Steel City Endurance Racing

Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Fall weather brings cyclocross bikes, cowbells, beer after races, and on those brisk nights, a nice, warm bowl of homemade soup! Here are a few recipes to try from Barb, my mom, and the New York Times. Enjoy!

Barb Grabowski’s  Soup for Sweater Weather

• 1 quart chicken broth *
• About 6 sun-dried tomatoes
• About 6 stalks swiss chard or kale.
• Small chicken breast
• 1/2 C white kidney beans

Heat one quart chicken broth to a simmer, add about 6 sun-dried tomatoes, cut in half if they are large; cut the stems from the swiss chard and tear into small pieces, then add to the broth; add the white kidney beans (your can get them canned); cut chicken into bite sized pieces and add.  Simmer for about 30 minutes until the swiss chard wilts and the chicken is cooked.   You can add carrots or celery if you like.

*  I make chicken broth a couple of different ways.  If I’ve roasted a chicken, I’ll use the carcass that still has some chicken meat on it.  If I don’t have a chicken carcass, I’ll use a couple of chicken leg quarters or 3-4 backs.  Put the carcass or the chicken pieces in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer, skim any crud that floats to the top.  Add 3-4 garlic cloves, 1/2 onion, chopped coursely, a carrot or two, and a stalk of celery if you have it.  Simmer for about 1 1/2 hours.  Strain the chicken and cooked vegetables so you have a broth.  Let cool and freeze or use for the soup.

—————————————————————–

Barb’s Pappa al Pomodoro

Here is another soup recipe for the team website.  I got it from Mark Mahan, whom I know from Andy Hampsten’s cycling trips.  Mark is originally from New York City but now lives in Tuscany with his physician wife and their daughter.  Mark ran his own bike touring company for a couple of years, and his colleague, Paolo Pancotti shared this recipe for tomato bread soup with us.  The italian name is “Pappa al Pomodoro” or “baby food of tomatoes.  It has become a late summer/early fall staple – when all the local tomatoes are available at the farmers market.  The recipe I have is in euro measurements i.e.  kilos and grams, so I have adopted it for the American system.  Like most soup recipes, it is quite forgiving and the quantities are flexible.

1 Kilogram (about 2 lbs) fresh ripe tomatoes.  I only use real tomatoes from my backyard or the farmers market.  I suspect you could make this using canned tomatoes, if it is the dead of winter and you just have to make it.

~300 grams  Italian or French bread, cut into small pieces.  This works out to be about 1/2 a loaf of the bread that I make – you will want to use a basic, rustic bread made with flour, water, yeast, maybe some salt.  Egg bread, commercial bread with dough conditioners, or preservatives, or rye breads won’t work.

garlic – as much or as little as you like.  I usually use 3-4 cloves.

Good quality olive oil.

1 pint warm vegetable or chicken stock.

Heat 4-6 oz olive oil and add crushed or minced garlic, cook for 1-2 min, then add the bread pieces/cubes and let the bread toast for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the pieces from getting too brown.  Skin the tomatoes and chop coarsely or squeeze in your hand, then add to the pot with the garlic and bread.  Stir about 5 minutes to mix together well, then add the warm stock.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes until the bread disintegrates and the soup takes on the texture of baby food.  Add a couple of basil leaves at the end and stir gently to mix the leaves in with the soup.  At that point you can either serve it warm or let it cool, then sit overnight in the fridge, reheat and serve the next day.  It seems to taste better the second day.  Sometimes I add a splash (about 1/4 C) of white wine at the very end for a bit of subtle flavor.  I will also grind some fresh pepper and maybe add a dash of course salt to the bowl of soup just before serving.

Buon Appetito !

—————————————————————–

Mom George’s adaptation of Dan Dickerson’s Brunswick Stew

This recipe was adapted from Southern Living magazine, and is a family favorite. It is easy to make, for those on a time crunch. If you start around noon or 1PM, it’ll be ready for the 4PM Steeler game half time…

• 1 stick butter
• 3 C chopped cooked chicken
• 3 C chopped potatoes (2 large baking potatoes)
• 1 C chopped onion (1 medium to large onion)
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans ready-to-serve chicken broth
• 2 (14.5 oz) cans stewed tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 pkg frozen lima beans
• 1 (17 oz) can cream-style corn (do not drain)
• 1 pkg frozen peas
• 1 bottle KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce (KC Masterpiece is gluten-free)

Melt butter over medium heat in very large saucepan. Add onion and saute until tender. Add chicken broth and heat to boiling, then reduce heat.

Add potatoes, chicken, tomatoes, corn, peas, lima beans, and barbecue sauce. Stir well. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook, covered for 1-2 hours. Stir occasionally (ever 15-20 minutes).

Serve with brown rice or cornbread or crusty French bread and fruit salad. A winner and complete meal in itself!

—————————————————————–

Puree of Shell Beans and Potato

by Martha Rose Shulman, NYT Recipes

This puree of fresh shell beans and potato is inspired by a signature dish from Apulia, in southern Italy, that’s made with dried, split fava beans and potato. The dish is traditionally served with cooked greens, but you can also offer it as a side dish or as an appetizer with bread. Use any type of bean for this. If you use scarlet runners, the puree will have a purple hue. In any event, it is best to serve the puree warm.

• 1 pound shell beans, shelled (about 1 3/4 cups shelled)
• 1 small onion, halved
• 3 to 4 large garlic cloves (to taste), peeled and crushed
• A bouquet garni made with a sprig each parsley and sage, and a bay leaf

Salt to taste

• 1 russet potato, about 10 ounces, peeled and diced
• About 6 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• About 1/4 cup broth from the beans (more to taste)
• Freshly ground pepper

1. Combine the beans, onion, garlic, bouquet garni and potato in a heavy saucepan or soup pot. Add enough water to cover by two inches. Add salt, and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 40 to 45 minutes, or until the beans and potato are tender. Taste and adjust salt. Remove and discard the onion and the bouquet garni. Drain though a strainer or colander set over a bowl.

2. Add enough bean broth to get a moist puree, beginning with 1/4 cup and adding more as needed, and stir again to incorporate. Taste, adjust salt and add freshly ground pepper. Heat gently in the pot, stirring, and drizzle a little more olive oil over the top. Serve warm.

Yield: Serves 6.

Advance preparation: You can make this up to a day ahead, but it will stiffen. Save some of the bean broth for thinning out when you reheat.

Martha Rose Shulman can be reached at martha-rose-shulman.com.

—————————————————————–

Note to Steel City Endurance Athletes, do you have a favorite chili recipe? Coming online this winter: Steel City Chili cookoff…  Calling all recipes!