Fresh Corn Chowder and Buttered Rosemary Skillet Rolls

The first day of Fall slipped quietly by. I barely noticed. The climate, where I live, usually brings warm and beautiful weather-- but, then it can change to be overcast and cool.  My garden is so confused.  So it my palate.

This is the time of year when I still want to grill summer veggies, and yet my yearning for home baked bread and soups starts to kick into gear.

I had an itch for Corn Chowder and home baked bread that needed to be scratched.  I've made Ina Garten's Cheddar Corn Chowder, but I wanted to try a different version.  I had bookmarked a version from Cook's Illustrated, a while ago, because it had many positive reviews.   Soup and bread is hard to resist, so I decided to make one of my husband's favorite bread recipes-- Buttered Rosemary Skillet Rolls.   The rolls are adapted from (gasp) "The Pioneer Woman".  Ree's original recipe uses frozen bread dough. I make my own, and these rolls are  one of the easiest-- and most faithful-- recipes you'll ever use. Just look at the pool of melted butter! Doesn't it make you swoon? (Paula Deen has nothing on me, with these rolls.)  I am not ashamed. 

I've lost count on how many times I've made these rolls. I use instant yeast, and it takes about 10 minutes for me to make the dough, using a stand mixer with a dough hook.  The dough rises, perfectly, in about 45 minutes.  Once shaped into rolls, the second rise takes about 20 minutes. TIP: I turn my oven to WARM, then turn it off.  This acts as an "incubator" for my dough, and speeds up the process of proofing the dough.
The rolls bake in about 25 minutes. (I bake them in my beloved cast iron skillet). You can use a cake pan, if you wish.

What's missing in this post? I'll tell you.  My typical step-by-step photos are!  I hadn't planned on blogging about the soup, nor the rolls.   I really just wanted to re-shoot the rolls, as the finished shots on my original post didn't turn out right.  (This is what happens when you don't check your lens, and you've smeared melted butter all over it.)   Fortunately, I automatically photograph most anything I eat. My friends are used to it, now.  I'm glad that I did, because the soup recipe is worth sharing with you.

VERDICT: I have to tell you that the Corn Chowder definitely scratched my itch.  I have to share it with you. I owe it to you.  It was creamy, and I did not miss adding cheese to it-- as Ina's recipe does.  Some of the corn kernels are reserved, and added towards the very end of the cooking time. This gives the soup a texture of creamy, with some crunchy al dente texture of fresh corn. I loved it. I didn't have salt pork, so I used regular bacon-- and that worked just fine. I did add some finely chopped red bell pepper, to the recipe.  I liked the color, and the flavor, that it contributed to the soup.  As for the bread...

...well, who can beat the smell of fresh baked bread? The rolls turned out, once again, to be very tender.

I love this recipe. There's something about sea salt & fresh rosemary that makes these rolls very addicting.

This meal represented the flavors of summer corn, and the promise of home-baked bread, with fall weather.  Both of these recipes will remain in my regular rotation file. They're both that good!  You can see step-by-step photos on how to make these rolls here. (Printable recipe cards are at the end of this post.)

Now... I have a hankering for pumpkin. Big time!

Spring English Pea Soup with Tarragon. Oh, that hits the spot!

Hello, my dear friends and readers!  I've missed not having any time to visit food blogs.  I've definitely been busy in the kitchen, but all my photos and recipes have been waiting for me to carve out some time to sit down and work on posts.  I decided to share this delectable soup that I created, first.  This soup is based on a "food memory" that dates back to a time when I was in my early 20's.  I can clearly remember the Carmel restaurant (thought it's now closed), the texture, the flavor and the chef who created one of the best soups I've ever had.  What made this soup so memorable was the creamy texture, with just the right amount of whole fresh peas-- that added a nice crunchy texture with each bite.  I remember that the chef was a friend of my dinner partner. When he sent the soup from his kitchen, he had the server present a plate of lemon slices along side it.  I was encouraged  to squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the soup.  I loved it! (From that day, forward, I cannot enjoy any kind of cream soup without fresh lemon juice).   Almost thirty years later, I've never seen a soup like that on any restaurant menu.

Last week, I spotted a bag of shelled English peas at my local Costco.   The mere thought of not having to shell peas was a surprise bonus. The memory of that soup is what really compelled me to buy these  I wanted to see if I could recreate the recipe, from long ago.   I got a little inspiration on where to start,  from a favorite recipe  for Creamy Asparagus Soup, that I've made several times.

