Easing Through the Seasons
September 21, 2006
Soup season is upon us, so let us go gently into that good night by starting
with a tomato based chowder that is served warm, not hot. You’ll
create a meal that is special enough for guests, but so easy it could become
a family standard. Start by visiting the seafood section of your supermarket.
See all those little cups filled with shucked clams, oysters, mussels,
scallops, and shrimp? Buy a quarter pound of each or some small chunks
of salmon, halibut and tuna– choose whatever combination you like,
one to two pounds in all. Now, chop up some of those late season tomatoes,
and you are on your way…
Blarney’s Seafood Chowder
Heat a soup pot over medium heat; add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add
1 medium chopped sweet onion. Sweat for 10 minutes.
- Add 2 thinly sliced garlic cloves. Sauté 2 minutes longer.
- Deglaze pot with 1 cup white wine, scrapping up browned bits.
- Add 4 freshly chopped Roma or plum tomatoes, including seeds, skins and juice. Add a 28–ounce can of Redpack brand crushed tomatoes.
- Add 1 cup of bottled clam juice and one–half cup orange juice. Simmer soup for 5 minutes; turn off heat. Add a few pinches of kosher salt to taste.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.
- The soup can be made up to two days ahead at this point, store in fridge.
- To finish the soup, simmer for five minutes, turn off heat, then immediately add 1–2 pounds of your chosen seafood combination. Cover; set for five minutes. Stir and adjust seasonings to taste.
- Roll 8 fresh basil leaves, cigar–style, and slice crosswise into a chiffonade (ribbons of basil).
- Serve soup in a shallow pasta bowl and top with basil, fresh pepper and a bit of freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serves 6–8.
Cheesey Bread
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butterfly
open 1 loaf of Italian–style
white bread. Place the loaves crust side down on a foil lined cookie
sheet. Coat the bread with a thin layer of olive oil. Cut loaf across
into quarters. Sprinkle loaves with one cup shredded mozzarella cheese.
Pat gently to set. Bake in oven 10 minutes or until bubbling and browned.
Caramelized Apples & Ice Cream
Peel and slice 5 apples. Heat a
sauté pan on medium; add 2
tablespoons of butter. Coat the apples in the butter and sprinkle
2 tablespoons of sugar and one–half teaspoon cinnamon over mixture.
Sauté for 20 minutes turning gently with a rubber spatula. Apples
will release their sugars and caramelize. Serve over vanilla ice cream
or frozen yogurt.
Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008