Mirepoix: Red onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper. Chicken thigh and breast, turnip, poblano pepper, bunapi mushroom, nori seaweed, ramen, honey, orange juice, lemon juice, garlic.
So fun to work with nori.
“First, observe the whole bowl. Appreciate the gestalt. Savor the aromas..seaweed slowly sinking.” Old man in Tampopo.
Made 6/19/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper. Ground turkey, roasted purple and green cauliflower, roasted eggplant, okra, Anaheim pepper, garlic, sweet potato, fresh basil, fresh mint, fresh oregano, turmeric, paprika, lemon juice.
Martin tamed the ground turkey, although it still looked sorta like brain at the beginning. The fresh herbs were a key. And the turmeric too.
Made today, 6/19/19
Standard mirepoix. Bacon, okra, fennel, potato, pobalano pepper, half and half, fish sauce, parsley, minced garlic, garlic scape, cream cheese, tarragon, glace de poulet, love.
The slick sliminess of okra. Such a joy, such a love.
Had never heard of garlic scape before, but holy smokes this is a killer ingredient. Tanta alegria e tanto amor. Que bom.
“It is impossible to love and to be wise”. Francis Bacon
Made 6/18/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red and green pepper, carrot. Sausage, nasty industrial cheese goo, mushrooms, extra red green and orange bell pepper, extra onions, roasted chicken stock, fish sauce, hand-made croutons, oregano, paprika, cumin, lemon juice.
A left-field attempt to make Philly Cheesesteak Soup, but with sausage. Totally winging it on this one. I had the option to use Permesan cheese, but went with the 7-11 nacho goop.
I made the croutons in the oven, but once in the soup they simply became bread again. Lesson learned.
” They say that this is where revolutions begin and nations are born. They say that this is a place where steel rules all and there is something called a cheese-steak sandwich that is supposed to be manna from heaven!” Dylan Callens
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red and green pepper, carrot. Ground turkey, rice, asparagus, poblano pepper, extra onion and pepper, zucchini, radish greens, Cajun spice mix, paprika, lemon juice, dill, marjoram.
Martin commented that the turkey looked a bit nuclear when it was cooking. It reminded me of those flying pizza things that don’t like light and that attacked Spock in that one episode.
Sometimes when we’ve got a lot of customers, the soup makers don’t have access to one or two of the burners, because we need to get a soup heated quickly to get it upstairs to serve out. Thus Martin roasted the mirepoix in the pan I used to cook my sausage. Sometimes pragmatism works well–the mirepoix soaked up the brown bits of the sausage and it tasted great.
Made today, 6/12/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, shallot. Ham, yellow and green zucchini, mushroom, fresh ginger, lime leaves, coconut milk, milk, red pepper flakes, Thai basil, garlic, black pepper.
We never have donations of lemongrass, and rarely have curry paste, so I can only try to approximate the Thai flavor. Although I’m unsure if Thais use ham in curry.
Yul Brynner would have dug it.
Made 8/1/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, bok choy. Brussels sprouts, zucchini, carrot, soy sauce, cumin, ginger, coriander, garlic, parsley.
Outside the temperature was in the upper 80s. Nothing horrible, but down in the nunnery dungeon it got a bit sweltery.
Made 8/7/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, bok choy. Pre-made meatballs, potato, portobello mushroom, fromage blanc, lemon extract, half and half, fish sauce, tomato paste, tomato sauce, rice wine vinegar, garlic, paprika, black pepper.
Attila blessed it.
Made 8/7/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot. Turkey, asparagus, macaroni, diced tomatoes, tomato vodka sauce, marinara sauce, tomato sauce, fish sauce, Italian seasoning, fresh basil, garlic, parsley, cinnamon, honey.
“He stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni”. Whatever that means.
Fairly tame, but the addition of cinnamon and honey gave it a fun undertone.
Speaking of Undertones:
Onions, carrots, celery. Pork Taco Mix, yams, black beans, chili powder, Italian seasoning, milk.
Often we get ingredients that are meant for restaurants. In this case, a bag of minced pork with taco seasoning. One could make a fine taco out this, but instead my partner Michele made a very tasty soup. I like the addition of yams. Huzzah!
Made today, 6/11/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Rotisserie chicken, canned chicken, zucchini, leek, broccoli, portobello mushroom, hondashi, garlic, Lemon Good Health Vinegar, fresh ginger, fresh basil, soy sauce.
Never start a land war in Asia.
Fresh ginger was the key. Not too bad.
Was pretty sweaty in the kitchen. Had to bring out portable fans to combat the sultry atmosphere.
Made 8/8/18
Yellow onions, potato, zucchini, broccoli, freekah, paprika, garlic, sriracha, fish sauce.
“Awwww freekah, Le Freak, c’est chic”. Nile Rogers helped me with this one.
According to Wikipedia, freekah is ” a cereal food made from green durum wheat that is roasted and rubbed to create its flavor. ” Rubbed? Your guess is as good as mine, but had no protein, so in it went.
Made 8/14/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper. Nasty canned pork, asparagus, shiitake mushroom, butternut squash, sweet soy sauce, fish sauce, garlic, sugar, lime sauce, basil, red pepper flakes.
Had never used “sweet” soy sauce, so in it went. Overall a mildly Asian flavor.
