Roasted Red Pepper Bisque

Ingredients

- 4 red bell peppers

- 4 roma tomatoes

- 2 tbsp olive oil

- salt

- pepper

- 2 tbsp butter

- 1 medium yellow onion

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 shallots

- 3 qt vegetable stock

- 1 cup cream or half and half

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

1. Roast peppers and tomatoes: cut peppers in half and remove stems and seeds. rub with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place halves, skin-side-up, on a baking sheet. Slice tomatoes, rub with olive oil, salt and pepper, and place slices on another baking sheet. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until they start to shrivel. Tomatoes will be done 5-10 minutes before peppers.

2. Meanwhile, dice onion, shallots, and garlic. Heat 2 tbsp butter in a large soup pot. Saute onion, shallots, and garlic with a big pinch of salt in the butter until they are soft and translucent. Add stock. Let simmer for 10 minutes.

3. When peppers and tomatoes are roasted, add them to the pot. Cut peppers and tomatoes into chunks before adding them if you need smaller pieces for blending. Allow everything to simmer for 15-20 minutes. Add cream.

4. Blend however much you wish!

Pressure Cooker Split Pea and Ham Soup

INGREDIENTS 
1 lb dried split peas
8 cups water
1 small ham bone or 1 lb ham, chunks
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 1⁄2 teaspoons dried thyme
sherry wine (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Fill pressure cooker with water and other ingredients, except Sherry.
Make sure the pot is no more than half full.
Put lid on cooker, place rocker (if model has one) on vent pipe and bring to high pressure.
When at correct pressure start timing for 20 min.
Let cooker release steam naturally.
If using a pork bone, remove and pull all meat off and add to soup.
Adjust salt to suit your taste at this point.
Serve with a splash of Sherry if you wish.
Note: You can start this recipe with frozen pork hock by first covering bone with 8 cups water and pressure cook as directed above for about 30 min. then cold water release pressure and add all other ingredients.
Replace lid, bring to pressure and time for 10 more min. and let pressure naturally drop.

Cannellini Bean and Carrot Soup

Ingredients
3-4 leaks, finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp butter
1 x 14 oz can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
3 medium carrots, finely chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp medium curry powder
3 3/4 cups cold water
extra virgin olive, to serve

Preparation

• Heat oil and melt the butter in a large, deep pan over very low heat. Add the leeks and cook for at least 10 minutes, adding a tiny bit of water when the leeks start to stick tot he bottom of the pan.
• Add the cannellini beans and carrots, then turn up the heat and stir well with a wooden spoon to mix the vegetables and flavors together. Let simmer for 5-6 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper, and stir in the curry powder, if using. Add the water and brings to a boil. Cover with a lid, and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender and process until smooth, then ladle into serving bowls. Encourage your guests to add a bit of olive oil and some freshly ground black pepper to their soup - it makes a wonderful finishing touch.

Squash Ginger Lentil Soup

Preparation

2 butternut squash, roasted with olive oil, salt and pepper

Saute onions, ginger and garlic in olive oil

Add sage, rosemary, salt and pepper

Add in roasted squash and water/veggie stock 

Add some extra water and red lentils, cook until lentils are soft

Add the juice from one orange (or a cup of OJ)

Use the immersion blender to make it creamy

Add a splash of cream at the end

Coconut and Thai Curry Soup with Vegetables and Meatballs

Ingredients
1 lb. ground pork
1/4 cup very thinly sliced scallions, the white and light green portions only
1-2 Tbs. fish sauce, divided
1 Tbs. + 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
1 Tbs. coconut oil or peanut oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 Tbs. Thai red curry paste
1 finely chopped red chili pepper
1 stalk of lemongrass, halved, woody parts removed (optional)
2 (14 oz. each) cans of coconut milk
1 Tbs. maple syrup (or brown sugar)
3-4 cups of chicken stock
1 large carrot, sliced into long, thin ribbons using a vegetable peeler
2 small limes (mine were golfball sized) (or 1 lime plus two kaffir lime leaves if you can get your hands on kaffir lime leaves)

