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Spring Pea Soup
Recipe courtesy of Michael Chiarello
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, lightly crushed
1 1/2 cups sliced leek, white and pale green parts only
3/4 cup diced celery
2 1/4 cups chicken stock mixed with 2 1/4 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 1/2 cups shelled English peas (about 4 1/2 pounds unshelled)
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves
1/8 teaspoon powdered ascorbic acid (1 tablet vitamin C crushed)
Sea salt, preferably gray salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Creme fraiche, basil oil, finely sliced fresh chives, or prosciutto bits, optional
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over moderate heat. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for about 1 minute, then add the sliced white and pale green parts of the leek and celery. Stir often while cooking until the vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Do not let them color. Then pour the diluted stock into the saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Add the cream to the vegetable mixture and bring to a simmer. Add the peas and return to a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and cook until the peas are just tender, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and thyme and simmer for 1 minute longer, then remove from the heat. Transfer in batches to a blender with the ascorbic acid and puree, adding more of the stock-water mixture as needed to thin the soup to a pleasing consistency. Pour soup into a bowl set in an ice bath and stir until cooled. (we want to cool it down as quickly as possible) Serve soup with optional garnishes.
Chef's Tip: Ascorbic acid helps keep the green color in pureed herbs and vegetables. If you have vitamin C tablets on hand, just crush one with a rolling pin and add it to the mixture in the blender. Note that you'll need a blender to puree the soup. A food processor doesn't make it smooth enough.
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Pork Chops with Rhubarb, Onion, and Raisin Chutney
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup hot water
2 tablespoons balsamic or red wine vinegar
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 3/4-inch pork chops, trimmed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
In a bowl combine the raisins, hot water, vinegar, cloves, nutmeg, and sugar and let stand. In a large skillet heat the vegetable oil over moderately high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper and cook until browned on both sides. Transfer browned chops to a shallow baking dish and place in a 300 degree F. oven for 10 minutes or until cooked through.
In the drippings in the skillet cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the raisin mixture, bring to a boil, and stir. Add the rhubarb, do not stir in the rhubarb, cover and let simmer for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture and cook, uncovered, for another 3 minutes or until the rhubarb is just tender. Add any juices that have collected in the baking dish to the sauce. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve warm over pork chop.
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