And you'll all be very excited to know that our orange tree is finally ripe (it was a very slow citrus season, for some reason), so now that I've used up my Miracle of Whole Wheat Pastry Flour, we'll move on to the bottomless pit of recipes that involve oranges, orange juice, and orange zest. Enjoy.
Menu:
Leek and Basmati Soup
Winter Greens with Orange Vinaigrette
Leek and Basmati Soup
This was very good and could be quite simple if you skipped the repetitively redundant step of making leek stock, which involves making leek soup, straining out the liquid, and then using that liquid to make...leek soup. Seriously, just use some veggie broth and save yourself an hour.
Also, this could be made heartier (and non-veggie) by adding some shredded chicken or swirling a beaten egg into each serving. Next time I might also puree some of it to give it a little more body. It was quite tasty as written, though.
I cut it in half and it made about 6 cups; I've written the full recipe below.
Leek Stock
1 yellow onion, sliced
10 garlic cloves, in their skin, crushed with the side of a knife blade
salt
3 leek tops, coarsely chopped and washed
2 medium-sized carrots, cut into large pieces
1 celery rib, cut into large pieces
1 large potato, sliced
1 bay leaf
2 fresh sage leaves
5 parsley sprigs
5 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh marjoram or oregano sprigs
9 cups cold water
Heat the onions and garlic in a soup pot with 1 tsp salt and 1/4 inch of water. Cover the pot and steam for 15 minutes over medium heat.
Add the rest of the ingredients and bring the stock to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 40-45 minutes. Pour through a strainer and discard the vegetables.
The Soup
1 T light olive oil
1 T unsalted butter
4-5 large leeks, white parts only, cut in half lengthwise, thinly sliced, and washed, about 9 cups
salt and white pepper (um, who actually has white pepper hanging out in their spice rack? Come on over here with the common folk and use regular old black pepper)
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 c dry white wine
1 medium-sized carrot, diced, about 3/4 cup
2 celery ribs, diced, about 3/4 cup
1/4 c basmati rice
a fresh herb sachet: 1 bay leaf, 4 thyme sprigs, 5 parsley sprigs, 2 marjoram sprigs, and 1 sage leaf tied in cheesecloth or bundled and tied together (I tied the bundle together with parsley sprigs)
1 T chopped fresh herbs: parsley, chives, and marjoram
grated Parmesan cheese
Heat the olive oil and butter in a soup pot over medium heat; add the leeks, 1 tsp salt, and a few pinches of white pepper. Stir the leeks, coating them with butter and oil, then cover the pot, reduce the heat to low and cook for about 10 minutes, until the leeks are wilted.
Add the garlic and saute for another minute or two, then add the wine and cook for a minute or two, until the pan is dry.
Add the carrots, celery, rice, 1/2 tsp salt, the sachet of herbs, and 1 quart stock. Bring the soup to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes.
Add 3 cups stock and season the soup to taste with salt and pepper. Remove the herb sachet and add the chopped herbs just before serving.
Garnish each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.
Winter Greens with Orange Vinaigrette
I used some fancy holiday goat cheese flavored with blueberry and vanilla, and it really made the salad pretty exceptional; but any plain creamy goat cheese would do.
Dressing (makes about 1/2 cup)
1 small shallot, minced
1/4 c champagne vinegar
2 T orange juice
1 tsp orange zest
1/2 tsp honey or sugar
1 T canola oil
salt and pepper to taste
Salad (amounts are per serving)
2 c washed/dried mixed greens (watercress, endive, spinach, romaine)
1 T walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 oz soft goat cheese
2 T dried cranberries
Whisk all the ingredients together except the oil, then whisk in the oil. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Arrange the greens on a plate. Sprinkle the nuts, cranberries, and goat cheese on top.
Drizzle the dressing over each serving of salad.
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