Potato Leek Soup with Bacon and Basil

Fall always puts me in the mood for soup, nothing better on a chilly day!

serves 4

2 large leeks or 3 small thinly sliced white and light green sections
1 small red onion chopped
1/2 tbsp minced garlic
2 medium red potatoes with the skin on sliced in bite size pieces
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pint vegetable broth or a mix of veggie broth and water
pepper to taste
1/2 tsp fennel thyme salt (to make your own use 1 part salt to 1 part herbs)
6 pieces crispy cooked bacon
4 tbsp chopped basil

In a heavy pan on the stove heat the olive oil till warm but not smoking, add the garlic and saute a few minutes till fragrant.  Add the red onion and saute until the onion is soft; add the leeks and saute.  Once the leaks are beginning to soften add the red potatoes, season with salt mixture and pepper.   Saute till potatoes just begin to soften and add the vegetable broth.  Broth should just cover the vegetable mixture, cook at a simmer till the potatoes are soft.  Remove from heat and add the milk.  Serve immediately in bowls, top with 1 1/2 pieces bacon and 1 tbsp basil on each.  I use kitchen sheers to cut the bacon and basil.  Enjoy!

Comfort Food: this term has many meanings to each individual. To me, comfort food involves something tasty that is simple to make with natural ingredients, the closer to the house the better! Anyone who knows me even remotely well knows that I am a food snob, yes I am picky and want to know where and how my food was raised be it a piece of meat or a vegetable. I am addicted to living close to good food, in Maine I thrive on all the local farmers on the Blue Hill Peninsula. The majority of the year I am lucky to have Codman Farm and Blue Heron Farm. Tonight I made dinner from some of my favorite local farmers.  Find a local farmer around you for pork, I always enjoy the delicious pork from Bagaduce Pork, tonight I used their "Dad's Sausage".  Check out your farmer's market for a good olive oil source, I buy amazing extra virgin olive oil imported from a small farmer in Italy at the Winter Farmer's Market in Wayland.  

French Inspired Farmer's Market Dinner

serves 1, can easily be adapted for 2

2 small red potatoes, small chunks
5 baby turnips, thinly sliced
5 baby carrots, thinly sliced
12 pea pods, trimmed
2 farm fresh eggs
1/4 cup cooked ground sausage
freshly ground pepper
ancho chili sea salt
olive oil



Add 1 tsp of olive oil to a nonstick frying pan and heat until warm but not smoking. Add potatoes, and cook for a few minutes. Add baby carrot and turnip. Cook until veggie mix is starting to become tender. Add ground pepper and sea salt over the mixture, crack two eggs over the top of the mixture. Add pea pods. Place a lid over the top and cook until the eggs are desired consistency and veggies tender on medium heat. I like to cook until the eggs are just shy of cooked through and the veggies are tender.  Cooking times vary greatly whether one cooks on a gas or electric stove.  I am slowly learning to cook on my Grandmother's electric beast, while greatly missing my gas stove in the old farmhouse and eagerly awaiting a kitchen renovation!  Enjoy with a cold glass of Sauvignon Blanc.

Maine Scallops with Grapefruit and Avocado

Winter time in Maine brings the special treat of fresh sea scallops. These sea scallops were caught by a friends husband in Casco Bay and were particularily flavorful. To season the dish perfectly I used the Aleppo Chile salt from Didi Davis Artisan Food I bought at the Winter Farmer's Market.


serves 2 perfectly
1/2 lb Maine sea scallops
1 ripe avocado cut into strips
1/2 ruby red grapefruit in peeled sections
2 servings (1 cup dry) Israeli Couscous cooked
chopped fresh cilantro
Aleppo Chile salt to taste
2 cloves garlic chopped
olive oil

Cook the Israeli couscous as per the instructions on the package. Peel the grapefuit, remove each section and peel the fruit out of the skin covering each individual section, set the grapefruit aside. Remove the avocado from the skin and cut into thin slices. Meanwhile heat a few tablespoons of olive oil on the stove in a frying pan, be careful not to burn the oil. Saute garlic in the oil. When the oil is hot add the scallops and lightly sprinkle with Aleppo chile salt. Cook the scallops to your taste, I cook them a few minutes on each side turning a few times till they just push back when pressed with a spatula or the tongs I use to flip them with. Season the couscous to taste with Aleppo chile salt and add chopped cilantro to couscous. Divide couscous equally between two plates, arrange avocado, grapefruit and scallops atop. Enjoy!

Turkey Pumpkin Chickpea Stew

Turkey Pumpkin Chickpea Stew ~ inspired by the flavors of the Middle East

1 medium yellow onion chopped
1 green bell pepper chopped
1 jalapeno or poblano pepper (your preference) seeds and ribs removed, diced
2 large cloves of garlic diced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 lb ground turkey
1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can pumpkin
1 1/2 cups water
1 15 oz can chickpeas
1 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground sumac
1 1/2 tsp Hungarian paprika (spicey paprika)
Greek Yogurt (I prefer Fage) to garnish
Couscous ~ if desired

Heat oil in a high sided saute pan over medium heat, add onion and garlic and saute for 3-5 minutes until beginning to get soft, be careful not to burn the garlic. Add both peppers and saute till peppers and onion mix are soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add ground turkey and brown the meat. Add diced tomatoes, pumpkin, and water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add chickpeas and spices; cover. Simmer for 20-30 minutes till chickpeas are tender but do not fall apart. If desired serve over couscous, otherwise serve in bowls and top with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