Preparation

• 4-6 cups of sliced greens (like cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, or a mix)
• 1/2 cup loosely packed chopped cilantro, plus more for serving
• In a medium bowl, mix together the pork with the scallions, about 1/2 Tbs. of fish sauce and 1 tsp. of grated ginger.  Roll into small balls (somewhere between the size of a large marble and a walnut) and set aside on a cutting board or baking sheet.
• In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat.  Add the garlic and the remaining ginger and cook for a minute.  Add the thick cream from the top of one of the cans of coconut milk to the pot and stir the curry paste and the chopped chili into this as it melts.  Cook until it begins to sizzle.
• Add the rest of the coconut milk from the can, plus the other can of coconut milk.  Stir in the lemongrass (if using), maple syrup, the chicken stock (3 cups for a thicker,creamier soup, 4 cups for a soupier soup), the remaining fish sauce, and the carrot.  Bring the soup to a boil, then turn down to a simmer cook, covered, for about 10 minutes.
• If you’re using two limes, zest and juice one and cut the other into quarters (with peel on).  If you’re using one lime plus kaffir lime leaves, just zest and juice the one lime.  Stir the zest, juice, and quartered lime/lime leaves into the soup.  Gently add the meatballs, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
• After five minutes, add the vegetables, put the cover back on the pot, and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, 5-10 minutes depending on what veggies you’re using.  Once they’re cooked, stir in the half cup of cilantro.  Taste, and season the soup with salt or fish sauce to taste.
• Remove the lemongrass stalk and the lime quarters.  Serve accompanied by extra cilantro for sprinkling.

Coconut Curry Squash

Roast multiple diverse squash, onions, turnips, carrots, potatoes, whatever else you have in EVOO with S&P.

Puree veggies with coconut milk and veggie broth and red curry paste. Add some cayenne and red pepper flakes.

Top with chopped cashews!

SLOW COOKER BLACK BEAN SOUP

PREP TIME: 15 mins COOK TIME: 6 hours

INGREDIENTS
2 cloves garlic
1 medium onion
2 stalks celery
2 medium carrots
1 lb. uncooked black beans
1 cup salsa
1 Tbsp chili powder*
½ Tbsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water

INSTRUCTIONS
Mince the garlic, dice the onion and celery, and grate the carrots on a large holed cheese grater. Rinse the black beans in a colander under cool running water and pick out any stones or debris.
Combine the garlic, onion, celery, carrots, black beans, salsa, chili powder, cumin, oregano, vegetable broth, and water in a 5-7 quart slow cooker. Stir well.
Place the lid on the slow cooker and cook on high for 6-8 hours (you want the beans to get VERY soft). Once the beans are very soft, use an immersion blender** to blend the soup until it is thick and creamy (leave some beans whole if desired). Taste the soup and add salt if needed (this will depend on the brand of vegetable broth used).
NOTES
*Chili powder is a blend of mild red chiles and other spices. It is not cayenne pepper, which is extremely spicy.

Ingredients

1/2 pound pancetta

1 potato, chopped

1 sweet onion chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

dash or two of red pepper flakes

1 pound Brussels sprouts trimmed and sliced, tossed in olive oil

1 can coconut milk

6 cups chicken stock, low sodium (the pancetta packs a mean salt punch)

1 cup balsamic vinegar (reduced by about half)

S & P to taste

Directions

-Preheat oven to 400, toss Brussels sprouts in olive oil and spread on roasting pan in a single layer. bake for 15-20 minutes until tops get brown and crispy.

-Brown/crisp up chopped pancetta in a pan, remove/strain out

-Caramelize the onion in the in the pancetta fat, add the garlic and red pepper flakes, toss in the potato. Cook for ~5 minutes

-Add the stock and let everything soften. Add the coconut milk. Puree with an immersion blender.

-To serve: bowl up some broth, drop in some roasty toasty Brussels sprouts, sprinkle some crispy pancetta goodness over the top, and drizzle with a teaspoon of balsamic reduction.

