Carrot Soup with Rosemary Apple Bread

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Yet another reason to love Autumn...the return of soup! Unless it's served cold, not much soup gets eaten around here during the summer month's. So I always look forward to cooler temps because I enjoy making soup, all kinds, almost as much as I enjoy eating them. The pot of goodness gently simmering on the stove. The whole house scented with the smell of its promise of warmth and comfort. It's like curling up in a warm blanket.
In the last week or so we've had temps that dropped into the 40's at night and I started craving a good bowl of soup. Carrot soup has long been a favorite of mine. As with most soups, carrot soup is open to your interpretation. A variety of herbs and spice can be used to flavor carrot soup. Use you imagination. This is my favorite way to make carrot soup. The secret to this soup is the apple, it lends a wonderful hint of sweetness to the carrots. This soup is wonderful the day you make it but even better a day or two later. It holds up to a week when kept refrigerated, so make a little extra!
Looking back at my past few posts, I guess you could say I've been on a bit of an apple roll! I've had a plethora of apples as of late and have been looking for ways to use them all. I came across this recipe for rosemary apple bread and thought it would be the perfect companion to my carrot soup. They were so good together, I decided to post both the recipes. This bread delicious, the hint of rosemary is wonderful with the apples. Don't be scared away because it's a yeast dough. You won't believe how simple it is to make, it's almost disaster proof.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients 

1Tbl. butter
1 Tbl. extra virgin olive oil
1onion, peeled and chopped
1sm clove garlic chopped
1 small green apple, peeled and chopped
1 small russet or other starchy potato, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 pounds carrots, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp ground coriander
6 cups water
dash of freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 cup (or more if you want it richer),whipping cream
Salt and pepper

Directions

In a 6-quart pan, over medium high heat, add butter, garlic and onions sprinkle with a little salt and cook, stirring often, until onions are soft. Add water, carrots, apple, potato coriander and ginger (I add a little salt and pepper here too. This helps you to achieve great layers of flavor). Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until carrots are tender when pierced 20- 25 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool. Transfer to a blender or using an immersion blender, blend until smooth.  Be careful when blending hot liquids as the mixture can spurt out of the blender. Return to the pan and add cream, stir over high heat until hot. Add salt and pepper and nutmeg, to taste.

( Print Recipe)

Rosemary Apple Bread 

Ingredients
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 package quick-rise yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 cup warm water (100° to 110°)
1 cup diced peeled Granny Smith apple (about 1 small)
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons butter, melted

Preparation
Combine 2 3/4 cups flour, salt, rosemary, and yeast in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Add water, stirring until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes); add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Knead in apple. Place the dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rest 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Shape dough into a loaf; place dough in an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Gently press dough into pan; cover. Let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Bake at 375° for 45 minutes or until bread is lightly browned and sounds hollow when tapped. Brush top with butter. Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely on a wire rack. source: Cooking Light, Nov. 2003

(Print Recipe)

Lentil Soup

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As soon as the weather begins to cool, I crave soup. I enjoy the process of making soup almost as much as eating the soup. Chopping, simmering, stirring, all the while the house filling with a delicious aroma, I find it very therapeutic.
Recently I decided to give lentil soup a try. Lentils are a legumes and are incredible good for you. They are packed with fiber and heart healthy minerals as well as tons of protein. All that and a bag of dry lentils will run you about seventy-five cents!

This soup very is rich and hearty. In fact my carnivorous husband agreed that it was extremely filling despite the lack of meat. High praise indeed! Well there is a bit of bacon and chicken broth, so it not completely vegetarian. If you want to make it completely vegetarian just leave out bacon and saute the carrots, onions, and celery in a little olive oil and use water in place of the chicken broth.

Lentil Soup

Serves 4

Ingredients
3 strips (3 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 large onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise, and cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 celery stalk cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cans (14 1/2 ounces each) reduced-sodium chicken broth (3 1/2 cups)
2 cups of water
1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions
In a Dutch oven (or other 5-quart pot with a tight-fitting lid), cook bacon over medium-low heat until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.
Add onion and carrots and celery; cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, and cook 1 minute.
Add lentils, thyme, bay leaf, broth, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer. Cover; cook until lentils are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
Stir in vinegar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Serve immediately.
I added just a bit of sour cream to the top before serving.

