A Good Dish

making food simpler

When You (Or Others)Are Stressed And In Need Of Clarity and Comfort, Try Cooking

Kitchari, tortilla, cornbread, baked beans (clockwise)
Melissa Weiss, Jen Allen, Wendy Goldsmith, Paul Eshelman

One of the things I love about cooking, beyond the edible results, is the ability the process has to get me out of my head. Like making art or exercise or a good conversation, preparing food takes planning, mental concentration and some physical exertion. So when I am worrying about an ailing parent or ill siblings or a struggling friend, I cook. I look through recipes, make lists, procure ingredients, measure, chop, grate and mix in order to prepare something for my family or friends to eat. The process requires focus to do well, thereby getting me off the worry wheel. 

Curried cabbage with cashews
Porcelain bowl by Jim Makins
Simple roasted potatoes
Bowl by Michael Connelly

Cooking not only relieves mental stress but gives me the satisfaction of a job well done while providing nourishment and, hopefully, pleasure to those I love. Soup is my go-to but sometimes a salad is needed, especially when people have been too busy to cook healthfully for themselves. The bean soup mix I posted a couple of months ago is a good example of a gift for someone with limited time and ability. But if someone is ill or mourning, bringing a prepared pot of soup or a big roast veggie platter or a long lasting salad, like carrot or fennel, is a better gift. When a new baby is born, I love to prepare a complete dinner (rice and beans, a batch of pesto, soup and cornbread, or roast chicken) because who can think about cooking with a newborn?

Miso soup
Lidded Jar by Gay Smith
Black beans and rice
Square bowl by Joe Pintz

Sometimes I make a frittata/tortilla when I feel frazzled and don’t know what else to cook. The chopping of the vegetables is soothing and the resulting meal is satisfying, not too heavy and can provide leftovers. Other comfort food favorites are kitchari, a simple pasta with peas or greens, curried cabbage with cashews, miso soup and lava bread. They are all easy, soothing and tasty, the winning triumvirate of stress cooking. And when even simple cooking is too much, there is always avocado toast!

Avocado toast on lava bread
Plate by Aysha Peltz

Give This Many Bean Soup Mix Along With The Recipe And It Will Be A Gift Each Time It Is Cooked

Multi-bean soup from a homemade mix
Soda fired porcelain mug
by Gay Smith

Seems impossible it is December already, doesn’t it? Somehow it snuck up and the end of year holidays are upon us. I like to make holiday presents, partly to avoid the craze of shopping and partly because it is fun coming up with ideas and gifting something different and useful. Some years have been better liked than others and the winners have included bath salts, granola, knitted dishcloths, lavender sachets and the “seasoned” fruitcakes I posted last month. One of the most widely appreciated gifts was a quart-sized Mason jar of mixed bean soup mix accompanied with cooking instructions.

Choose different colors and sizes of
beans, lentils and split peas
Bite-sized fresh vegetables
ready to add in

Getting bean soup to taste good without heaps of salt (to raise your blood pressure) can be a real struggle. One workaround is adding in dehydrated vegetables along with herbs and spices. Dried veggies like celery, onions, peppers and mushrooms are great flavor boosters (no chopping involved), keep for ages and boost the nutritional profile. Finding good quality dried vegetables can be challenging but I can recommend several reliable sources: Harmony House Foods, North Bay Trading and Frontier Coop. Another big flavor boost is a good bouillon, either a cube or a generous spoonful, salt-free or regular. You can package the flavorings in a little baggie with the bouillon and salt in their own bag. Curry powder is another option for flavor but everyone doesn’t love curry so if you include it, do so separately. Traditionally, flavor would come from a ham bone or hock, which you add while the beans are cooking, but I skip this as I am trying to avoid adding saturated fat and cholesterol. That said, a handful of chopped cooked ham or smoked turkey could be delicious addition. When I made this soup last week to check amounts, I used a whole cup of barley and it turned out more like a savory vegetable and bean stew. To serve it a second time, I thinned it with stock, added lots of fresh greens and had a different meal. 

