Soupergirl

I'm taking time out from my regularly-scheduled programming to tell you about an awesome new business being launched in the DC area: it's called Soupergirl, and (if you couldn't guess) it's a soup business! A friend of mine, Sara Polon, not to be at all confused with Sarah Palin (who will NOT be our next VP, thank you very much!!) launched Soupergirl this Thursday, and starting ever-so-soon, you can get fresh, delicious soups delivered to a location nearby!

Sara uses as much local produce as possible in making her soups; as it so happens, all her soups are vegan -- but they hardly skimp on flavor: I've tried the black bean chili, the pureed chickpea, the pumpkin tomato, the black-eyed pea and mustard green, and others, and let me tell you....delicious.

Did I mention that I did the photos for her site? My very first gig!

So how was I lucky enough to taste all these soups? Well, Sara's been holding tastings for months now, pressure-testing her recipes with discerning and hungry friends of hers. But that's not how I tried them. Nope -- I tried them at our photoshoot this Sunday!

Yes, folks, you heard me correctly -- I, amateur photographer with no real knowledge of this stuff, took the photos for Sara's website! So not only did I politely dunk my spoon fingers into every soup, I also got handsomely paid with two large containers of the stuff. I'm a happy lady.

So if you're in the DC area, check out soupergirl....I can guarantee you, my tastebuds were singin' after tasting Sara's soups, and yours can be, too. www.thesoupergirl.com. Try it, you'll like it!

Cauliflower Soup

Keeping kosher has its fair share of... challenges. Never have I cooked a meat dish that has any sort of dairy product, be it cream or even butter. When I make meat for dinner, dessert can't have butter in it. I don't use shortening, which makes things rather difficult. Butter aside, one great sacrifice of kosher cooking is not being able to use pancetta. Now I can't say for sure that it's actually a sacrifice -- after all, I've never actually had pancetta -- but I think it's safe to say that it's one of the most oft-used flavorings for vegetables, soups, and stews of all kinds.

When I came across a beautiful cauliflower at the farmers market a couple weeks ago, I knew I'd be experimenting with cauliflower soup recipes. I came home and began poking around my cookbooks and recipe sites in search of promising combinations, but almost every recipe I found called for some form of pig. And I can understand why: pancetta, bacon and the like provide the perfect smoky, meaty background flavor against which the mild, creamy, fresh-tasting cauliflower really shines. I started to feel a bit handicapped -- as though no amount of searching would product an all-vegetarian recipe that would have real flavor.

Fortunately, I didn't dispair. I just decided to conduct an innocent little test, using none other than Morningstar Farms Bacon Strips. For those of us who've never tried bacon, Morningstar makes a pretty tasty imitation. Their strips are smoky and salty, and if you fry them over super-low heat for a while, they even get nice and crispy. I eat them all the time for breakfast, but I'd never thought to use them in place of bacon in recipes -- until now.

I chopped two strips into bits, and fried them in olive oil with a bit of garlic and onion. Once the onion was somewhat browned, I added two cups of water to stop the cooking. I then added three more cups of water, and 1 whole cauliflower, chopped into florets. I sprinkled salt and pepper, grated a bit of nutmeg, and dropped a parmiggiano rind in before popping the cover on and letting it simmer away. Once the cauliflower was cooked through and soft, I ggggg-ed away with my immersion blender until the soup was completely smooth. Taking inspiration from an epicurious recipe, I topped each bowl with a shaving of parmiggiano and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Totally vegetarian, totally delicious

Cauliflower Soup adapted from Bon Appetit

2 ounces applewood-smoked bacon (about 2 1/2 slices), chopped (I used Morningstar farms) 1 cup chopped onion 3/4 cup chopped celery 2 garlic cloves, chopped 6 cups 1-inch pieces cauliflower (cut from 1 large head) 3-6 cups liquid: low-salt chicken broth and water are both fine 1 3/4-inch cube Pecorino Romano or Parmiggiano Reggiano cheese plus additional cheese shavings for serving

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, optional (I didn't use it) White or black truffle oil (for drizzling) preparation

Sauté bacon in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until golden brown and some fat renders. Add onion, celery, and garlic. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add about 5 cups water (less for thicker soup), cauliflower, and cheese cube. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until cauliflower is tender, about 20 minutes.

Puree soup in batches in processor. Return to same pan. Add cream if desired, and bring soup to simmer. Thin with more broth by 1/4 cupfuls if desired. Season with salt and pepper. Cool slightly; cover and chill. Can be made 1 day ahead.

To serve: reheat soup. Ladle into bowls. Sprinkle with cheese shavings; drizzle with truffle oil.

Not Your Ordinary Gazpacho

I rarely title my posts with anything but the name of the recipe I'm posting -- but this particular recipe is fabulous, and if I told you what it was called, I might scare you. Let's just say it's not your ordinary gaspacho. First off, it's white. As you might have guessed, cucumbers are definitely at play here, and they lend a wonderful fruity freshness that's key in offsetting...the other ingredients. Also in the mix are almonds that have been blanched, toasted, and ground, as well as rustic bread that's been soaked in water and blended to thicken the soup. And that other ingredient, you ask? Buttermilk. Don't freak out.

