Volume 9, Issue 93 - November 9, 2005

Hello Recipe Club Member,

Many areas of this country are seeing the cooling effects of the upcoming winter season already. We have had snow in our area on a number of occasions already and the night time temperatures are dipping into the low 20's. That cold weather just instinctively makes me crave a good bowl of soup. Today's first recipe is for a Split Pea soup, one of my favorites. I prefer mine with plenty of ham hock and bacon in it, just like the recipe below. One note of interest, the recipe below has potatoes in it, an ingredient I have never used in Pea Soup. I must try it.

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Purée of Split Pea

The bacon and ham hock add a traditional smoky flavor to this thick and heart-warming purée of vegetable and split peas. However, if you prefer a meatless version, omit the bacon and ham hock, substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth and replace the bacon fat with vegetable oil.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

4 strips bacon, minced
1 medium onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 carrot, diced (about 1/3 cup)
1 celery stalk, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 leek, white and light green part, diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 cups chicken broth
2 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 2 cups)
1/2 pound split green or yellow peas or lentils
1 smoked ham hock, split in half
Sachet: 1 bay leaf, 1 whole clove, 1 garlic clove, 4 to 5 peppercorns enclosed in a large teaball or tied in a cheesecloth pouch
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup tiny croutons

Preparation:

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium-high heat until crisp and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels and set aside. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat. Add the onion, carrot, celery and leek, stir to evenly coat with fat. Cover the pot and cook the vegetables over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the onion is tender and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes, peas and ham hock. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sachet and simmer until the split peas are soft, about 30 minutes. Skim away any scum as needed during simmering.

Remove and discard the sachet. Remove the ham hock and set aside to cool. When cool enough to handle, cut the ham off the bone, dice and set aside.

Strain the soup through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Purée the solids and return to the soup pot. Add enough of the reserved liquid to achieve a thick soup consistency. Blend well. Stir in the diced ham and bacon. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with croutons.

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Leblebi
(Tunisian Chickpea Soup)

Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) are an important food in many parts of the world, particularly the band of countries that stretches from India through the Middle East to the Mediterranean. Buy dried chickpeas from a store that is likely to turn over its stock quickly, because chickpeas that are extremely dry will not soften properly no matter how long you cook them. Middle Eastern or Indian groceries and health food stores are good bets. You can also substitute 3 1/2 cups of drained and rinsed canned chickpeas for the dried (skip the cooking in step 2 and go directly to adding the spice paste in step 3). This recipes calls for a mortar and pestle, but if you don't have them, you can mince the garlic by hand, sprinkle it with the salt and mash it to a paste with the side of a large knife. You can use a spice grinder to grind the cumin seeds, or you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of toasted ground cumin.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups dried chickpeas, soaked overnight in 1 quart of water
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
8 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon harissa (recipe follows)
freshly ground black pepper to taste

Garnishes:

three 1-inch-thick slices of day old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 hard-boiled eggs, coarsely chopped
2 lemons, quartered
one 6-ounce can tuna, drained and flaked
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallion (white and green parts)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped capers, drained
1/3 cup harissa
ground cumin to taste
cruet of extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Set aside.

Drain the soaking liquid from the chickpeas and place them in a large saucepan or a soup pot. Add the broth and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Crush the whole cumin seeds with the 1/2 teaspoon salt in a mortar. Add the garlic and crush to a paste. Add the garlic/spice paste and the harissa to the soup. Continue to simmer until the chickpeas are barely tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add the onions and the olive oil they were cooked in and simmer until the chickpeas are fully tender, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, place the bread chunks in the bottoms of heated soup bowls and ladle about 1/2 cup of broth into each bowl. Arrange the remaining garnishes in small bowls or on a tray along with the olive oil and additional salt and pepper. Once the bread has softened, add the chickpeas to the soup bowls. Serve immediately with choice of garnishes.

Harissa

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

5 roasted jalapeños, peeled and seeded
2 roasted red peppers, peeled and seeded
3 tablespoons hot Hungarian paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted cumin seeds
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation:

Combine the jalapeños, peppers, paprika, cumin, garlic and cayenne in a blender. Grind to a pastelike consistency.

