vegetable stock or broth
1 tsp dried tarragon or 20g of fresh and chopped
1/8 tsp thyme
pinch celery seed
1 tbsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
cracked pepper and salt to taste
1/4 cup stelline pasta (little tiny stars)


Keep it Simple

Heat the olive oil in a stockpot. Saute the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent. Stir in sliced eggplant and add the butter. Let heat for several minutes. Sift flour in and stir, creating a roux. Add your stock immediately. Then add the mushrooms, seasonings and pasta. Bring to a boil then reduce and let simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Great as a prelude to a Pork or Lamb entree. Or enjoy it for lunch with some toasted caraway rye.

you're welcome ;o)

Smokey Potato Soup

~Shopping List~

8 yukon gold potatoes, washed and cubed (reserve 2 cubed potatoes)
1/2 cup of cooked and diced Virginia smoked ham
100g shredded, smoked Gouda (about 3/4 cup)
100g shredded, extra old Cheddar (about 3/4 cup)
6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth/stock
1 cup of heavy cream (*warning* you can substitute lesser cream or milk but it just won't be as tasty)
4 shallots, diced
2 clove of garlic, minced
20g fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
1/2 tsp each of mustard powder, onion powder and white pepper
6 tbsp butter


~Chopping Block~

Dice Potatoes
Dice Ham
Shred Cheese
Dice Shallots


~Stove Top~

In a non-stick skillet- melt 3 tbsp of butter and begin to saute the 2 potatoes that you set aside from the rest of the pile. Make sure you do this on a low heat so as not to brown them too fast. We'll come back to this pan.

In a stock pot- melt the remaining butter and add shallots and garlic. Saute on medium heat until shallots are caramelized (golden). Add remaining potatoes, rosemary, stock and seasonings. Bring to a soft boil. Cover and let bubble until potatoes are soft.

Back to the skillet- Once the potatoes are browned, add the ham and turn the heat up to med high. This should only take several minutes. Remove from heat and turn off the burner.

Back to the pot- Remove the pot from the burner but leave the burner on. Using a hand mixer (if you don't have one use a blender or Cuisinart) blend the mixture until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings. Slowly stir in the cream and then the cheeses. Add the sauteed potatoes and ham. Heat for several more minutes then serve.
Garnish with a few shreds of gouda and a sprig of fresh rosemary. Serve with cracked pepper flat breads.

You're welcome ;o)

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

This soup is my absolute favourite. I make it every other week, but I could probably eat it every day. It really is gorgeous. Makes me blush just thinking about it.
Go on. Try it.

• 1 large butternut squash
• 1 medium spanish onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 4-6 cups of chicken stock/broth
  
• 4 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1/8 tsp each of onion and garlic powders and white pepper
• 1/2 tsp rosemary
• dash each of cayenne, cinnamon and nutmeg
• salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

1. Roast squash for atleast one hour in a 400F oven or until skin is golden brown.
2. Saute garlic and onions in butter, until golden (caramelized) in a stock/soup pot.
   
3. Remove skin and reserve seeds from squash. Cut squash into chunks and add to the onions.
4. Stir in sugar and all seasonings.
5. Add stock and puree with a hand mixer BEFORE the stock heats up.
6. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
7. In the mean time, rinse the seeds in a colander and pat dry with paper towel. Spread them on a baking sheet, spray with cooking oil, dust with salt and put them back in the 400F oven for 10-15 minutes or until done.
8. Correct seasonings, then serve with toasted seeds on top.
   

Chicken Soup

This is a great recipe for a cold day or when you've got the sniffles!

Ingredients

2 8oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cooked and cut into chunks
5 cups homemade chicken stock
1/4 c quick cooking, wild rice
1 small spanish onion, diced
1/4 c sliced baby carrots
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup zucchini, diced
1/4 cup pimento or diced red pepper
3 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
dash or so each of garlic, onion and mustard powder, cayenne pepper and hungarian paprika
1 tsp thyme
fresh cracked pepper and salt to taste

Method

In a large stock or soup pot melt butter and saute onions and garlic until onions are clear. Add remaining vegetables and cook for another several minutes. Add diced chicken, broth and water or stock, rice and spices. Bring to a gentle boil, reduce heat, cover and let simmer for 25 minutes. Serve and enjoy.