Cherry Tomato, Basil, and Roasted Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 bone-in chicken breast

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 large onion, diced to 1/4 inch

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup water

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup brown rice

1/4 cup torn basil

1/2 cup heavy cream

olive oil

kosher salt

fresh ground pepper

Method:

Serves 4.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place the chicken breast on a small baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 25-35 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear when pierced with a knife. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bone and shred into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

Meanwhile, in a 4-quart dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat, sauté garlic and onions in 1 tablespoon of olive oil until aromatic and translucent. Add chicken stock, water, and rice. Turn the heat up to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer. Simmer until rice is almost tender. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, heavy cream and basil. Return to a simmer and cook 5 minutes to soften tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Top with additional fresh basil and serve immediately.

Roasted Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

8 large tomatoes

1 head garlic

2 cups chicken stock

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

        

Method:

Serves 6.

Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees.

Core the tomatoes and slice them in half crosswise. Place on a parchment or foil lined sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cut the top off the head of garlic, wrap it tightly in aluminum foil and place on the baking sheet.

Roast tomatoes for 25-35 minutes or until soft and brown around the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 - 15 minutes.

Place the roasted tomatoes in a blender or food processor. Unwrap the garlic and add to the tomatoes. You can easily remove the roasted garlic from its skin by pressing gently on the skins.  Pulse the tomatoes and garlic until almost smooth. Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add the chicken broth, thyme, and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve immediately.

Salmorejo

If you have not traveled to Andalusia, Spain or have not been watching Anthony Bourdain marathons on Netflix, you maybe have never heard of Salmorejo. Essentially it is a cold tomato soup or sauce that is a traditional dish in Andalusia. It's similar to a gazpacho, but has a smooth and creamy texture from pureeing olive oil and bread with tomatoes, then flavoring with sherry vinegar. There are many variations to be found online, but this one is simple, quick, and full of flavor. For the garlic lovers out there, a recipe with only one clove of garlic might seem silly. However the flavors of this sauce are subtle, and can be easily overpowered by too much garlic. The dish is superb as a cold soup, but with the Spanish tapas culture as inspiration, using the puree as a sauce is full of possibilities. So if you have not been to Main Street Meats, maybe this post will convince you to wander down to Main Street. You can pick up a fresh Baguette at Niedlov's Breadworks, then pop in next door to sample an impressive selection of aged charcuterie.

Ingredients:

1 lb ripe tomatoes, cores removed

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of fresh garlic

3 oz stale bread, crusts removed

1 Tbs sherry vinegar

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until they have a very smooth and creamy texture. Add water to thin if you are having as a soup, or leave thick if using as a dressing or sauce. Chill for a few hours before serving with cured meats, boiled egg, and a drizzle of olive oil.

To make sandwiches as pictured below: Slice fresh french bread, spread salmorejo over the bread, then top with salami, cecina, or lomo cured meats.

Zephyr Squash Soup

Ingredients:

2 lbs zephyr squash (or other summer squash such as pattypan, zucchini, etc.)

1 large yellow onion

3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 cube of Rapunzel vegetable bouillon with sea salt & herbs, plus 3-4 cups of boiling water

Olive or canola oil

Dry white wine

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Method:

The soup has the best flavor if you caramelize some of the natural sugars in the squash and onion. There are several ways to do this: grilling, baking, or sauteing the squash, and caramelizing onions in a heavy skillet or pan. If you don't have time to caramelize, then you can simply simmer the ingredients in the vegetable stock until tender, but the overall flavors of the soup will be more mild.

Our favorite, however, is to grill the squash first.  Remove the stem and blossom ends of the squash. Cut in half lengthwise, brush with oil, and season with salt and pepper. Heat grill to a high heat (about 450-525 degrees) and place the cut sides of the squash onto the grill. Cook until black streaks appear and turn to color the other side (about 10 minutes on each side).

Slice the onion and caramelize in a heavy soup pot for about 30 minutes with a little oil and salt. (Click here for more information on caramelizing onions.) Once the onions are tender and browned a little, add the cooked squash, garlic, vegetable bouillon cube and about 3-4 cups of boiling water. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool about 10 or 15 minutes. Puree in a blender, then return to the stock pot. Stir in some white wine (about 1/2 cup), then season to taste with salt and pepper. Warm through and serve.

Roasted Corn Chowder

Ingredients:

4-6 ears of fresh corn

1 onion, chopped

5-6 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

2 yellow, red or chocolate sweet peppers (not green), seeds removed and diced

5 medium red or white new potatoes (about 1 lb), cubed

2 quarts of chicken broth or stock (can substitute vegetable broth)

1-2 tsp fennel seed (optional)

1/2 cup white wine

2 Tomatoes, diced

Cilantro, chopped

Juice from 1 lime

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive or canola oil

1 lb of grilled chicken, or your favorite seafood like seared scallops, steamed lobster, or shrimp.

Method:

Prepare the corn in one of two ways: 1) For great flavor in the soup, grill the corn then cut the kernels off the cob. 2) Alternately you can shuck the corn, remove the silks, cut the kernels off the corn, then place the uncooked kernels into a baking dish. Toss with some oil then season with kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 375 degrees for about 30- 45 minutes, or until the kernels begin to brown around the edges of the baking dish.

While the corn is cooking, saute the onion and 1/2 of the chopped peppers in a little oil. Add the potatoes, fennel seed, garlic, and broth then bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes are cooking: combine the diced tomato, remaining peppers, 1/3 of the cooked corn, cilantro and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the remaining 2/3rds of the corn and the white wine to the soup. Remove from the heat and pulse with an immersion blender until the ingredients have a creamy look, but some texture remains.  Let simmer for a few minutes more. Season to taste.

Stir in diced grilled chicken, or ladle the soup over your favorite seafood. Garnish with the tomato mixture and your favorite hot sauce if you like a little extra heat.