Just In Time for Supper

Roger is often away several days out of the week.  I don't always know what time he is coming in, but I do know he is almost always hungry.  If it has been a long day at school I am apt to stop at Fresh Market and pick up a roasted chicken or a piece of roasted salmon on the way home.  Throw a salad together, maybe steam a vegetable and we have a meal although not always completely homemade.  

Last week I was on spring break and I wanted to cook.  Roger was to return on Wednesday, but didn't know the time because of rain delays.  With the rain I was sort of feeling like a soup.  With the temperatures I started thinking about a cold soup.  After taking a few pictures of cookbooks for an earlier post I started browsing Lee Bailey's Soup Dinners and found an asparagus soup recipe that sounded perfect for my mood.  I could make it early and let it sit until we were ready to eat.  (I actually halved the recipe and made very few changes.)

The color was a lovely spring green and the texture luxuriously silky.  I chose to serve it at room temperature rather than chilled.  

Lee Bailey's Asparagus Soup

(changes made only where noted)
serves 6

1 1/2 pound fresh asparagus, washed and with tough ends removed

1/4 cup unsalted butter
(I halved the butter with olive oil)

1/2 cupped chopped onion

1 cup (about 4) washed and chopped leeks (white part only)

1 to 2 cloves garlic, chopped (my addition..I just can't cook without it)

1/2 cup chopped celery (I left this out...forgot to put it on my list)

1 small baking potato (about 1/2 pound) peeled and cubed

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

salt and white pepper to taste

1/2 cup half-and-half

Cut off asparagus tips and set stalks aside.  Melt butter in a deep skillet with a lid.  Add asparagus tips, onion, leeks, celery, garlic and potato.  Cover tightly and cook over the very lowest heat until vegetables are soft.  Twenty minutes or more.

Meanwhile, place stock in a large saucepan with the reserved asparagus stalks, cut into one inch pieces.  Bring to a boil and simmer.  covered tightly for about 30 minutes.  Discard stalks and set stock aside.

In a food processor (I used my emersion blender) puree' softened vegetables and add to the asparagus stock.  Season with lemon juice, salt, white pepper.

Allow to cool and refrigerate (I didn't refrigerate).

Stir in half-and-half and garnish with creme fraiche or whipped cream (I used freshly chopped parsley) before serving.

I served the soup with a heirloom tomato, cucumber and onion salad and pumpernickel toast points.

Fresh strawberries made the perfect dessert.

Bon Appétit

What Day is It?

Is it really Thursday?  It has been that kind of week.

Tuesday, a bit of a storm blew in causing the mercury to fall ever so slightly.  Wednesday it seemed to get cooler as the day progressed.   This morning I wore a heavier jacket but ended up taking it off on the playground.   By the time I walked out of the bookstore this afternoon I was wishing I had not left my coat in the car.    The meteorologist is saying high 30s tonight.  I've brought a few tender plants in for the night and I will cover those I cannot lift by myself.  My trees are still providing a nice leaf canopy;  I think most things will be okay.

It seems this might be the perfect night for the settling in with the first fire of the season, a couple of new magazines I picked up while browsing this afternoon

and a bowl of

Roger's Fish Stew

(adapted from several different recipes)

1 yellow onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

2 small sweet potatoes, cut into chunks

2 to 3 garlic cloves

(I love garlic)

2 tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup dry white wine

2 cups fish or chicken stock

8 oz. tomato sauce

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp. salt (or to taste)

1/4 tsp. fennel seed

1 lb. cod fillet, cut into large chunks

(I also like to add shrimp and or scallops)

a handful of italian parsley, coarsely chopped

In a large stockpot saute' onion, pepper and sweet potatoes or about 5 minutes or until onion is tender.  Stir in garlic and tomatoes.  Add the wine, broth, tomato sauce, cayenne, salt and fennel seed.  Bring to a simmer.  Reduce heat and continue to simmer for about 25 minutes.  Gently push fish into the liquid until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes.  Stir, breaking the fish into large spoon-sized chunks.  Check seasoning. 

Ladle into soup bowls and sprinkle parsley on top.

I like to serve this with thick slice of dark brown bread.

(4 servings)

Enjoy!

This time tomorrow I will be enjoying dinner with my sweet daughter.  I hope you have something wonderful to do this weekend.

Hugs!