Las Cosas Cooking School in Santa Fe hosted Chef Charles Dale of Terra Restaurant at the end of April. While I had heard good things about his restaurant, located in Encantada Resort a bit north of Santa Fe, I had not eaten there. After this class, Terra will have to be one our destinations this summer.
Chef Charles was absolutely charming and a very good teacher into the bargain. He would probably hate this, but if I had to name the cutest chef in the southwest he would get my vote. I would also vote for him as amoung the most competent. Every recipe he shared with us tasted fabulous and all were repeatable at home. I've made two of his creations since his class and both were outstanding.
CHARLES DALE
This recipe for Asparagus Soup can serve as template for any fresh vegetable soup. So commit this one to memory and you can make vegetable soup without thinking about it.
FRESH ASPARAGUS SOUP WITH MUSHROOMS OF THE SEASON
(serves 8)
To intensify the asparagus flavor, add half the reserved tips to the soup base five minutes before blending. The spinach puree adds color back to the soup; the spinach must be pureed separaely in the blender. Do not add the spinach to the soup and them blend it, otherwise it will remain in flecks and the soup will not be a uniform green, hence giving away your secret method of "coloring" it.
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion, cliced
- 3 pounds fresh asparagus spears
- 2 medium baking potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1.5 quarts chicken stock or water*
- 1 tablespoon salt
- pinch cayenne pepper
- 4 ounces (one small bunch) fresh spinach
- 1 cup skim milk or vegetable stock*
- 1 pound assorted seasonal mushrooms (morels, oyster,shkitake, chanterelle)
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Heat the olive oil in a four-quart saucepan. Add the onions and sweat over low heat until wilted, not colored. Meanwhile remove the tough end pices from the asparagus stalks (about 2 inches from the bottom) and discard. Remove the tips (2 inches from the top) and set aside.
Add the middle sections of the asparagus stalks to the saucepot, sweat 5 minutes, and add the chicken stock, potatoes, salt and garlic. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 45 minutes. Add the reserved tips and cook 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly.
Cut 1/2 of the reserved tips into pieces cut on the diagonal.
Then put them into rapidly boiling water. Cook until they are tender and then put them into ice-cold water to stop their cooking and preserve their color.
Place the spinach in two quarts of rapidly boiling salted water, then immediately remove and puree in the blender. You should have a smooth, vivid green paste. Set aside. In the same blender puree the soup. Add in the spinach puree, season to taste with salt and cayenne pepper and strain through a wide-mesh strainer or a china cap. Don't add all the liquid at once so that you can control the thickness of the soup.
Meanwhile saute the mushrooms and the minced shallots in the taplespoon of butter for five minutes or until wilted.
Add the fresh thyme leaves, season to taste and set aside.
When you are ready to serve, add the skim milk to the soup and gently reheat.
Arrange the cut asparagus spears and mushrooms in the bottom of the soup bowl and pour the soup over them.
This soup is incredibly fresh and flavorful. It could make your reputation as a fantastic cook.
*If you substitute water and evegetable stock for the liquid in this recipe, it becomes vegetarian and vegan .
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