Author: rang2015

Root Soup

Root Soup

When someone once asked James Beard why there were no soup recipes in one of his cookbooks, he is said to have replied:  “Recipes for soup?  You look in the refrigerator, and then you make soup.”  Actually, James Beard did publish some soup recipes over the years, but his reply should be recalled by anyone considering what to cook on a cold day.

That was really how I first made root soup.  Not that I confined my inspection to the refrigerator:  I also checked the pantry and the steps leading to the basement where we stored the potatoes and onions.  It was cold, and we did not want to go out.   So we made soup with potatoes, onions and carrots, a leftover ham bone with a bit of meat attached, some beef bouillon cubes and assorted items from the spice rack. 

Today I use beef broth, but you can use bouillon cubes as well.  The cubes tend to be salty, so be sure to taste when the soup is nearly done before adjusting the salt.  The rutabaga, parsnip and turnip produce a much more flavorful soup, and if you do not have a ham bone on hand, the smoked pork hock works great. 

And if you have something else in the refrigerator that you think might work, just toss it in and hope for the best!

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups each chopped

Potato

Rutabaga

Carrot

Onion

1 cup each chopped

Turnip

Parsnip

2 cans beef broth

1 meaty ham bone or smoked pork hock

Water as needed

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried basil

1 tsp. dried thyme

1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

PROCEDURE

Put the pork hock and beef broth into an eight quart soup pot or Dutch oven.  You should have about 4 cups of beef broth.  Add water to cover the hock. Bring to a boil and simmer for about two hours, adding water if necessary to keep the hock covered. Remove the hock and allow it to cool.

Prepare the vegetables while the hock is simmering. Peel and chop the potato and rutabaga into 3/4 inch pieces.  Peel or scrape the carrots, split lengthwise and cut into 1/4” slices.  Peel and dice the onion into 1/4” pieces.  Peel and chop the turnip into 1/2” pieces.  Peel the parsnip, split lengthwise and cut into 1/4” slices. Add the vegetables to the broth in the Dutch oven. Separate the meat from the skin and bone of the hock and add it to the vegetables.  Stir in the salt and other spices.  Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary. Add salt or pepper as necessary to adjust seasoning. 

 Serve with bread and salad.

NOTES:  Today I often use two smoked turkey drumsticks instead of the pork hock.  They provide the flavor and meat with less fat and fewer calories.  This recipe makes enough soup to serve five or six people generously usually with a bit left over.  You can cut the recipe in half if you wish, but the leftover soup holds well in the refrigerator for a couple of days or you can freeze it for use in a few weeks.

Hapanleipä–Sour Rye Bread from Finland

For several years I was the district exchange officer for Finland in the 5950-5960 Rotary Exchange Program.  Once a year my wife and I would invite all Finnish students in our two districts to spend a weekend with us.  There were some conditions:  We would cook dinner the first night and the Saturday lunch.  I would do the breakfasts.  The students could cook whatever they wished, but they were responsible for the Saturday and Sunday dinners.

When I suggested this arrangement to the first group of students, they lamented the fact that they would not have Hapanleipä, a sour flatbread, so I offered to make it if someone could tell me how.  In a few weeks a letter arrived from a student.  He enclosed the recipe and  instructions from his mother and the helpful tip that his grandmother said that the dough “should smell really stinky.”.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Packages or 5 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 cups warm water, about 110º F
3 cups rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 to 3 1/2 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
Butter

PROCEDURE:

In a large bowl, dissolve 1 package or 2 1/2 teaspoons of yeast in 1 3/4 cups of warm water.  Stir in the rye flour.  Cover and let stand in a warm place until the mixture develops a good sour aroma (usually 36-48 hours).

Dissolve the rest of the yeast in the remaining 1/4 cup of warm water and add to the rye mixture.  Add salt and stir in enough bread flour to make a stiff dough.  Let the dough rest for 10 minutes, turn it out on to a lightly floured board, and knead it until smooth and elastic (about 10 minutes).  The dough will be sticky to start with.  Add flour to board and lightly knead until the dough becomes easy to work with.  Place the dough in a greased bowl and turn it to have the greased side up.  Cover with a damp towel and let rise until doubled in bulk (about 2 hours).

Punch down, knead briefly  and divide the dough in half.  Shape each half into a ball and place each ball on a greased baking sheet.  Flatten each ball into a 12 inch diameter circle.  Pull a two inch diameter circle in the middle of each loaf as you form it so that the loaf looks like a flat doughnut.  Cover the loaves and let them rise until doubled in bulk (about one hour).

Heat the oven to 375º F.  Pierce the loaves all over with a fork.  Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.  Remove the loaves from oven, brush the tops with butter, and cover with a towel to soften the crust.  Cool.  To serve, cut into wedges, and split horizontally.

NOTES: Pizza pans are ideal for baking Hapanleipä.  Six Finnish teenagers and two adult Americans can eat both loaves at one meal.