#Saffron Parsnip Soup recipe

[askwhatsforlunch]

Saffron Parsnip Soup (Vegetarian)

Beautifully smooth and velvety, this hearty Saffron Parsnip Soup takes it suave fragrance and gorgeous hue from the warming spice, and is thus deliciously comforting on a cold and rainy night. Happy Tuesday!

Ingredients (serves 3 to 4):

1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots

2 good pinches saffron threads

1 litre/4 cups boiling water

3 large (or 4 medium) Garden Parsnips 

1 heaped teaspoon coarse sea salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

In a large pot over a medium flame, melt butter with olive oil.

Peel and finely chop shallots.

Once the butter is just foaming, add chopped shallots, and cook, a couple of minutes until softened.

Stir in a jolly good pinch saffron threads, and cook, another couple of minutes.

Place remaining saffron threads in a medium bowl, and cover with boiling water. Set aside.

Thoroughly scrub and rinse Garden Parsnips, and peel them if necessary (their skin is particularly thin when they've just been dug up, so they needn't be peeled).

Cube Parsnips, and stir into the pot, coating well in butter and saffron.

Season with coarse sea salt and black pepper. Cover with a lid, and cook, about 5 minutes.

Remove the lid, and stir in saffron water. Bring to the boil.

Once boiling, cover with the lid, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, 25 to 30 minutes, until Parsnips are very tender.

Spoon the whole lot into a blender, and process until very smooth, adding more water, if necessary.

Pour soup back in the pot and heat over a medium flame.

Serve Saffron Parsnip Soup hot.

[kikiscauldron]

The Yule and Winter Solstice Menu: Recipes for the Winter Holidays

The holiday season offers dishes that warm the body and comfort the soul. At the Winter Solstice the focus is on rich, hearty, and nurturing. The season celebrates displays and masterful cooking through roasted dishes, slow cooked stews, bright salads with pops of fruity flavor, and sweets that double as delicious gifts. Seasonal fruits and vegetables include beets, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Citrus Fruits, Cranberries, dates, escarole, fennel, horseradish, kale, parsnips, pears, persimmons, pomegranate, radishes, sweet potatoes, and winter squash.

At this time of the year I like to honor the traditions and the foods that my family cooked. I love the nostalgic feeling of creating recipes that my parents had at Christmastime, so you may find recipes inspired by that. Do you have a dish that reminds you of the winter season and December holidays? Is there something you traditionally make for your Yule or Winter Solstice celebrations that I didn’t put on this list? Please let me know and I will add it!

Main Courses

The main courses of the winter holidays are warm and inviting for a full table of friends and family. Common main courses are rich, filling, and lavish – classic main courses include roasted or baked bird, hearty beef dishes, pot roasts, and meat pies.

·      Chicken and Dumplings with Mushrooms

·      Coq au Vin

·      Cranberry Hazelnut Turkey Wellington

·      Fennel & Rosemary Beef Tenderloin with Creamy Mustard Sauce

·      Herb-Crusted Roast Beef with Horseradish

·      Mushroom Wellington

·      New England Lamb Bake

·      Old-Fashioned Honey Glazed Ham

·      Perfect Turkey Recipe

·      Pomegranate and Fennel Chicken

·      Pork Schnitzel with Creamy Mushroom Sauce

·      Roast Goose

·      Simple Crock Pot Turkey Breast and Dressing

·      Slow Cooker Pot Roast

·      Spaghetti with Olive Oil, Garlic, and Anchovies

·      Stuffed Cornish Hens with Cranberries and Apples

·      Tourtiere: French-Canadian Meat Pie

Soups, Stews, and Chilis

There is nothing like a rich and hearty soup to warm you up during the winter season. Soups that kick up their spice game are a great feature at the Winter Solstice.

·      Creamy Spinach and Pear Soup with Pancetta

·      Farro and White Bean Soup with Swiss Chard and Herb Oil

·      Golden Turmeric Chickpea Chicken Soup

·      Pasta e Fagioli with Escarole

·      Parsnip Soup with Pears, Ginger, and Coconut

·      Slow Cooker Winter Vegetable Soup with Split Red Lentils

·      Sopa Azteca (Mexiccan Chicken Tortilla Soup)

·      Swedish Meatball Soup

·      Turkey and Butternut Squash Chili

·      Winter Solstice Soup

·      Winter Solstice Stew

·      Winter White Soup

·      Wintertime Braised Beef Stew

Salads

During the winter months salads become creative dishes featuring root vegetables, nuts, and citrus fruits.

