Recipes

RECIPE FOR CHAPTER 6, PASSING THE BATON

Russ’s Root Vegetable Soup

When our garden is frosted out, winter vegetables take center stage. Low fat and flavorful, this soup is perfect when the weather turns cold. Russ created this recipe and does all the chopping, always making a big pot, as it improves significantly as it ages and the flavors meld; it will be much better on the fifth or sixth night. If you can wait, it’s best to not even eat it on the first day.

With a good crusty loaf of bread and a couple of bottles of wine, this recipe serves eight as a main course. The distinctive mushroom and truffle earthiness of Sokol Blosser Pinot Noir is a perfect match for the deep, rich earthy sweetness and piquancy of the soup.

INGREDIENTS

The amounts of the core ingredients (the rutabagas, turnips, and parsnips) can be varied according to personal taste — use more rutabagas and fewer parsnips, for example, as long as the total of the three is about 6 to 6½ pounds.

One large sweet onion (Vidalia, Maui, Walla Walla)

4 or 5 cloves of garlic

2 pounds rutabagas

2 pounds turnips

2 pounds parsnips

2 large carrots

1 pound garnet yams

1 one-quart carton organic roasted vegetable stock

1 one-quart carton organic mushroom broth

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 T dried basil

¼ t lemon peel

¼ t pepper

Large (7 to 8 quart) stock pot with cover

DIRECTIONS

Chop the onion into a large dice.

Peel the rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, carrots, and yams. Be sure to peel enough of the rutabaga to remove the greenish parts, which can be bitter. Cut all the vegetables into bite-sized chunks (not too small).

Heat the oil in the pot and add the onion. Sauté on low to medium heat for about five minutes, until soft and translucent.

Smash and mince the garlic and add it to the pot. Cook for a minute or two.

Increase the heat to medium-high and add the rutabagas. Cook, stirring frequently, for about five minutes.

Add each ingredient one at a time: first the carrots, then the yams, then the turnips, then the parsnips, allowing four or five minutes between each and stirring frequently.

After the parsnips are added and cooked for a few minutes, add the cartons of stock and broth, and the basil, lemon peel, and pepper. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil.

After the soup has come to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for an hour or two with the lid slightly open. The longer it cooks, the better.

Susan Sokol Blosser’s Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Oregon Pink Shrimp, Lemon, Olive Oil, and Herbs

(Makes 4 servings)
3 fresh young zucchini, each 6 to 8 inches long, ends trimmed
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion tops
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
¼ cup good-quality extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons finely grated fresh lemon zest
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed
1 small garlic clove, grated
½ teaspoon coarse sea salt, plus more if needed
⅓ cup chopped pitted green olives (optional)
½ pound cooked Oregon pink shrimp or bay shrimp, rinsed and patted dry

Using a vegetable peeler, shave the zucchini lengthwise into long, paper-thin strips roughly ⅓ to ½ inch wide. Turn the zucchini as you go and press firmly to form even, ribbon-like strips. (Don’t worry if you are unable to shave the seedy cores; discard them or reserve for another use.) Alternatively, you can use a spiralizer to make long, spaghetti-like zucchini tendrils. You should have about 4 cups of zucchini strips.

In a large bowl, combine the zucchini strips and green onions. Add the dill, mint, and parsley and toss lightly.

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, and salt until blended. Add the lemon juice mixture to the zucchini green onion mixture and toss to coat. Taste and add a bit more lemon juice and salt to taste, if needed. (Tip: if you are adding olives, they will contribute additional saltiness.)

Divide the zucchini mixture among serving plates, top with the olives (if using) and shrimp, and serve right away.

Recipes

Recipe: Root Vegetable Soup

Recipe: Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Oregon Pink Shrimp

Susan Sokol Blosser’s Zucchini Ribbon Salad with Oregon Pink Shrimp, Lemon, Olive Oil, and Herbs