Adventures in Juice Land Aided by Cold Soup

Earlier this year Chef Sue purchased a juicer.  I was skeptical.  Back in the mid 90s, we had a juicer which was a great idea, but cleaning the damn thing hardly justified the end result.  Things have changed since the 90s.  Today's juicers are better designed and easy to clean.  Making fresh juice now takes less time, from start to cleanup, than brewing a pot of coffee.

Since the time of her juicer purchase, Chef Sue concocted increasingly complex juices more and more frequently.  I was amused.  Eventually she began replacing meals with fresh juices made from kale, cucumber, spinach, celery, beats, carrots, apples, berries, oranges, melon, grapefruit, pineapple and just about everything else you can find at the farm stand.  I continued to smirk and giggle - when she wasn't looking.  Then I realized she was shedding weight.  Wow, there might be something to this.

After a bit of thought, I became less mocking and more intrigued.  Think about it; how big of a vegetable basket do you need to equal the calories in your perfectly prepared steak?  And what are the nutritional differences?  Now take that basket of vegetables and run them through a juicer to extract all the important stuff.  The result is a nutrient rich condensation of raw, unprocessed fresh veggies and fruits with comparably few calories.  It started to make sense to me, and I joined in Chef Sue's juicing - on occasion.

Chef Sue's juicer subversion strategy was beginning to take hold.  A couple of weeks ago, she sealed the deal.  One night she asked if I wanted to watch a documentary on juicing.  I reluctantly agreed.  After watching the movie, I decided to jump in with both feet.  If you care to watch the video "Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead" here is the link:  http://www.jointhereboot.com/.  I have been doing the juicing thing now for nearly two weeks and have shed seven pounds, regained lost hair, regrown a finger lost in a tragic golf accident, and watched that nasty rash disappear.  Well, at least I did lose the seven pounds.

Being a firm believer in moderation, I cannot live only on juice (or any other restrictive miracle diet).  I cannot live without something to chew on, and cannot imagine sustaining myself without the world of flavors I enjoy.  So I modified the approach to include principally cold soups (great during the heat of summer!), not feeling guilty if I decided to pan sear scallops, or enjoy a nice meal of pulled pork with friends.  And to my joy, I recalled that wine is grape juice!  No need to dump my favorite beverage!

Several bushels of fruits and veggies, and 7 pounds lighter, I am happy with my compromise.  Over the last couple of weeks I have researched/created several cool summer soups with something to chew on.  The only exception is the first recipe - I made this simply to satisfy my desire for wonderful flavor and a touch of variety (warm soup).

And don't worry, I have not conceded our routine wine pairing extravaganzas.  On the menu for this evening is crab bisque, fried crab and grit balls, crawfish and cheese grits (a take on shrimp and grits), and fried aligator strips paired with a yet to be determined Riesling.  My mouth is watering already!

Here are the recipes for the soups I have used to supplement the juice program.

Recipes


Curried Zucchini Soup

Ingredients

• 4 medium zucchini
• 1 quart chicken broth
• 1 large onion chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon curry powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Slice the zucchini lengthwise then cut into 1 inch sections
2. In a 4 quart or larger pot, sauté onions until tender with olive oil.  About half way through the process add the minced garlic.
3. Add curry powder and stir to coat evenly.
4. Add zucchini, chicken broth, and coconut milk.  Cover and continue to cook over medium low heat until zucchini is tender – about 30 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and blend with an immersion blender.
6. Season to taste and serve.

Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 5 ripe tomatoes 
• 2 large cucumbers, chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped black olives 
• 1/3 cup white wine vinegar 
• 1/4 cup olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 2 1/2 cups water 
• 1 medium onion, chopped 
• 1 green bell pepper, diced 
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced 

Preparation

1. Score a cross in the base of each tomato. Cover with boiling water for 1 minute, plunge into cold water, drain and peel away the skin. Remove seeds and chop the flesh so finely that it is almost a puree. 
2. Mix together the tomatoes, 1 of the chopped cucumbers, 1 of the chopped green pepper, garlic, olives, vinegar, oil and tomato paste, and season to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. 
3. Use 2 to 3 cups of chilled water to thin the soup to your taste. Serve chilled with the chopped onion, green pepper, scallions, cucumber, and herbs and served separately for diners to add to their own bowls. 

