Whole Roasted Cauliflower with Whipped Feta

AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS AT ROASTING a whole cauliflower, I finally met success with this method which begins by simmering the cauliflower in a flavorful broth. Afterwards, save the savory broth as a fantastic cooking liquid for soup and especially for grains.

Whole Roasted Cauliflower
1 whole cauliflower, leaves removed and stem trimmed
2 1/2 cups dry white wine
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. Kosher salt
Freshly squeezed juice from 1 lemon
1 Tbsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. vinegar
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 bay leaf
8 cups water

Bring wine, oil, salt, lemon juice, pepper, vinegar, sugar, bay leaf, and water to a boil in a large pot. Carefully lower the cauliflower into the liquid. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the cauliflower and simmer for another 10 minutes, until a knife can be easily inserted into the center.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 475 degrees and prepare the whipped feta.

Remove the cauliflower from the simmering liquid and drain. Place into a rimmed baking pan and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan half way through, until the orb is golden and beginning to char in places. If you want more char leave it longer or put under the broiler for a couple of minutes.

Transfer to a platter, drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Serve with whipped feta.

Whipped Feta
4 ounces feta cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup yogurt or sour cream

In a mixing bowl, mash feta with a fork until mostly smooth. In a separate bowl, whip cream until it is just barely holds peaks. Fold whipped cream and yogurt/sour cream into feta until combined.

Restorative Miso Soup

My husband and I went on a well needed getaway. We drove from beautiful Asheville, North Carolina to Augusta, Georgia without ever getting on an interstate highway. We took U.S. highway 25 through small towns and rural areas of South Carolina. Along the way we saw many not-yet-opened for the season stands promoting peaches and boiled peanuts. We saw dozens of antique stores which made Pritchard Parker very happy. We saw abandoned farmhouses and barns in various states of decrepitude. We saw sprawling McMansions. We drove through several quaint and beautifully maintained small towns.

And we drove through vast expanses of nothing but pine trees and straight, flat roads. (Which make Pritchard Parker nervous because he is so used to driving on the steep and curving roads in the mountains). We saw beautiful sunsets and a full moon rising, which was a special treat for us because we are not used to seeing the horizon.

Once home, after sleeping in a hotel room and eating restaurant food, as much as I enjoyed it, I wanted something simple and easy to cook; nourishing and grounding to eat.

Thus miso soup.

The miso I use is locally produced using ancient methods. The good news is that it is available nationwide through Great Eastern Sun and you can even order it from their website. (Not an affiliated link).

Miso is a high-protein, fermented soy product with a salty flavor which is very health-promoting. Miso is considered a living food, therefore, you never want to boil it. If your soup is not cloudy and moving around, the enzymes have been destroyed. Miso soup begins with a broth called Dashi which is made from Kombu and Bonito flakes.

Kombu is seaweed an edible ocean plant.

Bonito, a mackerel, is steamed, smoked, aged, dried to a wood-like hardness, and shaved into flakes.

Dashi is a very flavorful broth for cooking all kinds of foods. With some added soy sauce, it makes a wonderfully satisfying noodle broth.

For miso soup, I love using Japanese style silken tofu which is unlike the Chinese style tofu, packed in water, and found in produce departments. This tofu really does have a delicate and silken texture without the tangy taste. Find it on the grocery shelf in aseptic boxes.

Restorative Miso Soup
2 quarts dashi
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 scallions
2 carrots, peeled and sliced
2 bunches baby bok choy, sliced
6 Tbsp. traditional red miso
12 oz. silken tofu, cut into cubes

Bring dashi to a simmer. Ladle about 1 cup into a small bowl, add the miso and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Bring the remaining dashi back to a simmer and add the scallions, carrots, bok choy, letting them cook until barely tender. Add the tofu and the miso being careful not to boil the mixture. Once it is heated through, ladle into soup bowls and garnish with additional sliced scallions and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes.

Dashi
2 (4-inch) square pieces of kombu
2 quarts water
1 cup bonito flakes

Place the kombu in a large saucepan, cover with the water and soak for 30 minutes.

Place the pan over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Add the bonito flakes and simmer for 10 minutes. Strain the broth and return to the pan. Continue with the recipe.

Stone Soup

WE HAVE BEEN EATING A LOT OF SOUP around here lately. It is warming against the frigid temperatures we are having.

We are hosting another family, including a 5-year-old, in our home while they are in a transitional period. Although we are happy to do it, it does put a strain on our physical space not to mention our food budget. Soups are an economical and nourishing way to feed a crowd.

I called this one Stone Soup after the folk tale in which some hungry travelers with an empty pot stopped in a village for the night. In the tale, the travelers filled the pot with water, dropped in a stone and set it over a fire. Soon a villager contributed some carrots to flavor the stone soup, then another contributed and so on until a delicious soup was enjoyed by all.

That is sort of the way this soup was built. We all contributed and helped make it based on what we could find in the kitchen, including some leftover black-eyed peas from our New Year dinner.

Stone Soup
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
2 (15 oz.) cans chopped tomatoes
3 cups homemade vegetable stock
1/2 head cabbage, sliced
3 cups cooked black-eyed peas
Salt, pepper, basil and oregano to taste
Grated cheddar cheese

I started the soup by sauteing the onions, carrots, and celery in the olive oil, in a large soup pot. Then I added the potatoes. The next person came along and added the tomatoes and vegetable stock. Then the cabbage and peas were added. Pritchard Parker added the seasonings.

We let the soup simmer for a while, then topped with grated cheddar cheese, and served with cornbread. Soy sauce and hot sauce were available.

Delicious, healthful, warming, and satisfying.

Homemade Vegetable Broth

HOMEMADE VEGETABLE STOCK is a cinch to make and virtually free to use. It adds depth of flavor and a boost in nutrition to anything you cook. It can be used for cooking grains, beans, making soups, of course, and also for cooking other vegetables.  No cans of commercially prepared broth or stock to purchase. It tastes great, chilled, for a refreshing and restorative beverage.

Simply save, in the refrigerator, all the trimmings from the vegetables you use for a few days. Peelings, skins, trimmed ends from carrots and celery, papery skins from onions and garlic, stems from spinach and herbs, membranes from bell peppers, potato peels, apple cores, and lettuces all make delicious ingredients for broth.

I am very picky when it comes to prepping vegetables as I want them all to look perfect and beautiful. Saving the parts that are blemished and don't pass muster for plating, helps me feel exonerated from wastefulness.

For this batch, I used:

Spinach stems and a few leaves
Parsley stems
Garlic stem, peels, and inner small cloves
Shallot that no longer felt crisp and fresh
Peel and trimmings from fresh ginger
Celery stem ends and some leaves
Red and green bell pepper tops and membranes
Carrot stems and peels
Red onion skins and outer layer
Sea salt and peppercorns

Cover vegetables with fresh spring water and bring to a boil. Cover with a tight fitting lid, and remove from heat. Let the vegetables steep for about 15 minutes. Overcooking will make stock bitter, just like overcooking vegetables will. Experiment with different vegetables and herbs keeping in mind what you are likely to use the stock for.

Taste the stock and adjust seasonings, if desired. Strain and keep refrigerated.