Curried Pumpkin Soup with Crab Crostini

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I'm a huge fan of renowned chef and restaurateur, Frank Stitt. Here in Alabama, Frank is one of our favorite sons. Each of his three restaurants are based on a philosophy of eating fresh, local, in season food. This was a groundbreaking idea when he started his first restaurant in Birmingham, AL in the early 80's.
My first experience with Frank Stitt's food came when I was in college, at Bottega Cafe. I was always completely broke I college so my food budget was almost non-existent. I'd have to save up and every so often a group of us would go to Bottega Cafe. Bottega is two restaurants in one. On one side a fine dining restaurant, way beyond my meager means in college, the other side was casual dining. We could only afford to eat at the Cafe but it was a fine meal out for me in those days. Usually we'd order several items and share with the whole table. If I was really spluging, I'd order the tiramisu, which I didn't share with anyone!
A few years later my sister, a Culinary Institute of America student, did an externship at Highland Bar and Grill. Some of the best food I've every eaten has come from that kitchen.
So this week-end when I needed a great first course for a dinner party with friends, I pulled out Frank Stitt's Southern Table for inspiration. I decided to make the Curried Pumpkin Soup with Crab Crostini's. The vibrant orange color and spicy curry make this the perfect soup for a cool fall evening.


Curried Pumpkin Soup

Frank Stitt's Southern Table

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 onions, sliced
2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and sliced
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and sliced
1 tablespoon mild curry powder
1/4 cinnamon stick, 2 cloves, and 3 allspice berries, tied in cheesecloth to make a sachet
1 pound butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced
1 pound peeled pie pumpkin, sliced
1 sweet potato, peeled and sliced
6 cups water, preferably spring water
1 cup heavy cream
salt and pepper to taste
Snipped chives for garnish

Preparation
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Add the onions, leeks, carrot, and apple and sauté over medium-low heat until the onions are translucent, about 15 minutes. Add the curry, spice sachet, and the remaining vegetables. Pour in the water and bring to a gentle simmer, for about 45 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.

Remove the spice sachet and puree the vegetable mixture in a food mill. To give the soup a silky-smooth texture, pass through a fine-mesh strainer. Add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the soup to a saucepan. Add the cream and taste and adjust the seasoning. Heat gently just until warmed through.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the chives.

This soup is great on it's own but the crab crostini makes it spectacular.
Crab Crostini

1/2 lb lump crab
1 1/2 tsp. olive oil
zest of half a lemon
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
1 tsp fresh chives chopped fine
2 tsp flat leaf parsley chopped fin
salt and pepper to taste

Half inch baguette slices, crusts removed.

Heat oven to 375
Brush baguette slices lightly with olive oil. Place on baking tray and bake for 3 minutes. Just until toasted but remove from oven before they take on any color.
In a bowl, mix together olive oil, zest, lemon juice, lime juice, parsley, and chive. Gently mix in the lump crab, being careful not to break it up too much.
Top the toasted crostini with a generous amount of the crab mixture and place in the center of the soup.

What to eat when you've been "crowned"

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I got crowned today. No not the kind of crowned that makes you queen of everything or even princess of your own world. No the crowning I got involved needles, drilling and pain. I had a tooth crowned. Calling it a crown is misleading, I feel. Getting crowned is a royal occasion, involving pomp and circumstance, not loud whining drills and six or seven shots to numb your gums. No matter a crown it is, and lucky for me, my dentist is from the old school that still uses the happy gas to take the edge off. My appointment was for first thing in the morning. I was on my way home by 10:00 with a partially numb mouth and a slight happy gas hangover. Dr. H advised me to take a couple of Advil when I got home and to only chew on the left side of my mouth. So after popping a couple Advil, I realized I was HUNGRY! What do you eat with a sore mouth and limited chewing abilities? Well it's definitely an excuse for a milkshake, but I needed some real food. Soup's the only other real option. I scoured the cupboards for anything resembling soup. Of course there was nothing but chicken broth. I was hungry and wanted something to comfort me after my traumatizing morning. I wanted the ultimate comfort meal from my childhood, tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich. Mom always made a milk based tomato soup that I still love. I love a wonderful tomato basil soup as well, but when it comes to comfort foods a milk based tomato soup is hard to beat. I found this recipe on the Epicurious website. It's based on Fannie Farmer's recipe and is similar to what my mom makes. It was the perfect comfort food especially when paired with a white cheddar melted cheese sandwich!

