Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (11 page)

VARIATION

Potage aux Courgettes

[Cream of
Zucchini Soup]

You may substitute zucchini for cucumbers in the preceding soup, but do not peel them. Cut off stem and tip, scrub with a vegetable brush, and proceed exactly as for the cucumber soup. Decorate with herbs, however, rather than with zucchini slices.

POTAGE UNTEL

[Green Turnip Soup]

This is one of those soups with a marvelous and unusual flavor that is difficult to decipher unless you are told the combination. Then the tastes of turnip and greens disclose themselves. You may not find any green leaves attached to your turnips unless they grow nearby and it is turnip season, which is winter or early spring. Spinach leaves do nicely, however.

1)
The turnips

1½ lbs. fresh white turnips, peeled and quartered (about 5 cups)

3 Tb butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1½ cups water

A heavy-bottomed 3-quart stainless or enameled saucepan with cover

Boil the turnips slowly with the seasonings, butter, and water in a covered saucepan for 15 to 20 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a knife. Uncover, raise heat, and boil to evaporate liquid; toss turnips in the butter, which remains, for 2 minutes.

2)
The greens

Either 4 packed cups tender fresh turnip greens and fresh spinach;

Or
a 10-ounce package of fresh spinach;

Or
½ package frozen spinach thawed in cold water and squeezed dry

2 Tb butter

A 10-inch stainless or enameled skillet

2 wooden spoons

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp sugar

Meanwhile, discard any wilted leaves from fresh greens and spinach, wash thoroughly and drain well. Heat butter in a skillet to bubbling over moderately high heat. Add greens and spinach, turn and toss with the 2 wooden spoons; sprinkle with salt and sugar and continue tossing for 2 to 3 minutes until greens are limp and fairly tender.

3)
The soup

A food mill with medium disk, or an electric blender

4 cups liquid: light chicken stock, or canned broth and water

3 Tb quick-cooking farina (cream of wheat) breakfast cereal

1 to 2 cups milk

Salt and pepper

1 to 2 Tb lemon juice

Purée the 2 vegetables together and bring to simmer in
turnip-cooking pan with the broth. Sprinkle in the farina and simmer 5 to 6 minutes until farina is tender. Thin out to desired consistency with milk; season carefully with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

(*) May be prepared in advance to this point.

2 to 4 Tb soft butter

Bring again to simmer just before serving; remove from heat and stir in the butter a teaspoon at a time.

Alternate enrichments, cold soup

You may wish to enrich the soup with sour cream instead of butter, as for the preceding Cucumber Soup, or with cream and egg yolks as in the
Spinach Soup
. In any case, you may also serve it cold as suggested in both recipes.

THREE PEASANT SOUPS

POTAGE MAGALI

[Mediterranean Tomato Soup with Rice]

Typically Mediterranean, with its onions, tomatoes, garlic, saffron, and native herbs, this fragrant soup is even named after the Provençal heroine of many an operetta. It is best when tomatoes are at the season’s peak, but the hothouse type can be pepped up with a bit of tomato paste.

For 7 to 8 cups, serving 4 to 6

1)
The soup base

¾ cup combination of thinly sliced leeks and onions, or onions only

3 Tb olive oil

A heavy-bottomed 3-quart stainless or enameled saucepan with cover

1½ lbs. fresh, ripe, red tomatoes

4 large cloves garlic, minced or mashed

4 to 5 cups liquid: light chicken stock, or canned broth and water

¼ cup plain, raw, white rice

The following tied in washed cheesecloth: 6 parsley sprigs, 1 bay leaf, ¼ tsp thyme, 4 fennel seeds, and, if available, 6 large fresh basil leaves

A large pinch of saffron threads

Salt and pepper

Cook the leeks and onions slowly in the oil until tender but not browned. Meanwhile, peel and halve the tomatoes, squeeze out seeds and reserve juice. Chop tomato pulp roughly and stir into the cooked leeks and onions. Add the garlic and stir over moderate heat for 3 minutes. Then add the tomato juice and liquid, bring to the boil, and sprinkle in the rice. Add the herbs and saffron; season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.