Carrot Soup with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas

Ingredients
Soup
2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil
2 pounds (905 grams) carrots, peeled, diced or thinly sliced
1 large onion, finely chopped
4 regular or 6 small garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon table salt, plus more if needed
Pinch of Aleppo pepper or red pepper flakes
4 cups (945 ml) vegetable broth

Crisped chickpeas
1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-ounce (425-gram) can, drained, patted dry on paper towels
1 generous tablespoon (15 ml or so) olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Lemon-tahini dollop
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini paste
2 tablespoons (30 ml) lemon juice
Pinch or two of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water

Pita wedges, garnish
A few large pitas, cut into 8 wedges
Olive oil, to brush pitas
Za’atar (a Middle Eastern spice-herb blend) or sesame seeds and sea salt to sprinkle
2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped

Instructions
Heat two tablespoons olive oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add carrots, onion, garlic, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper flakes and sauté until they begin to brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat your oven to 425 degrees F. Toss chickpeas with one tablespoon olive oil, salt and cumin until they’re all coated. Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until they’re browned and crisp. This can take anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas. Toss them occasionally to make sure they’re toasting evenly.

Once vegetables have begun to brown, add broth, using it to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Cover pot with lid and simmer until carrots are tender, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small dish, whisk together tahini, lemon juice, salt and water until smooth with a yogurt-like consistency. If more liquid is needed to thin it, you can add more lemon juice or water, a spoonful at a time, until you get your desired consistency.

Spread pita wedges on a second baking sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle with za’atar or a combination of sea salt and sesame seeds and toast in oven with chickpeas until brown at edges, about 5 minutes.

Puree soup in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Ladle into bowls. Dollop each with lemon-tahini, sprinkle with crisped chickpeas and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve with pita wedges. Forget January, you’d eat this anytime. Right?

Chorizo And White Bean Stew

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for drizzling
1 pound fresh Mexican chorizo or Italian sausage links
1 large onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 sprig thyme
2 15-ounce cans cannellini (white kidney) beans, rinsed
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
5 ounces baby spinach (about 10 cups)
Smoked paprika (optional)

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sausage and cook, turning occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 15-20 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in same skillet. Add onion, garlic, and thyme sprig. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5-8 minutes. Add beans and broth and cook, crushing a few beans with the back of a spoon to thicken sauce, until slightly thickened, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add spinach by handfuls and cook just until wilted, about 2 minutes.
Slice chorizo and fold into stew; add water to thin, if desired. Divide stew among bowls; drizzle with oil and sprinkle with paprika, if desired.

Treo Pheasant Stew

Ingredients:
3 (14 ounce) cans chicken broth
1 1/2 lbs pheasants
1 cup onions, diced
1 1/2 cups potatoes, diced to 1/2 " - 3/4-inch
1 cup celery, diced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 cups carrots, sliced
1 (14-15 ounce) can whole kernel corn, drained
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup spicy tomato salsa
1 (3-3 1/2 ounce) can green chilies, chopped, do not drain
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Directions:
Remove all skin and any visible fat before cooking. Bring the broth to a boil in a 4 1/2 to 5 quart Dutch oven. Add pheasant, onion, celery, salt, garlic powder and pepper. Cover and cook over medium-low heat for 60 minutes or until pheasant is tender. Remove pheasant with slotted spoon. Let cool. Add potatoes, carrots, corn, tomato sauce, salsa, undrained chilies, and cilantro to Dutch oven. Cover and cook for 20 minutes until the vegetables are almost tender. Cut pheasant from the bones and add to the stew. This can be thickened and dumplings put on top for a main dish. I use the legs and the thighs of the Pheasant.

