Ice and Snow...

I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show ~ Andrew Wyeth

The arctic winds have descended, we woke up this morning with a -10 degrees .... brrrrrrrr. Popped out the door for some quick picks last night and this morning, don't let that sunshine fool ya, it is bitter out there. Just click for larger image.



During the winter months our diet consists of lots of homemade vegetable soups, they warm the body and soul and on a day like today (it is currently 1 degree outside) you just cannot ask for anything better. An added bonus is that they are heart healthy! Leftover pasta or rice? Toss it in the pot, or make dumplings. There are no hard and fast rules for what you can add to soup, so go ahead and use your imagination (and leftovers).

Sweet Potato & Spinach Soup

One mistake made by cooks is to chop up a bunch of veggies and throw them into a pot of water when making soup. What you end up with is boiled vegetables. Sautee them first, along with your herbs, in a small amount of butter or oil first to enhance their flavor. Add homemade vegetable or chicken broth and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender. Your tastebuds will thank you.

This soup has a combo of finely chopped celery, onions, carrots and sweet potatoes. I sauteed them about five minutes. Add your choice of herbs and sautee a couple of minutes more, then add about 6 cups of broth and simmer. The spinach was added the last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve with home-baked bread or rolls.

Snow Day...

The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event. You go to bed in one kind of a world and wake up in another quite different, and if this is not enchantment then where is it to be found? ~ J.B. Priestley

Snow Tree

We are having a snow day here in the Cleveland, there is at least a half of foot on the ground and it is still snowing. When we were children we headed outdoors on days like this to build snow forts for a snowball battle royale. This was the time before synthetic fiber clothing and gloves, I can still remember the smell of those woolen mittens drying on top of Mama's heater. With remembrances of childhood always comes the memory of food. We would sit at the table while Mama opened a can of Campbells tomato soup, then she would grab that bag of Wonder Bread and make grilled cheese sandwiches with a thick slice of Velveeta. This is my 'grown up' version of that simple meal.

Tomato Bisque

I pulled out a quart of roasted tomatoes from the freezer I had put up last summer, baked a loaf of whole-grain bread.

The tomatoes had been seasoned with basil, oregano, salt and pepper while roasting so the bisque needed little seasoning. When the tomatoes are thawed, the skins slip off easily. I sauteed a chopped onion and a small amount of celery in about a tablespoon of butter, added to the tomatoes and pureed. Pour the mixture into a pot over medium low heat, add milk and/or cream to the consistency you want. Easy as opening a can!

I have been experimenting in creating a loaf of whole-grain bread that would be hearty yet light, this one won kudos from the food critic. The only problem I have with home-baked bread in this house is getting everyone to wait while it cools. I sliced some yogurt cheese I bought at the Coit Road Market, which melts nicely.

Grilled Cheese

Whole Grain Bread Recipe

2 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
3/4 cup stone ground rye flour
3/4 cup stone ground whole wheat flour
1 tsp. salt
2 pkgs. yeast
1 Tbsp. vital wheat gluten
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp. molasses
3/4 cup bulgur wheat
1 cup boiling water
1/4 to 1/3 cup finely chopped nuts

Combine bulgur wheat with 1 cup boiling water, set aside to cool. Combine milk, water, honey and molasses in a small pot and warm. Combine flours, salt and yeast. In a large bowl combine half of the flour mixture and warm liquid and mix well for about 4 minutes. Add the remaining flour, bulgur wheat and nuts. Knead well. The dough will be slightly sticky.

Place in a well-buttered bowl and cover with a damp towel. Set in a warm place and let rise until double in bulk. Punch down dough. On a lightly floured surface shape into a loaf. Place in a buttered loaf pan, cover with a damp cloth and let rise for about 30 minutes. Before placing in the oven I brushed the top lightly with egg white wash and sprinkled on some whole oats.

Bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until done. The loaf should sound hollow when tapped.

Daddy (c.1953)
West 112th Street
Cleveland, Ohio

Of broths and soups....

Worries go down better with soup ~ Jewish Proverb

During the Summer/Fall season I save the bits and pieces when cleaning veggies, store them in the freezer in plastic freezer bags. Now why in the world you might ask would I save scraps ? For vegetable broth of course. Five cups of water and assorted veggies produces a flavorful broth to be used later in soups or stews. I guarantee you will never used a salty-broth from a can again!

Chopped up celery (with leaves), chopped carrots, the leaves from brussel sprouts, tops of red peppers, roughly chopped and parsley. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce heat and simmer till vegetables are tender. At this point most people strain out the vegetalbes from the broth, me I puree it all up to create broth packed with flavor. Let cool and pack in freezer containers for winter soups.

It is 25 degrees here in the City by the Blue Lake, and my pantry is full of root vegetables.

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
4 large potatoes, peeled and diced
Parsley
1 stalk celery with leaves, sliced
2 carrots, chopped
Salt and Pepper, to taste
1 tsp. Paprika
2 cups vegetable broth

In a large heavy pot over medium low heat, sautee onion in butter. Add celery, carrots and potatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook till tender. At this point you can puree the vegetables or not, whichever you prefer.

Combine 4 cups milk, 2 Tbsp. butter and salt and pepper to taste. Stir and cook in saucepan for a few minutes till thickened. Add to potatoe mixture, stir well.

Serve with crusty bread, a good book, comfy chair and a warm lap quilt.

A Feast...

"La Vigilia" or "the vigil" is kept with the custom of dining on 7 fish dishes as we await the birth of the savior at midnight.

Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Joe of Italyville are hosting The Feast of the Seven Fishes, I am sending over a simple dish. The Salmon was seasoned with the Spicehound's Fire-Brick Pepper and grilled on the stove with garlic-infused oil, served over basmati rice seasoned with butter, oregano, salt and pepper and roasted brussel sprouts. The sprouts were roasted with the same garlic-infused oil, salt and pepper and sprinkled with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.