Cream of Tomato Soup
Fannie Farmer (slightly adapted)
makes 7 cups
Ingredients
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons flour
1/2 bay leaf
1 1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups tomato fresh or canned
4 cups milk

Preparation
Melt butter in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring until the onion is softened but not browned. Sprinkle the flour over the butter mixture and continue to stir and cook 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the milk, bay leaf, sugar and salt continue to cook until slightly thickened. Stir the baking soda into the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes to the milk, and bring just to a simmer. remove from heat and strain if you want a very smooth soup. Adjust seasonings.

*I used one 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, because that's what I had on hand. It was perfect for someone that didn't want to chew!
I thought this would be the perfect entry for the comfort food cook-off hosted by Eve at The garden of eating. The winner will receive a copy of Macaroni & Cheese: 52 Recipes from Simple to Sublime by Joan Schwartz. This soup and sandwich combo is comforting on a cold day even when you haven't just come from the dentist.

Souper Saturday

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Today for the first time, I could feel it! It wasn't a drastic difference from the day before but it was there! The first hint of Fall. The humidity that had hung in the air like a warm, wet coat seemed to have melted away overnight. The temperature has dropped a few degrees and summer is quickly giving way to fall. Summer we will miss you but, I always look forward to that crisp fall air, football, and all the foods and spices that signify fall. Pumpkins, pecans, apple pie, cinnamon, and the return of SOUP! During summer here in the southeast, soup is not the most appealing meal. The last thing I want to eat in mid July is a pipping hot bowl of soup. I know that there are many wonderful cold soups; gazpacho made from fresh ripe tomatoes and veggies or a soup of ripe juicy melon, Yum!
However, when that hint of fall is in the air, I crave a pot of simmering soup on the stove top that fills the house with smell of warm comfort.

Drawing from my Pennsylvania Dutch roots, I made a variation of my grandmother's Chicken Corn Soup. Grammy, being a good Mennonite lady with a large family, would poach at least two chickens in water onions, carrots and celery. Then let the chickens cool and clean the meat from the bones, put it all back in the broth and finish the soup. My mom always made her soup this way as well, and as a child, I loved helping take the meat off the chicken. The helper could steal a few pieces of chicken!

Today I really wanted chicken corn soup and not having the time or a whole chicken to cook, I grabbed some chicken stock and a couple of chicken breast and made soup. I added some new potatoes to my soup and I don't think that my grandmother put any potatoes in hers. That's the great thing about making soup, there are endless variations and it's a great way to clean out the leftovers in the fridge. So throw in whatever you've got on hand. Soup is great dish for beginning cooks because it's almost impossible to ruin!

Method

serves 6-8

10 cups chicken stock (I used homemade but any good stock will do)

2-3 chicken breasts

2 stalks of celery chopped

1 small yellow onion chopped

1 carrot sliced thinly

1 lb of new potatoes cut into small pieces

1tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 cup of fresh corn or frozen corn kernels

2 hard boiled eggs chopped

1 1/2 TBS fresh flat leaf parsley chopped

Put the stock, chicken breasts, celery, onions, carrots, potatoes, salt and pepper, in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer for 30-45 min. until chicken is cooked. Remove chicken breast and shred with two forks. Skim any fat from the top of the soup and return the chicken to the soup. Add the corn and cook for 10 min. Add hard boiled eggs and parsley. Adjust seasoning(I like lots of pepper) and serve.