Smokey Corn Chowder

-Shuck 6 ears of corn.

-Cut the kernels off of each ear, by holding the ear from the top and carefully running a knife down the ear. Set the corn kernels aside.

-Make a quick stock by putting the empty corncobs and 2 cups of water in a pan together and bringing it to a gentle boil for 30 minutes or so.

-Chop 1 onion into small dice.

-Put 4 TBS butter or ghee in a saucepan over medium heat.

-Add the chopped onion and 3 cloves of chopped garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.

-Sprinkle in ¼ cup of flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to turn a little golden, about 7 minutes.

-Add 2 cups half and half, 2 cups milk and the reserved stock you made.

-Stir constantly until the soup thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

-Then stir in the reserved corn kernels and ½ tsp salt and bring the soup back to a boil.

-At this point you can also add about ½ cup of grated cheese; white cheddar or Parmesan would be nice.

-Cook stirring occasionally until the corn is tender and the soup is fully thickened, about 10 minutes.

-Melt 1 TBS butter in a small skillet until it foams and begins to brown a little.

-Stir in 1 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika and turn off the heat.

-Ladle the soup into bowls and ad a few drops of the red butter to each.

Smokey Corn and Fennel Chowder

-Shuck 4 ears of corn.

-Cut the kernels off of each ear, by holding the ear from the top and carefully running a knife down the ear. Set the corn kernels aside.

-Make a quick stock by putting the empty corncobs and 2 cups of water in a pan together and bringing it to a gentle boil for 30 minutes or so.

-Chop the following into small pieces:

-1 fennel bulb

-1 medium sized onion

-Cut 6 slices of bacon into small pieces or put 4 TBS butter in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until sizzling.

-Add the chopped fennel and cook for about 7 minutes.

-Chop up 3 cloves of garlic and stir into the fennel and let cook another 3 minutes.

-Sprinkle in ¼ cup of flour and stir constantly with a wooden spoon until the mixture starts to turn a little golden, about 7 minutes.

-Add the following:

-4 cups whole milk

-The reserved stock you made.

-Stir constantly until the soup thickens, about 3-5 minutes.

-Then stir in ½ tsp sea salt and bring the soup back to a boil.

-At this point you can also add about ½ cup of grated cheese; white cheddar or Parmesan would be nice.

-Cook stirring occasionally until the corn is tender and the soup is fully thickened, about 10 minutes.

-Melt 1 TBS butter in a small skillet until it foams and begins to brown a little.

-Stir in 1 tsp of Spanish smoked paprika and turn off the heat.

-Ladle the soup into bowls and ad a few drops of the red butter to each.

Silky-Coconut Pumpkin Soup

-Cut 1 onion or 2 leeks into rings and sauté in a heavy skillet until softened and brown, about 15 minutes.

-Peel 1 sugar pie pumpkin and clean off any seeds.

-Cut into small 1/2-inch cubes. You should have 4 to 5 cups cubed pumpkin.

-Put the pumpkin cubes in a large pot and add the following:

2 cups coconut milk

2 cups chicken broth, pumpkin cubes

-Bring to a boil.

-Add ½ tsp salt and simmer over medium heat until the pumpkin is tender, about 10 minutes.

-Stir 1-2 TBS fish sauce and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Taste for salt and add a little more fish sauce if you wish.

-The soup can be served immediately, but has even more flavor if left to stand for up to an hour. Reheat just before serving.

-Serve from a large soup bowl or in individual bowls.

-Grind black pepper over generously and if you wish, garnish with a sprinkling of chopped cilantro.

-Leftovers freeze very well.

Sharp Cheddar, Corn and Potato Soup

-Dice up the following:

4 stalks celery

1 onion

2-3 sweet peppers (optional)

-Heat 2 TBS butter in heavy large saucepan over medium heat.

-Add the celery, onions and peppers and sauté until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5-7 minutes.

-Sprinkle 3 TBS flour (or 1 TBS rice flour) over the vegetables and stir 2 minutes.

-Gradually whisk in ½ cup white wine and cook for 2-3 minutes.

-Then add the following:

2 cups broth

1 cup whole milk

½ cup half and half

-Peel 5-6 potatoes and dice into ½ inch cubes.

-Take the kernels off of 2-3 ears of sweet corn.

-Add the potato and corn and bring soup to boil.

-Reduce heat and simmer soup until potato is tender, about 20 minutes.

-Grate 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese. 

-Add the cheese to the soup 1/3 cup at a time, stirring until melted and smooth after each addition.

-Mix in the following:

 ½ cup chopped ham (optional)

3 TBS finely chopped parsley

-Season soup to taste with hot pepper sauce, sea salt and pepper.

Sausage and Kale Soup

-Chop up 1 leek and 2 cloves of garlic.

-Scrub up 1.5 pounds of potatoes and peel of any bad spots.

-Cut 1 bunch of kale into thin strips.

-Chop 4 stalks of celery into small dice.

-Slice 4 chicken sausages into ½ inch half moons.

-In a large pot (6 to 8 quarts), heat 1 TBS butter and 1 TBS olive oil over medium high heat.

