I’m not going to sink to the same level as this bout of premature winter that Mother Nature has tossed our way by complaining about it. Instead, I will silently voice my opinion by fighting back against the cold with this feisty, flavorful soup.

Tortilla soup defines comfort food for me – hearty, warm, and spicy, without lighting my mouth on fire. The rich chicken stock is underscored with a bit of heat, and cradles the sweetness of tomatoes – in this case, some of the last that we will be likely to see at the market until next August.

The shredded chicken is perfectly tender from hours of slow simmering, and gives the soup the guts it needs to stand on it’s own as a meal.

I staged a pathetic attempt at making my own tortillas for the first time and it was a miserable FAIL because I was unable to procure the necessary lard on such short notice. I tried to substitute with my all-natural, organic shortening and instead of flat, flexible pancakes, I ended up with mush balls that fell apart when rolled out. I fried up a few of those up to give the soup it’s signature flavor, but my hopes of topping the soup with gnarly strips of crispy tortilla were dashed.

That will have to be a project for another day.

Tortilla soup requires that you make your own stock (you need to do it anyway to cook the chicken to tender perfection), and therefore, you should plan to make the stock and set the chicken aside in the fridge the night before if the mood strikes for say, a weekday dinner. No matter how you get it done, it is well worth the effort, and the perfect end to our first blustery day that reminded us, cruelly, that winter is just around the corner.

Tortilla Soup

For the Stock:

1 (4 to 5 pound) whole chicken, innards removed and rinsed
Salt
1 large onion, chopped
1 cup medium diced carrots
1 cup medium diced celery
4 cloves garlic
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
8 cups water

For the Soup:

8 (7-inch) corn tortillas
Vegetable oil, for frying
2 cups chopped onions
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 bay leaf
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded (about 6 to 8 Romas)
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Garnishes:

1 large avocado, peeled and diced
2 fresh limes, cut into quarters
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

For the Stock: Season the chicken with salt. Place in a large stockpot and add the remaining ingredients. Season with a teaspoon of salt. Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 2 hours.

Remove from the heat and cool completely. Remove the chicken and set aside. Strain the liquid into a another pan, discarding the vegetables. Remove the fat and bones from the chicken. Dice the chicken into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.

For the Soup: Preheat the fryer. Cut half of the tortillas in quarters and thinly slice the other half. Fry both cuts of tortillas in batches, until golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and set aside.

In a stock pot, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onions. Season with salt, pepper and oregano. Saute until soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic, bay leaf and jalapeno. Continue to saute for 1 minute. Stir in the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 minutes. Crush the reserved fried tortilla quarters over the tomatoes. Stir to mix. Stir in the reserved chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Using a hand-held blender, puree the soup until smooth or leave chunky (either way, be sure to remove the bay leaf). Re-season the soup. Stir in the reserved chicken and cilantro. Simmer for another 5 minutes. To serve, ladle the soup into individual bowls. Garnish with the avocados, squeeze of lime  lime juice, fresh cilantro and the fried tortilla strips. Serve warm.

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. I’m swimming in them. And the most marvelous thing about tomato season is that much of the work has been done for you, by the farmer. In-season tomatoes are the most marvelous thing to happen to cooking, because even kitchen-phobic, “I can’t even boil water, pass the takeout menu!” types can make perfect, delicious, and colorful meals with minimal effort.

This recipe is another simple, delicious way to cook with your tomatoes right now.

You can either serve it hot, as a side dish, or as a cold salad, by allowing the orecchiette to chill before adding the other ingredients.

It’s exactly the kind of food I’ll be enjoying this week on my Sonoma Valley vacation – hence, the short, effortless recipe for the short, effortless post. Brian and I will be cooking some amazing, California cuisine in our rented tree house kitchen between kayaking, hiking, and wine touring, and I promise to share it all with you here.

Orecchiette with Fresh Mozzarella, Grape Tomatoes, and Garlic Chives
Adapted from Bon Appétit, August 2009

10 ounces orecchiette (little ear-shaped pasta; about 3 cups uncooked)

1/2 pound pea-size mozzarella or fresh mozzarella, diced

1 pound grape tomatoes or pear tomatoes in assorted colors, halved

6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar (or more, to taste)

3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic chives or regular chives

2 tablespoons minced fresh basil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain; return pasta to pot. If you are going to make a salad, chill this until it is cold. If you are serving it as a pasta dish, add mozzarella; stir until cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes and all remaining ingredients; toss to blend evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The silver lining of this chilly cloud (and let’s not even begin to talk about the inevitable approach of the fall season, because I, for one, am in denial) is that I am swimming in tomatoes and it’s actually cold enough outside for the moment to conceive of using them in winter recipes that I usually can only wish that I had great tomatoes to use. I’m talking savory, melty tomato goodness that, under normal circumstances, I would never, ever want to make in sweltering August.





