I was watching Rachel Ray the other day (which almost never happens...) I think I may have seen her show about 3 times in my life. I almost never turn on the TV during the day to watch a show like that... I reserve TV time for my once or twice a week "must see" shows as a treat after the kids are asleep. Am I alone on this boat? Everyone I talk to seems to have the TV on a ton during the day as background noise while they do housework etc. Honestly, I prefer the quiet, or some music. I almost can't stand all the crap and useless banter that happens on daytime TV. I also don't want my kids inadvertent listening to those shows. Am I crazy? Maybe.. But that's OK with me. :)
Back to my Rachel Ray experience. She was making a potato parsnip soup that looked pretty good! I am on a major soup kick lately. I think I would be happy eating soup every day during our (two weeks) of fall. It seems to fit so perfectly with the chilly-ish evenings. After oogling Rachel's soup I decided I would make soup too. I have been dying to make some blended soup (with my immersion blender). It reminds me of the soup my husband and I had in Portugal last winter. After perusing my cupboards and fridge I decided on a potato and cauliflower soup. I had some Olympic Provisions cured salami that needed to be eaten so that joined the party as well! Add in a little rainbow chard and we were set and ready to make some glorious soup!
To complete the meal I served up some cheddar crostini bread and a fruit medley salad. Have you ever had a pear-apple? It's a breed of fruit that is a mix between an apple and a pear. They are really interesting fruit. My hubby and I put them in the last Winder Farms box. They are SO juicy it almost doesn't make sense! The texture is the same as an apple for the most part, but it's crisp and crunchy but bursting with juice. When you cut into them they ooze their juice like they can't hold it in any longer... They are pretty tasty too. They have more of a pear flavor I would say, but they feel like you are eating an apple. Interesting huh? Anyway... My fruit medley salad had these little gems in them alongside oranges, black plums and feta cheese. It was so delish! The best part of the salad was the dressing. It is so easy its silly. All you do is blend a peeled orange, (homemade) strawberry jam, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. Boom. Done. Drool. This is such a fresh and bright dressing. I am in love. This dressing would be so great on so many different salads too. Very versatile.
This soup might not be the sexiest soup on planet earth, but she sure does have some flava. We were loving it! The texture was smooth and so savory with the cured salami and rainbow chard leaves. I will definitely be making this again. :)
First off when making soup, I like to have all my veggies and meats chopped and ready to add in when it's time.
Heat a large stockpot to medium-high heat. Heat your olive oil and butter, then add onions and garlic and saute for three minutes. Next toss in the potatoes and cauliflower. Stir them in to coat the evenly and cover them partially with a lid to "sweat them out" for seven minutes, stirring occasionally.
At this point pour in the chicken stock and milk. Bring it to a simmer then reduce heat to medium. Allow potatoes and cauliflower to cook until tender (about 10-15 minutes).
Now for the fun part! Plug in your handy immersion blender and dunk it in the pot and blend up all that goodness! It may take a few minutes to get a smooth consistency, but its sooo worth it! I love using this tool. If you don't have an immersion blender you can use a regular blender, but only add a small amount (2 cups) to your blender at a time so that it isn't a problem with the heat of the liquid. Once it is all smooth like butta, season it with generous amounts of salt (potatoes devour salt) and pepper and nutmeg. I got the nutmeg idea from Rachel Ray's show and it was awesome! It is a small enough amount of nutmeg to add a slight warmth and hint of fall flavor without adding an overwhelming note to the soup!
When your soup is seasoned to perfection, toss in your rainbow chard stalk chunks and Saucisson sausage. These add such a pretty look and just the right amount of salt and tang to the soup. Whodathunkit? Reduce heat to low and cook for about 7 more minutes, allowing all the flavors to get acquainted.
Five minutes before serving the soup pile in the rainbow chard greens and let them just ever so slightly cook. Then you are ready to feast!
While you're soup is cooking you could get some crostini bread ready to toast! All I did was drizzle the tops with olive oil, sprinkled with salt and pepper, then topped with some good old cheddar cheese. Broil for a few minutes (watching closely) and you have yourself a delicious dunker for your soup! We really enjoyed these. Aren't they cute?
Serve these three lovelies together for a soup, salad and side to dream about. And share some with family and friends! That's what good food is all about. Bringing people together around the table to eat, talk, laugh and bond. That's what its all about people!
CLICK ON RECIPE TO VIEW A PRINTABLE JPG
CLICK ON RECIPE TO VIEW A PRINTABLE JPG
xo
Laura
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