-Add the chopped celery and leek and cook until soft, stirring, 5 minutes.

-Add the garlic and 1/8 tsp red-pepper flakes; cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

-Add potatoes and a quart of chicken broth (4 cups); bring to a boil.

-Reduce heat; simmer until potatoes are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

-In a blender, puree half the soup.

-Return to pot; add kale and sausage.

-Simmer until kale is wilted, 10 to 15 minutes.

Roasted Squash, Pear and Ginger Soup

From Vegetable Soups From Deborah Madison’s Kitchen.

-Preheat the oven to 425°F.

-Cut 1 large winter squash or two delicata squash in half, scrape out the seeds, then cut each half into thirds. Reserve all peels and seeds from squash for making soup.

-Quarter, seed and remove the stems from 3 pears.

-Cut a 2-inch chunk of fresh ginger into thin slices.

-Put the squash pieces in a large baking dish or roasting pan with the pears and all but a few slices of the ginger.

-Brush with olive oil, season with salt and bake until fragrant and tender, about 1 hour.

-Turn the pieces once or twice so that they have a chance to caramelize on more than one surface.

-If the squash seems very dry (some varieties are), add 1 cup water to the pan to create steam and cover with foil.

-When the squash is tender, transfer everything from the pan to a cutting board, add 1 cup water to the pan, and scrape to dissolve the juices, reserving the liquid.

-Scrape the flesh of the squash away from the skins. You should have about 2 cups.

-To make a stock, bring 6 cups water to a boil and add the seeds, the squash skins, the remaining ginger and ½ teaspoon salt.

-Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 to 25 minutes.

-Meanwhile, melt 2 TBS butter in a soup pot.

-Add the pears, ginger and squash, then the reserved deglazing water.

-Strain the stock into the pot with the vegetables.

-Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, covered, for 25 minutes.

-Cool briefly, then puree until smooth.

-Serve as is or swirl in ½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream.

Potato, Celery Root and Leek Soup

-Cut 2 leeks into half the long way and then wash carefully between the layers. Slice into thin strips.

-Heat 2 TBS butter in a large pot, add the leeks and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.

-Add the following:

2 pounds potatoes diced into ½ chunks

1 celery root cut into ½ chunks

4 cups stock and/or some white wine

1 bay leaf

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes and celery root are tender, about 25 minutes.

-Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pot, leaving some intact.

-Remove the bay leaf and stir in the following:

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

3 TBS chopped parsley

1 TBS chopped fresh sage

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

-Serve piping hot with a good crusty loaf of bread and butter.

Potato Leek Soup

-Cut 2-3 leeks into half the long way and then wash carefully between the layers. Slice into thin strips.

-Heat 2 TBS butter in a large pot, add the leeks and sauté over medium heat for 5 minutes.

-Add the following:

2 pounds potatoes diced into ½ chunks

4 cups stock and/or some white wine

1 bay leaf

-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.

-Use the back of a wooden spoon to crush some of the potatoes against the side of the pot, leaving some intact.

-Remove the bay leaf and stir in the following:

1/2 cup cream

1/2 cup grated Gruyere or Parmesan cheese

3 TBS chopped parsley

1 TBS chopped fresh sage

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

-Serve piping hot with a good crusty loaf of bread and butter.

Golden Beet and Carrot Soup

-Peel and cube 1 bunch of golden beets.

-Wash and then dice up 4-5 carrots.  

-Chop up 1 onion or 1 leek. 

-Mince up 4 TBS of fresh ginger

-Finely grate 1 TBS of lemon peel.

-Melt 2 TBS butter with 2 TBS olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.

-Add the beets, carrots and onions/leeks to the butter along with the ginger and the lemon peel. 

-Cover and cook 15 minutes.

-Add 4 cups of broth and bring to a boil.

-Cover, reduce heat and simmer until beets are very tender, about ½ hour.

-Remove from heat and let stand 20 minutes. 

-Puree soup in blender until smooth.

-Return to pot, add 1 TBS fresh lemon juice and thin with more broth if desired. 

-Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Cabbage, Leek and White Bean Soup with Sausage

-Cut 4 fully cooked chicken-apple sausages in half the long way and then cut into ½ inch slices.
-Heat 2 TBS olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat then add the sausages and sauté until brown around the edges, about 5 minutes.
-Thinly slice some Napa cabbage until you have about 4-5 cups.  
-Add it to the sausage and sauté 2 minutes.  Transfer the cabbage to a bowl.
-Cut 2 leeks in half the long way.  Wash well between layers and then chop into ¼-inch thick slices.
-Peel and then chop 1 bunch of carrots into thin rounds.  
-Add 2 more TBS olive oil to the pot, add the leeks and carrots, cook for about 5 minutes stirring often.
-Add 2 TBS tomato paste concentrate, 4 TBS chopped fresh cilantro, 3-5 cloves chopped fresh garlic and 1 TBS chopped rosemary (dried works too).  
-Let cook for 1 minute more, then add 8 cups chicken broth and 1-15 ounce can of drained cannellini beans.
-Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 40 minutes.
-Season to taste with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of chopped cilantro