Creamy Asparagus Soup

Ever since I got my food processor, I am convinced that I can turn anything into a soup.  I had 2 pounds of asparagus and a half box of mushrooms left over from an event last Friday, and I thought to myself, why not whiz this up with some broth and cream and see what happens! The result? A soup mug full of creamy delight! 

Creamy Asparagus Soup

Recipe adapted from Simply Recipes

* Since this was for a quick weekday supper, and I was starving, I didn't bother cutting off the tips and reserving them for garnish.  Nor did I run the soup through a sieve.  Since we are being honest, I didn't add vermouth either, because I didn't have any on hand.  But it still tasted amazing!  Okay, fine. Maybe I didn't even do the recipe. I just copied and pasted the picture from the website. JUST KIDDING!! I diiiidddd.... hehe.   

INGREDIENTS

2 lbs asparagus, trimmed of woody stem bottoms
1 large yellow onion, chopped (1 1/2 to 2 cups chopped)
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water
Leaves of 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp dry vermouth
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper


METHOD
1 Cut tips from the asparagus 1 1/2 inches from top and halve tips lengthwise if thick. Reserve for garnish. Chop the remaining asparagus stalks into 1/4-inch rounds.

2 Melt the butter in a 4 to 5 quart pot on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus (not the spear tips) to the onions. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Cook another 5 minutes.



3 Add the broth, water, and thyme to the pot. Increase the heat to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer, covered, until the asparagus are tender, 10 to 15 minutes. At the end of cooking, stir in the chopped parsley.

4 While the soup is cooking, blanche the asparagus tips in a small pot of boiling, salted water (about 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt per quart of water), until the tips are just tender, about 2-4 minutes, depending on the size of the asparagus. Drain. Rinse with cool water to stop the cooking. Set aside.



5 Use an immersion blender to blend the soup until smooth. (If you use an upright blender, work in small batches, fill no more than a third the blender bowl at a time, and hold down the lid while blending.) For a creamy texture, if you want, press the puréed soup through a sieve or food mill. Stir in the cream. Stir in the vermouth and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with asparagus tips. 
Yield: Serves 4-6.

Miso Clam Chowder with Green Grapes and Heirloom Cherry Tomato Salad with Rocket and Arugula

I love New England. 

I sometimes (okay, maybe all the time) fantasize about the region's seafood. 

Unfortunately, aside from the few shrimp shumai dumplings I inhaled during  

hungover dim sum brunches in Boston's Chinatown,

I don't really have that much experience dining in 

New England restaurants. 

When I found out that we were spending a weekend on 

an island in Maine, I was beyond excited to taste the 

briny treasures New England had to offer. 

The bad news was that the island did not have any 

fish markets or seafood restaurants, 

but was inhabited solely by lake houses 

of all shapes and sizes. 

The good news was that I was so taken by the picturesque landscape, crystal blue waters and warm and fuzzy sunsets, that I forgot about my mission to gorge on New England seafood until I was dizzy with crustacean delight. 

Can you really blame me? 

Merman of Maine

This is what we MAINLY  did in MAINE, hehe... get it?
MAINLY? MAINE?
ahem...moving along. 

Find the cook! 

Warm and fuzzy sunsets

Please don't fret. 

I did have the opportunity to feast on amazing clam chowder at a wedding reception I attended while on the island.  

It was as cozy as a vintage cashmere sweater. 

When I returned home, I knew I had to replicate the dish... 

with my own spin, of course! 

I thought to myself, what can I do to contribute to an already perfect dish?  After rummaging through my refrigerator for a couple of minutes, I found a plastic container of miso leftover from miso salmon night! 

Meee Soooo Craazyyyy to add MEEESOOOO to CHOOWDDDAAAH???

Why, yes. I believe that I am. 

Let's begin! 

  

Open sesame! 

I am not a fan of celery, so I decided
to use carrots instead!
The burst of sweet loveliness that
comes with this popular veggie will
balance the salty  perfectly!

Thick.Cut.Bacon.
Par-don, lar-dons. Why are you so lovely?

I didn't have any white wine to cook my clams in,
but I found this lifesaver rolling around
in the back of my fridge! 

All you need for garlic croutons

Mmmmmm...

My new obsession, green grapes in my salad

Warm and fuzzy, like a Maine sunset

Miso Clam Chowder
Adapted from Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine
serves 6 to 8

1 bottle of your favorite lager

4 dozen littleneck clams, scrubbed

6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch matchsticks

1 onion, finely chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 carrot, finely diced

1 teaspoon chopped thyme

2 bay leaves

1 1/2 tablespoons white miso paste

1 cup of  half-and-half

3 Yukon Gold potatoes (1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut into 3/4-inch cubes

Salt and freshly ground pepper

3 stalks of scallions, thinly sliced

1. In a soup pot, bring lager and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil. Add the clams, cover and cook over high heat until the clams open, 8 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a bowl; discard any that do not open. Remove the clams from their shells and rinse to remove any sand, then coarsely chop them. Strain the broth into a heatproof bowl, stopping before you reach the sand at the bottom; you should have 3 cups.

2. Rinse out the pot and dry it. Add the butter and bacon and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crisp and golden, about 6 minutes. Add the chopped onion, garlic, carrots, thyme and bay leaves and cook until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the miso. Gradually add the clam broth. Add the half and half and 1 cup of water to the pot and bring to a simmer. Add the potato cubes and season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer over low heat for about 8 minutes, until the potatoes are tender.

3. Using the back of a spoon, crush a few of the potatoes against the side of the pot to thicken the soup slightly. Add the reserved clams and simmer just until heated through. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the soup in bowls, top with sliced scallions.