Transfer the jalapeño mixture to a bowl and slowly whisk in the oil to create a smooth sauce. Add the lemon juice and salt to taste. The harissa is ready to serve now, or it can be transferred to a clean storage container and kept in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

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Corn Chowder with Chiles and Monterey Jack

This chowder is best made with fresh corn on the cob, but if corn is out of season and you are desperate for corn chowder, you may substitute 3 cups of frozen corn kernels which have been thawed. To avoid this situation altogether, though, make an extra batch or two at the height of corn season and freeze to enjoy later in the dead of winter when fresh corn is but a distant memory.

Makes 8 servings

Ingredients:

6 ears of corn, shucked
1 cup heavy cream
2 slices bacon, minced (about 1/4 cup)
1 medium onion, finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 red bell pepper, minced (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 garlic clove, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
1 1/2 quarts chicken broth
3 yellow or white potatoes, peeled and diced (about 3 cups)
3 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped, juices reserved (about 3 cups)
one 4-ounce can green chiles, drained and chopped
1 cup grated Monterey jack cheese
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce to taste
1 cup corn tortilla strips, toasted (optional)

Preparation:

Cut the corn kernels from the cobs with a sharp knife, capturing as much of the juice as possible. Reserve 3/4 cup of the corn kernels and purée the rest with the heavy cream in a food processor or blender. Set aside.

Cook the bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Add the onion, pepper, celery and garlic. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the broth, potatoes and tomatoes, including their juices. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Skim any fat from the surface of the soup and discard.

Add the puréed corn and cream, the reserved corn kernels and the chiles and cheese. Warm the soup.  Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with tortilla strips (if using).

Smoked Corn and Chile Chowder with Monterey Jack

Note: Do not try this smoking process unless you have a well-ventilated kitchen. Turn the exhaust fan on high and monitor the process constantly.

Substitute 2 fresh poblano chiles for the canned green chiles. Core and remove the seeds from the poblanos and the red bell pepper. Cut into large flat pieces, approximately 4-inches square.

To smoke the corn and peppers, place fine wood chips in a disposable aluminum roasting pan fitted with a wire rack (if your rack does not have feet, use balls of aluminum foil to raise the rack a few inches above the wood chips). Use only wood chips that are specifically meant for smoking food. Have ready a fitted cover or aluminum foil large enough to cover the pan. Heat the roasting pan over high heat until the wood chips begin to smolder and smoke.

Place the corn and pepper sections on the wire rack over the smoking chips. If the chips are smoldering and creating sufficient smoke, remove the pan from the heat. Otherwise, reduce the heat to low. The idea is to keep the chips smoldering, but not to catch them on fire. Cover tightly with the lid or aluminum foil and allow the vegetables to smoke for about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the foil and allow the vegetables to cool. Dice the sections of red pepper and poblano chile.

Proceed with step 1 of the recipe above, adding the poblanos at the same time as the red pepper in step 2.

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Cheddar Cheese Soup

This soup does not have any cream in it, but it is plenty rich because of the cheese. If you make this soup in advance, reheat it in a double boiler over simmering water or in a microwave at medium power so the cheese does not separate from the soup, giving it a curdled appearance. Try other cheeses, such as Brie, Camembert, or even goat cheese.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 leeks, white and light green parts, finely diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 onion, finely diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 cup ale or white wine
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
3 cups grated cheddar or Monterey jack cheese (about 1 pound)
Tabasco sauce to taste
salt to taste
freshly ground white pepper to taste
1/4 cup finely diced canned green chiles
2 tablespoons minced cilantro or parsley
2 tablespoons finely diced pickled jalapeños (optional)

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks, onion and celery. Stir to coat evenly with butter. Cover the pot and cook until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 5 minutes.

Add the flour and stir well with a wooden spoon. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring almost constantly. Add the dry mustard and ale, stirring to make a thick paste. Add the broth gradually, using a whisk to work out any lumps between each addition.

Bring the soup to a simmer and continue to simmer gently for 1 hour. Stir the soup occasionally and skim the surface as necessary.

Strain the soup through a sieve, reserving the liquid. Purée the solids and return to the soup pot. Add enough of the reserved liquid to achieve a soup consistency and strain once more.

Return the soup to a simmer. Whisk in the cheese and simmer until the cheese melts, about 1 minute. Season to taste with Tabasco sauce, salt and white pepper. Serve in heated bowls, garnished with the chiles, cilantro and jalapeños (if using).