Soup Night (13 page)

Recipe from
Suzy and Philip Poll
, Houston, Texas

Serves 12–24

Suzy and Philip say: Excellent served with Camembert cheese.

• 1 cup warm water (110°F)
  
• 1 teaspoon sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  
• 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  
• 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus additional for sprinkling
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup cornmeal
  
• 4 teaspoons chili powder
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoons kosher salt
  
• Small amount of olive oil
  
• 1 cup hulled pumpkin seeds
  
• Egg wash: 1 large egg whisked with 2 tablespoons cold water
  
• Additional kosher salt for sprinkling
  

1. 1.
   Combine the warm water and sugar in a large bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the yeast on top and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.
   
2. 2.
   Add the butter, flour, cornmeal, chili powder, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir until a soft dough forms.
   
3. 3.
   Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it becomes smooth and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes.
   
4. 4.
   Lightly coat a bowl with olive oil and place the dough ball in the bowl, turning to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 1 hour.
   
5. 5.
   Preheat the oven to 350°F.
   
6. 6.
   Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven until just beginning to turn golden, 3 to 4 minutes. When you can smell them, they’re ready. Remove from the oven and set aside.
   
7. 7.
   Increase the oven’s temperature to 400°F. Lightly sprinkle two large baking sheets with flour.
   
8. 8.
   Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₈
   -inch thickness and sprinkle with half of the pumpkin seeds. Continue to roll the dough to
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₁₆
   -inch thickness, pressing the pumpkin seeds into the dough. Using a pastry brush, paint the dough with the egg wash.
   
9. 9.
   Cut the dough into strips or wedges. Using a spatula, transfer the pieces to the prepared baking sheets and sprinkle with kosher salt. Bake until crisp, about 12 minutes, switching the position of the baking sheets halfway through baking. Transfer the flatbread to baking racks to cool. Repeat with the remaining half of dough.
   

Make ahead?
Sure. Suzy says they keep in an airtight container up to 3 days.

For large crowds:
Make as many as your appreciative friends can eat — which is a lot.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Serves 6

A perfect make-ahead salad for November. Fresh cranberries are in supermarkets for only a brief period, so don’t miss the opportunity.

• 1 (3-ounce) package raspberry gelatin
  
• 2 tablespoons sugar
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup boiling water
  
• 1 small orange, unpeeled, cut into chunks, seeds removed
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup sliced celery
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup fresh cranberries
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup walnut pieces (optional)
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup crushed pineapple, drained (reserve the juice)
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup reserved pineapple juice
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoons lemon juice
  
• Lettuce leaves
  

• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup mayonnaise
  
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
  

1. 1.
   Dissolve the gelatin and sugar in the boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cool to room temperature.
   
2. 2.
   Put the orange chunks in a food processor and chop with the metal blade. Add the celery, cranberries, and walnuts, if using, and pulse until finely chopped. Add the orange mixture to the cooled gelatin. Stir in the pineapple, pineapple juice, and lemon juice.
   
3. 3.
   Pour
   ¹
   ⁄
   ₂
   cup of this mixture into each of six 1-cup molds. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.
   
4. 4.
   Make the lemon mayonnaise: Whisk the mayonnaise and lemon juice together in a small bowl; chill.
   
5. 5.
   Place a lettuce leaf on each of six small plates. Unmold the gelatin onto the lettuce and spoon a little lemon mayonnaise on top of each serving.
   

First, sprinkle a few drops of water in the bottom of the mold; you can also accomplish the same thing if you rinse the mold with cold water but don’t dry it. (I know this doesn’t seem logical, but it really works.) Add your gelatin mixture and chill. When the gelatin is well and truly set, run the tip of a sharp knife around the edge, between the salad and the mold itself; your goal is to break the vacuum and allow some air in.

Next, put a serving plate (or saucer, if you’re using individual molds) on top, hold it tightly, and turn the whole shebang upside down. Wet a dish towel with hot water, wring it out, and hold it against the mold for about 10 seconds. Shimmy the mold gently, and lift. If the mold doesn’t come off cleanly, repeat the wet dish towel for a few more seconds. But resist the temptation to go longer; if the gelatin melts, there’s no fixing it.

