WARMING SOUP, CORNBREAD AND APPLE FLATBREAD

 

                Warming soup, cornbread and apple flatbread

 Our alternating February snowstorms and squalls inspire the cook to look for hearty and warming recipes. Soups, especially thick and creamy soups, are perfect for lunch or dinner when we find that ‘the weather outside is frightful’. One of everyone’s favorite soups combines potatoes and leeks. The French call it Potage Bonne Femme (or Good Woman’s soup) and many restaurants in France don’t even bother giving it a name, simply designate it the ‘soup du jour’. The following recipe is an adaptation from “A Feast of Soups” by Jacqueline Hériteau.

                                                Potage Bonne Femme

Slice three medium leeks half lengthwise and thoroughly wash out the dirt. Slice white and some of the green parts into 2-inch pieces. Wash and slice a stalk of celery in ½ inch slices. Peel and slice 3-4 medium potatoes.

In a large pot melt 3 tbsp. butter and sauté the leeks for 5 minutes without browning. Remove the pot from the burner and cool slightly. Stir in 3 tbsp flour (use rice flour for gluten free) to make a roux and gradually add 4 cups hot water with stirring until the flour is suspended. Return to heat and add 2 tsp. salt ¼ tsp. pepper, 1/8 tsp. cayenne, celery and the sliced potatoes. Cook on medium heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool and partially blend in a blender with flecks of the leeks still visible. Return soup to the pot, stir in 1 ½ cups milk and ½ cup heavy cream. Heat soup to just below boiling and serve in bowls hot with chopped dill for garnish.

Cornbread complements soups, chowders and chili and goes equally well with Potage Bonne Femme.

                                        Olive-Parmesan skillet cornbread

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a large bowl mix 1 cup flour, ¾ cups corn meal, 2 tsp. sugar, 2 tsp. baking powder and ½ tsp. salt. In a small bowl beat together 1 large egg, ¾ cups whole milk, 3 tblsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. tomato paste, 1 tsp. thyme, ¼ tsp. Tabasco sauce.

          Preheat 8–9-inch cast iron pan in the 450-degree oven for 5 minutes. While pan is heating turn egg mixture into bowl with flour, mix thoroughly and stir in 1 cup Parmesan cheese and ½ cup pitted kalamata olives cut in half. Carefully remove pan from oven, coat with 1 tbsp. olive oil, spoon in cornbread mix and return pan to oven. Reduce heat to 400 degrees and bake for 22 minutes. Serve hot or room temperature.

          Welcome winter deserts rely heavily on apples. Here is a quick and colorful dessert in the form of flatbread and fruit, utilizing store bought Crescent dough.

                                      Apple-cranberry-almond flatbread

          Spray a 7x9 inch sheet pan with baking spray. Spread out evenly a sheet of Crescent dough in the pan. Pare, core, quarter and thinly slice 2 medium large juicy apples and slightly overlay in 3 lengthwise rows over the dough. Sprinkle 1/3 cup of halved fresh cranberries between the rows. Sprinkle all over with 1 tbsp. lemon juice, 1 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. nutmeg, ½ cup lightly packed brown sugar and 1/3 cup slivered almonds. Dot with 1-2 tbsp. butter and bake in a 375-degree oven for 25 minutes until the top starts to brown. Cut in squares to serve warm or cold.

          To quote the British poet, critic and historian, “Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand, for a talk beside the fire: it is the time for home.” Happy Valentines Day.

 (I. Winicov Harrington lives in coastal Maine and is the author of “How to Eat Healthy and Well for Less than $5.00 a Day:” and “Uncharted Journey from Riga”; website: www.winicov-harrington.com)