Tomato soup

 A friend is putting together a cookbook of recipes that she and her friends etc have been eating during this lock down. While I have been eating this since before that it has become a staple for me. I eat it once a week. I usually add dumplings but there is so much you can do with a good tomato soup.

1 Tbsp Olive oil
1 sm Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1/2 tsp Red Pepper flakes, crushed
2 Tbsp Tomato paste
1 Tbsp fresh Thyme (add other herbs, use dry, it's all good)
56 oz Tomatoes, whole canned
2 c Water or stock (chicken or veggie is my normal go to)
Salt and pepper to taste
a HEAVY pinch of sugar (like a tsp)

Soften the onions in the oil

Add the garlic

Add red pepper flakes and tomato paste

Cook until the paste is deep red (2-3 min)

Add tomatoes and thyme

Add the stock

Cook for 10 min

Blend with an immersion blender or use a regular blender and blend until smooth

Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste.

Note:
The sugar helps tame the acidity of the tomatoes, you don't need a lot but it does make a difference

Gumbo

I grew up in the North East of the US. And when I say North I mean NORTH. So people have always been shocked when I whip up something that is typically not found in the Northern diet, Like chicken fried steak, though that has become a truck stop favorite all over the US. Things like biscuits and gravy, though this too has a far reach. But Gumbo, and not just something that shares the name, but honest made and feeds the soul, they just say 'You musta been southern in a previous life'.

Cooking of all kinds comes naturally to me and I love to explore new things. So part of my 'What do I do with leftovers' was solved again by my good friend Emma (from her mom) and the donation of her recipe of Gumbo to my repertoire of recipes. Changes have been made as again, some ingredients are just not findable at this time in Germany but many things are coming and the internet can help sometimes.

6 Tbsp Oil
6 Tbsp Flour
1 lb Sausage (Andui is best, but I work with what I can get so cabanossi is what it usually is)
1 Chicken (deboned, or a leftover Chicken or Turkey carcass)
2 Gallons of water or stock
2 Onions, Large (butcher onion size)
4-5 Celery stalks (Or half of a ball celery about the same size of the onions)
1 Bell Pepper (green)
5 Green Onions (tops only)
2 tsp Parsley, chopped
2-3 Bay leaves
Basil, Thyme, Cayenne, Salt and Pepper. All to taste

Make a Roux with the oil and flour, you are going to slow cook this until it is the color of a penny
Pan fry the sausage and drain off the oil
Saute the onions and green pepper
Boil the chicken in the water (debone it after, save the water)
Combine the chicken (turkey), Roux, and sausage with the seasonings(not parsley)
Add water and spices, cook at least 2 hours
Add parsley at the end to wilt it
Serve over rice with File' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fil%C3%A9_powder)

Fall means pumpkins and soup

Yes folks, here in Germany fall has begun. Which really means the temps have dropped and it's been raining for a week. This also means that you can find pumpkins in the store. Hokkaido are the most common but hopefully soon they with have the 'normal' halloween pumpkins I am used to . Technically for these soups you can use any kind of orange fleshed squash or pumpkin. I have 3 'go to ' recipes for fall soups, or those containing pumpkin or squash if you will. 2 have been passed down to me and one was found on line but I don't remember where anymore and I have changed it from its original state anyway.

So to start, my neighbor Hans passed along this recipe to me. My kids have declared it their favorite. It's a little different but not 'out there'. The curry blends well into it without being overpowering and the apple just disappears but leaves a bit of sweetness.

1 kg (2 pounds) Pumpkin chopped (peeled if needed Hokkaido just need to be washed, you are also            going to remove the seeds and strings)
1 Apple (peeled and seeded) chopped
2 Onion, diced (about 3/4 to 1 cup)
50 gm Butter (3.5 Tbsp)
2 tsp Curry Powder
2 Tbsp Flour
pinch of Nutmeg
2 tsp of Bouillon (chicken or vegetable)
3 C water
2 C milk
1 1/2 tsp Salt
Cream (optional for serving)

Saute the onions in butter
Add Pumpkin, Apple, and Curry powder: Stir well
Add Flour and Nutmeg: Stir well
Add Water, Bouillon, and Milk
Do not bring to a boil, only a simmer
Cook until the pumpkin is soft
Blend with a  stab mixer or in a blender until smooth
Add salt to taste
Garnish with cream and parsley


My favorite recipe combines spicy fresh ginger with sweet brown sugar

750g Pumpkin
500ml Chicken broth (or vegetable)
4cm piece Fresh Ginger (peeled and grated)
2 Tbsp Brown sugar
100 ml Cream
dash of Nutmeg

Cook the pumpkin in the broth until tender
I add the ginger after about 15 min
Puree' with a stabmixer or in a blender
Add the sugar and cream
Add nutmeg
Serve with more cream or whipped cream if desired

The last recipe came via the internet and started as a Pampered chef recipe. I love the PC products, I am not a seller and I am not supported by them but I do love their things. I have a set of kitchen shears that took 10 years to dull! You don't have to have any of their products though to make this soup.

