Market Soup

This is a delicate yet satisfying soup of kale, mushrooms and turnips in a hearty broth accompanied by a small helping of aromatic and smoky jasmine rice. A great dish to ward off the winter blues.

2 turnips, peeled and finely chopped
6 mushrooms finely chopped
1 TBS olive oil
1 tsp butter
1/4 tsp salt

Heat the oil and butter until rippling, then add the rest of the ingredients on medium high until browned on the outside.

Remove the cooked vegetables and set aside.

half of a medium onion, finely chopped
pinch of salt
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. olive oil
4 cups warm/boiling water
1 mushroom bouillon cube
1 bay leaf
1 tsp of seasoning mix (creole, herbes de provence, or a house mix, spike, etc)

In the previously used pan, heat the oil and butter until rippling. Saute the onion for 5 minutes with salt until translucent, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pan for the browned bits of mushroom and turnip. Add garlic and saute for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly, add the water and wisk the rest of the ingredients in the pot, being sure to scrap the bottom, you want to release as much of the brown bits and oil into the broth as possible. Add the bouillon, bay leaf and seasoning; bring everything to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

1 large bunch kale (About 5 Cups), finely chopped

Remove the bay leaf and add the chopped kale. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and turnip mixture and make the rice.

Rice accompaniment

1 cups water
1/2 cup jasmine rice
1 1/2 tsp Mrs Dash
pinch salt
2 TBSP smoked goat cheese
1 tsp cracked black peppercorns

Bring water, Mrs Dash and salt to a boil. Add rice and cook according to package directions, about 25 minutes, covered. Crumble in the smoked goat cheese and cracked pepper as you fluff the rice and mix evenly. Let the rice cool for 2-3 minutes after fluffing before assembling the dish.

I like to take a small 1/3 cup ramekin and coat it lightly with cooking spray. Then I fill it with the rice, and mold it. Slowly, I put the soup bowl over the ramekin and turn over with care to release the rice. (you could also coat hands with cooking spray and form by hand). Then ladle about 3/4 cup soup into the bowl. You should be able to do that 2-3 more times depending on how much kale you had and how large the servings are.

I really like it just like that and it is very filling, I find one bowl to be plenty. Could be wonderful with hot sauce. Enjoy!

The most quintessential Southern dish of all time- Squah casserole

Like most recipes I create, this dish happens in steps, and it will take some time. But, like the others, it is well worth the effort, in fact, if you only make one recipe from this blog, make this one. The woodsy roasted mushrooms and squash match so well with the creamy leek cream soup, it is a delightful combination. And for such a rich tasting dish, you will barely believe that I had no need for mayonnaise, sour cream, or buttery crackers in this recipe, just a little bread crumbs and a single egg to hold it all together.

The steps are these: chop and roast squash and mushrooms, make creamy leek soup, mix the two with a few other ingredients, bake and enjoy.

Roasted veggies
Ingredients
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced into 8ths (I used black mushrooms but baby bellas or cremini would also be good in this)
1 small white onion, chopped
3 lbs. squash, chopped into half inch slices
2 tbsp. olive oil
a few cracks of the pepper cracker

Set oven to 375 degrees. Toss the squash and mushrooms with the olive oil and pepper, until everything is coated. Roast for 30 minutes, remove, stir and roast for another 15 to 20 minutes.
When done, set aside to cool.

Cream of Leek soup
Ingredients
2 leeks, tops removed, then sliced thin and cleaned
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 cube mushroom bouillon
2 1/2 cup milk
1/4 all purpose flour
1 package mushroom gravy (I use road's end organics, it needs to equal one cup)

Heat the butter and olive oil in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium low. Once the oil is warmed and butter melted, saute the leeks and garlic slowly, for 20 minutes until the leeks are soft and fragrant and garlic golden. It will smell like heaven. In a large pyrex or microwave safe bowl, heat the mushroom bouillon and and milk together for a minute or two, until milk is very hot. Whisk vigorously to melt the bouillon cube. Set aside. Add the flour to the leeks and stir with a whisk. Cook for a couple minutes, then add the mushroom bouillon/milk mixture, continuing to whisk until the flour is completely mixed into the milk. Cook, stirring constantly for 5 minutes as the mixture thickens. Finally, pour in the mushroom gravy mix packet, and the soup should take on a think, creamy texture similar to creamy condensed soup which has been about halfway reconstituted.

Time to put it all together.
Ingredients
Roasted veggies
Creamy Leek soup
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. mild cheese like white cheddar, Mexican quesadilla cheese or mozzarella
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. plain bread crumbs

Reduce oven heat to 350. In a large lightly greased casserole dish, combine the roasted veggies, creamy leek soup, egg, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/4 cup breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs over top of the mixture. Cover and bake for 45 minutes, until the cheese is brown and bubbly and casserole is set.

Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes to cool. Enjoy!