there is a God and I whole heartedly thank her for Chilled Green Tomato Soup and falling hard and baby kisses

Dedication: for my baby boy, Cyrano


Music: Looking for an Echo by the Persuasions (the song that made my mom fall hard for Marvin Barksdale on a Brooklyn stoop for a whole 24 hours)

Chilled Curried Green Tomato Soup
1 tablespoon olive oil


3 minced garlic cloves

1 large onion, finely chopped


2 teaspoons curry powder


1 large potato, peeled and cubed


4 large green tomatoes, peeled and cubed (about 2lbs.)


2 cups chicken or vegetable stock


3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro


2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 


1 tablespoon sugar


1/2 cup whipping cream


salt and pepper to taste


additional fresh mint for garnish

Heat oil over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add garlic, onion and curry powder. Cook, stirring frequently, until onion is soft but not browned, about five minutes. Add tomatoes, potato, stock, cilantro, mint, and sugar. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes.
Puree soup in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to saucepan and stir in cream. Let cool and season to taste with salt, pepper and additional sugar if desired. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Taste and adjust seasonings before serving. Garnish with mint and/or cilantro leaves if desired.

Serve cold.

White Bean Soup (VEGAN)

The original recipe I used was for “warm white bean salad,” but I found that every time I made it, the dish came out too liquidy. So, I opted to add more water to the recipe, and turn it into soup. The measurements listed below are just suggestions- since it’s soup, adding more veggies certainly doesn’t hurt! The longer you let the soup simmer, the thicker the base gets, and it ends up tasting almost like gravy (which I think is a very good thing). Very tasty when served with a hunk of baguette or other crusty fresh bread.

Ingredients:

Olive oil

½ small red onion, diced

2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

1 medium red bell pepper, diced

Garlic clove, slivered

1 can (19 oz) cannelloni beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

- In a saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.

- Add the onion and carrots, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is lightly browned (about 5 minutes)

- Add bell pepper and garlic, and cook, stirring, until pepper is crisp-tender (about 3 minutes)

- Stir in beans, lemon zest, and 3 cups water, and season with salt and pepper

- Bring to a boil

- Reduce to a simmer; cover, and cook until the liquid thickens (this is up to you- however thick you prefer your soup)

- Add lemon juice to taste and season again with salt and pepper

Confetti Chowdah (VEGAN)

Music: Tracy Chapman

Ingredients:

3 Medium Potatoes (peeled, diced)
1 1/2 cups water
1 tsp canola oil (or olive oil)
1 small onion, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
1 small red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2/3 cup unsweetened soymilk (or rice milk)
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels (best off the cob)

Place the potatoes and water in a large pot - bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let summer for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile...
Place oil in a pan, heat to medium high.
Add onion, celery, bell pepper, carrot, oregano, and thyme.
Cook, stirring constantly (about 5-8 minutes).

When potatoes are tender, remove them from the heat.
Remove about 1 1/2 cups of potatoes and put them in a blender.
Add the soymilk (or rice milk) to the blender and puree until smooth.

Pour the puree back into the pot with the remaining potatoes and their cooking liquid.
Stir in the corn and the other vegetables.

Warm the mixture for about 10 minutes, and serve HOT.

Butternut Squash Soup with Cider Cream (not vegan)

This soup tastes like fall: kicking up red, orange and gold leaves, cool crisp wood fire warmed nights. It's the bomb.

The recipe can be modified to exclude dairy products. I sauteed my leeks in butter (smells os good!) but skipped the dairy finish and the apple cider reduction (though I read it takes the soup over the top). I also added a generous amount of fresh ginger (~4 peeled quarter-sized pieces).

Yield: Serves 10

5 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 6 cups)
2 cups chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only)
1/2 cup chopped peeled carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 small Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried sage leaves
5 cups chicken stock or canned low-salt chicken broth
1 1/2 cups apple cider
2/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup whipping cream
Chopped fresh chives

Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add squash, leeks, carrot and celery; sauté until slightly softened, about 15 minutes. Mix in apples, thyme and sage. Add stock and 1 cup cider and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until apples are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, purée soup in blender. Return soup to pan. Boil remaining 1/2 cup cider in heavy small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Cool. Place sour cream in small bowl. Whisk in reduced cider. (Soup and cider cream can be made 1 day ahead. Cover separately and refrigerate.)

Bring soup to simmer. Mix in whipping cream. Ladle soup into bowls. Drizzle with cider cream. Top with chives.

Golden Corn Chowder with Chiles (not vegan)

With sweet corn, potatoes, and tomatoes at their garden best, corn chowder is certainly the soup for September (even October:-). Golden or orange tomatoes are lower in acid.

Yield

6 servings (serving size: 1 1/3 cups soup, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 teaspoon cilantro)

Ingredients

• 6 jalapeño peppers
• 3 cups cubed peeled Yukon gold or red potato (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoons butter or stick margarine
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 2/3 cup diced orange or yellow bell pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped celery
• 3 cups fresh corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 3 cups 1% low-fat milk
• 2 cups chopped seeded yellow tomato (about 1 pound)
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 6 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Preheat broiler.

Place jalapeño peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet; broil 10 minutes or until blackened, turning occasionally. Place in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel peppers; cut in half lengthwise, discarding seeds and membranes. Finely chop jalapeño peppers; set aside.

Place potato in a medium saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender. Drain; partially mash potato with a potato masher.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, and celery; cook 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add jalapeño peppers, potato, corn, milk, tomato, salt, and white pepper; cook until thick (about 30 minutes), stirring occasionally. Ladle soup into each of 6 bowls, and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro.

Butternut Corn Chowder

A spice combination that is inspired by Indian cuisine enhances this sensational soup. Riesling or Savignon Blanc as a refreshing partner (emmy suggested changes: use fingerling potatoes, herbed sea-salt, 4 cobs of fresh corn -- puree 1/2, finish with other 1/2)

Servings: Serves 6.

Ingredients

2 1-pound butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise
7 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 teaspoon plus 3 tablespoons olive oil

2 cups chopped onion
2 cups frozen corn kernels
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1 large potato, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Using spoon, scrape out seeds from squash; reserve squash seeds. Combine 1 1/2 cups water, squash seeds and 1 tablespoon salt in small saucepan. Bring to boil. Strain seeds; rinse under cold water to remove any squash pieces from seeds. Pat seeds dry with paper towel. Toss seeds with 1/2 teaspoon oil in small bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Transfer to baking sheet. Place squash on baking sheet. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Roast seeds until toasted, about 6 minutes. Roast squash until tender and lightly browned, turning once, about 45 minutes. Cut squash into 3/4-inch pieces.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, 1 1/3 cups corn, garlic, coriander, cardamom, cumin, cayenne and cloves; sauté until onions are tender, about 8 minutes. Add squash and 6 cups water. Bring to boil. Reduce heat; simmer 30 minutes.

Working in batches, puree chowder in processor until smooth. Return chowder to same pot. Bring to boil. Reduce heat. Add potato and remaining 2/3 cup corn kernels; simmer until potato is cooked through, thinning chowder with more water if necessary, about 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon chowder into bowls. Garnish with toasted squash seeds and serve.