Hearty Vegetable Chowder

This hearty chowder is a meal unto itself.  It warms you from the inside out on a cool day.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Serves: 6-8

INGREDIENTS

6-8 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups carrots, 1/4 inch slices
2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch pieces

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, 1/4 inch dice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups coarsely chopped kale

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped escarole

1 1/2 cups coarsely chopped radicchio
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the stock in a stock pot over medium high heat.  When broth comes to a low boil, add the carrots and potatoes.  Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender enough to easily pierce with a fork.

While carrots are cooking, heat the oil in a large skillet or saute pan over medium low heat, and sauté the onion, garlic, kale, escarole, and radicchio for 10 minutes, stirring.  When greens are tender, remove from heat.

When carrots and potatoes are just tender, add the greens from the skillet to the stock pot.  Heat for a minute, the turn off the heat, and distribute chowder to serving bowls, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Homemade Chicken Stock

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Don't throw out those bones! Savory, flavorful homemade stock is the base for all kinds of recipes. Soups are the most obvious, but it's also useful for adding delicious flavor to vegetable and rice dishes, for braising and poaching. This is my basic method, feel free to substitute other herbs and vegetables.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  3-4 hours
Yield:  8-12 cups stock, depending on the size of your chicken

INGREDIENTS
1 chicken carcass, with bones and skin
1 onion, quartered
1-2 carrots, scrubbed and coarsely chopped
1-2 stalks of celery, scrubbed and chopped (with leaves)
2 TB peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf

DIRECTIONS
Add all the ingredients to a big stock pot and fill with clean cold water to just cover the bones. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat and simmer for a few hours. Let cool, drain through a colander. Now you can discard those bones! Chill the stock overnight, and skim off the fat. That ambrosia can be used right away, or frozen in small containers for the benefit of future generations.

Kale & Carrot Chowder

Sometimes, this chunky stew is just what the doctor ordered.  This could easily be prepared all vegetarian.

Prep time:  15 minutes

Cook time:  20 minutes

Serves:            4-6

INGREDIENTS

½ pound ground sweet Italian sausage meat

6-7 cups chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups coarsely chopped kale, stems separated and ¼ inch diced

3 cups carrots, ½ inch dice

1 onion, 1/4 inch dice (about 2/3 cup)
2 tomatoes, ½ inch dice, or 1 can (14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with juice

1 – 2 cups cooked brown or white rice

½ cup black beans, or your favorite
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS

Heat a stock pot over medium heat and cook the sausage, stirring, for 5 minutes or until sausage is cooked.  Add the chicken stock and heat to a low boil.  Add the diced kale stems, carrots, and onion.  Cook for 5 minutes, then add the kale leaves and the tomatoes.  Cook until carrots are just tender, add the cooked rice and black beans, return to a simmer, and serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Variations:  Omit the sausage.  Substitute other sturdy greens for the kale.


Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick
 

Kale Butternut Bisque

 











Creamy rich butternut soup with flecks of deep green. This is the perfect destination for leftover winter squash.

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 18 Minutes
Serves: 4 (6-8 as an appetizer or side dish)

INGREDIENTS
1 bunch kale
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cups cooked butternut
2-3 cups chicken or turkey stock
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
Salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Wash the kale and strip the leaves off the stems. Dice the stems, and coarsely chop the leaves (keep them separate). Heat the oil in a large stock pot over medium heat, add the onion and the kale stems, and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until stems are soft. Add the leaves and the water, cover, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until greens are soft. Add a little more water if necessary

Add the cooked squash, 2 cups stock, cumin, cayenne, salt & pepper. Process with an immersion blender, adding more stock if necessary to achieve a thick, creamy consistency. Bring to a simmer and serve.

A dollop of sour cream on top is a nice touch, along with the obligatory crusty bread.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Stuffing Muffins

This tasty variation on classic stuffing makes great use of leftover bread. Adapted from my recipe for the Phantom Gourmet television show.


Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12-15 muffins

INGREDIENTS
Muffin cups
1 loaf (1 ½ lbs) sliced whole wheat bread
1 ½ tsp Italian seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 strips bacon
1 small (pool ball size) onion, ¼ inch dice
3 stalks celery, ¼ inch dice
1 apple, cored, ¼ inch dice
2 eggs, whisked
1-2 cups chicken stock
½ cup chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with muffin cups, or spray with cooking spray. Cut the loaf of bread into cubes about ½” across. Place bread cubes in a large bowl, sprinkle with Italian seasoning, salt and pepper and stir to combine.

Now cook the bacon until crisp in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove bacon strips to paper towels, pour off excess fat, and cook the onions and celery in the remaining bacon fat for 4 minutes, stirring. Add the apple and cook for another minute. Turn off heat in skillet, scrape mixture into the bowl of bread cubes, and stir. Add the eggs, 1 cup of chicken stock, the parsley, and the bacon, and stir gently to spread the moisture throughout. The mixture should be moist enough to cling together when squeezed with light pressure between your hands. If necessary, add a little more broth. Using your hands collect a baseball-size sphere of stuffing mixture, squeeze slightly so that it clings together, and place in a muffin cup. Make sure that this is the muffin shape you want, because these muffins won’t rise as they cook. Repeat until mixture is used up and other muffin cups are full (if you have extra stuffing mixture, make a few more muffins or a small loaf).

Slide muffin pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until muffins are crisp on the outside.

Serve as a side dish with your favorite oven baked meal. Roast fowl are a natural.

Variations: Add raisins, chopped apricots, toasted nuts, and other fun things to Stuffing Muffins.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Chunky Vegetable & Kielbasa Stew

With the ingredients on hand, this stew is fast and easy.  In my test case of one family, it passed the kid test, too (probably because the chunks are large and easily identified - grin).  Bring this out on a cool, rainy day and you'll see smiles all around.

Prep time:  25 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
8-10 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups fresh cabbage (chopped into pieces about 1/2 inch across)
2 cups carrots, 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups celery, 1/2 inch chunks, leaves kept separate
3 cups thin-skin potatoes with peels, 1/2 inch chunks
2 cups cooked kielbasa, 1/4 inch sections
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, bring your stock to a low boil over medium heat.  Add the cabbage, carrots, celery, and potatoes.  Cook at a low boil for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender and potatoes are done.  Add the kielbasa (make sure it is 'fully cooked') and heat for another minute or two.  Serve with crusty bread, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Variations:  Try adding fennel, garlic scapes, and vary the cabbage (try bok choi, or napa cabbage, etc.)  This can easily be made without the kielbasa.  Try adding white beans.  The possibilities are endless.

Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Vegetable Stew with Greens and Carrots

On the day I made this hearty soup, the high temperature was 4 degrees.  This hearty bowl of goodness proved equal to the task.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Serves:  6-8

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups brassica greens, coarsely chopped (kale, young broccoli leaves, cabbage, etc)
8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups tomato sauce
4 carrots shredded with a mandolin, yielding about 2 cups.
1 cup uncooked pasta, your favorite
1/2 cup whole wheat cous cous, dry
2 packed cups fresh baby spinach leaves
3 tablespoons sliced almonds for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Saute greens and set aside.

Heat stock and tomato sauce to a simmer.  Add the carrots and simmer 5 minutes.  Add the pasta, and simmer 7 minutes or until beginning to soften.  Add cous cous and cook another 3 inutes, stirring.  Add the spinach, stir and cook for a minute, or until pasta and cous cous are done.

Serve with garlic toasts.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Hakurei Turnip & Scallion Stew

Fresh green flavors with satisfying heft from the turnips and the pasta.  Perfect for a cool spring night.  