·      Brussels Sprouts Salad with Apples and Walnuts

·      Citrus Endive Salad

·      Millet & Pumpkin Winter Salad

·      Roasted Beet and Winter Squash Salad with Walnuts

·      Roquefort Pear Salad

·      Warm and Roasted Winter Salad Bowl

·      Winter Chicory Salad with Kumquats and Date Dressing

·      Winter Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad

·      Winter Solstice Salad

Breads

There are many traditional breads baked at this time of year all around the world – some favorites are featured in this list below, along with flavors perfect for the holidays.

·      Ham and Cheese Quick Bread

·      Holiday Rum Eggnog Bread

·      Panettone (Italian Christmas Bread)

·      Krendel (Russian Christmas Bread)

·      Pecan Maple Loaf

·      Savory Christmas Bread

·      Savory Rosemary Goat Cheese Quick Bread

·      Spiced Anjou Pear Bread

·      St. Lucia Saffron Buns

·      Stollen (German Christmas Bread)

Side Dishes

Casseroles featuring in season vegetables and rich side dishes, all served piping hot, are familiar fares at the Winter Solstice.

·      Farro Risotto with Walnut Cream and Roasted Butternut Squash

·      Glazed Parsley Carrots

·      Macaroni and Cheese in Acorn Squash Bowls

·      Parsnip Latkes with Horseradish and Dill

·      Persimmons and Watercress Salad with Candied Walnuts and Goat’s Cheese

·      Potato and Parsnip Gratin

·      Roasted Winter Squash with Kale Pipian

·      Seared Radicchio and Roasted Beets

·      Spicy Broccoli Rabe with Parmesan and Pine Nuts

·      Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Rosemary Parmesan Cream Sauce

·      Twice-Baked Cheddar Potato Casserole

·      Winter Pastry Wreath

·      Yorkshire Pudding

Desserts

Sweets flavored with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, or peppermint work out perfectly for Yule. Other classic sweet treats for Yule include traditional holiday cookies like shortbread, snowball, caraway, or ginger snaps. Pears and oranges are also a nice touch to a dessert at Yule.

·      Buche de Noel

·      Cardamom Orange Sugar Cookies

·      Chocolate Pavlova with Spiced Pears and Butterscotch Sauce

·      Christmas Pudding

·      Christmas Rice Pudding

·      Classic Yule Log

·      Cranberry and Peppermint Honey Cake

·      Cranberry Bliss Bars

·      Cranberry Chestnut Cake

·      Cuccia

·      English Toffee

·      Gingerbread Oatmeal Cream Pies

·      Grand Fir Dark Nougat: Winter Solstice Sweets

·      La Befana Cake

·      Maple Pecan Shortbread

·      Partridge in a Pear Tree Pie

·      Pecan Pie Truffles

·      Potato Chip Cookies

·      Roasted Chesnut Cookies

·      Salted Caramel Brownie Truffles

·      Salted Dark Chocolate, Pecan, and Rosemary Bark

·      Snickerdoodles

·      Solstice Shortbread

·      Sparkling Butter Toffee Cookies

·      Spiced Brown Butter Linzer Cookies

·      Spice Parsnip Cake

·      Sugar Plum Cupcakes and Sugar Plums

·      Swedish Ginger Thins

·      Tiramisu Yule Log

·      Vanilla Crème Brulee

·      Vegan Gingerbread Man Donuts

·      Walnut Cardamom Snowballs

·      Winter Solstice Cake

·      Winter Solstice Cake (Festive Carrot Coconut Cake)

·      Winter Solstice Cookies

·      Woodland Shortbread: Evergreen Biscuits Three Ways

Beverages

Nothing says “Happy Holidays” quite like a warm and rich drink curled up in front of the fire. Yule and the Winter Solstice feature beverages that warm the soul and bring cheer to hearts.

·      Harry Potter’s Hot Butter Beer

·      Hot Buttered Rum and Cider

·      Hot Wassail (Non-Alcoholic)

·      Mulled Wine

·      Old-Fashioned Swedish Glogg

·      Slow Cooker Gingerbread Latte

·      Slow Cooker Mulled Wine

·      Toffee Eggnog

·      Tom and Jerry

·      Vegan Eggnog

·      White Chocolate Peppermint Mocktini

·      Winter Sangria (Non-Alcoholic)

·      Yule Tea

[elfwreck]

Meats:

Sheep, chickens (and ducks, geese, etc.), pigs, goats, rabbit/hare (seasonal), fish (freshwater and ocean, depending on location), cow (for wealthier folks, mostly), game fowl, deer (also wealthier, or poachers), squirrel, and occasionally what ever mammal predator someone in the village managed to kill before it killed them.

Vegetables:

Turnips (...lots of turnips; they’re what the UK and much of Europe had before potatoes, and they were used for the original jack-o-lanterns), rutabagas, beets, cabbage and leafy greens of several types, onions, parsnips, leeks, artichokes, fennel, carrots, beans, peas, asparagus.

