New Year's Oyster Stew

Here in America New Year's traditions often entail black-eyed peas, cabbage for good luck, something a bit healthier to kick off a resolution, or even a full-on detox.

In France, however, the New Year is often associated with oysters. France, after all, is Europe's #1 producer of oysters and the holiday season is the peak of oyster season. This New Year's association was news to me, but my friend Cindy asked me if I'd heard of oyster stew for the holiday and so I went rummaging around to dig for some inspiration. I can certainly see its appeal especially on a day when there's no shortage of celebratory spirits like champagne or stout.

So this New Year's Eve our stove's burners were simmering with chicken and sausage gumbo and this here oyster stew.

Oyster Stew
Serves 2-4

5 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
1 yellow onion, peeled and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, minced
2/3 c table cream, light cream, or whole milk
24 oysters, canned or shucked with 1/4 c oyster liquid reserved
2 tsp salt

4-6 twists of cracked black pepper
1-2 pinches red pepper flakes                                                                      
1/4 c green onions, chopped

1. Melt butter in a heavy-bottomed stock pot over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir continuously for about 3 minutes until you have a blond roux. Add salt and black pepper.

2. Throw in the yellow onion and garlic and saute about 3 minutes. Stir in the reserved oyster liquid, table cream, and bring to a boil and then simmer. Keep stirring so as not to burn the cream. 

3. Add the oysters and keep stirring until the edges of the oysters curl about 3-4 minutes. Top with green onion and red pepper flakes. Season to taste and serve!

Gouda and Pear Soup

If only the Gracious Bowl had our complete attention for 40-50 hours each week. The month of March flew by with little time for soup and even less time for blogging. We'd been going pretty strong for awhile with pretty regular posts, but then March Madness began... and I'm not talking Carolina hoops here. The past several weeks were mostly a whirlwind of getting up, heading to the office, getting home late, going to bed and getting up to do it all over again. Work started creeping into weekends too--and yes, that's an S for plural. We watched the calendar fly by as a date for soup swap kept being pushed back another week, another week, and yet another. Suddenly spring was here, cherry blossoms were blooming, and tourist season in DC had officially begun. I fear the swap may have be on hold until...October?

I'm not complaining. I'm pleased to have a job that I enjoy in city I love. I know my priorities. It's just draining when it begins to interfere with any and all free time and you start putting the other things you love, like cooking and blogging aside. Needless to say, the last thing I wanted to do at home was get back online after spending my long hours at work planted in front of two monitors. All I wanted to do when I stepped foot in the door was turn into a vegetable for a couple of hours, then go to sleep. .

Lucky for me, overtime at work is not a mainstay. It comes and goes in waves and I can almost always see the horizon in the distance. I'm also fortunate to have an understanding boss who's flexible and encourages a work/life balance.

My segue with all this is... when you know you have a busy week ahead of you, soup is a great option for getting a head start. If you can find an hour or two to make it on Sunday, then you're set for the next few days with a quick lunch or dinner that need only a zap in the microwave. That is, if you don't mind repeating a meal. While some of us can eat the same thing day in and day out for a week, others (ahem, Margaret!) have to be coaxed into eating any leftovers beyond the next day. Whatever your tolerance for a certain dish, you should be sure you try this recipe at least once.

Pear and Gouda Soup
with toasted walnut-cranberry salsa

2 ripe pears, cored, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 tsp minced fresh ginger 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
4 oz baby Gouda cheese, cut into small pieces (about 3/4 cup)
1/2 cup pure apple juice or sweet white wine
salt and ground white pepper to taste
freshly grated nutmeg for garnish

Walnut-Cranberry Salsa ingredients:
1/2 unpeeled red-skinned pear, cored and julienned
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp minced toasted walnuts
2 tbsp coarsely chopped dried cranberries
dash of freshly grated nutmeg

1. Combine the pears, vegetable stock, ginger, and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat; cover and simmer until the pears are very tender, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

2. While soup is simmering, make the salsa: stir together all the ingredients in a small bowl; set aside.

3. In a separate saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the flour and stir until smooth, about 1 minute. (Do not let it brown.) Remove from the heat. Gradually whisk in the milk. Place the pan back on medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir constantly until thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.

4. Puree the pear mixture in a blender until smooth. Add to the cheese sauce and stir constantly over low heat until heated through. Gradually stir in the apple juice or wine and continue to heat, but do not let the soup come to a boil. Season to taste.

5. Top each serving with a sprinkling of nutmeg and a mound of salsa. Other garnish options include croutons on the side for dipping or extra-thin slices of gouda (a vegetable peeler works best).

Recipe courtesy of Paulette Mitchell's A Beautiful Bowl of Soup.

Blue Luck Soup

On New Year's Day, it's a tradition for some to eat black-eyed peas with collard greens for good luck. Others have cabbage to ensure a prosperous year ahead. I can't really say one works better than the other. My take is to just play it safe and get your fill of both. You're on your own for the black-eyed peas, but we've got you covered with the cabbage.