I swear, that canned pork is gross. But it was the only protein available, so had to strive to offset the inherent evilness of the vile cur. I gave my best Herculean effort. It ended up pretty good.
“Um carinho envolve o meu coração
Sinto que é você, falando pra mim
Sussurrando“
Made 10/2/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery. Bacon, roasted butternut squash, corn, hondashi, half and half, turmeric, paprika, garlic.
Used the rendered bacon fat to sweat the mirepoix.
“Hope is a good breakfast, but it is a bad supper“, as said Francis Bacon.
Made 9/25/18
Mirepoix: sadly just yellow onions. Pre-cooked flavored beef (slight Asian taste), tomato, corn, craisons, prunes, cumin, garlic, allspice, cinnamon, beef bouillon, flour.
Beef ahoy. Very savory, but with the prunes and craisons, I think there was a nice balance. An Ayatollah favorite.
Made 8/14/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow bell pepper. Ground beef, potato, corn, fresh marjoram, garlic, parsley, butter, flour.
Often the ground beef we get is in the form of a howitzer shell, half frozen. I cut my thumb trying to get into this bag of fat, and had to go to the emergency care clinic up the road. I had walked half the way there when I noticed I still had my apron on.
At any rate Camille my partner took over what I had prepped. I hear it was fine.
Made 8/15/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red and green bell pepper, carrot. Roasted mushroom, potato, corn, cream corn, zucchini, parmasen cheese, fire roasted corn salsa, nacho salsa, garlic, fish sauce.
Probably should have added some potato starch.
“The only soup we have to fear is soup itself“.
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper (the “Hot Holy Trinity”). Roasted corn, cauliflower, potato, garlic, dill, thyme.
The little bite from the jalapeno did the trick. Well received.
Made 8/22/18
Standard mirepoix. Mushroom, chicken andouille sausage, pesto, hondashi.
Pureed a bunch of shrooms with the mirepoix one it was properly sweated. Roasted some of the shrooms.
“When the men on the chessboard get up and tell you where to go. And you’ve just had some kind of mushroom, and your mind is moving low. Go ask Alice, I think she’ll know.”
Made 8/28/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red and green pepper, carrot. Linguiça sausage, eggplant, broccoli, apple, Japanese pear (nashi), lentil, zucchini, fish sauce, curry powder, turmeric, coriander, cinnamon, garlic.
A fave among the EIC sepoys. I would hope.
Made today, 6/5/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Pulled pork, cauliflower, snap peas, roasted eggplant, cantaloupe, chopped roasted pistachios, garlic, lemon juice, fish sauce, parsley, Molly’s beef base.
Not quite a “round up the usual suspects” type of soup, I know. But I think Ilsa and Rick would have dug it.
Made today, 6/4/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, celery, jalapeno pepper. Kale, green bean, extra celery, garlic, red pepper flake, mint.
” When the green woods laugh with the voice of joy, And the dimpling stream runs laughing by; When the air does laugh with our merry wit, And the green hill laughs with the noise of it.” William Blake
Made 8/29/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, celery, jalapeno (hotpoix). Back rib meat, turnip, roasted pepper, heirloom tomato, kohlrabi, mushroom, eggplant, BBQ sauce.
A bit of a pain cutting off the meat from the ribs, but no choice as that was the only protein available. The prepared peppers had a bit of a kick to them, but the BBQ sauce tranquilized things to an extent.
Made 8/29/18
Red onion, carrot, tomato, ground pork, black beans, corn, taco seasoning.
Made by Michele, my Tuesday soup-making partner.
Totally fun soup–like a chili seasoned with taco seasoning. Yum!
Made today, 6/4/19
Mirepoix: white onion, red bell pepper, poblano pepper. Broccoli, corn, salsa verde, hondashi, garlic.
Often at the food bank, cooking soup is like clearing out the pantry. There was salsa verde. Why the heck not put it in a soup?
Made 9/19/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, poblano pepper. Broccoli, red bell pepper, cheddar cheese, hondashi (bonito bouillon), dill, thyme.
Rutherford B. Hayes was a great admirer of the power of broccoli. Or so I hear.
Made 9/12/18
Mirepoix: carrot, yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, garlic. Ground turkey, zucchini, corn, fresh mint, fresh basil.
The erosion of judicial power. Sigh. But the mint really brightened things up.
Made 9/5/18
Mirepoix: white onion, celery, poblano pepper. Chicken, mushroom, potato, hondashi, fresh ginger, rice wine vinegar, garlic.
“Ask not what the soup can do for you, but what you can do for your soup”. One of the few times rice wine vinegar was available, so in it went. The fresh ginger made all the difference.
Made 9/11/18
Mirepoix: white onion, poblano pepper, red bell pepper. Chicken, zucchini, corn, cauliflower, flour, sage, lime juice, hondashi bonito bouillon, garlic, black pepper.
I really wish we had more hondashi. It gives such an umami umph.
Made 9/19/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, poblano pepper. Green beans, yam, kolhrabi, dill, curry powder, lime juice, bonito bouillon, garlic.
Lots of lime juice. A lip-smacking amount.
“Lime tree very pretty and the lime flower is so sweet. But the fruit of the poor lime is impossible to eat”. Unsure what Peter Paul and Mary were thinking. Oh wait, they were talking about a lemon. Bang on for lime!
