Liquid Courage: Vegetables Plus Water Equals Soup

I’m not going to talk about how I used to run a soup club (I used to run a soup club), or about the time my grandparents, worried that I was still single, sent me to see a Kabbalist, who gave me a project involving soup-making (it… worked?) I’m not going to regale you with soup memories (like the soup I once ate in a dream and am still trying to locate IRL [it had tahini in it]). I really just want to say that soup-making should be very simple, and inexpensive. At the end of a long, cold, and rainy day, soup should be within your reach.

I’m okay with some recipes being hard – take pie, for example. Crust, filling, beautiful lattice top. I’m not interested in short cuts. I want to do it all, from scratch, and perfectly. Soup, however, is by definition, such simple food. I don’t use broths or stocks, pre-made or purchased or otherwise. Just good veggies, seasoned well, and the right amount of cooking time. Last week, I exited my subway station and went to the store, where I bought a butternut squash and 3 leeks. This was after going to another store, and trying to buy a butternut squash and 3 leeks, but being faced with a $10 credit card minimum, which I angrily told them was illegal (it’s not illegal, just rude). I just straight up left the squash and leeks on the checkout counter. Sorry! Anyway, I went to the supermarket next door instead. They have no credit card minimum (as no supermarket should), AND their swipey screen, when asking for your PIN, reads, “ENTER SECRET CODE”, which I LOVE.

Got home, sauteed the leeks in grape seed oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder, added chunks of the peeled butternut, added water to almost-but-not-quite cover the squash, and then left it to gently boil until the squash was verrrrry soft. Until I added a Bamix to my wedding registry, I had never owned any kind of immersion blender. My soups have been chunky for a long time. Sometimes I’d do a thing where I sort of gently mashed the veggie chunks against the side of the pot. But now, velvety, smooth soups are back in my life. It’s just nice to have range, you know? And the Bamix itself is just a great tool. So I pureed the soup and then served myself a bowl, decorated with a little olive oil drizzle, and a few toasted, spicy pepitas (I keep a container in the freezer). I ate it alone, on the couch, while watching COFFEE AND CIGARETTES for the 7th time. We ate more the next day, as part of our Friday night dinner (accompanied by this bread, which is now a Shabbos staple), and then I polished off the final bowl last night. The flavour had, of course, intensified, and the soup had thickened. The squash was unbelievably sweet, and I was a little sad when my bowl was empty.

Make soup! It’s just veggies and water, and if you make a little extra, you can freeze a container, for a fun redux a few weeks later. You’ll free up some time to finally finish writing your wedding Thank You cards, you ingrate

 

Here she is! Butternut squash and leek soup.

 

A Salmon Patty for 2014

Most people ate salmon patties (alternate names: fish cakes, croquettes – semantics) growing up. My mother’s version was actually tuna patties; she didn’t make them often but y’know,I didn’t really like them anyway. Truth is, back then, I was also more or less addicted to ketchup, and everything I ate was smothered in the stuff. So I’m not sure I was tasting much of anything, in general. I think I rediscovered patties last year. It’s an easy and pretty cheap dinner, all the ingredients can be found at really any supermarket (as opposed to a fancy supermarket or kosher store – neither of which I have in my immediate surrounds) – in fact, you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry right now. It’s also an easy protein, and actually, I think, a really fun thing to make for Shabbos. Pair ’em with a delicious dippy sauce (dijon, dill, mayo, lemon, a lil pinch of instant coffee – don’t poo-poo until you’ve tried it), and a big green salad – you’ve got yourself a pretty nice lunch, mister.

It’s one of those foods that will be as bland or as exciting as you make it. Go to town with the flavours – I love lemon, zest, tarragon, mustard – just classic fish pairings, really. Could be nostalgia, or something like that, but when I serve these, people are kind of excited? And they last for a few days in the fridge – leftovers are great for work, or for a fun little late night sandwich??????? Salmon burger????????? Some toasted challah, mustard and mayo, a beet slice or two? I wouldn’t kick it out of bed.

Our raw patties, pre-mixing.

I don’t use a recipe. But I do have some nice pictures! One can of salmon yields about 8 patties. Fork the can contents before adding the other stuff. Do not be discouraged by how, well, potentially horrifying the contents look. It’s the TMI of the canned food world! Bones, skin… TMI, salmon! But it all dissolves! Anyway, you want to add something to bind it all. I normally use panko (probably about 3/4 of a cup), but you can use breadcrumbs, maybe saltines, or a mashed potato. I use 2 eggs to really close the whole binding situation. Then: a nice tablespoon of dijon mustard. Juice and zest of a juicy lemon. Whatever herbs you like; tarragon, dill, basil, parsley, cilantro, whatever. A few scallions, finely sliced, or some onion, diced very, very finely. A clove of garlic or two, minced or chopped very finely. A slug of olive oil. A cool amount of salt and black pepper. Also! You can actually taste the mixture before cooking it, to check if you’ve season it right.

Our raw patties, post-shaping and pre-cooking.

Cooking! You want a nonstick pan, and an oil that’s good for high heat, and also neutral, like grapeseed, or canola. I used olive oil because I forgot to buy grapeseed, even though I went to 2 supermarkets today, and hey, it was fine. Keep the fire on medium – you want to let these guys cook through before the outside starts to burn. Oh – and after I shape the patties (think small palm size), I dust them in some more panko. Let them cook for a few minutes, then flip and cook the other side.

A word about dealing with fishy cooking smells. Close the other doors in hour house. My kitchen is next to my bedroom, and I don’t have a fan over the stove. Shut the bedroom door, make sure both bedroom and kitchen windows are open, wash the pan as soon as you’ve finished, and burn a candle or something in the bedroom. Good luck!

I will be serving the patties with a dippy sauce, and a big salad of arugula, jicama, blackened corn (straight on the stove burners!), avocado, crunchy celery, and a very lime-y dressing. Bye!

Our patties!