This soup is like a stew when thick

You can really adjust the flavor profile of this soup to suit your taste. Almost any firm, non-slimy vegetable (no eggplant or zucchini) will work (think carrots, celery, turnips, celery root, butternut squash). Just wait to add them until the last 20 minutes of cooking so they don’t get mushy. A can of crushed tomatoes can also be added at that point. If you want to add green beans or leafy greens, do it at the very end so they stay bright. Use farro, sorghum or dried corn, if you don’t like or don’t want to use barley. I keep an empty jar handy in my kitchen to which I add small amounts of  uncooked beans and lentils each time I make a recipe that calls for beans. I don’t worry too much about the individuals amounts, just that the total equals 2 cups. This soup doesn’t have to be 8 bean types, it could be 2 or 12 and it will still taste good. For gifting, put the 2 smaller jars or baggies in the larger bean jar, attach a recipe card (or just photocopy the recipe below) and tie a ribbon around the neck. To make it a bigger present, place the jar in a new stockpot or accompany it with a good ladle, a wooden spoon, fresh potholders or a trivet. You can give a pot of soup for one meal or you can teach a friend to make a pot of soup….

A great wintertime gift!

MIXED BEAN SOUP MIX

For the soup mix:

Layer into a large glass jar 1/4 cup each  of 8 types for a total of 2 cups dried beans such as Pinto, Red, Navy Pea, Great Northern, Kidney, Cannellini, Black, Baby Lima,  Green or Yellow Split Peas, Brown, Green or Black Lentils, etc.

In a small jar or baggie:

  • 1 bouillon cube (or a heaping teaspoon bouillon powder)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • In another small jar or baggie:
  • 1 tsp garlic powder or granulated garlic
  • 1/3 cup barley, pearled or hulled (optional but good balance)
  • 1/3 cup dried veggie flakes
  • 1/4 cup dried onions
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsps chili powder
  • 2 tsps thyme
  • 1 tsp dried dill weed

Fresh ingredients:

  • Up to a quart of mixed chopped carrot, celery, mushroom, winter squash, turnip, celeriac, potato, sweet potato, green beans and/or cauliflower, optional
  • Up to a quart of chopped leafy greens, optional
  • Juice of half a fresh lemon (or a TBs vinegar) for finishing and a big handful of chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill for serving

Soup Instructions:

Rinse and pick over beans. Put into a stockpot and cover with water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and boil 2 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and soak 1 hour. Drain. Alternately, soak overnight without boiling and then drain.

Add 10 cups of water or stock to the beans plus all the other ingredients except the salt and bouillon cube. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, partially cover and simmer about 1 – 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally until tender and adding more liquid as necessary. 

Uncover, increase heat to medium, add salt and bouillon and chopped vegetables, if using, and simmer, stirring often, until soup thickens, about 20-25 minutes. Discard bay leaves and adjust if you think it needs more salt or pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon (or a splash of vinegar) and serve with chopped fresh cilantro, parsley or dill and a flavorful olive oil, hot sauce or cayenne. Grated Parmesan is also a tasty addition. 

Makes 10-12 cups.

A meal in a cup
Soda Fired Porcelain Mug by Gay Smith

 

Gay Smith is a thoughtful, articulate and skillful potter who makes generous, comfortable and sturdy (because they are so well crafted) pots. Her once fired porcelain pieces are full of animation and exuberance. Sometimes they feel like they are dancing. Gay’s work is available on Etsy as well Penland Gallery Shop and many juried shows.

