In those days it was made with a base of pig's feet..times however have changed and now I am mainly a vegetarian and certainly don't eat pig's feet any more....they are not easily available in LA stores anyway.
Here is an idea for a dish that came out of my desire for a New England Clam chowder type dish without the milk and cream or the clams...(I am lactose intolerant so milk is out but cream and butter do NOT contain lactose.. check with cartons of sour cream that it is 100% cream and no added milk and enjoy again the great taste on baked potatoes...just a tip, also LIVE plain yogurt is OK too as long as it is 100% live and no added starches or fillers)
The following 2 soups I love in sour dough bread bowls, and have included "how -to" in the first recipe, you can serve both in soupbowls instead:
This is a recipe for green split pea soup
....makes a great summer lunch/supper dish with some good cheeses or a green salad..without the guilt.
serves 4-6
1 cup dried split peas
6 cups vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
2tbsp grape seed oil
3 medium carrots chopped
1 large onion chopped
3 celery ribs ( stalks) also chopped
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 cup frozen peas
1/4 tsp salt (maybe more when finished cooking)
zest & juice of one lemon
small sour dough bread rounds (these will act as the bowls)
Wash and rinse the split peas well ( if you wish you can soak them for an hour, this will decrease cooking time)
once washed the peas will stick together so don't wash and rinse until you are ready to use them.
1) In a large, lidded sauce pan add the oil and continue as in GGD for soup making
2) Add the hot stock and bring to a boil, add the washed and rinsed split peas, salt & bay leaves.
Bring back to a boil then turn down to rolling simmer, cover and cook for about 20 mins.
3) Add the washed and rinsed pearl barley and cook for a further 30 mins, slowly allowing the peas to break up and the barley to swell..skimming off the fat and debris that rises to the top of the soup..the soup should thicken up ( also this soup will thicken up as it cools down)
4) While the soup is simmering cut the tops off the sour dough rounds and remove the white bread to form a bowl.
Bake the bowls in a 350f oven for about 20 mins, remove from oven when crisp.
5) Check the soup for seasoning adding salt and ground white pepper, and the zest and juice of the lemon, chopped herbs, & the defrosted frozen peas.
6) Serve the warm soup in the hot bread bowls and enjoy.
additions can be:
fresh sweetcorn
chopped garlic
chopped cilantro
red pepper flakes or chipotle peppers
tempeh & tempeh bakon
zucchini ( especially good in summer)
bell pepper & lime ( goes well with cilantro instead of mint and lemon)
potato chips..(great added as a topping in place of croutons)
a totally fat free soup can be made by bringing the stock to a rolling boil, adding the vegetables, and rinsed split peas and bay leaves, and continuing as recipe from #2)
You can experiment with this soup and just "make it your own" as long as you keep the base the same..even replacing the split green peas with split Fava beans..I am not sure about using the smaller split yellow peas as the proportions will differ,-split green peas are higher in starch.
If you do not like barley you can substitute peeled high starch potatoes and adjust the recipe to suit.
Fresh super sweet white sweetcorn is back in the stores.
I was very surprised when I first came to Southern California that people clamored for white corn ( and white peaches) as I always thought white corn was animal feed and the yellow corn the best, how wrong I was.
The white corn is super sweet and can easily be eaten raw, off the cob.
Most people cook it too long, if the kernels have become opaque then the white corn is over cooked.
It is best to cook it. almost like broccoli al dente, that way the sweetness remains and it tastes freshest.
This is a recipe for corn chowder, and is best when corn is in season..please don't use canned or frozen for this recipe, you will not get the best results
serves 4-6
5* ears of white corn (3* cups niblets) on the cob ( you can also use fresh in season yellow or calico - white and yellow hi-brid mix)
2 tbsp vegetable margarine or unsalted butter
1 medium onion diced
2 small leeks sliced
3 ribs celery chopped
4 medium Russet ( high starch)potatoes, peeled and cubed
3 red skinned or Yukon gold potatoes ( waxy potatoes), washed not peeled & cut dice
1/4 tsp salt (check seasoning before serving and add more if necessary)
ground white pepper
1 cup coconut milk
3 cups rice milk ( or nut milk..NOT soy milk)
1/4 cup chopped celery and parsley
1) "Shuck" - remove the corn from the cobs but keep the cobs..there is no easy way of doing this without it flying everywhere ...yes there are expensive gadgets but I prefer to use a sharp paring knife and drag it along the cob, it is OK to leave some corn on the cob as the cobs will make the stock.
2) Place the shucked cobs in 5 cups water and bring to boil and reduce by half.
Remove the cobs and add 3 cups of rice milk, bring to high simmer.
3) In a large saucepan heat the margarine and add the chopped vegetables, including the Russet but NOT the Red or Yukon gold Potatoes.
cook as in GGD add the hot stock-milk, salt & pepper and bring to a slow boil, cook for 20 mins.
4) Then add the other unpeeled potatoes, bring back to boil & continue cooking for 15 mins
5) Add the shucked corn kernels.. Bring back to a boil then simmer for 10 mins..the Russets should have broken down and be thickening the soup..skim off any scum that has risen to the top of the soup.
6) Add the coconut milk & the chopped celery and parsley mix.
7) Check seasoning and serve warm in bread or soup bowls.
Additions as for the Pea soup above.
I do not like adding flour or corn starch to any of my soups, I prefer them to taste and "feel natural" to the palate..I hope you enjoy
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| fresh lime/lemon juice & zest |
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| cilantro |
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| peppermint |
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| fresh mint |
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| dried split green peas, high starch |
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| pearl barley..barley with outer coating/bran removed |
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