STONE SOUP and the SKINNY CHICK’S Cookies = FFWD

STONE SOUP and the SKINNY CHICK’S Cookies = FFWD

AT LAST!!! Dan, who works at the front desk at The Gant, called to tell Clara, (L) and Emma (R) that Mrs. Berg’s cookies had arrived. They ran to pick up the bigggggg box.

 

Although Dorie calls this week’s recipe,  Spur-of-the-Moment Vegetable Soup, she admits it’s really Stone Soup. She’s referring, of course, to that glorious ancient folk tale which, in 1947,  writer Marcia Brown used as the basis of her children’s book entitled  Stone Soup. And for writing it, Brown won a prestigious Caldecott Medal that year.

Before we get to the soup, let’s move on to dessert, Oatmeal-M & M’s Cookies baked by Liz Berg of  That Skinny Chick Can Bake. In July, Liz participated in an on-line baking auction to raise money for victims of our devastating Colorado fires. After a fierce bidding war, I successfully won her cookies. We decided that she would wait to bake and send the cookies until mid-October when my entire family, including two little girls who love cookies, would be in Aspen.

 

Emma is older so she gets to open the box.

 

This past Tuesday we celebrated Michael’s Life with family and friends at a wonderful and joyful service. Our two little cookie monsters stood at the altar, in a church full of strangers, and sang like angels. Is it sacreligious to say they nailed “Amazing Grace”?  It goes without saying that when the anticipated cookies arrived, even their Mother (that’s Melissa), let them each have a bag, no sharing. Thanks, Liz, you baked a great reward!

 

“It’s a big box, Grandma.” (Clara)

 

The Mother Lode.

 

“One bag of cookies for each of us. Thank you, Mrs. Berg.”

The vegetable soup, which was our main course for dinner tonight, was a wonderfully simple and nutritious entrée. After cooking sliced carrots, onions, celery, and seasonings in olive oil, I added chicken broth, diced potatoes and brought everything to a boil. After taking it down to a simmer for 20-30 minutes and adjusting the seasoning, I did choose to puree it.  And to that  pureed soup I added cooked quinoa for extra nutrition, texture and flavoring. I served the hearty soup with yellow/red beets and crusty bread for a delicious meal.

 

I put together a mixture of sliced carrots, onions, celery, garlic and Provençal seasonings and tossed them together with olive oil into a Dutch oven .

 

After adding chicken broth and diced potatoes to the mixture, I brought it to a boil and then let it simmer, partially covered, for 20-30 minutes.

 

To see what stones my colleagues threw in their soup this week, go here.

 

After adjusting the seasonings and pureeing the soup, I added cooked quinoa to make a heartier soup.

STONE SOUP, a FRENCH FRIDAYS WITH DORIE – version

STONE SOUP, a FRENCH FRIDAYS WITH DORIE – version

This week I am in Aspen, tying up the last-minute details on my condo’s re-model, in anticipation of Winter’s skiing rentals.  I’ve traded my apron for a tool belt and couldn’t join the other Dorista’s to make the past two weeks’ recipes, Spiced Squash, Fennel, and Pear Soup and Braised Cardamon-Curry Lamb. Sound delicious. Check-out those recipe results at http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/.

What I did make, however, was Stone Soup (Spur-of-the-Moment Vegetable Soup, carrot version, via Dorie, p. 74). For those of you who do not know this folk tale, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_soup.

I know what George is thinking. “Is this REALLY part of my Job Description?”

I made two different versions, one with chicken and served as is, just chopped and sliced.  The other, I pureed, plunking a dollop of sour cream on top. Then I started prowling the 143 condo units here at The Gant, to find George, who has headed The Gant’s Engineering Department since my arrival seven years ago.

George has been my Go-To guy (and, everyone else’s) and there is nothing he cannot fix nor replace nor install nor tear apart and re-build. He’s done all that and more for me. He’s what you would call, a “Keeper”, a very nice guy. But, here’s his best-kept secret. George hailed from Guilford, Maine, where he owned a restaurant called “Flatlander’s”. He’s an extraordinary Chef who has been donating and sharing his culinary talents for the eleven years he’s lived in Aspen.  So, it’s not-for-nothing that I chose him to taste my Stone Soup.

Everything in my ‘fridge went into my soup pot: carrots, onions, celery, Yukon potatoes, and yams. Garlic and fresh ginger were the spices-of-choice. Chicken broth, my base. After separating out the to-be-pureed batch, I tossed in slivers from half a roasted chicken.

The Stone Soup with Chicken was so hot, George stepped outside for a cool-down.

Caught in the Act – Complimenting me on “just the right spices”.

George took his job seriously, trying the chicken version on the porch, it was steaming hot!  I think he favored the pureed version, which he said was flavored perfectly, because he had two bowls. This Stone Soup teams perfectly with a Sterling Vineyards “Merlot”, 2008, which we drank, off-camera.  Although George had clocked out, he still maintained his standards, after all!

Oh, yes, another good thing about him?  George is a very Good Sport.                    

Memo to George’s Boss: After Hours, Clocked Out.