Peas and Mint are a popular combination, in soup.  But, you see, my husband cringes at the mere mention of mint in any kind of savory dish.  In our herb garden, we have lots of French tarragon growing.  Fortunately, we both love the slice licorice taste of tarragon.

I decided to use a finely chopped shallot, because they have a milder flavor than traditional onion...

...and I chopped about two Tablespoons of tarragon...

If you can't find freshly shelled English peas, you'll have to invest a little time into doing that yourself.  I used about 5 cups of peas. Can you use regular frozen peas?  Sure.  But English peas are extra special! In a Dutch Oven, I heated some olive oil and butter, until melted. Next, I added the shallots and cooked them until tender, 2-3 minutes; the tarragon was added (or choice of fresh herbs). I used white pepper, for seasoning.

Add 4 cups of the peas, reserving 1 cup, and enough chicken (or vegetable) stock to just cover them. Cover the pot, and cook for about 12 minutes, over medium heat.

The peas should feel tender, but not mushy. If you have an immersion blender, you can puree the peas right in the pot! Otherwise, carefully pure the soup in small batches in a blender.

 

I added about 1 Tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese and about 1/4 cup of heavy cream to the soup. (The Parmesan cheese added a perfect balance to the flavor of the peas, and a little bit of saltiness to the soup.  Give the soup a final taste, and adjust the seasonings to your palate.

I added a cup of peas into the creamy soup, and cooked it on low for about 5 minutes.  The soup was a little on the thin side. No worries...

Because I enjoy making homemade soups and stews, I keep a box of potato starch flour on hand.  In a small bowl, I use about 1 heaping Tablespoon of the starch, and I whisk in a ladle of the soup, until thoroughly combined-- hence, I don't create lumpy soup. Then, I add it back into my soup. 

There's the texture I want-- creamy, slightly thick with some whole peas.  Last...

... I add some fresh lemon juice-- about 1 Tablespoon.  Add a little at a time, to your liking. The soup took about 30 minutes to make.

TASTING NOTES:  My son isn't a fan of frozen peas, on his dinner plate.  He loved this soup! As for me, I do believe that I recreated one of the best things I ever ate! (Isn't that a Food Network show?)  My family enjoyed the creaminess of the soup, the mild flavor of the tarragon worked really well with the brightness from the lemon juice.  You can't really taste the Parmesan cheese, as it adds the perfect balance of nuttiness and saltiness.  I quickly wrote down how I made this, but I didn't really measure at the time I was inventing.  I think this soup has room for improvising measurements.  There is a printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

What makes me happy, is that I don't have to wait 25 more years to try this again.  I'd happily serve this as a first course at a dinner party. Sooner, than later!

I'm off to visit food blogs. I'm looking forward to catching up on what y'all have been making!

Enjoy!

Short-Rib Soup with Mushrooms and Israeli Couscous

Spring is beginning to make its presence known, in my part of California. I already spotted the first of the California grown asparagus-- yes!  Our Wisteria is in full bloom, and my rose buds are showing promise of rose flowers in our garden.

 If you've been following the news in California, we've had some really heavy rains.  Then, just when we were worried that our local river might flood, we were blessed with 80-degree weather for the last two days.  Today, we're back to overcast skies and chilly winds.  Crazy weather!   I am never sure if I can uncover our Weber grill, or it's time to braise something, or make soup.  Before the recipes for all the Spring vegetables start hitting blogsophere, I wanted to post the soup that I made with the leftover Red Wine Braised Short Rib recipe that I posted a couple of weeks ago.

Speaking of the last two weeks, I have been missing in action.   Suffice it to say that my work schedule doesn't leave me enough time to post recipes as much as I once did.  I miss it, terribly.  For now, it seems I can only post once a week... twice, if I'm lucky.

With that said, let's make soup.  I love making soups, year-round.  It's fun for me to transform leftovers into a delicious soup.  When I make pot roast, I always make souI. When I made the short rib recipe, I saved the vegetables that were used in the braising of the short ribs. I cut up the leftover short ribs and set them aside.

This recipe also comes from Chef Huber Keller, who inspired me to make the Red Wine Braised Short-Ribs.  He used Israeli Couscous.  I happened to find a bag of Harvest Grains, that I had purchased at Trader Joe's.

I cooked one cup the Harvest Grains, per the instructions on the bag...

...and set it aside.  Make a bouquet garni by wrapping the parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and 2‐ inch celery piece into a 2‐inch piece of leek. Alternatively, wrap in cheesecloth.

Chef Hubert Keller used Shitake mushrooms.  I used Cremini mushrooms, because it's what I had on hand. i decided to brown them in a little olive oil. You don't have to do this, and you can just add them to the soup sliced raw.  If you don't have leftover cooked vegetables, then simply saute a mirepoix of onion, celery and carrots, and saute them in bacon (or olive oil).