Prep time:  5 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves 4

INGREDIENTS
5-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning* (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 bunch hakurei turnips, greens washed and chopped, bulbs washed, thinly sliced, and kept separate
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts thinly sliced, about 1 cup
1 cup dried whole wheat pasta, your favorite (or white pasta) 1 cup marinara sauce (Here's a recipe for homemade sauce)
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat the stock and the marinara sauce in a stock pot over medium high heat until it reaches a low boil.

While stock is heating, heat the oil in a saute pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the turnip bulb slices for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add the scallions and cook for another 3-5 minutes, stirring, or until turnips are beginning to soften.  Remove from heat.

When the liquid reaches a low boil, cook the pasta until it is molto al dente, or slightly undercooked.  Add the chopped turnip greens, and cook for another minute or two or until the pasta is done the way you like it, and the greens are wilted.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Ladle in to serving bowls, and top with Parmesan.  

Serve with crusty bread and a glass of Chianti, and enjoy while looking out over your vineyards.

*Homemade stock has a ton of herb flavor, so you may not need to add more.  However, if you're using off the shelf stock, you might like to add Italian seasoning.

Optional:  Add diced cooked meat, like Italian sausage.


Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick


 

Stew of sausage, basil, potatoes, carrots, & caramelized onions

Fresh basil frames this picture with minty, pungent flavor.  This recipe is oriented towards the simplicity of a one pot meal.  For added flavor, grill the sausages separately and add to the soup with the spaghetti.

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

Olive oil
1 pound merguez sausage (or your favorite), cut into 1/4 inch slices.

1 cup onion, 1/4 inch dice

2 cloves garlic, crushed

2 cups carrots in 1/4 inch wide slices

2 cups potatoes, 1/2 inch dice

1 tablespoon fresh Oregano, minced

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
3-4 cups broth, room temperature or warm
1/2 cup dry spaghetti 

2 cups coarsely chopped fresh basil 

DIRECTIONS
Heat a medium sturdy stock pot over medium heat.  Add enough olive oil to barely coat the bottom of the pot, and cook the sausage slices and onion for 6 minutes, stirring, or until sausage is cooked and onion is soft.  Add the garlic, carrots, potatoes, oregano and rosemary and cook for 5 minutes, stirring.  Add the stock and bring to a gentle boil, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the pasta, and cook for 6-7 minutes or until pasta is al dente and potatoes are just soft.  Stir in the basil, heat for another 30 seconds, and serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Leek and Potato Chowder

Hearty, chunky leek chowder pairs well with inclement weather.  This recipe takes inspiration from the immortal Marion Cunningham, although I made several changes.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  45 minutes
Serves: 8-10

INGREDIENTS
6 tablespoons butter, separated
4 cups thinly sliced (1/8 inch) leeks, white and light green parts
2 cups thinly sliced (1/8 inch) celery (about 2 stocks) including leaves
5-6 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 cups potatoes, 1/4 inch dice*
1 teaspoon thyme
4 tablespoons whole wheat (or white) flour
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Heat 3 tablespoons of the butter in a stock pot over medium heat and saute the leeks and celery for 10 minutes, stirring.  Add 2 cups of stock and cook, covered, for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the diced potatoes and 2 more cups stock.  The potatoes should be just about covered. If not, add more stock.  Add the thyme.  Cook for 15-20 minutes or until the potatoes pierce easily with a fork.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium low heat.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring, as the roux bubbles and smooths.  A few tablespoons at a time, add hot stock from the soup to the roux, stirring or whisking constantly.  It will bubble and thicken.  Do this several times, then pour this flour mixture into your chowder, along with salt and pepper to taste, and cook for a a minute or two, stirring, as it thickens.

Serve hot, with crusty bread and a glass of Beaujolais, and laugh at the storm.

*If your potatoes are organic, leave the peels on for flavor, nutrition, and texture.  Just scrub 'em and use 'em

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

New England Cassoulet

Like chili, the definition of cassoulet inspires passionate debate.  For this version, I focused on readily available ingredients.  While there's no duck under the hood,  you'll find plenty of rich flavor in this "New England" homage to the classic dish.  The vegetables are cooked separately and combined at the last minute to preserve their independent flavors.