1 medium Butternut squash (1 kg or 1 lbs)
3 medium to large Carrots
1 medium onion
1 Tbsp Olive oil
3 cloves Garlic (pressed, minced, etc)
1 tsp Seasoning (Italian, Sage, Basil, Tarragon whatever suits your taste)
4 c Chicken Stock (or vegetable)
15 oz Pumpkin ( Can be canned or home roasted)
200 ml Cream
1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

In oil cook the onion until soft
Add the butternut and carrot, cook about 5-10 min
Add the garlic, cook about 1 min (max)
Add the chicken stock, spices and Pumpkin
Cook until the carrot and squash are tender
Blend with a stab mixer or in a blender until smooth
Add the cream and heat through

Let's talk about corn chowder

OK folks, time for a taste of home. At least for me. A summer favorite that I have been making for a long while.

Corn was a summer staple on our supper table growing up. Normally butter and sugar but sometimes some silver queen. Didn't seem to matter how many people were at the house we would boil up a dozen ears at a time. Extra, if there were any, I would make into corn chowder. Again a recipe that I played with a million times changing out ingredients and making it just the way I like. So today I have whipped up a batch and written out as I went along so I can share with you ( my whopping 5 readers, lol).

Ingredients:

2 Ears Corn
1 Small Onion (yellow, diced)
50 gm Bacon (or salt pork. In Germany we have Schinken würful which is small cubed bacon)
1 1/2 c small diced Potato (red potatoes are best)
500 ml Milk ( I used 1.5% but whole is fine)
200 ml Cream
Butter
Salt
Pepper

Instructions:

In a med pot add a pat of butter
On a med heat add the bacon, you want to sweat out the fat
Cut the corn off the cob (You can cook the corn first but there is no need to. If you do not the kernels      stay crisper)
Add the kernels and cook for 5 to 10 min Add butter if needed.
Make a hole in the center of the pot, add a pat of butter, add the onion
Stir after about 2 min and keep cooking until the onion has softened
Add in the milk, the cream and the potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste
Cook without boiling until the potatoes are soft.

Play with the recipe as you like. Hope you enjoy!

Broccoli cheese soup, because it was on sale

So, I was out shopping, as ya do, and I saw a head of lonely broccoli on sale. It looked lonely and was .99 so I thought 'Yum I'll make some broccoli rice au gratin.' Then I spotted a second head for only .29 and thought, 'Broccoli cheese soup it is!'. I can't resist a sale, especially broccoli. The weather has just turned rainy, though it is still warm and quite humid, YUCK! So some comfort food will help. I happened to also buy the stuff to make a gorgeous salad and I will do just that if I find some extra energy lying around.

So, i do what I do a lot. I hit the internet looking for decent recipes, found not quite what I wanted and made my own. So, here it is...

Broccoli Cheese Soup
1 small onion (finely diced)
3 cups broccoli (This was one 500 gm head, just the florets and chopped small, you can use stem too just chop it small or grate it)
1 large carrot (grated or you could use matchsticks, I guess 3/4 of a cup)
1 clove of garlic (a big one, smashed)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
8 oz cheddar (shredded, you could use other cheese or a combo of cheeses)
1 oz Parmesan (fresh shredded, about 1/3 cup)
2 cups Chicken Broth (could use veggie)
2 cups milk (I used 1.5% because... sale)
200 gm Creme Fresh ( Add enough milk to thin it to 1 cup. About 1/2 c milk)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Pepper fresh cracked


On med heat melt the butter
Add the onion, cook until almost tender
Add the garlic, cook 30 sec
Add the carrot, cook 2 min
Add the flour, stir well so that it is all mixed in, cook 1-2 min
Add the broth, you want this to be smooth and thick
Add the broccoli, stir and cook 1 min
Add salt and pepper
Add the milk, stir well
Add the Creme fresh
Add the cheese, stir well
Add more salt and pepper to taste
Cook about 30 min

Soup, not just for cold weather

Summer is upon us and not even yet at it's full height, but I'm already thinking about Fall. Then again I am always thinking of fall and even summer has it's cold and rainy spots and to fill those spots is soup.

Of course it doesn't have to be cold or rainy to enjoy soup, it just helps in my opinion.

Me being me I start all my soups from scratch, which means if they are meat based I use bones. You can collect bones and freeze them. Roasted chicken, ribs from BBQ, or you can go to the store and buy 'soup bones'. Simply I put the bones in a pot (no more than half the pot usually) and fill it with water to within an inch of the rim. Add a bit of salt, just a sprinkle, cover and boil, for hours. Cool and strain the bones out. You now have a simple stock to use. To concentrate it's flavor you can boil it down and reduce it. To enhance the flavor you can use onion, celery and herbs to do so.

Stock made from bones has added benefits other than just a richer flavor. The joints contain and impart collagen, gelatin, and many minerals, and the marrow adds rich flavor and fats.

You can also just boil the bones with meat on them. I often start my chicken and dumplings with whole chicken legs that I have boiled up and then stripped when they are cool. My favorite 'cut' for chicken stock though is chicken backs. Not a lot of meat and you need to be careful stripping them because those vertebrae are tiny, but such wonderfully rich flavor. You can roast them first if you like and if you do be sure to save the drippings to put in the soup.

Simple veggie stock can be accomplished by saving your scraps. A bag in the freezer for onion ends, celery bits, carrot and other peels as well. Just boil them up and strain them out. If you have no scraps about simply a few of everything cut up in chunks and boiled in some salted water will work fine.

Note about boiling onion skins, it may impart a slight yellow color to your stock, this is normal. Onion skins were used as a dye in the middle ages.

Now you have a base for most soups, have fun!