Soda fired porcelain teapot by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Soda fired porcelain canister set by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist
Assortment of orange soda fired porcelain by Gay Smith
Photo courtesy of the artist

Listen to a recent interview with Gay by Ben Carter on his podcast Tales Of A Red Clay Rambler

Improving An Old Standby–Add Vegetables And Smoky Heat To Potato Leek Soup To Increase Flavor And Nutrition

Potato Leek Soup with cauliflower and arugula
Earthenware Mug by Ayumi Horie
Potato Leek Soup with cauliflower and arugula
Earthenware mug by Ayumi Horie – verso

We are all looking for comfort in these stressful, isolated times. To soothe ourselves, we can turn to nature for calm, exercise for stress relief, phone or zoom calls to connect with others, hobbies, books, movies or tv series, podcasts or brief socially distanced outdoor meetings. Cooking is another outlet for soothing. It is constructive and, depending on what you make, comforting, nutritious and economical.

Soup is one of the most comforting foods and one of the most comforting soups is potato leek. A bowl of potato leek soup is warm, savory, smooth and filling. But it can also be very white, starchy and bland, all part of the comfort factor. Is there a way to make it a bit more flavorful and a little less calorie dense? I believe there is a simple solution—add equal amounts of vegetables and some smoky chili powder.

Sauté leeks before adding potatoes

Potato leek is one of the easiest soups to make. All you do is sauté the leeks, add potatoes, seasoning and maybe some garlic, top off with broth, simmer and purée. But it can be much improved by adding equal amounts of cauliflower or broccoli, carrots and greens, even cabbage. I had some leftover celery leaves and parsley stems so I tossed those into the mix. You can use leftover cooked vegetables if you add them just long enough to warm through before blending smooth. Leeks are milder than onions but with a more delicate, greener flavor. The French make a cold version of potato leek called vichyssoise by adding plenty of cream, which I find too rich but you might enjoy. I used Yukon Gold potatoes which are less floury and more flavorful than white potatoes but white will work. Prior to serving, I stirred in just enough chipotle chili powder to add flavor and warmth without the substantial heat you would get from using more. If you want to fancy it up a bit, you can drizzle each bowl with some herb or chili oil or a little adobo sauce for another layer of flavor.

Add vegetables once potatoes have softened so they don’t overcook

This is a particularly fortifying soup for a cold day or night. Both the potatoes and the chili powder will help you feel warmer while providing comfort. We could all use a little more of both of those feelings as the pandemic continues and the days get colder and shorter. Please be safe and stay well!

Potato Leek Soup blended with broccoli and carrots
Earthenware cup by Ayumi Horie

POTATO LEEK SOUP WITH VEGETABLES

  • 2-3 TBs olive oil
  • 2 large leeks, chopped (If you don’t have leeks, you can get away with onions)
  • 4 cups of cut up potatoes, preferably Yukon Gold
  • 4 cups of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, herbs, greens such as kale, arugula, watercress, spinach, etc.)
  • 1 quart vegetable or chicken stock
  • 2 cups water (or more stock)
  • Salt or herb salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1/2-1 tsp chipotle chili powder or 1 TBs chipotle in adobo sauce or 1/2 tsp cayenne plus 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Heat oil over medium heat in a stockpot.

Add leeks and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened.

Add potatoes, stock and water, bring to a boil and lower to a simmer.

Cook until potatoes are easily pierced.

Add broccoli, carrots, cauliflower or kale and cook until softened. Add fragile greens and herbs toward the end since they only take a minute to wilt.

Purée with an immersion blender if you like your soup smooth (or use a regular blender, taking care not to overfill and burn yourself-I speak from experience) or smash with a potato masher if you like your soup chunky.

Season to taste with salt, pepper and chili powder.

Serve with a sprinkle of chives or parsley and more chili powder or paprika.