The flavors are a wonderful mix inspired from Middle Eastern food with warmth from traditional spices but not at all overbearing in spice. Pumpkin is widely used in cooking throughout the Middle East adding a wonderful nutty flavor and plenty of nutrients. Peppers in the Middle East are amazing, unfortunately except for small artisan farms we do not have anything like them available in this country, jalapeno or poblano is similar and if one desires more spice you can leave in the ribs and or a some seeds. Sumac is a beautiful fragrant maroon spice with a hint of smokiness. Many different varieties of paprika are available; for this recipe use a paprika with a bite to it, not your usual bland tasting paprika you would add to deviled eggs for color that adds no flavor. As the sumac already has a hint of smokey flavor if you use a smoked paprika reduce the amount in half so you do not overwhelm the dish. Yogurt is a very important part of middle eastern and Mediterranean food, though the yogurt in the USA is very different; hence use Greek yogurt which is very similar. There are many brands of Greek yogurt available; I prefer Fage, the total 0% nonfat holds up well to warmth and does not become watery. Another widely available alternative is Stoneyfield Oikos. If you wish to serve the stew over a grain use couscous, it is quick, healthy, authentic, and takes on the wonderful flavors of the stew.

Serve for a comforting dinner with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec.

Happy Eating, and Enjoy!

Savory Black Bean Soup

Perfect to take the chill off of a cold winter day. Unlike many recipes this black bean soup is savory and not spicy. This recipe is quick and simple, perfect for a weekend lunch or light weekday healthy dinner.

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp herbs de provence

3 large carrots thinly sliced

2 bunches of scallions thinly sliced

2 (15oz) cans of black beans drained and rinsed

3 cups water

1/3 cup lowfat sour cream

salt

pepper

Heat olive oil and herbs de provence in a heavy large saute pan. Once oil is hot add carrots, saute for 4-5 minutes, add 2/3 of the sliced scallions. Saute carrots and scallions stirring when necessary to avoid burning for about 4 minutes till the carrots start to carmelize. Add black beans and water; bring to a boil, reduce heat and cover. Cook till the carrots are tender, about 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat, use an immersion blender in the pan to puree or work in batches through a food processor. Add sour cream and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in bowls, top with remaining scallions and grated cheddar cheese if desired. Enjoy!

Maine Scallops with Grapefruit and Basil

January in Maine welcomes the rich sweet large sea scallops, a delicious treat. I was given a great book by my mother-inlaw, The Flavor Bible, from which I drew inspiration for this flavor combination and recipe.

Maine Scallops with Grapefruit and Basil over Lime Couscous

serves 2

3/4 lb fresh sea scallops

1/4 cup loosely packed torn basil leaves

1 pink grapefruit peeled, and each segment removed from the membrane

1/4 cup white wine

2/3 cup couscous

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup water

dash of salt

1 lime zested

To make the couscous in a small sauce pan add water, olive oil, and salt and bring to a boil. Once boiling remove from heat, add couscous, cover and let sit for 7 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add lime zest. Meanwhile peel the grapefruit, cut away each segment and peel away the membrane over a bowl so you save any lost juice, place peeled segments in the bowl. Preparing the grapefruit is a bit of a tedious task, my husband believes this preparation of it is used to torture the prep cook, really it is not that bad and very worth the effort (less than 10 minutes effort). Wash and tear the basil leaves, set aside. In a heavy pan add 1/4 cup white wine over medium heat and scallops, be careful not to overcook the scallops. Cooking time of the scallops will largely depend on size, with the extra large scallops I often use a lid to help cook them evenly but this still takes only 5 minutes or so. Just before the scallops are cooked add the grapefruit sections and their juice into the pan and then the basil, stir to combine, remove from heat, and plate over the prepared couscous. I like to serve a sauvignon blanc with this dish, and cook the scallops in it. A great sauvignon blanc with notes of citrus and a mellow finish that will not break the bank and is widely available is Starborough from Marlborough New Zealand. Enjoy this quick tasty meal, in less than 30 minutes you will be eating a healthy tasty elegant meal.

A Simple Dinner to Celebrate Seasonal Local Food

A few weeks ago Maine was in the height of strawberry season, beautiful sweet ripe strawberries were bountiful and always inspiring for a meal. Also fresh was spectacular halibut caught off of Mount Dessert Island and sold at the fish counter within a few hours of being caught. My favorite way to prepare fresh halibut steak is on the grill, the firmness of the fish lends to easy grilling similar to steak. My husband likes to grill and does most of the grilling, he particularily enjoys grilling fish and vegetables. Baby carrots from Horse Power Farm are perfect to grill, the smokiness from charcoal adds a subtle flavor. The halibut was grilled with a sprinkling of sea salt and pepper, and drizzled with strawberry balsamic vinegar. Fiore in Rockland and Bar Harbor sells specialty flavored olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I made a light vinaigrette of equal parts strawberry balsamic vinegar and Persian lime olive oil to drizzle over fresh greens, sliced strawberries and cheddar cheese. The flavors compliment each other perfectly, the sweetness of the strawberries is balanced perfectly with the sharpness of the cheddar cheese and the touch of lime in the olive oil. I like to indulge in the cheddar cheese from Diversity Farm. Our dinner was a healthy flavor filled meal with local ingredients and quickly prepared. Happy Eating!