Those who know me best know that what I cook in any given day is most often based on what I saw in the street or smelled in the air. So when it is cold and rainy and grey outside, I am not inspired to do much except perhaps to make toast. I am meant to live in the sunshine whether it is 30 C. or -10 C. it does not matter. But it is clear that long bouts of "overcast" were not for me.
So come the month of January - the longest month of the year as far as I'm concerned - I need to work very hard to keep the "living world" in my vision. I guess that is why I make so many green dishes.
This week's second soup - already polished off the split pea soup from Thursday - is once again a green soup but a soup very heavy on the flavors of Normandy, with a touch of the Middle East.
BT's Leek, Fennel and Celeriac Soup
Ingredients:
2 large leeks
2 medium or 5 small tender fennel bulbs with fronds
2 large celeriac
1 small potato
2 cloves garlic
1 jalapeño - seeds and veins (remove seeds and veins for less heat)
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon ghee (butter, oil, coconut oil)
2 tablespoons Arak or Anisette (optional)
1 teaspoon sugar - if using Arak
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 large bay leaf
6 cups (1.5 l) filtered water
ground black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (coconut cream, almond milk)
1/2 lemon - juiced
1 small bunch cilantro
1 sweet green radish and 2 cucumbers
labne
Directions:
Remove outer skin of leek and wash thoroughly
Peel celeriac
Rough chop leek and celeriac
Add ghee to heavy gauge cocotte and turn flame to medium low
Add mustard seeds and cook until they begin to pop - about 1 minute
Add leek and celeriac
Rough chop jalapeño and add to pot
Add fennel and fennel fronds
Sauté greens for 3-4 minutes or until leek is transparent
Sprinkle with salt and continue to sauté for 1 minute
Add Arak and sugar and reduce flame to low
Add water
Peel potato and rough chop and add to soup
Add bay leaf, remainder of salt and several grinds of black pepper
Cover pot and simmer for 20 minutes
Remove pot from heat and let cool for 5 minutes
Purée soup with wand blender
Add cream and lemon juice
Serve with chopped cilantro, cucumber, sliced green radish and labne
Enjoy! !בתיאבון
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