Soup Season

There have been a lot soups showing up at the dinner table lately, and for good reason. As it gets colder, there's nothing better than a good soup or stew.

The first two recipes are from Gourmet Magazine Nov. 2009. The rice is from Gourmet Magazine July 2009. Be warned that this was a very root vegetable heavy meal. It all adds up to a really healthy dinner, so if you are looking for some savory comfort food, see yesterday's meal.

Scarlet Carrot Soup

2 Tbsp coriander seeds toasted

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup sliced shallots (3 large)

3 large thyme sprigs

2 bay leaves

1/8 tsp hot pepper flakes

3 lb carrots, peeled and thickly sliced

1 lb trimmed beets, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

8 cups water

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Grind coriander in grinder.

Heat oil in a 5-qt heavy pot over medium heat, then cook shallots, thyme, bay leaves, and red pepper until tender (~3 min). Add carrots, beets, 2 Tbsp coriander, 2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, and water. Bring to boil, then simmer, covered until vegetables at very tender (~20 min).

Take out bay leaves and any tough thyme stems. Puree soup in batches in a blender until smooth after it has cooled a bit, then return to pot. Stir in vinegar, salt and pepper to taste, and more water if the soup needs thinning.

We also decided to add some "Greek-Style" non-fat plain yogurt to add something extra to all that foolish healthy beet and carrot business. My mom was not so happy with how the soup tasted, as the beets really showed through in the flavors. While I wouldn't say that beets actually taste like dirt, that's kind of how I would describe the taste they give things. Let's just say that the soup had a very organic taste to it, which my dad and I loved.

Braised Kale With Turnips and Apples

2 lb Kale, tough stems discarded and leaves torn into small pieces

1 (1 lb) ham hock, rinsed

3.5 cups water

3 Gala apples, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

1.25 lb turnips peeled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

2 tsp cider vinegar

2 tsp sugar

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Bring kale, ham hock, water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil in a large pot. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until greens are almost tender (~20 min). Add turnips and apples to greens with vinegar, sugar, and 1/4 tsp of each salt and pepper and cook at a bare simmer, covered, stirring and turning ham hock occasionally, until turnips and apples are tender but not falling apart (~20 min). Turn off heat and stir in butter and salt to taste. If you want you can chop any tender meat off of the ham hock and add it to the rest.

Eating the kale and rice dishes together was great.

Rice With Fennel and Golden Raisins

It has way more flavor than it looks like it does, I promise. It's a great way to eat fennel.

1 medium onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 large fennel bulb, chopped (2 cups)

1/3 cup golden raisins

1/2 tsp fennel seed, lightly crushed

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup medium or long grained white rice

2 cups water

Cook onion and fennel with raisins, fennel seeds, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper in oil in a 4 qt saucepan over medium heat, until softened (~9 min). Add rice and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add water and bring to a vigorous boil. Tightly cover and cook over low heat, undisturbed, until water is absorbed (~22 min).

Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 minutes, then fluff with fork.