Provencal-Style Beef and Bean Soup
A hearty, chunky soup best served with slices of a crusty whole-wheat loaf spread with butter. Leftover beef or steak can be used.
Makes 2 ½ - 3 quarts soup; serves 6 to 8
1 ½ cups dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 red onion, cut in half lengthwise and thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 head garlic, roasted and peeled (see below)
2 pounds chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
6 plum tomatoes, cored and chopped
8 cups beef broth
3 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
½ cup sun-dried tomatoes
3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary or 1 tablespoon dried rosemary
6 fresh basil leaves, cut into very thin strips (chiffonade)
- Quick-cook the beans; place the beans in a large pot with water to cover by 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered 45 minutes. Remove from heat, drain, rinse and set aside.
- Heat the butter and olive oil in a large, heavy saucepan over low heat. Add the onions and cook and stir 15 minutes or until light brown. Add the celery and cook and stir 10 minutes longer.
- Add the garlic and the beef and cook and stir until the beef is browned on all sides, 8-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, broth, bay leaves, slat, pepper, and beans and simmer 1 ½ to 1 ¾ hours, uncovered, until the beans are soft and the beef is fork-tender. Note: This soup is even better when prepared in a Dutch oven or clay roaster and baked in the oven for 1/ ½ hours.
- Add the sun-dried tomatoes and rosemary and simmer about 10 minutes longer. Discard the bay leaves. Add the fresh basil and serve immediately.
Roasted Garlic
Place head of garlic on a small sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Wrap tightly and place in oven to roast, about 30-40 minutes, or until the garlic is soft. Remove the garlic form the oven and cool. Peel the cloves and add to soup, leaving them whole.
Apple Cheddar Pie
Preheat oven to 425º F
Crust:
Cut together 1 cup flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1/3 cup Crisco, 1/3 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese. Add 3 tablespoons milk and mix gently. Roll into a ball, then roll into a crust 1/8-inch thick and set in 9" pie pan.
Filling:
5 cups thinly sliced apples - Winesap or McIntosh are good
¾ cup sugar
¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon (or to taste) cinnamon or apple pie spice
1/8 teaspoon salt
Mix together and spoon into crust.
Topping:
Cut together:
¾ cup flour
¼ cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
Then toss with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Bake at 425º F for 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350º F and bake for 30 minutes.
Serve warm with vanilla bean ice cream.
Grilled Blue Cheese and Pear
4 slices raisin brioche
2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
4 ounces firm but mild blue cheese, such as bleu des Basques, crumbled
1 pear, slightly underripe, cored and thinly sliced
Chestnut honey for drizzling, optional
- Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle over low heat. Brush one side of each bread slice with melted butter.
- Spread half of the cheese evenly over the unbuttered side of two slices of bread. Place a single layer of the pear slices over the cheese, then top with the remaining cheese, Place the remaining bread on top of each sandwich, buttered side up.
- With a spatula, place one of the sandwiches in the heated pan and weight it with a second heavy pan or a steak weight. (If your pan is large enough, cook both sandwiches; otherwise, cook them one at a time.) Cook until golden brown about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the sandwich, weight it with the pan or steak weight, and cook until golden brown, another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Remove the sandwich to a cutting board and cut it in half or quarters. Serve immediately with a drizzle of chestnut honey, if desired, on the plate.
Note: You can substitute any good-quality raisin bread for raisin brioche.
Total Time: About 25 minutes
Servings: Makes 2 sandwiches
Each Sandwich: 524 calories; 18 grams protein; 48 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 31 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 73 milligrams cholesterol; 1,122 milligrams sodium.
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