Mango Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 fresh mangos 1/4-inch-diced 
• 2 cups orange juice 
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
• 1 cucumber, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice 
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic 
• 1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced 
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice 
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, basil or cilantro 
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Preparation

1. Process mangoes, orange juice and oil in a blender or food processor until pureed. Transfer to a medium bowl, along with remaining ingredients. 
2. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve. 

Watermelon Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 6 cups cubed seeded watermelon 
• 2 cucumbers, chopped 
• 2 red bell peppers, chopped 
• 1 onion, chopped 
• 1/2 jalapeño pepper, finely chopped 
• 1/4 cup lemon juice 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh mint 
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger 
• 3 tablespoons honey 
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice 
• 20 small mint leaves 

Preparation

1. Reserve a dozen (or so) small pieces of watermelon for garnish. 
2. Working in batches, place the remaining watermelon, the cucumbers, red bell peppers, onion, jalapeño pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, 3 tablespoons of fresh mint, the ginger, honey, and pineapple juice into a blender, and blend for about 30 seconds per batch. 
3. The mixture should be well blended but retain some texture. Pour into a large bowl, and refrigerate 1 hour. Serve in bowls, and garnish each bowl with a couple of chunks of the retained watermelon and 2 small mint leaves. 

Avocado and Tomato Soup

Ingredients

• 4 large tomatoes 
• 1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced 
• 1 cup fresh corn kernels 
• 2 tomatoes, diced 
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 
• salt and pepper to taste 

Preparation

1. Using a juicer, extract the juice of the 4 large tomatoes. 
2. In a medium bowl combine the tomato juice, avocado, corn, 2 diced tomatoes, cilantro, and lemon juice. 
3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill for 1 hour and transfer to serving bowls. 

Chilled Cantaloupe Soup

Ingredients

• 1 cantaloupe - peeled, seeded and cubed 
• 2 cups orange juice 
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 

Preparation

1. Peel, seed, and cube the cantaloupe. 
2. Place cantaloupe and 1/2 cup orange juice in a blender or food processor; cover, and process until smooth. 
3. Transfer to large bowl. Stir in lime juice, cinnamon, and remaining orange juice. 
4. Cover, and refrigerate for at least one hour. Garnish with mint if desired. 

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Avocado, Zucchini and Roasted Corn Gazpacho and Spicy Garlic Foam Paired with 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay

There are few things more refreshing on a hot summer day than gazpacho.  And if you are trying to get back into "beach" shape or just eat healthy, it does not get much better than Gazpacho.  Neither of these are motivators for me - I just love the flavor and the feeling of being satisfied that I don't normally have following a bowl of soup.

Gazpacho is rooted in the Southern Spanish region of Andalucia and is traditionally tomato based.  The history of gazpacho in Spain goes back (in theory) to dishes introduced by the unwelcome visits of the Moors and/or the Romans that were adapted to local tastes to form what we know as traditional Gazpacho.  Since these times, creative cooks have introduced a number of variations that resemble gazpacho only from a fundamental perspective - a rustic and substantial cold soup made from uncooked vegetables.  With this long history of adaptation, gazpacho can rightfully or wrongly include any vegetable you can imagine.  Our adaptation (prepared by Chef Sue) takes full license to adapt - and is well worth it!

The principal flavors of this dish come from the creamy goodness of the avocados, texture and sweetness from the corn, added texture and mild flavor of the zucchini, and a touch of piquance from jalapeno.  To this, Chef Sue added a spicy garlic and cayenne foam.  To accompany our gazpacho, Chef Sue made grilled cheese sandwiches layered with goat cheese, gouda, and swiss with zucchini, pepper, and cucumbers mounted between fresh rye bread.  Ah, grilled cheese - a completely distinct discussion for another day.

With the spicy components of this dish, I would not normally choose a chardonnay - particularly one with notable oak, butter, or vanilla flavors that would likely clash with the spicy components.  However, the 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay acts more like a Sauvignon Blanc with crisp acidity, peach, pear, and pineapple flavors, and barely noticeable oak influence although the wine is oak barrel aged for eight months.  This is a truly refreshing Chardonnay that complements the cool refreshing flavors of the gazpacho.  Unlike many wine pairings, we left this meal feeling invigorated - not a common experience.

Based on this experience, and my opinion of the 2010 Benziger Family Winery Sonoma Coast Wente Clone Chardonnay behaving more like a Sauvignon Blanc, I would alternatively recommend a crisp, fruit forward Suavignon Blanc as a good choice.