This one features Roquefort--the king of cheeses--which "blues" or matures after six weeks in the super humid caves of France's Combalou Mountain. Roquefort has had a long list of admirers through the centuries. Some have said "dinner without Roquefort is like a woman missing her eye," while Casanova claimed it "had the power to restore love and bring maturity to a budding love." Not bad for a stinky cheese, huh?

That's right, with this fromage, a little goes a long way. It's really up to you how much you put in. I give a general guideline below, but I usually go for the full 1/2 cup. That may be too strong for some. Not to mention the flavors gain a little potency after refrigerating the soup overnight. Another option is to put the 1/4 cup in as directed and then garnish the top of each individual bowl with additional cheese to taste.

Note: Kale is a variety of cabbage.

Blue Luck Soup
Serves 2-4

1/4 cup butter
6 scallions, green part only
5 cups chopped cabbage or kale
3 cups cauliflower, chopped
1 cup arugula or water cress, chopped (optional)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 to 1/2 cup Roquefort cheese, crumbled
6 twists freshly ground pepper
4 pinches course salt

1. Melt butter in a stockpot.

2. Add chopped scallions and chopped cabbage to butter and toss until evenly coated. Cook, over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Chop cauliflower and add to pot. Add chicken broth. Three twists of pepper, 2 pinches of salt and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Chop arugula and add to pot. Stir in cream and Roquefort cheese, along with three more twists of pepper and two more pinches of salt. Season additionally as needed.

5. Enjoy with a garnish of chopped arugula and/or Roquefort crumbles.

Happy holidays! Here's to a great 2007!

Tomato Cheddar Soup

There was a whole lotta soup going on this past week. I had all four of my wisdom teeth removed and, believe me, if there's ever a time to eat soup, it's after oral surgery. But whatever you do, DON'T use a straw!

In between the frozen custard and pain meds, I found sustenance and comfort in three soups:

1. my mother's potato cheese
2. tomato cheddar
3. curried apple

I figured the curried apple was too similar to Margaret's most recent recipe with its "sweet heat" element. The potato cheese deserves a more extensive post since it's a beloved soup from my college days. So I'll hold off on those two and feature the tomato cheddar this time.

Tomato Cheddar Soup
Serves 4-6

4 tbsp butter
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 lbs of tomatoes (cored/cubed)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 sprigs of thyme (or 1/2 tsp dried thyme)
1 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp baking soda (to give it a little bubbly)
1 cup skim or whatever milk you prefer
2 cups coarsely grated cheddar cheese
chopped chives for garnish

1. In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 8-10 minutes.

2. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, thyme, salt, and baking soda. Increase the heat until the soup comes to a boil, then stir in the milk. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer as the mixture thickens and the tomatoes break down, about 10-15 minutes.

3. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the cheese a handful at a time. Make sure one handful of cheese has melted before adding another. Using a cuisinart or blender, puree the soup in batches until creamy and smooth.

4. Transfer the soup back to the pot and keep it warm over low heat. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Serve in bowls and top with a sprinkling of chives for garnish. Some people also like a tad of sour cream and hot sauce.

Parlez-vous French Onion Soup?

It's November. A chilly afternoon. The wind is blowing leaves around. To me, this means one thing: it's time for soup. But not just any soup--I have a serious urge for my favorite French classic--French Onion Soup with ooey-gooey melted Gruyère cheese crostini on top

Gruyère, the main ingredient in any good fondue, is nutty, spicy and earthy with a bit of savory sweetness. Made from raw whole cow's milk, this stuff melts perfectly and tastes amazing. Don't substitute some silly supermarket "Swiss" for this soup. The Gruyère is the star of the show here so do not skimp on the cheese!

Total cost for this amazing classic soup? About $18. Yes, we're talking 3 bucks per person, which means it's time to have friends over for lunch and enjoy.

French Onion Soup with Gruyere Crostini
(Soup a l’oignon Gratinee)
Serves 6

6 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
7 medium yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp. sugar
Salt
1 tbsp. flour
8 cups beef stock
2 cups dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette
1 lb. Gruyere, shredded

1. Melt 3 tbsp. of the butter with the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add onions, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally until soft and translucent, about 20 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high, uncover, add sugar, and season to taste with salt. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until onions are very soft and a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes.

2. Reduce heat to medium, sprinkle in flour, and cook, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add about 2 cups of stock and stir to blend, then add remaining 6 cups of stock and the wine. Salt and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste.

3. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, cut 8 thick slices from the baguette. Butter both sides of bread with remaining 3 tbsp. of butter. Put on baking sheet, toast in the oven, turning once, until golden brown on both sides.

4. Place a slice of toast in the bottom of each of eight ovenproof bowls (or however many you’re serving), then fill the bowls with onion soup. Sprinkle a thick layer of cheese on top of the soup. Set bowls into two baking pans, put in the oven, and bake until cheese is golden and soup is bubbling, 10-15 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Saveur Magazine Sept/Oct 1999