Prep time 30 minutes

Cook time 40 minutes (if beans are prepared and ready to use)

Serves 8-10

INGREDIENTS

6 cups prepared white beans, such as cannellini, flageolet, or great northern* 

2-3 cups vegetable or chicken broth

1 pound ground sweet Italian sausage

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dried rosemary

1 teaspoon dried sage

2 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons olive oil, separated

2 cups pearl onions or coarsely chopped onions
3 cups carrots, 1/4 inch dice

1 cup sliced spicy sausage, such as andouille or chorizo

1/4 cup purée of oven dried tomatoes, or tomato paste

Salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat beans in stock pot with two cups broth to a bare simmer.  The objective here is not to cook the beans, but to make them hot for use when the other components are ready.  Reserve the remaining stock to use later if your cassoulet needs the moisture.

While beans are simmering, heat a large saute pan or skillet over medium heat and cook the sausage, garlic, rosemary, and sage, stirring, for 10 minutes or until done.  Scrape sausage in to a bowl to free up your saute pan.

Melt the butter and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in the saute pan over medium heat, and add the onions.  Cook for 4 minutes, stirring.  Add 1/2 inch water in the saute pan, taking care not to splatter yourself.  Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until onions are soft and sweet. Scrape onions and their liquid in to a bowl separate from the sausage.

Heat the olive oil in the saute pan over medium heat and saute the carrots for 4 minutes, stirring.  Carefully add 1/2 inch of water to the skillet.  Bring water to a simmer and cook the carrots for a further 4-5 minutes, or until carrots are just tender crisp. 

Add the sausage to the beans in the stock pot.  With a slotted spoon, add the onions and carrots, reserving the cooking liquid.  Add hot sausage and tomato purée.  Now, add enough onion and carrot cooking water, and the reserved broth, to create a thick stew (this is a matter of taste, I usually add all of the liquid because I love the flavor and the soupy consistency).  Heat to a simmer, stirring.  Serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

*If you want to get really serious, Cassoulet Beans (Tarbais Beans) are available through specialty food suppliers, such as Rancho Gordo.

Tip:  If you have multiple skillets or sauté pans and like the challenge of multitasking, you can prepare the sausage, carrots and onions in parallel.  Or, if you have the time and want to minimize the mess, follow the procedure above and cook each component ingredient in turn.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Muffins with Caramelized Onions & Smoked Gouda

These treats bring all the soft texture of muffins, along with savory, rich flavors reminiscent of stuffing.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time: 16 minutes
Yield:  12 hearty muffins

INGREDIENTS
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup onions, 1/4" dice

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock*
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil

Dry Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat bran
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt (optional)*
1 teaspoon crumbled sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 1/2 cups coarsely shredded smoked Gouda

DIRECTIONS
Preheat your oven to 400.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, stirring, for 10 minutes or until they are golden and translucent, then remove from heat.

While onions are caramelizing, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl, then whisk in the stock, milk, and olive oil.  Set the bowl aside.

In another bowl, whisk the flour, bran, baking powder, baking soda, salt if using, sage, and thyme.  Open a cavity in the dry ingredients.

Give the wet ingredients a quick whisk to remix, then pour in to the bowl with the flour mixture.  Using a rubber spatula, stir to just mix (lumpy is okay).  Gently stir in the caramelized onions and the shredded cheese.

Using two spoons, rubber spatulas, or some combination, evenly distribute the batter between cups in your muffin pan.  Slide the tray into the hot oven, and cook for 14 minutes or until firm.

*Check your stock for salt content.  If there's a lot of sodium in there, omit or reduce extra salt.