Made 9/18/18
Mirepoix: carrot, yellow and red onion, celery, shallot, red bell pepper, fennel. Chicken, pulled pork, Niko Niko rice, red green and yellow bell peppers, green beans, teriyaki sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger, mango salsa, pineapple, cilantro, lemon juice, lime leaves, sugar.
Made by Martin. Lots of flavor.
Mirepoix: carrot, yellow and red onion, celery, shallot, red bell pepper, fennel. Beef sirloin, green orange and red bell peppers, honeydew melon, green beans, shrooms, chives, cumin, oyster sauce, soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, beef stock
No picture (ugh forgot). But it was tasty.
Made 5/29/19
Standard mirepoix. Rotisserie chicken, garlic roasted carrots, green and red bell pepper, garlic mashed potatoes, Yum Yum sauce, fish sauce, garlic.
Yum Yum sauce is a Japanese marinade. In homage to Reiwa Tenno.
Made 5/28/19
Standard mirepoix. Ham, mushrooms (a lot), green beans, red and green bell pepper, poblano pepper, garlic, pepper, fresh and dried basil, fresh mint, lemon zest, butter.
Made by Martin. I like the addition of butter– adds a great glossy finish.
“There was an Old Person of Prague,
Who was suddenly seized with the plague;
But they gave him some butter,
which caused him to mutter,
And cured that Old Person of Prague.”
Made 5/22/19
Standard mirepoix. Asparagus, beef, milk, Niko Niko rice, Greek yogurt, parmesan cheese, lime juice, garlic, butter.
Pureed calrose rice for thickness/silkiness. Had a nice little tang to it. Well received. No codpiece this.
Made 5/22/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red bell pepper, carrot, poblano pepper, parsley. Beef, potato, asparagus, blue berries, chopped walnuts, fish sauce, worcestershire sauce, garlic, fresh oregano, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary, sugar.
A blueberry by any other name would taste as sweet.
Made 5/21/19
Mirepoix: yellow and red onion, carrot, green pepper. Lentils, NY strip steak, chard, extra carrots, fresh basil, dried basil (with mirepoix), Dijon mustard.
“Dr. McCoy, perhaps your other patients are content with your beads and rattles, but a good lentil soup is much more fascinating.” Paraphrased quote by Spock.
Made 5/15/19
Mirepoix: yellow and red onion, carrot, bell pepper. Strip steak, tomato, Brussels sprouts, green beans, great northern beans (pureed with mirepoix), curds, balsamic vinegar, Italian seasoning, sugar.
Arch Duke Ferdinand customarily ate this when visiting his southern dominions. He had one eye in the mirror as he watched himself gavotte.
Ok, I made that up.
Made 5/15/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, red bell pepper. Hot Italian sausage, eggplant, canned bacon, snap peas, rice, quinoa, oyster sauce, soy sauce, garlic, roasted chicken stock, lime juice, worcestershire sauce, fresh basil, dried basil, allspice.
Never heard of canned bacon, so forthwith in it went. It was really weird–slices of cooked bacon wrapped in paper and stuffed into a can. Go figure.
In Tokyo I bought a Deng watch. Instead of the second hand going around, the seconds were marked by Deng waving his cigarette.
Made 5/14/19
Mirepoix: red, yellow, and white onion, carrot, green bell pepper. Beef, broccoli, asparagus, egg noodle, tahini, lime leaf, minced garlic, curry powder, lime juice, glace de poulet, sugar.
Made by Martin.
Abandon hope all ye who enter here. Truly a great, savory, thick soup with unexpected flavors. This bastard is making better soups than me.
Made 5/8/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, yellow pepper, carrot. Salumeria pepperoni salciccia, asparagus, cauliflower, glace de poulet (roast chicken stock), garbanzo beans, Greek yogurt, raisins, cumin, coriander, curry powder, garlic.
Xerxes himself would have like this.
Made 5/7/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, parsnip, celery, carrot, leek. Beef, lamb, roasted cauliflower, potato, radish, figs, lemon zest and juice, lime juice, Thai basil, fresh mint, turmeric, ginger, garlic.
Oh my gentle Jesus we have an additional soupmaker, my buddy Martin, who made this extravaganza. I love the use of figs, to give a little sweetness, and mint, to give brightness (and paired with lamb–genius). Great soup.
Martin will be guest-starring in the future. Can’t wait to see what he’ll make.
Made 5/1/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, parsnip, carrot, leek. Broccoli, cauliflower, mushroom, poblano pepper, cheddar cheese, feta cheese, fish sauce, nutmeg.
“Blessed are the cheese-makers”.
We’ve been totally blessed with a plethora of leeks recently. As things go around here, probably won’t see any more for a couple months. Just the way it is at a food bank.
Made 5/1/19
Mirepoix: leek, yellow onion, orange and red bell pepper, celery, funky-colored carrot. Zucchini, salumeria pepperoni salsiccia, pear, spinach noodles, minced garlic, basil, ginger, parsley flakes.
Chinese spinach noodles–had to use them. Still unsure if dry, hard Italian sausage is a great thing to put in a soup, but it was the protein available, so in it went.
