Soup Night (31 page)

Recipe from Elizabeth Newland,
Civano Soup Supper
, Tucson, Arizona

Serves 6

Elizabeth says: I serve this to houseguests in Arizona with cornbread and my no-pepper chili (see
page 50
). It is even better on Day 2! I make it and the cornbread a day ahead, and leave the chili simmering in the slow cooker while we all go out for a day of sightseeing. When we get back, all we need to make are the margaritas and dinner is ready!

• 4 cups cabbage (a mixture of red and green is pretty)
  
• 6 scallions, chopped
  
• 2 carrots, grated
  
• 1 cup golden raisins
  

• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup good-quality mayonnaise
  
• 2 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon salt
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  

1. 1.
   Thinly slice the cabbage; a mandoline is a great tool for this. Put the cabbage in a bowl and add the scallions, carrots, and raisins; mix well.
   
2. 2.
   Make the dressing: Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, caraway seeds, salt, and pepper in a small bowl or jar; mix well.
   
3. 3.
   Fold the dressing into the salad and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
   

Make ahead?
It’s recommended — see Liz’s comments above.

For large crowds:
Easily multiplied.

Serves 6

Virginia Tackett of Hillboro, Oregon, created this salad after a friend complained, “I like all the individual ingredients in pea salad, but it always lacks something — and I really don’t like mayonnaise!” Well, Virginia said, I can fix that. And this recipe is the result. It was such a hit that she has been asked to make it again and again. It’s wonderful as is, but Virginia notes that it’s also easy to “fancy up” for parties.

• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen petit pois (tender young peas), thawed and drained
  
• 2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
  
• 1 bunch small scallions, thinly sliced, including some of the green tops
  
• 1 (6-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
  
• 3 ounces blue or Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup slivered almonds
  
• ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  –1 cup good-quality thick blue cheese dressing
  

1. 1.
   Layer the peas, celery, scallions, water chestnuts, blue cheese, and almonds in a medium salad bowl and stir gently to combine. Add the dressing gradually; the salad should be moist, but not runny.
   
2. 2.
   Chill for an hour or so, longer doesn’t hurt. Serve cold.
   

Variations:
Add one or more of the following:
¹
⁄
₄
cup green bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped;
¹
⁄
₂
cup extra-sharp white cheddar, cut into small cubes;
¹
⁄
₂
cup thinly sliced red or white radishes. For Christmas, Virginia also adds
¹
⁄
₄
cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped, to the green pepper.

Make ahead?
Yes.

For large crowds:
Virginia is often asked to bring this salad to potlucks, and she makes double or triple, depending on the number of guests she anticipates.

Virginia Tackett is one of those wonderful “country” cooks that the world needs more of. She was raised on an Iowa farm, with grandparents a mile away and lots of aunts, uncles, and cousins nearby.

At harvest time, all the men and boys from nearby farms would form themselves into a giant threshing crew and move from farm to farm. Each family was expected to feed the whole crew when it came, and at the end of the season there was a huge community-wide feast.

It’s no surprise, growing up in that environment, that Virginia started cooking seriously when she was five, so small she needed a stool to reach the stovetop. And it’s also no surprise that she has continued a lifelong love of cooking and feeding people.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Serves 6–8

This salad, made with rice, bacon, and fresh spinach, comes close to being a main dish. Together with a vegetarian soup (maybe Carrot Vichyssoise,
page 214
), it makes a lovely luncheon.

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup canola oil
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup red wine vinegar
  
• 1 tablespoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  teaspoon almond extract
  

• 3 cups cooked long-grain rice, chilled
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup thinly sliced red onion, plus extra for garnish
  
• 8 bacon strips, crisply fried and crumbled
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup sliced almonds, toasted (see
  page 155
  )
  
• 6 cups spinach leaves, washed and torn
  

1. 1.
   Make the dressing: Whisk the oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and almond extract together in a small bowl.
   
2. 2.
   Combine the rice, red onion, and dressing in a bowl. Refrigerate.
   
