Escarole, Leek and Potato Soup with Parsley “Pistou”
Skirt Steak with Harissa and Chimichurri
Roasted Winter Squash and Escarole Salad
Red Cabbage and Apple Salad with Crispy Caraway Breadcrumbs
Butternut Squash and Farro Soup
Indonesian-Style Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk
Bruschetta with Stewed Leeks and Goat Cheese
Escarole, Leek and Potato Soup with Parsley Pistou
This is a pretty, green-flecked soup topped with more green in the form of the parsley garnish. Pistou is sort of a French version of pesto (usually without nuts) made with basil and used to top soups. This lemony parsley version brightens up this simple, creamy (no cream) soup.
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter (or more olive oil)
1 large leek or 2 smaller ones, trimmed, carefully washed and cut into thin half moons
½ onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
4 small-medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced (about 2 ½ cups), for a more refined soup feel free to peel the potatoes
6 cups escarole, washed, chopped and tightly packed (about ½ a head)
4-5 cups broth or stock (I used about 3 cups of light chicken stock and 1 ½ cups water)
Salt
Juice of half a lemon, more to taste
Parsley “Pistou”
1 cup or slightly more parsley leaves, chopped very finely
1 small clove garlic, minced and mashed with a bit of coarse salt on the cutting board with the side of a chef’s knife to make a rough paste (or pressed or just finely minced)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
¼ – 1/3 cup good olive oil
1-2 teaspoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt, to taste,
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the olive oil and butter, if using, in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the onion, leek, garlic and potatoes and a few pinches of salt. Stir well and cook, covered, for about 8-10 minutes, stirring often. Turn heat down if vegetables begin to brown. Add the broth/water and bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for about 10 more minutes until potatoes are tender. Add the escarole and cook for another 5-7 minutes until it is tender.
Stir together all the pistou ingredients. It should be strongly flavored and bright.
Puree the soup, in batches in a food processor or blender, or use an immersion blender. Be very careful blending hot liquids. Return the soup to the pot. Add lemon juice and salt and black pepper to taste. Serve hot, topped with the parsley pistou.
Skirt Steak with Harissa and Chimichurri
Two of my favorite condiments/sauces in one dish. They have cumin and hot pepper in common and the heat and spice from the harissa, thinned down with red wine vinegar and a little olive oil, tenderizes the meat which also nicely absorbs the flavors. I developed this recipe for Carman Ranch who’s meats are delicious and need little fanfare. Serve this with rice or roasted potatoes or something that can soak up the juices and any extra chimichurri. If you don’t have harissa you can just make a simple paste of garlic, red pepper flakes a little olive oil and salt and ground cumin.
Serves 4
1 1/4 lb +/- skirt steak, any connective tissue and fat removed
2-3 tablespoons harissa, depending on how spicy yours is, or 1 tablespoon of a simple paste of garlic, red pepper flakes, cumin and salt (see headnote)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons olive, grapeseed or sunflower oil
1 teaspoon salt
Chimichurri
(There are many versions of this Argentinian sauce typically served with beef. Change the ratio of herbs to suit your tastes or what you have on hand)
1 cup finely chopped parsley
1/3 cup chopped cilantro
1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more to taste)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Mix the harissa, vinegar, oil and salt in a small bowl. Pat the meet dry and lay it out on a sheet pan. Spread the steak evenly with the harissa mixture on both sides. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 3-12 hours.
Stir the chimichurri ingredients together in a small bowl.
Heat a cast iron skillet, grill pan or any heavy skillet over hight heat. Remove the steak from the refrigerator and scrape off most of the marinade with the back of a knife. You don’t need to get it all. If your pan does not accommodate the whole piece, cut it in half. They cook so quickly you can cook them back to back.
Put the steak in the pan and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook for about 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for an additional 2 minutes for medium rare. Cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak. Err on the side of less time on the heat as this cut can get chewy if it’s cooked beyond medium rare. Remove from the pan and put on a cutting board and cover tightly with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Cut the meat against the grain, on the diagonal, into 1/2-inch or so strips. Serve hot or warm.
Roasted Winter Squash and Escarole Salad
I love combining cooked vegetables and salad greens and this one’s a winner.