Made 4/30/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, leek, fennel, carrot, celery, red bell pepper. Tomato, green beans, leek tops, yellow bell pepper, portobello mushroom, balsamic vinegar, worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, tarragon, oregano, basil.
A Pippin would complain: “needs rashers of bacon”. Sorry, it wasn’t available that day, my woolly-footed rascal.
Made 4/24/29
Mirepoix: leek, yellow onion, fennel, carrot, celery, red bell pepper. Chicken, zucchini, portobello mushroom, corn, dumpling, almond butter, worcesterhire sauce, dill, cayenne pepper, minced garlic.
Dumplings were hand-made with milk, flour, parsley flakes, and dried basil.
made 4/24/19
Mirepoix: leek, carrot, read and green bell pepper. Potato, mashed potato, orange zest, leek tops, pre-cooked chicken, spring onion, milk, butter, turmeric, ginger, minced garlic, dill, red pepper flakes.
Level 3 of The Inferno.
Turmeric gives such a great color.
Made 4/23/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green and red bell pepper, poblano pepper, carrot, parsley. Roasted zucchini, fresh tomato, kalamata olives, capers, morel mushroom, crimini mushroom, eggplant tapenade, worcesterhire sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, fresh oregano, fresh basil, garlic.
” Romanes eunt domus”
More morels. The earth shakes!
Made 4/17/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green and red bell pepper, poblana pepper, carrot. Catfish, Brussels sprouts, morel mushrooms, apricot jam, strawberry jam, paprika, worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, lime juice.
I didn’t have the luxury to fry the catfish properly as any Cajun would, so my bad. But it turned out pretty good–got kudos from another volunteer and some clients.
As I think I’ve mentioned before, sometimes we get unexpected donations. This time it was a huge box of morels. The heaven’s light shone through.
Made 4/17/19
Mirepoix: white onion, celery. Ground beef (browned with turmeric and dill), zucchini, baby kale, red pepper, garbanzo beans, cannellini beans, sheep yogurt, mint, lime juice, garlic.
Can only hope Mustafa would approve.
“Istanbul was Constantinople, now it’s Istanbul, not Constantinople”.
Made 4/16/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red and green bell pepper. Italian sausage, Napa cabbage, cauliflower, red apple, basil, sugar, worcestershire sauce.
“Though this be madness, there is method in it”.
Seemed like a fun idea. I know others have done things similar with apples, so in they went.
Made 4/10/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red and green pepper (I think that’s the Holy Trinity, no?). Beef, potato, cauliflower, tomato, mushroom, cumin, coriander, cayenne pepper, paprika, sugar, lime juice, worcestershire sauce.
“You’re a better man than I am, Gunga Din”.
And as Morrissey says, “I am cumin and I need to be loved”.
Made 4/10/19
Mirepoix: yellow and red onion, red and green bell pepper. Cauliflower, zucchini, penne, green onion, fish sauce, sushi ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes.
Gari, ie sushi ginger, was there on the ingredient shelf. So in it went, added to the mirepoix and pureed. It contributed both acid and ginger flavor. Clients liked it.
An old pond. A frog jumps in. The sound of water.
Made 3/26/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, celery, parsley. Potato, Napa cabbage, mushroom, almond butter, butter, milk, flour, turmeric, ginger, green curry paste, fish sauce, cinnamon, sugar, red pepper flake.
I’d never heard of someone using almond butter in a soup, so in it went. Not any weirder than peanut butter.
Made 4/9/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, parsnip, celery, carrot. Crimini mushroom, oyster mushroom, enotaki mushroom, red bell pepper, poblano pepper, roasted cauliflower, milk, corn starch, butter, tarragon, lime juice.
“Tis a far, far better soup we make…”
Pureed a bunch of the crimini with the mirepoix (once it was done) for extra thickness.
Made 4/3/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, parsnip, celery, carrot. Chicken thighs, more carrot and celery, penne, garlic, basil.
Possibly the most basic soup I’ve made. Thankfully the chicken was thighs and not humdrum breasts.
Made 4/3/19
Mirepoix: red onion, orange and green bell pepper, carrot. Sushi ginger, zucchini, morel mushrooms, celery, extra carrot, portobello mushroom, ramen noodles, teriyaki marinade, ginger, garlic, Better Than Bouillon, sugar, chive.
We’ve received a buttload of teriyaki sauce, so figured should make something of it. And I love ramen.
Made 4/2/19
Standard mirepoix. Potato, poblano pepper, yellow red and green bell pepper, mushroom, half and half, peanut butter, lime juice, honey, green curry paste.
Made 3/27/19
Standard mirepoix. Beef, garbanzo beans, hominy, roasted zucchini, roasted cauliflower, poblano pepper, red bell pepper, pico de gallo, cumin, garlic, cinnamon, tomato soup starter.
Made 3/27/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red and green bell pepper. Corn, potato, prepared mashed potato, milk, fried onion, ginger, turmeric, garlic.
If you’re wondering why some of my soups don’t look quite done, it’s because they will be reheated the following day and finished then. We shoot for about 80% completed on the day we cook.
Made 3/20/19
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, red and green bell pepper, roasted zucchini, cauliflower, noodles, penne, Mama Sita’s Palabok Oriental Gravy Mix, red pepper flakes, garlic, fried onion.