Broccoli and Three-Cheese Soup

Ingredients
1/2 white onion, diced
2 cups milk (2 percent or lower in fat content)
1 quart chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 (10-ounce) bags of frozen broccoli florets
1 cup each of three different shredded cheeses (suggested: Jarlsberg, Gruyere, and cheddar)

Directions
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. Dice the onion into really small pieces, and put into the cooker. The onions are going to soften in the milk and broth, need to be small so there are no crunchy onion pieces. Pour in the milk and broth, add the pepper, salt, and nutmeg. Stir in the frozen broccoli. Cook on low for 7-9 hours, or on high for 4-6 hours. The broth is done when the onion is soft and translucent. Stir in the shredded cheese 20 minutes before serving. The cheese will be stringy and stick to the broccoli florets. Can use an immersion blender to make the soup look pretty. Serve with rolls or biscuits.

Lentil and Bacon

INGREDIENTS
½ - 1 lb thick cut bacon, cut in ½ inch pieces
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon curry powder
½ teaspoon dried thyme
1 28-ounce can of diced tomatoes, drained
1 cup brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
Pinch red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh collard greens or kale, tough ribs removed
Juice of ½ to 1 medium lemon, to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
Cook bacon in pot. When crispy remove and drain on paper towel.
Warm the olive oil in a pot over medium heat.
Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped onion and carrot and cook, stirring often, until the onion has softened and is turning translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, curry powder and thyme. Cook until fragrant while stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained diced tomatoes and cook for a few more minutes, stirring often, in order to enhance their flavor.
Pour in the lentils, broth and the water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper. Raise heat and bring the mixture to a boil, then partially cover the pot and reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape.
Transfer 2 cups of the soup to a blender. Protect your hand from steam with a tea towel placed over the lid and purée the soup until smooth. Pour the puréed soup back into the pot and add the chopped greens and bacon. Cook for 5 more minutes, or until the greens have softened to your liking.
Remove the pot from heat and stir in the juice of half of a lemon. Taste and season with more salt, pepper and/or lemon juice and additional bacon. Serve immediately.

Green Posole with Cod and Cilantro

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 serrano chiles, thinly sliced, divided
8 medium tomatillos (about 1¼ pounds), husks removed, rinsed
Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves with tender stems, plus more for serving
1 pound cod fillet
1 15-ounce can white hominy, rinsed
1 8-ounce bottle clam juice
3 small radishes, trimmed, thinly sliced
Lime wedges (for serving)

Preparation
(ACTIVE: 40 MIN TOTAL: 40 MIN)
Heat oil in a large pot over medium. Cook shallots, garlic, and half of chiles, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, 6–8 minutes. 

Meanwhile, purée tomatillos in a blender until smooth. 

Add half of tomatillo purée to pot and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add 1 cup cilantro to remaining purée in blender and blend until smooth; set aside. 

Add cod, hominy, clam juice, and 1 cup water to pot. Bring to a simmer and gently cook over medium-low until cod is opaque throughout and beginning to flake, 8–10 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in reserved raw tomatillo-cilantro purée, breaking cod into large chunks; season with salt and pepper. 

Divide stew among bowls and top with radishes, cilantro, and remaining chile. Serve with lime wedges.

Angie's Indian Hodge Podge

Here's my best guess:

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked Lentils
10 cups beef stock
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
5 cups frozen veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots,anything you like)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can coconut milk
1 can garbanzo beans
pinch sugar
1/8 cup curry powder
S&P to taste

Sarah S's Venison Stout Soup

Ingredients
3 Tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
8 cups beef stock
3 large onions, thinly sliced
3 stalks celery, diced
6 carrots, peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 packages (10oz each) cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 package (1 oz) dried perchini mushrooms processed into powder
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bottle (12 oz) stout beer
Parsley garnish

Instructions
1. Grab gun.  Kill deer.  Clean deer.  Gather 3 pounds of meat, cut into 1" cubes.

2. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat.  Season meat with salt & pepper.  In 2 batches, brown beef on all sides taking care not to crowd meat.  Meanwhile, in large saucepan, bring beef stock to a boil and reduce by half.

3. Remove beef and place in crock pot.  Add reduced stock and remaining ingredients except parsley.  Cover and cook on low 10 hours or high 6 hours.  Garnish with parsley and serve.