Recipe


Avocado, Zucchni, and Corn Gazpacho

Ingredients

• 2 zucchini, coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
• 1 Vidalia onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 jalapeno, seeds removed, coarsely chopped
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4 ripe avocados
• 1 1/2 cups fresh corn, grilled, or oven roasted in the oven with husks on.  Finish under the broiler to add a light char.
• 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup lime juice
• 5 cups cold water
• season to taste with salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Put the zucchini, yellow onion, bell pepper, onion, jalapeno and garlic in bowl of food processor and pulse until the pieces are well chopped and short of being minced or pureed. 
2. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a large bowl. 
3. Put 2 avocados in the food processor and pulse to puree while adding 3 cups of water.
4. Dice the remaining 2 avocados and add to the bowl of vegetables.
5. Add the avocado puree, fresh grilled corn, cilantro, lime juice, 2 cups of water, and season to taste after gently mixing with a large spoon.
6. Cover and refrigerate until cold. 
7. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with cayenne and garlic foam and cilantro garnish.

Cayenne and Garlic Foam

Ingredients

• 1 pint of heavy cream
• 2 cloves diced garlic
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 handful of cilantro chopped finely
• 1 teaspoon cream cheese

Preparation

1. Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to boil.  
2. Remove from heat and let cool.  
3. Strain and pour into a culinary foamer.   Refrigerate for one hour.  If you do not have a culinary foamer, chill, add 1 tablespoon of lecithin granules and create foam with an immersion blender.  Serve over gazpacho.

In vino veritas, buen provecho.

Craig

Frog Legs a la Poulette with Truffle Parsnips and Honey Dew Melon Gazpacho Paired Five French Wines (yes, five!)

During a recent visit to my all time favorite butcher, Nick’s of Calvert in Prince Frederick Maryland, Chef Sue drew my attention to a before unnoticed section of the store featuring some off-the-beaten-path delicacies.  I am constantly in search of opportunities to expand my culinary repertoire and quickly became excited about the possibilities.  I will gradually work my way through the entire display case, but decided to start with frog legs.

Knowing little more than frog legs are naturally attached to frogs, I began my research.  As I scoured the internet to learn about frog legs and their preparation, I found that from a culinary perspective, frog legs have their roots in France.  With this tidbit in hand, I decided to proceed with a French preparation and promptly settled on frog legs a la poulette.  As is my routine, I collected a number of recipes, analyzed them, selected the best aspects of each (in my opinion) and cobbled together the recipe you will find at the end of this post.  The frog legs were accompanied by a honey dew melon gazpacho starter (an original of mine) and truffle parsnips thanks to Chef Sue.



The honey dew melon gazpacho started the night off with brilliant freshness amplified by the mint and cilantro in the recipe.  The mint and cilantro components are contrasting flavors that wonderfully focused the bright sweetness of the honey dew melon.  As we enjoyed this palate cleansing treat, Chef Sue offered her praise but suggested that it could be improved by reserving some portions of the melon, peach, and tomato, chopping them and adding back to the puree for a more complex texture.  I agree completely with Chef Sue and plan on making this adjustment.  I thoroughly enjoyed the gazpacho and am certain I will be preparing it again soon with this improvement.  If you decide to make the gazpacho, I would recommend reserving 1/3 of the tomato and peach along with 1/4 of the melon.  Chop these to about 1/4 inch cubes and add back to the mixture after blending.

While the frog legs were pleasant, they tasted like, um, chicken.  I was expecting (and hoping for) a touch of gamey flavor, but alas, the cliché proved true – frog legs taste like chicken.  Chef Sue did not completely agree with me on this assessment and noted a gamey flavor.  C'est la vie.  Although the meat was not deserving of a “must have” endorsement, the sauce in the a la poulette preparation is a medal winner.  It was rich, full of mushroom induced earthiness, and a wonderful flavor profile that made our wines sing with joy.

The truffle parsnips were a glorious accompaniment to the poulette sauce.  The creamy earthiness of this dish was a beautiful compliment to the poulette sauce with extremely well balanced flavors distant echoes between the truffle and mushrooms, and a nice textural contrast to the frog legs.  The earthiness also became an enjoyable complement to the minerality in each of the wines.