Palabok (I learned later) is a Filipino (hence the reference to the shoe lady) noodle dish with a shrimp-based sauce. I had no idea, but it looked interesting. So in it went.
Made 3/20/19
Mirepoix: red onion, red and green pepper. Collard greens, corn, cauliflower, spaetzle (German egg noodles), lime juice, worcestershire sauce.
Don’t see collards too often, so of course in they went.
The noodles almost look like tripe. Man, that would be a fun ingredient to use, wouldn’t it?
Mirepoix: red onion, green and red bell peppers. Salumi sausage, black beans, corn, zucchini, tomato, salsa, cinnamon, nutmeg, garlic, honey.
Once again we had donations of Salumi sausage–very cool.
Made 3/19/19
Standard mirepoix. Ham, tomato, red bell pepper, mushroom, farfalle noodles, milk, dijon mustard, paprika, garlic.
Ok ok, this is only borderline goulash–it was the closest I could get.
The food bank that I volunteer at is in the basement of an old nunnery. I always like to think that some spirits of sisters are helping with the cooking. The kitchen is in a room not meant to be a kitchen, and we have learned to squeeze and slither to get past each other in the cramped spaces.
Our pots are 3 and 4 gallons. We’re fairly well stocked with the accoutrements, although I bring my own knife, fish sauce, and any spices we’re out of.
When I arrive around 8:30am, I have no idea what will be available to cook with–everyday it’s a bit different. Onions and potatoes are the only fresh ingredients assured to be on hand. There’s usually some form of protein thawing, but it’s always about half frozen.
Thus begins the treasure hunt, as I start rummaging through the various refrigerators and shelves seeking some jewel ingredients. During the hunt I start forming a recipe in my head. The process is like some culinary game game show. Good fun.
Standard mirepoix. Roasted zucchini, turnip, portobello shrooms, red bell pepper, lentil, yogurt, honey, cumin, curry powder, ginger, turmeric, coriander, garlic, cinnamon.
Added cumin and garlic to the mirepoix.
Was aiming at a tikka masala soup, but that train derailed. Oh well.
Made 3/13/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow and green bell pepper, carrot. Smoked salmon, potato, cauliflower, fromage blanc, milk, whipping cream, potato starch, bacon mashed potato mix, fresh dill, tarragon, garlic.
Made 3/6/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, yellow and green bell pepper, carrot. Hot chicken sausage, black beans, pinto beans, diced tomato, zucchini, caramelized onion, mango salsa, teriyaki sauce, ginger, soy sauce, sugar, garlic.
Made 3/6/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, rainbow carrot (as the Rolling Stones say, “she’s like a rainbow”). Roasted zucchini, cauliflower, red pepper, portabella mushroom, peanut butter, lime juice, butter, mango vinegar, green onion, coriander, sambal oelek, curry powder, garlic, cinnamon.
Made 3/5/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow bell pepper, parsnip, garlic. Tomato, Mole Salami from Salumi, calrose rice, tomato sauce, milk, ginger, turmeric, truffle pesto, worcesterhire sauce.
The truffle pesto was powerful. Powerful like bull. After testing just a bit of it, the flavor was with me for a couple hours. Didn’t need to use too much.
After sweating the mirepoix, I added water, some bouillon, and rice. Once the rice was cooked, I pureed the mixture. Gave the soup a nice silkiness. Fun had by all.
Made 2/27/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, parsnip, yellow bell pepper, garlic. Broccoli, purple kale, corn, fish sauce, marjoram, sage.
Added the herbs directly to the mirepoix.
Made 2/27/19
Mirepoix: red onion, orange and red bell pepper. Roasted broccoli, green onion, Patak’s Butter Chicken Simmer Sauce, cumin, red pepper flake, garlic.
The simmer sauce was too mild and sugary for my taste. Had to add a lot extra bouillon and spices.
Made 2/26/19
Mirepoix: onion, parsnip. Red bell pepper, eggplant, purple kale, broccoli, Harissa (Moroccan green pepper sauce), cumin, oregano, ginger, garlic.
The Harissa really had a kick to it.
Made 2/20/19
Mirepoix: onion, parsnip. Tenderloin, ribeye, filet mignon, potato, shiitake mushroom, mushroom steak gravy, tomato paste, beef stock, flour, tarragon, garlic.
Very beefy.
Made 2/20/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, green bell pepper, carrot. Breakfast sausage, kale, broccoli, asparagus, chili paste (sambal oelek), ginger, turmeric, garlic, sugar.
Breakfast sausage was the only protein available, so in it went. A bit odd, maybe, but I dig odd.
Made 2/19/19
Mirepoix: white onion, carrot. Roasted cauliflower, parsnips, milk, red curry paste, sugar, garlic.
The curry paste had flames leaping off it. So hot you couldn’t really taste anything but the fire. I didn’t realize this until I had dumped in way too much (I was so excited to have real Thai flavor). Tasted good to me cause I have a tolerance for heat, but a lot of our clients aren’t so keen on spicy food. Thus perhaps could be called a failure.
Made 2/13/19
Mirepoix: white onion, carrot. Tomato, fancy salami, ricotta cheese, tomato paste, chive, garlic, sugar.
Sometimes we get donations from Salumi, who make artisan cured meats. Really good, deluxe. expensive meats. Funny how these found their way into a food bank soup.