Herbs: 

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (heh), lavender, mint, anise, caraway, dill, dittany, horseradish, tarragon, and lots more.

Other:

Since they had hens, they had eggs. (They also used quail eggs, duck eggs, and others from non-domestic birds.) They had milk, either from goats or cows. They had cheese, sometimes made with herbs. They had other milk products that can’t be made with pasteurized milk. They had grain--several kinds of wheat and barley--so they had several kinds of breads, and plenty of fermented drinks. They had fruits and berries: Apples, pears, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, currants, and plums. Imported spices like pepper, saffron, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves weren’t for everyday use but were sometimes used in feast recipes.

Medieval food is known to be “bland” because most people didn’t have access to all of that, and didn’t have access to much of what they did have. A chicken and turnips and some savory herbs can make a fine meal; one small chicken and four turnips and a handful of rosemary made into a soup for a family of seven is not a fine meal, not even if there’s some barley to stretch it.

this is such a strong opening paragraph for an article about a medieval cookbook

[quenchmagazine]

Every year, Quench profiles Canadian chefs who are contributing that elusive something to the food scene, helping to change it, helping it to evolve. This year’s lineup is (often unintentionally) helping to define Canadian cuisine, which is no mean feat. Michael Hunter at Antler Kitchen and Bar in Toronto melds wild, foraged ingredients and game meats with his European-inspired style and technique to craft dishes that showcase Canada’s natural products.

Chef Michael Hunter is probably one of the only Mav Chefs on this list who is actively trying to define Canadian cuisine. His passion for nature, and all it has to offer Canadians, is evident when you speak with him. He’s a regular forager, gathering ingredients for the restaurant, and a hunter. Everything on his menu is game-based (meat), local/seasonal (produce) or foraged (fungi, berries). If you usually order the steak or chicken, then you won’t find these options on his menu. Try bison or Cornish hen instead. Antler Kitchen and Bar’s culinary theme is “Canadiana”; Hunter showcases contemporary Canadian cuisine with flavours from Ontario, Quebec and even British Columbia. He is transforming familiar dishes — like Jamaican patties, gyoza and even burgers — into local creations.

What do you love about cooking?

I’ve always loved food. So, even as a kid, I just loved to eat. As I got older, I just really liked trying new things. And then, as I got into cooking professionally, I really fell in love with organic gardening and foraging for wild food and hunting, just because it tastes so much better than what you buy at the grocery store.

What exactly does it mean to forage for ingredients?

My take on it is: I go to the woods and pick. Right now, wild leeks are coming into season. So, we go pick wild leeks, bring them to the restaurant and serve them. We pick morel mushrooms, pheasant back mushrooms, wild ginger, cedar, sumac, watercress, wild mints. All these things we go and pick ourselves. So, that’s foraging. We’re not growing it; we’re finding it in the woods.

Is there a sustainability concern? You have to make sure don’t pick too much?

Yeah, definitely. Wild leeks are a big one. They banned it in Quebec, because they don’t grow back very well. [But] in Ontario there’s no law against harvesting wild leeks. There are definitely things you need to know when foraging certain things.

Why do you forage instead of buying ingredients?

It’s really strange. It’s a bit of a primal urge thing — satisfaction. It’s fun. I love being in nature, I think about my menu when I’m out in nature. I take my kids; it’s a family outing. I take my partner — she comes along with me. It’s very therapeutic to be in nature as opposed to a fast-paced crazy restaurant. So, it’s kind of just … my therapy. But also, it tastes great. Mushrooms that are picked that morning — you can’t buy them that fresh. A lot of them you can’t find in a grocery store. There are certain kinds of mushrooms that don’t keep well to sell. There’s a mushroom called inky caps that starts to liquefy after 24 hours; they turn to mush. They’re very rich in flavour. Cooking with them is great: they taste rich and creamy like Campbell’s mushroom soup, but they’re just natural wild mushrooms without any cream.

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Why did you specifically choose to incorporate those foraged ingredients, game meats and that wild aspect into your menu?

It’s really just what I love to eat. For me, when you cook what you love, it tastes better. You know, you’re passionate about it. Our whole brand is Canadiana, wild food, forest to table. And for that to be authentic, we have to use those ingredients.

What is Canadiana cuisine?