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Curried Butternut Broccoli Soup

This hearty cream soup, enjoyed after a cold day outside, was perfect for the occasion.  Prepare extra squash, broccoli, and potatoes a day or two beforehand, and it's very fast prep (not to mention efficient use of leftovers, if you're that type of cook).

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:     4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 cups cooked butternut or other winter squash
1 1/2 cups steamed broccoli, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons curry powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, minced (about 2/3 cup)

DIRECTIONS
In a deep stock pot, combine the stock, squash, broccoli, potatoes, curry powder, and salt.  Puree with an immersion blender to a smooth consistency.  (Alternatively, prepare in batches in a food processor or blender).  Place the stock pot on your stove over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until beginning to bubble.

While soup is heating, heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat and saute the onions, stirring, for 5-8 minutes or until they become soft and translucent.  Remove from heat.

Distribute soup to serving bowls, garnishing with caramelized onions, and perhaps with a touch of sour cream.



Variation:  Swap in other winter squash.

Vegetable Stew

 

Fast, satisfying treatment of fresh chunky veggies. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 25 minutes

Serves: 4-6

INGREDIENTS

4-6 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3-4 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 medium onion, 1/4" dice
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning

2 cups carrots, 1/4" dice

4 cups cabbage, 1/4" dice

2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 can cannellini beans with liquid

Shredded Parmesan to taste
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

Heat the stock in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium heat.  

While stock is heating, heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat and cook the garlic and onion for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add the Italian seasoning and the carrots and continue cooking for another 5 minutes.  Scrape the carrot mixture from the skillet into the stock pot, along with the cabbage, heat to a simmer, and cook for 5 minutes.  Add the broccoli, and continue to simmer for 10 minutes or until carrots, cabbage, and broccoli are tender crisp.  Add the cannellini beans, heat for 30 seconds further, the serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper, and topping with Parmesan cheese.

Variations:  This simple method could easily be adapted to welcome other chunky vegetables such as bok choi, celery, celeriac, and others.  Add chopped sausage.


Photo and recipe by Tod Dimmick

Cream of Potato Soup

Sometimes the best thing you can find in the fridge are leftovers.  Follow Plato's advice (you know, the chestnut about "necessity is the mother of invention")!

Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 18 Minutes
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS
3 TB olive oil
1 small onion, 1/4" dice
4-5 fresh sage leaves, minced (or 1 teaspoon dried)
3-4 cups stock
2-3 cups cooked potatoes with peels on, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Cooked bacon to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion and sage, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onions are soft. Using an immersion blender (or a food processor in batches) process the onions with 2 cups of the stock, the potatoes, and the salt and pepper.  Add more stock to achieve the consistency you like. Heat soup over medium-low heat in the saucepan, stirring.

Serve, garnished with the bacon.  Talk about comfort food.

Served up by Tod Dimmick

Summer Vegetable Stew

 













On a cool summer night, bring out a flavorful stew like this.

Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  30 minutes
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
3 tablespoons olive oil2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large onion, 1/4 inch dice
5 large carrots
6-8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3 cups chopped escarole
1 large tomato, diced
3 tablespoons pesto (I used Arugula pesto for this)
Salt
Pepper

DIRECTIONS
In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic, onion, and carrots for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the stock, and the escarole, and bring to a simmer.  Cook for another 5 minutes after that point.  Stir in the tomato, and the pesto, heat for another minute, and serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Who could say no to crusty bread along with this.  And a glass of rosé, of course.

(Parmesan cheese would also go nicely on this stew).

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick

Asparagus & Broccoli Soup

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










I have heard hearty soups like this called "peasant food".  I can't think of higher praise, because to me the term embraces simplicity, flavor, and creativity with ingredients.  A meal in a bowl like this is perfect for a cool spring night, and makes terrific use of tender broccoli stems.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes
Serves:  4+

INGREDIENTS
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups tender broccoli stems, coarsely chopped
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 1/2 cups asparagus, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups cooked potatoes, coarsely chopped
2-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Salt to taste
Toasted almonds to garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Heat the olive oil in a stock pot over medium heat, and cook the broccoli stems, the onions, and the red pepper for 2 minutes, stirring.  Add  the asparagus and cook for another three minutes, stirring, or until the broccoli and asparagus are tender-crisp.