Around this time we had a few snow storms. The city opened up a shelter at the Exhibition Hall, which is fairly close to us. Thus we had a lot more clients to serve; we averaged maybe 140 customers before, and that went up to 180 during the peak. Thing is, since things got back to normal, our numbers haven’t dropped back to our normal. Some say it’s because they come back for the soup. Would like to think so.
Made 2/13/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, carrot, red bell pepper. Chicken sausage, pork sausage, roasted cauliflower, extra carrot and celery, spring onion, triple garlic teriyaki sauce, ginger, garlic.
Had never heard of “triple garlic teriyaki sauce”, so of course had to use it. Yum.
Made 2/6/19
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery. Potato, seared Polish sausage, lentil, whipping cream, dijon mustard, garlic, red wine vinegar.
Pretty straightforward, but dang I love this type of soup. Would have added more carrots, but alas, we had run out.
Made 2/5/19
Standard mirepoix. Chicken, roasted eggplant, okra, red green and yellow bell pepper, asparagus, parsnip, peanut butter, coriander, cayenne pepper, garlic, cinnamon, curry powder, whipping cream, milk, lime juice.
Met Market packaged vegies are hit and miss. The parsnips in this soup were good–seasoned with rosemary, if a bit soft. But the prepared carrots and mirepoix taste weird. I think maybe they use vinegar or something else as a preservative. At any rate, by the time they get to us, they are acidic and stink. Go figure.
Adams Peanut Butter is good in soups. Others can be a bit too sugary.
Made 1/30/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, poblano pepper, bell pepper, carrot. Brussels sprouts, roasted corn, roasted zucchini, fresh rosemary, lime juice, garlic.
Doesn’t look like much, but it wasn’t too bad. The lime juice really brightened it up.
Made 1/23/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, poblano pepper. Beef, tomato, roasted corn, canned corn, black bean, pinto bean, Met Market hot salsa, chili powder, cinnamon, nutmeg.
Made 1/23/19
Mirepoix: carrot, onion, bell pepper. Roasted zucchini, roasted mushroom, coconut milk, sweet coconut flakes, rice, fish sauce, garlic, dried and fresh basil, ginger, curry powder.
Fish sauce opened up again in my backpack, even though I had wrapped the top with saran wrap. Had to throw it into the wash machine again.
Made 1/22/19
Standard mirepoix. Corned beef, gnocchi, tomato, red green and yellow bell pepper, tomato paste, cinnamon, oregano, basil, garlic, sugar, vinegar.
Too bad we had no cabbage.
Made 1/16/19
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery. Roasted eggplant, roasted cauliflower, zucchini, marjoram, fish sauce, vinegar.
Gotta get roasting done in the winter, cause in the summer the kitchen gets insufferably hot.
Made 1/16/19
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery. White fish, roasted eggplant, mushrooms, red and green bell pepper, potato, milk, turmeric-ginger milk, thyme, dill, turmeric, ginger, garlic.
I think I’ve mentioned it before, but sometimes we get some pretty whacky donations. Simply had to use that turmeric-ginger milk.
1/15/19
Standard mirepoix. hominy, bacon, okra, tomato, poblano pepper, pinto beans, kidney beans, sun-dried tomato paste, oregano, cumin, garlic.
First time I’ve seen hominy at the food bank, so had to use it.
Made 1/9/19
Standard mirepoix. Asparagus, roasted cauliflower, tofu, fish sauce, ginger, turmeric, garlic, soy sauce.
I’ve been bringing in fish sauce–gives soup such a great umami bottom. Problem is that the top of the bottle doesn’t like to stay securely on. Had to wash my backpack because it reeked so bad.
Made 1/9/19
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery, yellow bell pepper. Tomato (seeded fresh and canned), dried shrimp, kale, parsnip, tomato paste, chive, green onion, oregano, basil, garlic, red pepper flakes.
Made 1/8/19
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, red bell pepper (the Holy Trinity!). Chicken, roasted butternut squash, roasted zucchini, Brussels sprouts, tomato, raisins, tomato paste, cumin, fried garlic, cinnamon, turmeric, red pepper flakes.
Made 1/2/19
Regular mirepoix. Potato, prepared mashed potato, yellow bell pepper, milk, coconut milk, sweet coconut flakes, corn, mushroom, cauliflower, feta cheese, fish sauce, flour, marjoram, dill, garlic, fried garlic.
Would have been nice to have green peppers to make the color scheme more interesting. Alas we had none.
Made 1/2/19
Standard mirepoix. Beef, asparagus, red bell pepper, fried garlic, ginger, miso salad dressing, sesame oil.
Salad dressing? Heck, why not. At times cooking for a food bank resembles a pantry raid.
Made New Year’s Day 2019
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow and red bell pepper, carrot. Roasted eggplant, roasted zucchini, coconut milk, green curry paste,Thai green curry simmer sauce, sweet coconut flakes, cream, fresh basil, chive, fried garlic.
This is the closest I can get to real curry without lemongrass (which we never have) and other Thai spices.
Made 12/26/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, yellow bell pepper. Beef, lentil, leek, Lemon Good Health Vinegar, red pepper flakes, fried garlic.
Pretty straightforward, but the Chinese vinegar was a fun addition.