Andrea & BK's French Onion Soup

From Cook's Illustrated - The Science of Cooking
Warning: this takes like 4 hours, but it's really awesome.

Ingredients
4 pounds onions, halved and sliced through root end into 1/4" thick pieces
3 Tbsp butter cut into 3 pieces
Salt & pepper
2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
6 sprigs fresh thyme tied with kitchen twine
1 bay leaf

Cheese Croutons
1 small baguette, cut into 1/2" slices
8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (2 cups)

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.  Generously spray inside of Dutch oven with vegetable oil spray.  Add onions, butter, and 1 tsp salt.  Cook covered for 1 hour (onions will be moist and slightly reduced in volume).  Remove pot from oven and stir onions, scraping bottom and sides of pot.  Return pot to oven with lid slightly ajar and continue to cook until onions are very soft and golden brown, 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours longer, stirring onions and scraping bottom and sides of pot after one hour.

2. Carefully remove pot from oven (leave oven on) and place over medium high heat.  Cook onions, stirring frequently and scraping bottom and sides of pot until liquid evaporates and onions brown, 15-20 minutes.  Continue cooking stirring frequently until bottom of pot is coated with dark crust, 6-8 minutes.  Scrape any brown bits onto onions.  Stir in 1/4 cup water, scraping pot bottom to loosen crust and cook until water evaporates and another dark crust has formed.  Repeat process of deglazing 2 or 3 more times until onions are very dark brown.  Stir in sherry and cook, stirring frequently, until sherry evaporates, about 5 minutes.

3. Stir in 2 cups water, chicken broth, beef broth, thyme, bay leaf, and 1/2 tsp salt, scraping any final bits of browned crust on bottom/sides of pot.  Increase heat to high and bring to simmer.  Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 30 minutes.  Remove and discard herbs and season with salt & pepper to taste.

4. Croutons: While soup simmers, arrage baguette slices in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet.  Sprinkle on cheese.  Bake until bread is dry, crisp and cheese browns slightly on edges, 10 minutes. Place in soup for serving.

Claire's Pappa Col Pomodoro (Tomato Bread Soup)

Ingredients
3 Tbsp EVOO
1 small sweet onion thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves thinly sliced
2 28-oz cans plum tomatoes with 1 1/2 cans juice (use blanched, peeled roma tomatoes if fresh)
1 loaf crusty country style bread
Sea salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Fresh basil leaves

Directions
In a medium stock pot over medium low heat heat the oil and cook the onion and garlic until translucent, 15-20 minutes.  Add tomatoes, increase heat to medium, lightly simmer for one hour.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 250 degrees.  Remove crust from bread.  Dice bread into large pieces.  Discard the crust.  Dry the bread on a baking sheet in the oven until slightly toasted, 30 minutes.  Add bread to the soup, stirring well to combine.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and adjust consistency with water if needed.  To serve, ladle soup into warm bowls.  Drizzle each with olive oil and garnish with grated Parmesan and a basil leaf.

Andrea's Garlic Potato Soup

1 Tbsp butter
1 leek, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise and chopped small then washed thoroughly
3 garlic cloves minced
2 whole heads garlic, outer paper removed and top third cut off
6-7 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
Salt & pepper
1 1/2 pounds yukon gold potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 pound red potatoes cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh thyme
1/4 cup minced fresh chive

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat.  Add leeks and cook until soft, not brown, 5-8 minutes. Stir in minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add garlic heads, 6 cups broth, bay leaves, and 3/4 tsp salt.  Partially cover pot and bring to simmer over medium-high heat.  Reduce heat and simmer until garlic is very tender when pierced with tip of knife, 30 to 40 minutes.  Add potatoes and continue to simmer partially covered until potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Discard bay leaves.  Remove garlic heads from pot and squeeze at root end until cloves slip out of their skins into bowl.  Using fork, mash garlic to smooth paste.

3. Stir cream, thyme, and half of mashed garlic into soup. Heat soup until hot, about 2 minutes.  Taste soup and add remaining garlic paste if desired.

