First step in recipe: Throw a party There’s one at every party, a crudités platter, beautifully cut-up vegetables, arranged in vibrant color swaths, decorated with herbs and little treats. Sometimes, depending on what else is available, it even gets eaten! Always some left over However, usually there are lots left over, especially if a large…
Category: Soups & Stews
Jazzy Rutabaga and Black Bean Soup
Full of flavor, this soup will warm you, wake you up, and make you want to dance. And it won’t break the bank! I was talking to my friend Chris recently, and he was making black bean soup. The thoughts of the soup stuck in my mind, so that evening I put a pound of…
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Feast of Seven Fishes – Stew!
You can honor the idea of the Feast of Seven Fishes in a one-dish meal that takes a fraction of the time, but delights with great flavor! Time is short, and I’m sending you a rerun of a previous post. Happiest of Holidays to you all! Dorothy I prepared the full Feast of the Seven…
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Harvest Tomato Fennel Soup to warm the soul
Tomato Soup made from scratch. Toasted cheese. Who could ask for anything more? Last week, here in the north, you could buy a giant box of tomatoes for no money, and the this week they are almost non-existent. There is even one farm that lets you come and glean the fields for $5 a shopping…
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Last corn? Time for a classic corn chowder
In New England, we measure the seasons by the crops, and this is one of the best! When Corn Season is upon us, we can’t wait to taste that wonderful sweet first bite. Often, the best flavor is usually not found at the beginning of the season, but a few weeks in. But this year,…
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Parsley and Parmesan Broth with Crabmeat Salad
Full of flavor, and we didn’t waste a thing! One of the joys of having an accomplished chef and restauranteur for a mother-in-law was the abundance of knowledge of little techniques along the way from her, often just by eating what she served. It was always incredible, always memorable, and never skimped on calories, carbs,…
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Leek, Asparagus, and Fennel Soup
Served hot or chilled, this soup is the flavor of Asparagus Season! Asparagus season is fleeting here in the Northeast, but we celebrate it with great flair. There are even asparagus festivals to celebrate this vegetable with every possible cooking method! Raw, baked, roasted, boiled, braised, sautéed, steamed, stir-fried, and grilled, any way you cook…
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New England Steamer Clam Chowder with Fennel
We call it chowdah, a regional staple with the flavor of the sea. A friend of mine asked me for a clam chowder recipe recently, and I told her to check my blog. However, there wasn’t one there! I checked my family cookbook, and I didn’t include one there either, lots of other chowdahs, but…
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Spring Sorrel and Parsnip Soup
It’s time to make a spring tonic soup since the ice is out at Joe’s Pond! Ah, April. Just when we thought it was safe to ditch the boots and winter coats, just as the daffodils delight with their beautiful spring show, we had a spring snow storm that left thousands without power. The ice…
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(Today’s)Yankee Bean and Macaroni Soup
A New England classic that stands the test of time – inexpensive, quick, and really tasty. When I was growing up, Mom often put together a “Yankee Bean Soup” using leftover beans from another meal and a ham bone for flavor. It was a quick meal, tasty, filling, and usually served up with biscuits. There…
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Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup with Peas Three Ways
Shiitake mushrooms are the star here, but peas three ways are perfect supporting actors. Growing up, my uncle Leonard and Aunt Mary were neighbors. He was a great forager of many wild delights, especially mushrooms. From a young age, I learned to love the flavor of chanterelles, hen of the woods (maitake), morels, and other…
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Potato and Carrot Soup garnished with a few memories
It’s still cold and icy, so it’s time for comfort soup. In this house, that probably means potatoes and usually soup. There’s both a shrimp and a vegan version! It’s been cold and icy, and February arrived this week reminding us that even though the sunlight is slowing returning, we are still sitting firmly in…
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Winter Veggie Stew: A study in orange
This soup is flavorful and warming, and on a cold winter’s night, a welcome supper. It has been grey here in Vermont. Tuesday, we had a bit of sun for a while, but for the most part, the last two weeks have been black and white with a bit of holiday red tossed in. The…
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French Lentils with Hakurei Turnips and Sweet Potatoes
This recipe is delicious on a cold autumn night. Lentils are hearty and satisfying, and the addition of the turnips and sweet potatoes round out the flavors, textures, and nutrition in this dish. You can serve it straight up, or dress it up for company with a piece of fish or tofu. The base of…
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Cauliflower Soup with Sun Dried Tomato Chili Oil and Anchovy Croutons
If you’re having a tough week, a pot of soup always helps! I am not quite sure how, but I ended up with both a large and small cauliflower in my refrigerator this week, and while there are indeed a thousand uses for this vegetable these days from pizza crust to stand-ins for mashed potatoes…
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Fennel and Leek “Vichyssoise” with Seared Scallops
A lighter version of one of our family’s favorites. Guilt-free, but just as delicious! It’s not a traditional Vichyssoise, but it is just as delicious (and there’s a vegan alternative too). My mother-in-law Pat Read was one of the best chefs I’ve ever known, and I learned lots from her. She ran two splendid restaurants…
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Chilled Fresh Corn Soup
The sweet corn has hit the farm stands, and summer is showing off some of its best! We wait with great anticipation the beginning of corn season. The first week or two, the corn is not often at its sweetest, but this year, my first ears were sweet and tender. Some for tonight, some for…
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Ramp, Morel Mushroom, and Potato Chowder
This is the taste of the season, welcome on the chilly nights of spring. But if you have a heat wave, you can also eat this soup chilled. As a New Englander, I love a chowder. But at this time of year, I’m not thinking clams or corn, but the beautiful greens of spring. Greens,…
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Haddock Quenelles in Saffron Fish Broth
Light, fluffy dumplings swimming in a flavorful pool of delight, inspired by a character from the past. Dec. 31, 1985, was memorable on several counts. First of all, I made a lavish New Year’s Eve feast inspired by the vintage cookbook “Francatelli’s Modern Cook” 1887, a revision of earlier editions. I had picked this up for…
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Mushroom and Miso Ramen Bowl of Delights!
Fresh and dried mushrooms make this soup flavorful and packed with nutrients. Mushroom soup is earthy and satisfying. Miso soup is also filled with great flavor and comfort. Combined, I think they are delightful together, really complex in flavor, and satisfying to the bone! Bunapi shimeji mushrooms are also called beech mushrooms because they live…
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Refrigerator Vegetable Stew
With just a little hint of the warmth of Provence, this simple vegetarian stew is quick to put together and will make your house warm and inviting while it simmers. This has been a winter of cold and grey, with frequent snows and rains or sleets. Lots of time to stay in the house, light…
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So I baked bread, and made soup.
Homemade Roasted Broccoli Soup, Whole Wheat Sourdough bread, are comfort foods in unsettling times.
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Quick Simmered Sushi and Sashimi Soup
Bountiful leftovers from a sushi and sashimi platter? Use every scrap for a left-overs soup that warms the body and soul.
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Moroccan Spiced Vegetable and Wild Rice Soup
What’s more warming at this time of year than a big pot of flavorful soup? The weather definitely turned this week from last week’s balmy 70 degrees to snow predicted for tomorrow! That’s New England! There’s nothing I like better than to make a big pot of soup and let it gently simmer to perfection…
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Creamy Cauliflower, Leek, and Sage Soup
When the fall vegetables arrive, we suddenly find ourselves with colorful new possibilities. Cauliflower is a favorite in our family, and leeks a staple that will remain available through the winter. I’m glad of that since I have many recipes that use these sweet, tender members of the onion family. This is a simple soup,…
