Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

I adapted this recipe from one I found on multiple internet sites. I'm not sure who to credit. I saw one post that claimed the soup was an attempt to copy a dish served at Vermillion Restaurant in Old Town Alexandria, Virginia.

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Sunchoke and Sausage Soup

Serves 6

4 slices bacon, diced (it can be pork or turkey bacon)

1 pd sausage, turkey or Italian (if you have links, remove the sausage from the casings)

1 pd sunchokes (Jerusalem artichokes) peeled, halved and cut into 1/2-in slices

6 small white potatoes, peeled and halved 

3 stalks celery, diced

1/2 large onion

1 leek, white and light green parts, chopped

3 c fresh spinach or swiss chard, chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 quart chicken or vegetable stock

1/2 c chopped parsley

2 T chopped fresh basil

2 T chopped fresh oregano

1 pinch cayenne pepper

1/4-1/2 teas sweet paprika

salt and pepper to taste

1/4 c all-purpose flour

1 c water

Cook the bacon and sausage, onion, celery, leek in a large saucepan or Dutch oven until the bacon and sausage are browned and the onion and celery are softened. Add the sunchokes and potatoes and pour in the stock. Stir in the parsley, basil, oregano, cayenne, paprika, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, covered. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook slowly for 30 minutes.

Put the flour and the water in a small bowl or container and stir vigorously until no lumps remain. Pour into the soup and continue simmering, covered for 10 minutes. Stir in the spinach (or chard) and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes until the broth is thickened and the greens have wilted. 

Notes:

I harvest sunchokes when garden herbs have frozen. I have used dried oregano and basil as a substitute and it is still good. 

Consider brightening with lemon juice or a bit of wine vinegar.

Salmon with Rhubarb Sauce

This dish seems more spring like, but because you can buy frozen rhubarb, it can be served any time. 

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Salmon with Rhubarb Sauce

Source: Ellie Krieger

Serves 4

1 T olive oil
2 medium shallots, diced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger root, minced

8 oz rhubarb (red is the prettiest, but green tastes just as good), diced

1/4 c orange juice

1/2 c white wine

2-3 T honey

pinch of cayenne pepper

1/4 teas salt

1/8 teas freshly ground black pepper

4 6-oz salmon fillets, skinless if you prefer

1/3 c fresh basil leaves

Add shallots to heated olive oil in a 10-inch skillet or a medium saucepan. Cook until softened and add the ginger, cooking for about 30 seconds. Pour in the juice and wine; bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the liquids have reduced by half and stir in the rhubarb. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer all until the sauce is thicker and the rhubarb has softened. Stir in the honey, cayenne and half of the salt. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water to loosen it a little.

In the meantime, heat up a skillet or a grill pan to cook the salmon. Heat to medium high and spray with cooking spray. Season the salmon with the remaining salt and pepper. Place the fillets in the skillet and cook for a total of 10 minutes per inch of thickness, flipping once, after the top has browned.

Cut the basil into ribbons and when the salmon is done, stir it into the sauce, except for a couple small portions for a garnish. Place about a quarter cup of sauce onto a serving plate and top with a salmon fillet and the garnishing basil.

Lemon Bread

I used to go to cookie exchanges when I lived in Marquette, Michigan, so long ago. I picked up this recipe one year and baked it many holiday seasons.

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Lemon Bread

For my high altitude (almost 5000 ft) I made the following adjustments:

have eggs at room temp

subtract 1 1/2 T sugar

add 1 T lemon juice with milk

use half buttermilk and milk

add 1 1/2 T flour

Yields one 8X4 loaf pan

1/2 c butter, softened

1 1/4 c sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 T grated lemon peel

1/2 teas lemon extract

1/2 c milk

1 1/2 c flour

1 teas baking powder

1/4 teas salt

1/2 c chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted

Prepare loaf pan by greasing and flouring it well. 

Combine butter and sugar and mix well. Add eggs, lemon peel, extract, and milk. Add flour, baking powder and salt, stirring just until moistened. Fold in nuts. Pour into loaf pan  Bake at 350F for 50-60 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in pan and remove. Allow to cool on a rack. Serve with with Cherry Cheese Spread.

Cherry Cheese Spread

6 oz. cream cheese, softened

2 T chopped maraschino cherries

3-4 teas maraschino cherry juice.

Notes:

I used about a third wheat flour, in this instance kamut.

In the above photo, the cream cheese was mixed with frozen raspberries. I like it both ways, although the maraschino cherries make for a sweeter spread.