4. Using immersion blender, process soup until creamy, with some potato chunks remaining.  Alternatively, transfer 1 1/2 cups potatoes and 1 cup broth to blender or food processor and process until smooth.  Process more for a thicker consistency.  Return to pot and stir to combine, add more broth if necessary.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Slice and fry garlic chips for garnish if desired.

Sarah's Tomato Soup

Peeled tomatoes
White onion
Garlic
Parsley
Basil
Salt
Pepper
Olive Oil

Cook all ingredients together in olive oil. Cream optional. 

Missy's Brothy Poached Chicken with Mushrooms and Fresh Chile

Ingredients
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 3 large)
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
2 bay leaves
4 whole allspice
1½ teaspoons kosher salt, plus more
8 ounces maitake or shiitake mushrooms, torn into bite-size pieces
1 fresh red chile (such as Fresno), thinly sliced
1 1” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
1 Tbsp distilled white vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Sliced scallions and cilantro sprigs (for serving)

Directions
Place chicken, garlic, bay leaves, allspice, and 1½ tsp. salt in a medium pot. Cover with 6 cups water and bring to a bare simmer over high heat. Immediately reduce heat to medium-low, cover pot, and cook 8 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid and let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces. Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean pot; discard solids. Add mushrooms, chile, ginger, vinegar, and soy sauce to stock. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until broth tastes rich and flavorful, 8–10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, then add shredded chicken and simmer just until meat is warmed through. Divide soup among bowls and serve topped with scallions and cilantro. Do Ahead:Chicken can be poached 2 days ahead. Let chicken and broth cool separately. Wrap up chicken and transfer broth to an airtight container; chill.

Anna's Olive Loaf

Yield: 1 loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes + rising time

Ingredients
3 Cups Bread Flour
1 1/2 Cup Kalamata Olives, pitted, drained, roughly chopped
3/4 Teaspoon active dry yeast
1 1/2 Cups cool water

Directions
1) Drain the olives and pat them dry. Roughly chop and make sure that all the olives actually don’t have pits.

2) Mix yeast and flour together in a large bowl and then toss in the chopped olives

3) Add water and mix everything together using your hands or a large spoon.

4) Cover this and let it sit at room temperature for 14-18 hours.

5) Take a large tea towel and sprinkle it liberally with flour and corn meal. If you don’t have corn meal you can just use flour, but corn meal adds a great texture to it.

6) Scrape dough (you’ll need to scrape it) out onto a floured surface and just fold it a few times, liberally flouring both sides if it is sticking. Eventually you want to form a ball or loaf with it. Turn this onto floured towel with the seam side down on the towel.

7) Cover with the towel and let the loaf ferment and proof for another two hours.

8) Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Let a cast iron pot heat in the oven for at least 30 minutes so it is as hot as can be. Don’t preheat the lid in the oven. Just the pot itself.

9) Once the pot is blazing hot, pick up the towel with the dough on it and roll the dough into the pot so the seam side is up again!

10) Put the lid on the pot and cook it for 30 minutes. Then take off the lid (be really careful of escaping steam). Cook it for another 20 minutes or so until the crust is a dark, walnut brown.

11) Let it cool on a wire rack for an hour before slicing it.

Angie's Crabby Creamy Asparagus Soup

Ingredients

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 potato, chopped

1 lb/bunch asparagus, chopped (but save the pretty heads for a garnish)

1/2 tsp dried thyme

10 cups chicken/vegetable stock

1 cup whipping cream

juice from 1/2 lemon

lump crab meat (claw meat seems to have the least bits of shell)

Directions

Sauté onions, celery, carrots, garlic, potato until soft. Add the chopped asparagus (its a little bit fussier of a vegetable), thyme, and stock. Simmer for ~20 minutes. Puree in blender/with immersion blender. Pour back in pan, stir in the lemon juice and cream. Serve topped with crab and steamed asparagus tops (also delicious toppings: toasted sliced almonds, shaved parmesan, smoked paprika, or a couple extra drops of cream... just to look fancy)