 

Late Summer Corn Soup Is Even More Flavorful With An Easy To Make Corn Stock

Corn soup made with corn stock
Woodfired porcelain cup by Perry Haas

There are many great things about September, even this year, including ripe tomatoes, cooler temperatures and corn on the cob. It is still warm enough to buy and eat fresh corn but it can also be cool enough to eat corn soup. Fresh (and frozen) corn makes a wide range of delicious chowders and soups—there are seemingly endless versions out there. My current favorite is a southwestern style, dairy free purée made with tomatillos (yes, another use for them), onions, garlic, jalapeños, cilantro and corn based on the recipe in Fields of Greens cookbook by Annie Somerville. It is sweet and spicy, light but filling, so flavorful and easy to make. The secret to the deep corn flavor here, I think, is using corn stock rather than the more traditional chicken or vegetable stock.

Easy to make corn stock from corn cobs

How great is it to have a productive, tasty use for corncobs? After you cut off the kernels (or have eaten the corn on the cob), what do you usually do with the cobs? Throw them in the garbage or compost, right? Not anymore! Put those cobs in a stockpot with a few other vegetables and some water and you’ll have the base for any number of late summer or fall soups.

Corn is so sweet right now!

The ingredient amounts are variable and easy to substitute (poblano could work for jalapeño, green or orange tomatoes or scallions for onion, for example, and if you didn’t have any hot peppers, you could use tinned green chilies) and it is not critical to be precise. You can use uncooked or cooked cobs by themselves or add some aromatics to make your stock a little more complex. Put some of this stock in the freezer and you’ll have the taste of summer when you make corn soup in the middle of winter.

Flowered and waiting for harvest

CORN STOCK

Put in a large stockpot:

  • 6-8 corncobs, kernels removed
  • 9-10 cups of water

Add any or all or none and simmer 30-40 minutes:

  • 4-5 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • A handful of fresh parsley
  • 1-2 stalks of celery (or the leafy tops and base)
  • A few sprigs fresh thyme
  • 5-10 black peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
This corn soup is creamy without dairy

SOUTHWESTERN CORN SOUP (based on Field of Greens)

  • 2 TBS Olive, Avocado or Grapeseed Oil
  • 1 Medium to Large Onion, Peeled and Chopped
  • Kernels from 6 raw or cooked ears of corn (about 5 cups)
  • 2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
  • 4-5 cups corn stock (or more if you like your soup thinner)
  • 6-7 Tomatillos, husked, washed and chopped
  • 1-2 Jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
  • Handful of cilantro, stems and fronds chopped separately
  • Pinch of cayenne
  • 1 tsp salt

Sauté onions in oil until translucent. Don’t brown.

Add corn kernels, garlic and 1/2 tsp salt and sauté 1-2 minutes over medium heat.

Add stock and simmer until corn is soft, about 10-12 minutes.

Add tomatillos and jalapeño(s) and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add cilantro stems, cayenne and remaining 1/2 tsp salt and simmer another 2-3 minutes.

Pour soup into blender (be careful of steam) and blend until smooth. Depending on the size of your blender, you may have to do this in two batches. If you want some chunkiness to your soup, retain a cup or two of the cooked vegetables before you blend it and add them in afterwards.

Serve, garnished with cilantro fronds (or basil). If you want richer, add a dollop of creme fraiche or sour cream.  Keeps refrigerated for 2-3 days. Reheat gently to avoid scorching. Serves 6.

Late summer flowers
Porcelain Tumbler by Perry Haas

Cooking While Staying Put At Home: Some Ideas and Easy Recipes

Split Pea Soup with Vegetables
Pinched Stoneware Bowls by Emily Schroeder Willis

Now that we find ourselves hunkered down at home (sheltering in place, working from home, staying put) for who knows how long, let’s push aside anxiety and talk about what to cook. Our challenge now, beyond staying well and at home, is how to cook daily meals while doing as little grocery shopping as we can. You’ll be surprised, I think, just how far your current supplies can go. If you didn’t manage to shop before, delivery and mail order are still options. Many grocery, big box and online stores will deliver, (although it may not be immediate with the current demands), so even if you can’t get out, you can get groceries. Check with your local grocer.