At first glance, this is a pretty unremarkable recipe, but please, I implore you, do not be fooled by its simplicity. It is important to remember that this dish is all about the tomatoes – the greatest show in town at the moment.





When you take wonderful, farm fresh, beefsteak tomatoes and combine them with the bright flavors of citrus and thyme, then bake them to concentrate and meld the flavors together under a blanket of buttery, homemade hazelnut croutons, what you get is pure heaven on a plate.





It was almost enough to make us delight in the unexpected chill in the air as we ate on our porch last night, determined to squeeze every last drop out of summer flavors, no matter that our tootsies were definitely a little cold in our flip flops. This dish paid homage to summer while warming us from the inside, which was unexpected, but also a bit refreshing.


Baked Tomatoes with Hazelnut Breadcrumbs
Adapted from Gourmet, August 2009

The original recipe calls for 1/2 a stick of butter, which I felt was too much and I opted to use half. You are essentially making croutons in the skillet, so if you find that they are too dry for your tastes, feel free to add additional butter or olive oil. I still got incredible, rich butter flavor. I could not find lemon thyme at the market, so I added the zest of one lemon to compensate for the citrus. It worked like a charm.

serves 6 to 8 people as a side dish

2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from country bread, preferably whole-wheat)

4 to 6 large beefsteak tomatoes (about 3 pounds total)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped lemon thyme or regular thyme, divided

zest of 1 lemon (if you are unable to fine lemon thyme)

1/4 stick unsalted butter

1 cup toasted hazelnuts (toast in a 350 degree oven for 7 minutes on a cookie sheet), any loose skins rubbed off with a cotton towel, cooled, and coarsely chopped.

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow ceramic or glass baking dish.

Spread bread crumbs in a 4-sided sheet pan and toast in oven until dried and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crumbs. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.

Thickly slice tomatoes and arrange, overlapping, in baking dish. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thyme, and if you are using the zest, sprinkle with that as well.

Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, then cook nuts and crumbs, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon evenly over tomatoes.

Bake until tomatoes are bubbling and crumbs are browned, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon thyme.

Cooks’ note: Bread crumbs and nuts can be toasted (but not cooked in butter) 1 day ahead and kept together in an airtight container at room temperature. This dish does not keep well, so cut the recipe if there are less people – the leftovers were too soggy for me to endorse.

I’m disappointed in myself because, despite my convictions to do better, I didn’t cook very much and I only went to the gym three times yeah, OK, fine, twice. It was supposed to be the week that I charged ahead with my new bread-baking self, the woman who manages her life, kicking ass and taking names along the way. It was supposed to be the week that I raised my coffee mug high and laughed in the face of my early morning schedule. But alas, it was all takeout and Hulu and hmmm, what’s that you say about a wedding? You mean, people plan those after they get engaged? Well, I never.





So here we are again, a Monday night, the chance to turn over a new leaf and I’m on board. I’m carpe-ing this diem.





The market is full of delicious things and so is my refrigerator. This salad, which is based on my mother’s cheese tortellini version, is designed to be eaten cold. Just cook the couscous and make the pesto ahead of time, then chill the whole thing down and add the tomato and onion just before you are ready to serve. It’s a flexible recipe, feel free to adjust the olive oil and seasoning to your liking, and you can choose to add parmesan or leave it out all together. This salad keeps for a few days in the fridge and it’s a light crowd-pleaser at picnics.





I promise that this week, there will be recipes and probably some bread to ogle as I pull myself from my slump. In the meantime, thank you ever so much for your continued readership.

Best regards,

Lauren

PS – Check out my pictures from a demo at the French Culinary Institute that I took this week of Alex Stupak, pastry chef at WD-50, showing us desserts that are on the menu now. Click here to jump to my Flickr page.

Israeli Couscous Pesto Salad
Inspired by my mother’s recipe for tortellini salad

serves 8 side portions

2 cups Israeli couscous

3 cups water

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/2 a large red onion, finely diced

1 large bunch of basil (approx. 10 stems)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 fresh lemons, juiced

sea salt

fresh ground black pepper

grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Bring salted water to boil in a medium saucepan with a lid. When water is boiling, stir in couscous, allow it to come back to a rolling boil and cook for two minutes, stirring occasionally, then cover and remove from heat, and allow it to sit covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, test for doneness (if it still is too crunchy, replace the lid and wait a few more minutes), and fluff the couscous with a fork. Place in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In a food processor or blender, place the basil leaves, lemon juice, and olive oil (feel free to adjust amount to your taste) and pulse for 1-2 minutes. Open up the lid and add salt and pepper to taste. Remove cooled couscous from the fridge and stir in the pesto. Add onions and tomatoes and stir until all of the couscous is coated with pesto and all of the onions and tomatoes are uniformly integrated. Grate parmasean cheese over the top, toss and serve cold. Will keep for 2 days in a covered container in the fridge.