To the vegetables, add the remaining braising liquid, red wine, bouquet garni and some beef stock.

Add the chopped short ribs, couscous and mushrooms...

Truthfully, I liked the soup almost more than the actually braised short rib dinner. The braising liquid is what makes the soup so rich and flavorful.

So there you have it-- how to turn leftovers into something really flavorful and filling.  A printable recipe card is at the bottom of this post.  

I'm submitting this recipe to Deb and Kahakai Kitchen for her Souper Sunday weekly roundup of soup, stew, salad and sandwich recipes.  Please pay her lovely blog a visit!

I haven't been able to visit any food blogs for two weeks, and I'm regretting that I'm missing out on some terrific recipes. . I'll do my best to pop in and visit those of you who are on my blog roll-- and to my newest followers on my blog and my Facebook Fan Page.  I'm sorry I haven't been around much.   I'll find more time, soon.  I'm working on it!

Cheers!

Chicken & Dumplings - An American Classic from America's Test Kitchen--and a Public Confession

I have to much to tell you.  It's personal stuff.  But, first, I'm going to tell you about this Chicken 'N Dumplings dish that I made a few weeks ago.  It's gone, by the way.  In fact, this huge pot of deliciousness was mostly eaten by my boys in two days.  I'd say that this recipe was a success, because they asked for more.  I wasn't sure what to expect, by the way. Why? Because I've never tasted this classic American dish, let alone made this dish.  I happened to catch an episode of America's Test Kitchen and I was impressed with how easy the show made this look to make.   To me, this is really like making homemade chicken soup, with dumplings instead of noodles. Out of curiosity, I asked my husband if he'd ever had Chicken and Dumplings.  He replied that his mother used to make it, and I noticed a faraway look of longing in his eyes.  I decided to see if I could make his childhood dish, because I adore him.

 Carrots, celery and onion are prepped and ready to go.

The only item I needed to buy were chicken thighs-- which are much less expensive than the chicken breasts that I usually buy.  Here we go:

Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. (I love my splatter screen. It makes cleanup just a little nicer.) The most time-consuming part of this recipe, was searing the chicken in batches.  Five pounds of chicken thighs is a lot!

Add half of the chicken and cook until golden on both sides, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin. Pour off the chicken fat and reserve. Return the pot to medium-high heat and repeat with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and the remaining chicken. Pour off and reserve any chicken fat.

 Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the browned skin.

Add the butter to the Dutch oven and melt over medium-high heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.

 

Stir in  flour. 

Whisk in sherry (I used a dry white wine), scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth, milk, thyme, and bay leaves.

Nestle the chicken, with any accumulated juices, into the pot. Cover and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, about 1 hour.

 Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Discard the bay leaves. Allow the sauce to settle for a few minutes, then skim the fat from the surface using a wide spoon. Shred the chicken, discarding the bones, then return it to the stew. NOTE: I used a disposable glove to make easier work of shredding the thicken.

Time to make dumplings...

Cook's Illustrated suggests using only whole milk, by the way.  (You can substitute unsalted butter if you don't want to use chicken fat.) 

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Microwave the milk and fat in a microwave-safe bowl on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute. Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until incorporated and smooth.  Have frozen peas and fresh parsley at the ready...

Return the stew to a simmer, stir in the peas and parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Following the photos below, drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you should have about 18 dumplings). 

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes. 

NOTE: I found that I had to rotate the dumplings, as some were "gummy" for a few minutes longer than others. I think a tight-fitting lid helps, and I did peek a time or two. Shhhhh. It's time to serve. I had to check out the inside of my first American dumpling.  Would it be fluffy inside, as Cook's Illustrated promised?

Yes! (Sigh of relief.)

VERDICT:  This is a stew.  It's a chicken soup, made thicker.  The dumplings were fluffy-- though I wish I had gone with my intuition to add fresh chives.  I also think buttermilk would be a great alternative to using whole milk.  Would I make this again? Ask my boys! Yes, yes, yes!  It's hearty. It's comforting.  If I skip the dumplings for myself, it's pretty healthy too. 

I'm submitting this to Deb at Kahakai Kitchen for her Sunday Souper Sunday Roundup.  Each week she gathers soups, stews, salads and sandwich recipes from fellow bloggers.  It's a great place for inspiration.

So.. about my personal news. (You can scroll past this, to the bottom where you'll find a printable recipe.  I won't take it personally.)

'Nuff said. Here's the recipe. 

Blessings,