As for the wines, things get complicated.  I selected the 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay and new that friends Aaron and Lena were bringing a bottle (2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet).  So far, so good.  The world began to spin out of control when Richter and Meredith showed up with three bottles disguised in paper and bows with the challenge of identifying the grapes.  This made for great fun and a couple of surprises I will get to momentarily.  Here is the full list of the wines we enjoyed:

• 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay
  
• 2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet Bourgogne
  
• 2008 Christophe Camu Chablis
  
• 2008 Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Peuillets Bourgogne
  
• 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone

Without divulging the contents of the disguised Chablis, Meredith offered a helpful piece of information by stating this wine was the one in the group with bright acidity.  With this knowledge, we paired the 2008 Christophe Camu Chablis with the honey dew melon gazpacho which turned out to be a perfect pair in balance between acidity and sweetness of the gazpacho.  The acidity also did a fine job of penetrating the creaminess of the other items on the menu, but showed its true colors in the gazpacho pairing.  To get a sense of this wine, think of a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, back off the sweetness a notch, and add minerals.  A very pleasant and versatile pairing wine.



The three burgundies were similar in flavor profile with subdued melon, peach, butter, and citrus accompanying instantly notable minerality.  With the exception of the 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay, all presented a well balanced and moderately bright acidity.  The 2005 Chateau de Citeaux Bourgogne Chardonnay stood out with a well integrated and creamy mouth feel.  Another standout performance was the pleasant buttery flavors from the 2007 Cahteau de Rully Primier Cru Rodet Bourgogne which made for a heavenly match with the poulette sauce and the truffle parsnips.



The undisputed surprise of the night was the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone.  This wine stood out for two reasons.  First, it was the only red wine in the crowd of Chardonnays.  Second, while all the wines worked wonderfully, the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone was clearly the best pairing across all three recipes.  The 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone is a medium bodied wine with rich flavors of red and dark berries supported by noteworthy minerality and subtle tannins.  I would not have independently selected this wine, but I am extremely pleased the professionals at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill recommended this wine to Richter and Meredith.  It was one of those great surprises that come along on occasion and result in a mind bending awesome parings.



I cannot pour enough accolades over the great folks at Schneider’s of Capitol Hill.  They assisted all of our dinner party with recommended wines for the pairing.  On top of that, they offered Richter and Meredith three different approaches to the pairing – the acidity and minerality of the Chablis, the well balanced and buttery 2008 Savigny Les Beaune Premier Cru Les Peuillets Bourgogne, and the winner for the night, the 2009 Gonnet Gigondas Rhone.



With five wines, blind tasting, great food, and great friends, this was an extraordinary evening.




Recipes

Honey Dew Melon Gazpacho


Ingredients

• Flesh from 1/2 honey dew melon
  
• 1 peach, peeled and diced
  
• 1 tomato, diced
  
• 1 tablespoon honey
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped mint
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

1. After extracting the flesh of the melon, cut in to pieces or cubes about 1 inch large.
   
2. Add all ingredients to a blender, and blend until smooth.
   
3. Taste and adjust sweetness with honey.
   
4. Chill for at least one hour before serving.

Truffle Parsnips


Ingredients

• 4 medium parsnips (cleaned, pealed and cubed)
  
• 3 small red potatoes (cubed)
  
• 1/4 cup cream cheese
  
• 2 oz. butter
  
• Truffle salt or truffle oil to taste
  
• Green onions (chopped as garnish)

Preparation

1. Boil parsnips and potatoes until fork tender.
   
2. Mash parsnips and potatoes in a bowl along with the cream cheese and butter.
   
3. Season with truffle salt or truffle oil to taste.  If you decide to go with the truffle oil, you will want to season with salt.
   
4. Plate and garnish with green onions.

Frog Legs a la Poulette

Ingredients

• 1 dozen frog legs
  
• 2 wine glasses white wine (one for you, and one for the frogs)
  
• 2 cups diced mushrooms (I used baby bellas)
  
• 2 tablespoons flour
  
• 2 tablespoons butter
  
• 1 tablespoons sugar
  
• 1/2 small onion diced
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
  
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  
• 1 cup chicken stock
  
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
  
• 3 egg yolks, beaten
  
• Season to taste with salt and pepper

Preparation

1. Wash the frog legs and pat dry.
   
2. Sauté onions and frog legs in a large skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter over medium high heat until onions are translucent.
   
3. Season with salt and add a glass of wine and mushrooms. Simmer for 5 minutes.
   
4. Add remaining butter, sugar, flour, and paprika. Cook for 5 minutes.
   
5. Add chicken stock, lemon juice and cream.
   
6. Bring to a boil then add the parsley.
   
7. Reduce heat to medium and thicken with egg yolks, remove from heat and serve.

In vino veritas, buen provecho

Craig