Made 12/26/18
Mirepoix: leek, green bell pepper, fennel, carrot, minced garlic. Roasted zucchini, extra carrot, rice vermicelli, oigatsuo tsuyu soup base, fresh basil, fried garlic, tofu, sesame oil.
Feliz Natal! So cool to have leeks–we don’t often have them.
Made 12/25/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow bell pepper, carrot. Potato, roasted carrot, mashed potato, butter, curry powder, garlic, parsley.
The prepared mashed potatoes thickened it nicely.
Made 12/19/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper (calientepoix). Ham, tomato, black beans, roasted zucchini, Metro Market salsa, green chilis, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, garlic, sugar.
Made 12/19/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, rainbow carrot. Beef, Napa cabbage, potato, butter chicken simmering sauce, whipping cream, coconut milk, sweetened coconut flakes, turmeric, coriander, cumin, garlic.
I mentioned in another post how the coconut milk was near insipid. Problem fixed with coconut flakes. Yay!
Made 12/18/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, rainbow carrot, celery, poblano pepper. Zucchini, roasted mushrooms, red bell pepper, coconut milk, garlic, lime juice, sugar.
Roasted the shrooms.
It’s “almost” Asian because the coconut milk had practically no taste. Does coconut milk go flat with age?
Made 12/12/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, rainbow carrot, poblano pepper, celery. Oigatuso tsuyu soup base, beef, broccoli, asparagus, water chestnuts, garlic, sugar.
Ok, ok I named the soup after the Chairman but the base was Japanese. Just feeling a bit cheeky.
Made 12/12/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, those funky organic rainbow carrots. Beef, asparagus, zucchini, tomato, raisin, crimini mushroom, turmeric, coriander, garlic, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, lime juice.
Pureed the shrooms with the mirepoix.
Made 12/11/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, red bell pepper, parsnip, carrot. Potato, zucchini, clams, white fish, clam juice, milk, fresh basil, chive, dill, thyme.
A hit. Had clients coming back for seconds.
Made 12/5/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, parsnip, carrot. Roasted cauliflower, roasted carrot, potato, cumin, coriander, ginger, garlic, turmeric.
Well, sort of a dal.
Totally cool to have parsnips. We get them rarely.
Made 12/5/18
Mirepoix: parsnip, celery, yellow onion (affectionately known as “snipoix”). Garbanzo beans, lentil, tahini, garlic, lime juice, tabasco.
Weird idea, and to boot I didn’t perform well. Tasted ok.
Mirepoix: onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Roasted cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, rice, Bistro Chip Shop Curry sauce mix, fig, garlic, cumin, coriander.
Ack!! Was not careful, and grabbed the sauce mix without considering what it actually was. Later I leaned that chip shops are where inebriated Brits go to eat french fries topped with a disgusting, goopy, sugary sauce that tastes Indian only by happenstance. Had to use a ton of spices and bouillon to get it edible.
Made 11/28/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, green bell pepper. Broiled green beans, chorizo, quinoa, crispy fried onions, lime juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, paprika, garlic
Another surprise protein ingredient. Never used it before, but sounded fun. And the condiment shelf provided an oniony surprise.
For the mirepoix, from about this time on I’ve been using coconut oil. No real reason.
Made 11/27/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, fennel. Eggplant, zucchini, fish sauce, garlic.
Made 11/21/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, green bell pepper, jalapeno pepper, celery. Tomato, frozen breaded shrimp, frozen breaded squid, potato, tomato paste, tomato bouillon, thyme, garlic.
When I walk in, I have no idea what ingredients will be available. Sometimes it’s a bit funky, like breaded shrimp and squid. Just gotta think, “can do”.
Made 11/21/18
Mirepoix: red onion, carrot, celery, fennel, red and green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers. Roasted chicken, roasted eggplant, zucchini, banana, peanut butter, cinnamon, cumin, nutmeg, garlic.
Sometime you just gotta say, “what the fuq”.
Made 11/20/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, bell pepper, poblano chili. Potato, zucchini, portobello mushroom, crimini mushroom, corn, mild salsa, milk, tomato bouillon, garlic, cumin, nutmeg, clove, tabasco sauce.
Viva sopa.
Made 11/14/18.
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Kale, chicken, blue cheese, garlic.
Tangy.
Made 11/4/18
Mirepoix: yellow bell peppers, carrot, yellow onion. Green beans, roasted yellow pepper, corn, tomato, fish sauce, garlic, bay leave, Chinese plum sauce.
Another situation where I went by the condiments shelf, saw the plum sauce and thought, “what the hay, yeah!” I’d never used it but it sounded fun.
Made 11/13/18
Mirepoix: red onion, red bell pepper, celery, baby bok choi. Chicken, collard greens, corn, garlic.
The chicken was seasoned with…something. Had a little bite to it, so that’s cool. That’s the way it is at a food bank: we use what’s given.
I love collards.
Made 11/7/18
Red onion, crimini mushroom, portobello mushroom, oyster mushroom, potato, mashed potato mix, dijon mustard, half and half, cottage cheese, fresh basil.
The portobellos and some of the criminis were roasted. Other criminis were sauteed in butter. Other criminis were pureed with the onions in stock for thickness.
Made 11/16/18, Election Day. Yes I voted.