I can stop my whining about the lackluster fare at the markets – spring has finally arrived, and at long last, the farmers are toting something fresh and new in the backs of those huge trucks. There’s lettuce and baby greens, ramps, asparagus, the first teeny-tiny strawberries, and so much more! And the best part: once the floodgates open, the produce just keeps getting better and better each week as the balmy weeks of summer unfold.

After all of the excitement of our extended weekend, Brian and I took it easy on Sunday and enjoyed a stroll in one of the smaller markets in the East Village. I have tons of love for the chaotic Union Square market, but with the construction on the park going on, it’s been a bit claustrophobic for me. Luckily, there are markets all over, happening at different times of the week, you need only chose the closest to your home or office, using this amazing map.

We ended up checking out the market at the Stuyvesant Town oval, since it’s really close to the apartment, and never seems to be crowded. I was psyched to discover that there were gorgeous bulbs of spring garlic (aka, green garlic) and even some tomatoes (hydro grown, so not the real deal, but an improvement over supermarkets).

And just like that, our dinner was born.

My favorite thing about the markets of June – November, other than the quality of the produce, is that they provide us with the opportunity to eat a menu dictated largely by nature. During these times, it becomes so freaking simple to pick up a ton of whatever is in season and work backwards from there, dreaming up (or researching) the best ways to use each week’s haul.

Sometimes, we have a lot of fun finding elaborate ways to use the fruits and vegetables, other times, a simple brush with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper is all we need to create a satisfying meal.

This bruschetta recipe falls sort of in-between. It’s very simple, and the mild, juicy spring garlic gives the prefect garlic flavor, without overwhelming you with bite. We grilled our bread, but you needn’t be as fancy, toasting under the broiler or even in the toaster oven will do. Be sure to only add salt right before you are ready to eat to avoid drawing the liquid out of the tomatoes. It’s the perfect accompaniment to other grilled veggies, or a crowd-pleasing starter at any BBQ.

Spring Garlic and Tomato Bruschetta Recipe

Serves 3-4 people

4-5 tomatoes on the vine

1 bulb spring garlic, chopped finely

1 large handful of fresh basil, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

sea salt or kosher salt

fresh ground black pepper

1/2 loaf baguette, cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds

Combine chopped tomatoes, spring garlic, and fresh basil in a bowl, gently mix, and refrigerate for at least two hours (no more than to allow the flavors to meld.

When you are ready to serve, remove tomatoes from the fridge and pour off some of the excess liquid, so the mixture is not too soupy but also not bone dry. Prepare your grill or turn on the broiler of your oven. If grilling, place the bread rounds on the grill and toast them on both sides, being careful not to burn them. If using the oven do the same, with the bread up close to the top of the broiler.

Arrange bread rounds on a plate. top each one with a few tablespoons of the tomato mixture, and allow a little of the juices to seep into the toasted bread. Sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper to taste. Drizzle with olive oil and serve immediately.

For a quick, nutritious, low-fat, yet filling and satisfying meal for two (with plenty of leftovers for bringing to work) look no further.

I’ve been getting into the Gourmet Everyday Quick Kitchen recipes in a big way during these hectic months of belt-tightening. This recipe, from the March 2009 edition, is absolutely stellar.  I only got my magazine a few weeks go, and already I’ve made it twice. 

The secret is in the spices, which are basic and when combined, give this dish a delicious kick that’s not too overpowering or spicy. I’ve been grinding many of my own (in this case, the dried chilies and the coriander) spices lately in my coffee grinder. This time I threw in the already ground spices as well to create a custom blend.

I’m a huge sucker for tomatoey recipes, and love that Gourmet is embracing one of my favorite adjectives. This recipe works great year-round, just try to use the highest quality tomatoes you can get.

I keep expounding upon the virtues of soaking dried chickpeas (so good, so cheap, etc.), but I’ve been terrible at actually planning ahead. I could do so much better!

The first time I made this I skipped the mint and the parsley and used some basil I had leftover, which worked great.  This time I got the proper ingredients and they made the dish so much more amazing, especially the next day, and especially the mint. If you can, go for it! I also added some rice vinegar for a little tang.

A nice dollop of yoghurt makes this dish super-special. The tangy yoghurt compliments the spices so well, it’s as good as any chickpea curry I’ve had at my favorite Indian places.  The best thing about this recipe: It’s ready in under half an hour and can feed (and satisfy!) you for days.