Canada’s a very unique country in terms of food because our immigration is so huge. Our cuisine has turned into a bit of a melting pot. Which is really cool. But I think the Canadian food scene has a young identity. My take on it is: I’m born and raised here, and I’m highlighting the ingredients that are only from Canada. I love to eat avocados but I don’t serve them at my restaurant because we’re highlighting Canadian producers, farmers and foragers. So, we’re using, I would say, about 90 percent only Canadian products in the restaurant. A lot of those are regional Canada — we buy our wild fish from BC and the east coast, and also the Great Lakes. Our bison comes from Alberta, our deer comes from Ontario, our rabbit and wild boar come from Ontario. So, we’re just highlighting Canadian ingredients and farmers.

What would be at the core of Canadian cuisine?

For me, it is the game, because that’s what I believe our ancestors ate. A lot of communities in Northern Ontario and in the territories, all they eat is game meat. Their families hunt to sustain themselves and that to me — for them — that’s Canadian cuisine. My freezer is full of duck and deer, turkey, rabbit — and that’s what we eat at home. That’s my Canadian cuisine.

What is the biggest influence on your cooking style?

My cooking background is sort of a blend of French and Italian techniques. I trained with guys from the Stratford Chefs School, which is heavily rooted in French cooking. Various places I’ve worked have been French and Italian cuisine. I definitely use French and Italian recipes and techniques and influences, which are also a big part of Canadian culture.

So, you take the essence of Canadian cuisine — game, local — and you apply these types of cooking methods to the ingredients?

Yeah, I’m cooking something sous vide; I’m braising things; I’m serving rabbit with pasta. There’s lots of Italian dishes with rabbit and pasta, but we’re using local rabbit and local vegetables in that dish. So, it’s kind of a mash-up between my cooking background and Canadian ingredients.

What is your favourite meal when it’s cold and rainy outside?

Definitely some kind of soulful stew. I love braising duck legs or goose legs with a cassoulet. Or venison neck stew is really taste. Any kind of chili.

Ricotta Cavatelli with Venison Ragu

For this recipe, you will need a cavatelli machine (or a wooden gnocchi board with lined grooves).

Cavatelli Dough

500 g ricotta cheese 800 g all-purpose flour 200 g semolina 5 g salt 1 g grated nutmeg (optional) 1/2 cup milk 1 egg

Place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix with your hands, adding water as needed, until the dough comes together. Transfer the dough to a table and knead until it is a firm, smooth ball. Cover the with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and rest for 30 minutes.

Cut the dough into 6 equal-sized pieces. Roll each one into a log 1 cm thick and partially flatten into strips. Feed each strip of dough through the cavatelli machine while turning the handle. If you are using a gnocchi board, cut your logs into 1/2 cm rectangular slices and push the dough downwards onto the board, using your thumb to curl the dough and create a concave centre with grooves on the outside.

Spread out the dumplings on a baking sheet, dusting with extra semolina to keep from sticking.

Venison Ragu

2 kg deboned venison meat (neck, shoulder or leg) 1 large Spanish onion 1 carrot 2 stalks celery 6 roma tomatoes 4 cloves garlic 100 ml olive oil 350 ml red wine 200 g dried wild mushrooms (preferably saffron cap) 1 bouquet garni (thyme, parsley, and bay leaves tied with twine) 2 L dark venison stock Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat a large skillet. Cut the vegetables into medium dice. Crush and mince the garlic. Season the venison meat generously with salt and pepper.

Add the oil to the hot skillet and add the venison; do not stir until the meat is caramelized. Transfer the meat to a roasting pan and set aside.

Add the vegetables to the skillet and sauté until they begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and stir; deglaze the pan with the red wine. Add the soft mirepoix to the roasting pan. Add the stock, bouquet garni and dried mushrooms, then cover the pan with foil.

Bake at 325°F for 2 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Use a fork to pick apart into large pieces, leaving the meat in the liquid to cool.

To finish the plate

250 g butternut squash 250 g turnip 250 g parsnip 1 bunch kale 50 g unsalted butter 50 ml olive oil 250 g grated Parmesan cheese  Salt, to taste

Fill one of the large pots with salted water and bring to a boil (pasta water should be seasoned to taste mildly like the ocean).

While the water boils, mince the root vegetables. Tear the kale leaves off the stem and roughly chop. Heat a second large pot to medium-high and sauté the vegetables in the butter and olive oil until tender.

Add the braising liquid, pulled venison meat and soft mirepoix to the sautéed vegetables. Reduce by half over medium heat.

Once the water in the other pot comes to a boil, cook the fresh cavatelli for 5 minutes.

Drain and transfer the cooked dumplings to the ragu, stirring with a wooden spoon. Add the cheese and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

Spoon into serving bowls and top with additional grated Parmesan.

Michael Hunter of Antler Kitchen and Bar in Toronto, ON: Mav Chefs 2017 Every year, Quench profiles Canadian chefs who are contributing that elusive something to the food scene, helping to change it, helping it to evolve.