A few weeks ago, I suggested some foodstuffs to have on hand and some to make ahead to put away. Sometimes the most comforting foods are the simplest to make. Rice or pasta with just butter and salt or olive oil and garlic is so delicious. Ramp it up with frozen peas or arugula, add some beans, frozen shrimp, tinned tuna, anchovies or cheese and herbs and, well, yum yum! Nourishing soups can be particularly soothing both to make and to eat.

Bean and salsa nachos

Except for the occasional walk while trying to stay away from others, we have been holed up in our apartment for almost 2 weeks. I’ve been trying to make simple but nutritious meals in large enough quantities that we can alternate eating leftovers and freshly cooked meals. To share some ideas, this is what I’ve made in the past week:

    • Lentil Soup with a green salad (The Washington Post recently had a particularly good recipe)
    • Lemon garlic butter baked fish with sautéed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes
    • Nachos made with a can of beans, jar of salsa, shredded pepper jack and sliced pickled jalapeños served with carrot and cucumber sticks
    • Cavatappi pasta with the Bon Appetit kale pesto recipe alongside a fennel salad
    • Vegetarian chili (my riff on Lucinda Scala Quinn’s much loved recipe from Mad Hungry) made with gorgeous beans from Rancho Gordo, yellow rice and kale
    • Split pea soup with roasted parsnips for munching on the side
    • Bean salad made with chopped raw veggies and scarlet runner beans, also from Rancho Gordo (my favorite source of beans), with a garlicky vinaigrette 
Easy bean salad with chopped veggies

Other recipes waiting to be made are wild rice salad with nuts and dried cherries, black bean soup with cornbread, vegetable nori rolls with miso soup and edamame from the freezer, stir-fried rice with leftover or frozen vegetables and dosas with a spicy potato filling. (Tejal Rao recently published a very good, easy dosa recipe in The New York Times and it only has a few ingredients if you want to give it a try). After that, my son and I have big plans to try making sourdough bread, pizza dough and crackers. In fact, we started our yet-to-be-named starter yesterday. Wish us luck!

Cavatappi with kale pesto

There are some meals that require no recipes and can be pulled directly from the freezer or pantry. Frozen salmon burgers with kimchi, vegetable dumplings with dipping sauce and a shredded cabbage salad, grilled cheese sandwiches with baby carrots and mushroom ravioli with a little butter and any green left in the fridge as well as the above mentioned pasta or rice. Dried fruit will make a tasty compote as well as take the place of fresh fruit in yogurt and smoothies (soaked first to reconstitute) if need be. And although I love to cook most days, I am perfectly happy to take a break with a grilled cheese sandwich or quesadilla, yogurt with nuts and fruit, some crackers with almond butter or some hummus or guacamole and a bowl of baby carrots for an easy meal. 

Recent delivery from Rancho Gordo

Friends have told me they are doing more cooking and baking while staying put. My pal Dale, in Maine, just sent photos of her delicious looking sheet pan pizza while my neighbor, Reva, told me her family was tackling pot pie. In Brooklyn, my friend Esther has been baking banana and pumpkin breads. Anne, in DC, made the above mentioned lentil soup recipe and loved it so much she sent it to me. Not only do we have more time now to cook but cooking can be very grounding and comforting. What are you eating while home bound? Share your favorites with the rest of us! It is a very strange moment we find ourselves in right now but perhaps we can use the time to try a new recipe or prepare an old favorite to nurture our families and ourselves. Please, please stay home if at all possible (if you have to go out, take isolation and distance from others seriously) and please stay well in this new unfamiliar world.

Emily Schroeder Willis is a member of the cooperative Objective Clay. Since the NCECA conference was cancelled for health safety, many potters who would have sold pots there are holding online sales. This is a good way to support artists who would have held sales at the conference. The Objective Clay online sale runs through March 27th.

Split pea soup
Pinched Stoneware bowls by Emily Schroeder Willis