Tomatoey Spiced Chickpeas
Adapted from Gourmet, March 2009

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground ginger

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes

1 (1 1/2-inch) piece cinnamon stick

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice

1/4 cup rice vinegar (balsamic would also work)

2 (15-ounce) cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained

1/2 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup finely chopped mint

Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then cook cumin, coriander, ginger, red-pepper flakes, and cinnamon stick, stirring constantly, until fragrant and a shade darker, about 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes with juices, breaking up tomatoes with a spoon, then add chickpeas and vinegar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 20 minutes. Discard cinnamon stick.

Stir in parsley and mint. Serve warm or at room temperature.

I have childhood memories of asking my mother if ratatouille contains rats, which probably meant that she had to talk me into eating it. No more. While cruising Epicurious yesterday night looking for heathy and satisfying dinner inspiration, I happened across this recipe, written by the Culinary Institute of America’s Associate Dean of Restaurant Education, Chef Lou Jones. I realized that besides seeing the adorable Pixar movie, it had been a very long time since I had indulged in this simple, fresh, and amazing dish.

The recipe begins by roasting zuchini, yellow, red, (and for economic reasons, I also included) green peppers, eggplant, a halved head of garlic, and a par-boiled bulb of fennel. You must rub each of these in olive oil with your hands before placing them on a baking sheet.

Be sure to get the olive oil into the grooves in the head of garlic as well. Wrap the bottom in foil, leaving the top exposed, before placing it in the oven.

This recipe features it’s own sauce, which I highly recommend making. It is custom-brewed with fresh thyme and marjoram, which really makes this dish special. You may as well make the sauce while you are waiting for the veggies to roast. Go on… just do it!

After about 35 minutes, your vegetables should be ready to come out of the oven. They will look shrunken and the skins will have begun to brown.

Place the peppers in a large bowl and seal it tightly with foil to help loosen the skins. Allow the rest of the vegetables to rest for about 10 minutes (or at least until they are cool enough to handle).

As soon as you can touch the vegetables, move them to a cutting board for preparation.

Remove the seeds from the zucchini, remove the seeds and peel the skin from the peppers, and core the fennel, then chop everything into very small pieces, as uniform as you can get them.

Place all of the chopped vegetables into a pot. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of their skins into the pot and add the sauce. Simmer for approximately 10 minutes until there is almost no liquid. Finish with more fresh herbs, balsalmic vinegar, olive oil, salt and black pepper. This recipe makes a lot more than just the two of us could eat, so happily I will be enjoying this at work for the next few days. It is a delicious and vegan way to detox after the holidays (or for a pre-New Year’s cleanse).

Ratatouille
Epicurious |  November 2008 by Chef Lou Jones 

For Ratatouille:

1 bulb fennel, stalks discarded

3 red bell peppers, pierced with tip of knife

3 yellow bell peppers, pierced with tip of knife

2 medium zucchini, quartered

1 medium eggplant, quartered

About 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 head garlic

2 cups tomato sauce (see below for recipe)

1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, chopped

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For Sauce:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

2 cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)

1 small red bell pepper, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 cup dry white wine

2 sprigs fresh marjoram

3 sprigs fresh thyme

6 whole leaves fresh basil

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1 tablespoon tomato paste

To make sauce:

In medium saucepan over moderate heat, heat oil until hot but not smoking. Add onion, garlic, and pepper and sauté until just tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add wine, marjoram, thyme, and basil and simmer, uncovered, until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and 3/4 cup water to pot and simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. (Sauce can be made ahead and refrigerated up to 3 days.)

To make ratatouille:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In large saucepan over moderately high heat, bring 2 quarts salted water to boil. Add fennel and boil until tender, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, rub red and yellow peppers, zucchini, and eggplant with olive oil and transfer to large baking sheet. Cut off top 1/2 inch from garlic head. Wrap in foil and transfer to baking sheet alongside vegetables.

When fennel is tender, use tongs to transfer to sheet and rub with oil. Roast vegetables, turning occasionally, until tender and slightly browned, 30 to 40 minutes.

Transfer roasted peppers to large bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let all vegetables stand until cooled slightly, about 10 minutes. Peel and deseed peppers, then finely dice. Remove seeds from zucchini and finely dice. Finely dice eggplant. Core fennel and finely dice.

In large saucepan over moderately high heat, combine diced roasted vegetables and tomato sauce. Squeeze garlic from skins into pan. Simmer mixture, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened with very little liquid remaining, about 10 minutes.

Stir in basil, thyme, marjoram, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, and remaining 1/4 cup olive oil. Serve immediately.