3. 3.
   At serving time, mix in the bacon, pepper to taste, and almonds. Toss the rice mixture with the spinach in a serving bowl. Garnish each serving with a few red onion rings.
   

Make ahead?
Yes, up through step 2.

For large crowds:
This salad is quite easy to expand, either double or triple.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Makes 4 cups

This is a very light, fresh-tasting dressing that goes well with all types of green salads. It’s low in calories, too, thanks to the lower-than-usual ratio of oil to vinegar.

• 1 (12-ounce) can apple juice concentrate, thawed but
  not
  diluted
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups cider vinegar
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup Dijon mustard
  
• 1
  ³
  ⁄
  ₄
  cups olive oil
  

1. 1.
   Combine the apple juice concentrate, vinegar, and mustard in a blender.
   
2. 2.
   Add the olive oil in a slow stream and blend until combined.
   

Variation:
Substitute orange juice concentrate for the apple, for a citrus version that is equally delicious.

Make ahead?
I recommend it; the flavors will meld better.

For large crowds:
Of course. One year I made a huge batch and gave away pretty bottles of it as Christmas gifts; now my friends nag me for more.

Makes 9 bars

Another wonderful recipe from David Kenworthy (see
page 179
). These can be made with lemon, lime, key lime, or Meyer lemon juice. They’re so low-calorie (relatively speaking, of course), David thought they should be promoted by Weight Watchers!

• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup packed brown sugar
  
• Pinch salt
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
  
• Cooking spray
  

• 1 cup lowfat (1%) cottage cheese
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon or lime zest
  
• 3
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon or lime juice
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 large egg white
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
2. 2.
   Make the crust: Place the butter, brown sugar, salt, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the flour to the butter mixture and beat at low speed until well blended.
   
3. 3.
   Lightly press the crust with a spatula into an 8-inch square baking pan coated with cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, until browned.
   
4. 4.
   While the crust is baking, make the filling: Place the cottage cheese in a food processor and process 2 minutes or until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl once. Add the sugar, flour, zest, juice, whole egg, and egg white, and process until well blended.
   
5. 5.
   Pour the filling over the hot crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until set (the edges might get lightly browned), then cool on a wire rack.
   
6. 6.
   Cover the bars and place in the fridge overnight. Cut into 9 bars and devour.
   

Make ahead?
It’s necessary (see step 6).

For large crowds:
I would make this recipe multiple times, rather than trying to multiply the ingredients.

Makes 6–8 servings

My good friend Mary Knight, of Spokane, Washington, says she has been making this dessert for 15 years, and it gets raves every time. Flan, something like a Latin American cheesecake, is a wonderful dessert to include in a Cinco de Mayo celebration or accompany Albondigas soup (see
page 200
).

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup sliced almonds
  
• Cooking spray
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup sugar
  
• 1 (13-ounce) can evaporated milk
  
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  

1. 1.
   Toast the almonds (see note on
   page 155
   ).Set aside, and increase the oven temperature to 350°F.
   
2. 2.
   Fill a large roasting pan with water to a level of 1 inch. Lightly grease a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick spray.
   
3. 3.
   Caramelize the sugar in a saucepan over low heat; this requires stirring constantly to prevent the foaming syrup from scorching. When the sugar is a thick, brown liquid, pour it into the prepared cake pan, spreading evenly. (Be careful; melted sugar is extremely hot.) Set the cake pan into the water bath in the roasting pan.
   
4. 4.
   In a blender or food processor, combine the milks, cream cheese, eggs, and vanilla; blend thoroughly. Carefully pour the mixture over the sugar in the cake pan.
   
5. 5.
   Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until the custard is completely set; a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean. Cool on a wire rack, and then chill the flan thoroughly in the refrigerator.
   
6. 6.
   Invert the flan on a serving plate. Sprinkle with the toasted almonds.
   

Make ahead?
It’s necessary.

For large crowds:
If I were doing this, I would make the recipe twice, rather than doubling ingredients.