Here's the thing. The soup is called "Cucumber Buttermilk Gazpacho," but it should be called "Cucumber Almond Gazpacho." I get that buttermilk is a key player in this soup -- and I recommend making it with the real thing, and not milk mixed with a tsp of lemon juice -- but it's a flavor in the background, one that pulls everything else together, not worthy of the title. Especially since its presence scares people.

Let's just review our dairy trivia for a minute: according to Wikipedia, "fermented dairy product produced from cow's milk with a characteristically sour taste. The product is made in one of two ways. Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left over from churning butter from cream. Today, this is called traditional buttermilk. Buttermilk also refers to cultured buttermilk, a product where lactic acid bacteria have been added to milk." Ok, so it's fermented. Lest that scare you, so is wine...and who doesn't love a nice glass of wine? It's also sour. But so are lemons and limes and oranges, oh my! so don't hate. And if you've ever swallowed your nerves and tried buttermilk -- in pancakes, or ice cream -- you know that it's got a quite distinctive, quite lovely flavor. So there.

Lest you be concerned that this soup is too rich, I can assure you, it's not. And I'm sensitive to creaminess. The generous garnishes of juicy tomato, sharp scallion, herby parsley and toasted almonds make this a fun soup to eat while offsetting the buttermilk perfectly.

Here's what I can promise: everyone cringes when I say the name of this soup. But guess what else? No one has not tried it. And? No one has not liked it. So maybe you'll try it. And maybe you'll like it. Just maybe.

**I must give props to Jana. Not only did she introduce me to this recipe (by way of making it for a recent lunch party), but she opened my eyes to the oft-doubted-but-kind-of-wonderful marthastewart.com. So thanks to Jana!

Cucumber Buttermilk Gazpacho from MarthaStewart.com

Makes 6 cups

* 3/4 cup whole blanched almonds * 1/2 cup sliced blanched almonds, for serving * 4 ounces rustic white bread, crust removed, bread cut into chunks * 2 1/2 pounds Kirby or regular cucumbers, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped (about 4 3/4 cups), plus 1 unpeeled cucumber, diced, for serving (about 9 cucumbers total) * 2 small garlic cloves * 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling * 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice * 1 cup buttermilk * 2 teaspoons coarse salt * Freshly ground pepper, to taste * 3/4 cup cold water, plus more if needed * 1 large ripe beefsteak tomato, diced, for serving * 4 scallions, sliced, for serving * 1/2 bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving (I used chives instead of scallion and parsley, because that's what I had lying around...)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread whole almonds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread sliced almonds in a single layer on another rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until brown and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes (sliced ones will brown more quickly). Let cool. 2. Place bread in a bowl, and cover with cold water. Let stand 10 minutes. Squeeze out liquid, and discard. 3. Puree half of each of the whole almonds, bread, peeled cucumbers, and garlic in a blender. Add half of each of the oil and lemon juice, and puree. Transfer to a large bowl. Repeat. 4. Stir in buttermilk, salt, and pepper. Add water; if a thinner consistency is desired, add more water. Pass through a medium sieve. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (or overnight). If desired, thin with water before serving. Serve cold. Drizzle with oil, and serve with diced cucumber, tomato, scallions, parsley, and sliced almonds on the side.

No-brainer Zucchini Soup

From the archives -- just in time to use up those zucchinis.

What else can I say? It seems almost silly to even call this a recipe. Simplicity aside, it's a fantastic way to get rid of the zucchini that's taking over your garden. (I actually have no experience with this -- having no garden in my small DC apartment -- but I hear the rumors.)

It's also the perfect antidote to a hot summer day: cook it at night -- it takes like 30 minutes, tops -- and store in the fridge for when you're too darn lazy to cook but want to taste summer.

Simple recipe, simple post. I'm officially free from the craze of work, but I'm also off to Alaska for vaca this coming Friday! Don't worry, though, I've stored a post or two to keep you entertained while I'm away, and if I have any luck, I'll post some good pictures and stories once I return.

No-Brainer Zucchini Soup

2 pounds zucchini, trimmed and cut crosswise into thirds 3/4 cup chopped onion 2 garlic cloves, chopped 1/4 cup olive oil 4 cups water, divided 1/3 cup packed basil leaves

Equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer fitted with 1/8-inch julienne attachment (I just used a knife and sliced carefully!)

Julienne skin (only) from half of zucchini with slicer; toss with 1/2 teaspoon salt and drain in a sieve until wilted, at least 20 minutes. Coarsely chop remaining zucchini.

Cook onion and garlic in oil in a 3- to 4-quarts heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add chopped zucchini and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add 3 cups water and simmer, partially covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Purée soup with basil in 2 batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids).

Bring remaining cup water to a boil in a small saucepan and blanch julienned zucchini 1 minute. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl (use liquid to thin soup if necessary).

Season soup with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls with julienned zucchini mounded on top.