Regular mirepoix. Portobello mushrooms, crimini mushrooms, turmeric-ginger milk, whipping cream, potato, hominy, carrot, corn, ginger
Happy Halloween!
Another situation where I thought, “what the hades is this?” It was milk laced with turmeric and ginger. Too weird to pass up. Wish we had more fresh ginger, but as I’ve said before, we are at the mercy of our donors.
Made 10/31/18
Mirepoix: red onions, celery, carrot. Cauliflower, zucchini, garbanzo beans, great northern beans, artichoke hearts, bone stock, lime juice, garlic, fish stock, butter.
On Sundays, periodically my ma used to make New England boiled dinner. I hated the crap out of it. Rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, potatoes, carrots. The only way I could deal with it was to mash all the vegies together and put a pound of butter on it. Hence this soup. Odd how I now love all those rooty vegetables.
Mirepoix: red onion, celery, carrot. Seeded roma tomatoes, canned whole tomatoes (Cento–with sauce)(mushed by hand), cannellini beans, tomato paste, tomato bouillon, more celery, eggplant tapenade, Kalamata olives, capers, fish sauce, oregano, chives, Italian dressing, sugar
I usually deseed tomatoes, otherwise it’s too bitter. As per the eggplant tapenade, it was there, so I used it. I’ll use whatever weird ingredient that’s available.
Made 10/30/18
Standard mirepoix. Asparagus, beef, cauliflower, broccoli, anchovy, garlic, red pepper flakes, lime juice (and lots of it)
I’ll use anchovies in any way they come. And anything deep with umami: fish sauce, worcestershire sauce, dashi. That deep brown savory base adds massively.
Made 10/24/18
Standard mirepoix. Chanterelle shrooms, potato, carrots, milk, parmesan cheese, cottage cheese, feta, fresh Thai basil, garlic
To thicken it, I pureed a bunch of shrooms with the mirepoix. It was irritating as a hemorrhoid separating the twigs, pine needles, and whatever from the box of shrooms.
Made 10/24/18
Made 10/24/18
Mirepoix: green bell pepper, red onion, carrot. Eggplant, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, whole wheat dumpling, fish sauce, fresh Thai basil, garlic.
We had no regular flour, so I improvised the dumplings. They were a little chewy.
Made 10/23/18
Regular mirepoix. White fish (the package had no label–maybe it was cod), eggplant, yellow bell pepper, carrot, fish sauce, lime juice, sriracha, fresh lemon thyme, fresh Thai basil, ginger, paprika, garlic, cinnamon, chive.
Made 10/17/18
Regular mirepoix. Roasted cauliflower, corn, kale, fish sauce, tomato buillon, sage, garlic.
The roasting made all the difference. Oof crappy photo, though.
Made 10/17/18
Standard mirepoix. Potato, kohlrabi, carrots, dried cherries, curry powder, garlic.
I pureed the mirepoix with some of the potatoes to add some creaminess (had no flour nor starch).
Made 10/10/18
Standard mirepoix. Tomato, white fish (the package had no label; it might have been cod), fresh coconut water, coconut milk, cumin, oregano, parsley flakes, paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic.
Que bacana–leite de côco. Não tenho a mínima ideia do que tipo de peixe usei– não tinha etiqueta. Talvez fosse bacalhau.
Feito 10/10/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery. Brussels sprouts, eggplant, Greek yogurt paprika, mint, cumin, coriander.
Finally had celery for the mirepoix, but no carrots! We’re totally at the mercy of our food donors, and sometimes they don’t donate some of the basics. The mint gave a nice brightness to offset the cumin and coriander.
Made 10/9/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, green bell pepper, milk, corn starch, potato, corn, shiitake, eggplant, thyme, dill, garlic.
Pretty straightforward. Probably would have been better if I had sauteed the shrooms in butter first, but oh well.
Made 10/3/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, carrot, green bell pepper. Butternut squash, potato, beef, asparagus, peanut butter, curry powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, lime juice, garlic, cinnamon
Clients and staff liked this one a lot, and it was great to work with real beef that wasn’t ground and fatty.
Made 10/3/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot. Corn, potato, fish sauce, milk, flour, garlic, fresh tarragon.
Pretty simple, but man tarragon goes great in a chowder.
Made 9/26/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, celery, poblano pepper (almost the Cajun Holy Trinity). ground turkey, roasted eggplant, hondashi (bonito bouillon), garlic, sage, garlic, salt, pepper.
Bonito broth adds awesome umami. Fairly simple, but tasted good. Made 9/12/18
Mirepoix: yellow onion, yellow bell pepper, carrot. Asparagus, salumeria pepperoni salciccia, cauliflower, glace de poulet (roast chicken stock), garbanzo beans, raisins, greek yogurt, cumin, coriander, curry powder, garlic
Mirepoix: red, yellow, and white onion, carrot, green pepper. Black beans, corn, tomato (both fresh and canned), figs, jarred mole sauce, chicken breast and thigh, glace de poulet (roast chicken stock), sugar, garlic, salt
The lid on the mole sauce wouldn’t come off, so I had to knife through the top. To little avail, as the sauce had hardened at the bottom of the jar. Had to dig it out with a spoon. Oh well.
Soup Kitchen Recipes 