Catch the Spoon

The Scene
A busy night on the homestead.

The Players
One arrives home, hungry and tired; the other works tirelessly at the computer but lazes about when dinner is afoot. Minor characters as noted.

Act 1: The Pot
Water and chicken base join forces to make a broth. Corn and potatoes, separated from their cans, join the game. The party, now ablaze, bubbles mightily. Apple cider vinegar, sun-dried tomatoes, dried onion, celery salt, basil, and black pepper also contribute to the fray.

Act 2: The Arrival
Biscuit mix, born months ago from a marriage of flour and sundry other powders, bonds with its wet destiny to form The Goo. The Goo rudely crashes the party, dropping from above into the mix without announcement.

Act 3: The Serving
Ten minutes have passed since The Goo’s arrival. A large spoon arrives to disperse the gathering. Four to six smaller gatherings result.

Denouement
The players sit with happy bellies.

Exeunt players.

Yeah, I know. It’s been a long day, and dinner was surprisingly good for something that consisted of little more than canned vagetables and good thoughts.

My goodness! Too much cooking/blogging, too little time. No matter. I’ve been keeping track of new tasty treats in my handy dandy notebook, and I hope to spend the next week or two getting caught up on what I’ve missed. Alas, there are very few pictures involved, as I keep forgetting, but I’ll supplement with stock when I can. On to the food!

Mushroom-Herb Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 gallon water
• 1/4 cup beef or mushroom Better than Bouillon
• 1 pound kluski noodles
• 16 ounces canned mushrooms
• 1/4 cup dried thyme
• 1/3 cup dried tarragon
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

In a large pot set over high heat, bring water to a rolling boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and add remaining ingredients. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring often, until noodles are tender and flavors have combined. Serve with a dollop of sour cream if desired.

This is a guest chef post from Kate of Om Shanti Handcrafts; you can find her original post of this recipe, along with adorable pictures of her cats, at her blog. She also makes spectacular lip balms, bath salts, jewelry, and other pretty and/or pleasantly-scented things – I encourage you to visit her Etsy shop (her tangerine vanilla lip balm is to die for!)

Many thanks to Alys for the original recipe and to Kate for her moderations, and for allowing me to post this here. This is an excellent example of how recipes evolve as they pass from person to person. Kate’s comments are in italics below.

Alys’s Tomato Bread Soup

• 1 lb. Italian sausage links (I’ve also used loose sausage just fine)
• 1 onion, chopped
• 5 or 6 cloves garlic, sliced or minced (though it’s hard to have too much)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp basil
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp rosemary
• other herbs as desired (oregano, marjoram, thyme, savory…)
• 1 6oz can tomato paste
• 2 or 3 14-1/2 oz cans diced tomatoes (or cut up fresh if you’ve got em)
• 1 48 oz can chicken broth (or from scratch — easy and AWESOME)
• 1 tbsp dry sherry or wine
• 1/2 tsp salt or bouillion (I use this only if I’m using my own chicken broth — otherwise there’s already plenty of salt)
• dash pepper
• 1 loaf bread (a good, sturdy loaf of Italian or French — bread with some heft!) (I’ve used Philly soft pretzels with awesome results)
• shredded parmesan cheese

Note that all measurements are approximate, and should be adjusted to taste.

Cook sausages at least halfway done, allow to cool enough to handle, and slice.

Meanwhile, sauté onions in olive oil for a couple minutes, add garlic and sauté a little longer, until garlic is done.

Before garlic turns brown, stir in herbs and tomato paste. Add diced tomatoes, sliced sausages, broth, and wine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, and simmer until the sausage is done through.

While soup simmers, tear or cut the bread into crouton-sized pieces.

Place a handful of bread into each bowl, ladle soup over, and garnish with parmesan. Add a drizzle of good, fruity olive oil and/ or freshly ground pepper if you like.