Serves 4-6, generously (it keeps quite well and you can also reduce the recipe of course)
4-5 cups butternut squash, peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 large onion, peeled and cut into thin wedges or chunks
1 teaspoon each finely chopped sage and rosemary (or just one or the other or skip the herbs entirely)
Salt
Olive oil
4-5 cups washed, chopped and dried escarole (packed)
1 scallion, white and green parts, thinly sliced
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
Salt
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons maple syrup or 1 teaspoon honey
Freshly ground pepper
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Toss the squash and onions in 1-2 tablespoons olive oil and mix in the chopped herbs, if using, and about 1 teaspoon sea salt. Spread on a sheet pan and roast, stirring occasionally, for about 30-40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and browning. Put the vegetables on a platter and let cool a bit.
Stir the vinegar, oil, syrup/honey, salt and pepper together in a small bowl. Toss the greens with the sliced scallion, the vegetables and the dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and/or vinegar.
Red Cabbage and Apple Salad with Crispy Caraway Breadcrumbs
Savory, sweet, crunchy and beautiful. .. I love this salad.
½ a medium red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced (about 7-8 cups)
1 large, crunchy and tart apple, cored and cut into match sticks, more or less
1/3 cup diced sharp cheddar or Emmenthaler or Gruyere or the like
2-3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1-2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped (optional) or mince a little scallion or onion instead
1 cup rough/large bread crumbs
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
½-1 teaspoon caraway seeds (depending on how strong of a caraway flavor you want)
Dressing
1 ½ teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
2-3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, more to taste
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey, maple syrup or sugar (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the cabbage, apple, cheese and herbs in a large salad bowl.
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat and when hot add the bread crumbs, caraway seeds and a few pinches of salt. Stir well and toast until fragrant and dry and crispy and a few shades darker.
Stir together the dressing ingredients and pour over salad. Toss well and let vegetables soften for a bit. When ready to serve scatter over the crispy bread crumbs and toss again.
Butternut Squash and Farro Soup
This soup sounds fabulous. I haven’t tried it but will this week once I get my butternut squash.
Indonesian-Style Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk
This is a smooth, complex and rich soup. Feel free to double this recipe if you have a crowd to feed or want to freeze half for future use.
Serves 6
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 teaspoons minced, fresh ginger
1 medium onion, diced
1 3/4 lbs carrots, well scrubbed and sliced
1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or some minced fresh hot pepper) or more to taste
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup dry white wine or sherry or dry vermouth or 1 tablespoon of lemon or lime juice
1 can coconut milk (preferably full fat)
½ cup chopped, fresh cilantro or mint
Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and carrots and a few generous pinches of salt. Sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally making sure not to burn the garlic. Add the spices and cook for another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the stock and wine and bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for about 35 minutes. Add the coconut milk and stir well. Puree the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender. Adjust seasoning and bring back to a simmer. Serve topped with additional cilantro or mint.
Bruschetta with Stewed Leeks and Goat Cheese
You can serve this as a hearty appetizer or first course or even as dinner with a big salad on the side. If you don’t have goat cheese on hand, feta would work too or even just a little butter. Quantities are approximate so scale up or down to suit your needs.
Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as a side
2 large leeks or more smaller ones (discard only the top couple of inches that are tough and scruffy. Most of the green part is good to use.)
Olive oil
4 slices of good, crusty bread
3 ounces soft goat cheese (see headnote for alternatives)
2 hard-boiled eggs, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh or dried thyme, minced or crumbled (optional)
Salt and pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
Chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Clean leeks well and cut in half lengthwise then cut into ½ inch half-rounds. Heat a good splash of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the leeks when the oil is hot. Stir well to coat, salt with a couple of pinches of salt. Add thyme and stir well. Cook for a few minutes uncovered, then turn the heat down a bit and cover. Check occasionally to make sure the leeks aren’t browning or burning. Add a splash of water if they start to stick and turn the heat down a bit more. Cook for about 15 minutes until leeks are meltingly tender, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, toast the bread and hard-boil the eggs and peel and chop those. Spread the goat cheese on the bread, arrange stewed leeks on cheese, sprinkle with egg, salt and a couple of grinds of pepper and drizzle a little good olive oil over the whole thing. Garnish with parsley. There is no way to eat this delicately. They make a mess, the toppings fall off. . . no matter.