Recipe from Trudy Ludwig,
Soup and Solidarity
, Portland, Oregon

Serves 6

This salad has a wonderful mix of flavors — some sweet, some savory, some tangy — and textures. Plus it’s packed with protein from eggs, cheese, and nuts. And Trudy’s dressing is marvelous.

• 1 (10-ounce) bag mixed salad greens
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup candied pecans or walnuts (see facing page)
  
• 4–6 ounces crumbled feta cheese
  
• 1 avocado, peeled, pitted, and diced
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  English cucumber, partially peeled and diced
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
  
• 1 yellow or orange bell pepper, seeded and diced
  
• 1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup mixed dried berries (I prefer Trader Joe’s Golden Berry Mix of dried cherries, cranberries, blueberries, and golden raisins)
  
• Dried tarragon leaves, crumbled (about 1 tablespoon)
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

• 3 tablespoons orange juice
  
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon Dijon mustard
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon sugar, or more to taste
  
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
  
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
  

1. 1.
   Put the salad greens in a large serving bowl and add the pecans, feta, avocado, cucumber, onion, bell pepper, egg, and dried berries. Season to taste with tarragon, salt, and pepper. Toss gently.
   
2. 2.
   Whisk the orange juice, vinegar, mustard, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil until it is fully incorporated. Whisk in the tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Take a sample taste and adjust flavors according to your personal taste.
   
3. 3.
   Just before serving, toss the salad with dressing to taste.
   

Make ahead?
Stash the salad (minus dressing) in the refrigerator until serving time, covered with plastic wrap. Or if your refrigerator won’t hold the bowl, put all the salad ingredients into a plastic bag; it’s a little more flexible when space is tight.

For large crowds:
This is easily doubled or even tripled.

Use these approximate proportions:
¹
⁄
₂
cup sugar to 1 cup nuts. Spread the sugar evenly in a thin layer in a large skillet (cast iron, if you have one), and melt over medium heat. While that’s happening, don’t
touch
the pan. Don’t stir, don’t shake it, don’t do anything but watch it. When the sugar is melted and has turned a nice caramel brown in color, take the pan off the heat, dump in the nuts all at once, and stir like mad. Try to get all the nuts coated, but work fast, and be careful — melted sugar is extremely hot. Dump the nuts onto a buttered surface, such as a baking sheet or even a section of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Spread them out as much as possible, but don’t worry if some of the nuts remain clumped together. When the nuts are completely cool, break them apart with your hands or roughly chop.

Recipe from
Albertina’s Restaurant
, Portland, Oregon

Makes 3
¹
⁄
₂
cups

This classic dressing goes well with all green salads, especially those that have a little fruit included. If you use red onions, the dressing turns a pretty pink color.

• 1 cup sugar
  
• ²
  ⁄
  ₃
  cup white wine vinegar
  
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  
• 2 teaspoons salt
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₄
  cup chopped onion
  
• 2 cups salad oil
  
• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  tablespoons poppy seeds
  

1. 1.
   Combine the sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, and onion in a blender or food processor. With the motor running, slowly add the oil.
   
2. 2.
   Transfer the dressing to an airtight container and stir in the poppy seeds. Refrigerate until ready to use.
   

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

Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Elizabeth says: The best of both worlds — peanut butter and chocolate chips — what’s not to love? I took these to a Fourth of July potluck, and they were gone before we got to the dessert part of the meal!

• 1
  ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cups all-purpose flour
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1 cup chunky peanut butter
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup granulated sugar
  
• ¹
  ⁄
  ₂
  cup brown sugar
  
• 1 egg
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 8–12 ounces chocolate chips
  

1. 1.
   Preheat the oven to 375°F.
   
2. 2.
   Whisk together the flour and baking soda in a medium bowl.
   
3. 3.
   Beat together the peanut butter and butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer. Beat in the granulated sugar and brown sugar, mixing well. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
   
4. 4.
   Add the flour mixture, blending thoroughly, and then stir in up to 12 ounces of chocolate chips, depending on your preference for the ratio of chocolate chips to peanut butter.
   
5. 5.
   Shape the dough into 1-inch balls and arrange them about 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Crisscross the balls with a sugared fork, and bake for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.