Add the potatoes, the chicken stock, the pepper, and the salt.  Process with an immersion blender (or in batches in a countertop blender) until smooth and thick.  Heat in the stock pot to a simmer, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Distribute to serving bowls, garnishing with toasted almonds and a grind of black pepper.

Tip:  Use only tender broccoli stems.  A simple way to test them is to try a stem raw, or cut it with a paring knife.  If it's crunchy, use it.  If it's woody, or hard to cut with a knife, banish it to the compost.

Tip:  This soup is a terrific destination for leftover cooked broccoli or asparagus.  Feel free to vary the proportions of these key green ingredients.  All asparagus?  Great.  All Broccoli? Yum.

Turkey Leek Soup

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick









This simple soup is a tasty destination for leftover turkey or chicken.  It is also, by the way, a good antidote for a cold.

Prep time:  20 minutes
Cook time:  25 minutes (not including turkey cooking time)
Serves:  4-6

INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large leeks, cleaned, dark green parts removed, and thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon ground thyme
5 cups turkey or chicken stock
2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups cooked turkey or chicken meat, cut into 1/2" chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
In a stock pot, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat and saute the leeks and the thyme, stirring, for 4 minutes.  Add  the stock, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Add the rice and the turkey, heat for another 5 minutes, and serve, seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Radicchio Minestrone

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick










In this simple soup, sweet tomato pairs with bitter radicchio for flavor fireworks.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  4

INGREDIENTS
3 strips bacon
1 small onion, 1/4 inch dice
1 jalapeno or other hot pepper, cleaned of membrane and seeds, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3-4 cups coarsely chopped radicchio
1 large tomato, chopped
1 cup marinara sauce
2 tsp. Italian Seasoning
1-2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Shredded Parmesan for garnish

DIRECTIONS
Cook the bacon to your liking in the bottom of a stock pot over medium heat.  Remove bacon to drain, and pour off most of the bacon fat.  Add a little olive oil, and cook the onion and jalapeno for 5 minutes, stirring, or until onion is tender and turning tan.  Reduce heat to medium-low, add the stock, radicchio, tomato, marinara, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, and cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Distribute to serving bowls, sprinkling with crumbled bacon and Parmesan.

Variation:  If you're using vegetable stock, just omit the bacon for a vegetarian dish.  And in the other, non-vegetarian direction, the addition of cooked Italian sausage instead of, or even in addition to, the bacon adds flavor and richness.

Turnip Green Soup

Photo and Recipe by Tod Dimmick









We should have a flavor tag that says "Tastes Green".  Turnip Green Soup would be first on the list.

Prep time:  10 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes
Serves:  2 - 4 as a side dish.

INGREDIENTS
2 strips bacon
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 large bunch turnip greens, washed, stems separated from the leaves. (3-4 cups chopped)
 2-3 cups chicken stock
1/2 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp ground cumin
pine nuts to garnish (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS
Cook the bacon in the bottom of a stock pot.  When done to your liking, remove the bacon to drain and decide whether to use the bacon fat for cooking, or to pour it off and use olive oil.

Turn the heat under the container you used to cook the bacon to medium, can cook the garlic and stems for 2 minutes, stirring, or until the garlic begins to tan.  Add the turnip greens, stir, and cook for 1 minute.  Add the chicken stock, thyme, and cumin.  Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10-15 minutes or until greens are tender, stirring occasionally.

Using an immersion blender or a countertop blender, process the soup to the consistency you like.  Distribute to serving bowls, garnishing with pine nuts and crumbled bacon.

Variation: Add a cooked potato or a dollop of yogurt for a thicker, creamier soup