Well, our Peru trip was cancelled so it’s one more month grounded in Florida. No tears, but I am longing to dig into my first bite of roasted guinea pig. So, to make the most of being home-bound, I have been scouring our local farmers markets since our produce is at its peak right now. Lucky us! When I first moved to Naples, Florida, I missed touring the polished and prestigious Union Square Farmers Market, chock full of yuppie farmers and their expensive heirloom vegetables and products. Here in Naples, you get local farmers, doned with flip flops and "real" trucker hats peddling their modest harvest on Walmart card tables.
So, after my latest overly ambitious farmer’s market visit, as usual, I bought too much produce and my edible findings were starting to look tired and pathetic. My sad and dented zucchini were begging to be cooked. Bored of the usual grilling and sauteing, I thought a soup may be just the answer. Scanning my fridge, I saw I had all the basics…sweet Florida onion, garlic, stock and a basil plant. Oh, and don’t forget the Florida Bread and Butter Corn. I almost put in some roasted red peppers I just grilled off the other day, but something made me want to keep this soup very simple and monochromatic.
I usually don’t groove on monochromatic food. There’s something so Attica about a plop of washed out food that’s staring at me with its pathetic pallid face. I guess it’s just in my head that a kaleidoscope of color on my plate ensures the taste will please my palate. Even when I develop recipes, I try to inject color for interest and instant glamour. It’s just like wearing red lipstick when I go out at night or when my husband wears his good watch on one of our dates, you somehow feel more finished and special.
Studies show that color can whet one’s appetite. Just think of the clown-like colors of fast food logos: Red & Yellow, Red & White, Red, White and Blue and so on. Thanks to savy Madison Avenue marketing researchers, you will never see taupe and tan “Golden Arches” announcing the dollar menu is just a drive-through away. When marketing food, color rules.
But I’ve changed my mind about my tendencies towards color after this soup. Its glowing greenish tones subtly sparkle against a white bowl -sorry, my digital camera doesn’t do it justice- and it is simply elegant. The natural sweetness of the locally grown zucchini, corn and basil are almost dessert-like at first bite. My adoring memory of Tangy Tomato or hearty Minestrone soups is shattered with this refreshingly naturally sweet soup.
2 large Zucchinis, sliced thinly
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
Olive oil
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Nutmeg
4-5 leaves of basil
2 cups beef or chicken or vegetable stock (beef broth add a richness, it’s what I used)
1 cup light cream or half and half or milk
2 ears of sweet corn, cut off the cob raw
Kosher salt/fresh ground pepper
Optional: zest some Parmesan on top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place zucchini, onion, garlic tossed in olive oil on cookie sheet. Roast the vegetables for about ½ hour or till you start to get a little color on the bottom of the zucchini. That “color” will add additional flavor you’ll appreciate later on. If you are really in a rush, put all the veggies in the broth and boil till soft, but that’s a last resort idea.
Next, place your roasted veggie mixture into a Cuisinart or blender. You can even put this mixture in a bowl and use an immersion blender. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, basil, broth, milk into your blending device and pulse until the consistency you like. Silky smooth is the way I finished mine. Pour this mixture into a sauce pan and add cut corn. Cook for about five minutes and taste for salt and pepper. When serving, shave some Parmesan and a sprig of basil to finish the plate off.
So, after my latest overly ambitious farmer’s market visit, as usual, I bought too much produce and my edible findings were starting to look tired and pathetic. My sad and dented zucchini were begging to be cooked. Bored of the usual grilling and sauteing, I thought a soup may be just the answer. Scanning my fridge, I saw I had all the basics…sweet Florida onion, garlic, stock and a basil plant. Oh, and don’t forget the Florida Bread and Butter Corn. I almost put in some roasted red peppers I just grilled off the other day, but something made me want to keep this soup very simple and monochromatic.
I usually don’t groove on monochromatic food. There’s something so Attica about a plop of washed out food that’s staring at me with its pathetic pallid face. I guess it’s just in my head that a kaleidoscope of color on my plate ensures the taste will please my palate. Even when I develop recipes, I try to inject color for interest and instant glamour. It’s just like wearing red lipstick when I go out at night or when my husband wears his good watch on one of our dates, you somehow feel more finished and special.
Studies show that color can whet one’s appetite. Just think of the clown-like colors of fast food logos: Red & Yellow, Red & White, Red, White and Blue and so on. Thanks to savy Madison Avenue marketing researchers, you will never see taupe and tan “Golden Arches” announcing the dollar menu is just a drive-through away. When marketing food, color rules.
But I’ve changed my mind about my tendencies towards color after this soup. Its glowing greenish tones subtly sparkle against a white bowl -sorry, my digital camera doesn’t do it justice- and it is simply elegant. The natural sweetness of the locally grown zucchini, corn and basil are almost dessert-like at first bite. My adoring memory of Tangy Tomato or hearty Minestrone soups is shattered with this refreshingly naturally sweet soup.
2 large Zucchinis, sliced thinly
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, halved
Olive oil
Pinch Cayenne
Pinch Nutmeg
4-5 leaves of basil
2 cups beef or chicken or vegetable stock (beef broth add a richness, it’s what I used)
1 cup light cream or half and half or milk
2 ears of sweet corn, cut off the cob raw
Kosher salt/fresh ground pepper
Optional: zest some Parmesan on top
Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Place zucchini, onion, garlic tossed in olive oil on cookie sheet. Roast the vegetables for about ½ hour or till you start to get a little color on the bottom of the zucchini. That “color” will add additional flavor you’ll appreciate later on. If you are really in a rush, put all the veggies in the broth and boil till soft, but that’s a last resort idea.
Next, place your roasted veggie mixture into a Cuisinart or blender. You can even put this mixture in a bowl and use an immersion blender. Add the cayenne, nutmeg, basil, broth, milk into your blending device and pulse until the consistency you like. Silky smooth is the way I finished mine. Pour this mixture into a sauce pan and add cut corn. Cook for about five minutes and taste for salt and pepper. When serving, shave some Parmesan and a sprig of basil to finish the plate off.
>
No comments:
Post a Comment