A light and fresh, healthy summer soup. I serve it as a starter in a small glass, but it can also served as part of a summer buffet in individual portions. It is eaten cold, but if course, nothing wrong with it being served warm. Like all soups, it is so diverse in it’s use and depends entirely upon the desires of the cook/host. If you want a riche, heartier soup, use cream instead of milk. I enjoy the natural sweetness of the peas with the freshness of garden mint. You might like to use sorrel in the place of the mint, or spinach with marjoram and pine nuts in the place of pistachios…be creative, play around with fresh ingredients, keep it simple and keep it healthy.

Peas and mint cappucino

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 250 g of shelled fresh peas or fozen peas
• about 12 mint leaves
• 2 cups of water
• an organic vegetable stock cube
• 2% milk or cream
• a few pistachio nuts, shelled
• lemon juice to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Sauté the shallot in some olive oil until transparent, don’t brown it.
2. Add the peas, add the stock, made from the water and vegetable stock cube.
3. Bring to the boil and sommer over gentle heat for about 10 minutes. Add the mint leaves and simmer another minute or two.
4. Remove from the heat and let it cool down a bit. Mix in a blender until smooth. If you really want a velouté, you can pass through a sieve.
5. Season with salt and pepper, some lemon juice to taste.
6. Add some milk or cream if you want a thinner soup.
7. Leave aside to cool down and refigerate if you want to serve it cold. I can be reheated at a low heat if you want to serve it warm.
8. Serve in a small glass and top with a scoop of milk froth: Use a whisk, or milk frother or even the frother of your coffee machine to make the froth. The milk froth can be substituted for whipped cream for a richer version.
9. Sprinkle some ground pistacho nuts over the froth topping, along with a touch of freshly ground pepper and decorate finally with a small mint leaf.
10. Serve with toast triangles.

Commentaires

–>Bonjour Ronell,
I’m Susan. I tagged Jeanne then noticed that she tagged you. Just wanted to say hi and let you know I really like your blog. The addition of pistachios in your pea soup really takes it to the next level.

Posté par Food Blogga, 27-07-2007 à 23:25

Poached eggs in a red wine sauce

This is probably a dish more fit for winter, but I love a poached egg and I love a red wine sauce, which we use frequently for a multitude of dishes, so we often enjoy this meal, winter or summer. It can be served as a starter or main course, consider even using some quail eggs if used for a starter.

It’s origins lie in Burgundy, a heartwarming rustic meal, to be served with some crusty bread and accompanied with the wine you’ve used in your sauce. I don’t give any specifications for the wine, but I’m leaving you with my motto: If you can’t drink the wine, you can’t cook with it either!

There are as many versions of this recipe as there are for all the classic recipes , so here is mine, worked out in the cooking class a few years ago with my good friend Lisa, who now cooks and entertains in Chicago. She had weak knees when it comes to Oeufs en meurette …and a good croissant! The eggs we could make, the croissants we simply bought at our favorite boulangerie.

Poached eggs in red wine sauce

(Oeufs en meurette)

• 1/2 cup of chopped bacon
• 1 small carrot, peeled and cut into dice
• 2 shallots, peeled and chopped
• 1 branch of celery, chopped
• a sprig of thyme and rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• some olive olive oil and butter for sauteeing
• 500 ml of a full bodied red wine
• 1 tablespoon fo butter
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 4 eggs at room temperature
• a tablespoon of white wine vinegar
• a clove of garlic
• a baguette
• salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Sauce: In a saucepan, add the olive oil en butter and saute the bacon with the carrots, shallots, celery, garlic, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves until the shallots are just transparent, don’t brown. Add the red wine and simmer until reduced by 1/2.
2. Blend the butter and flour to a paste(beurre manié).
3. Strain the wine and bring it back to a simmer.
4. Whisk the beurre manié into the sauce, little by little, while continuing whisking until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of cream. Remove from the heat and keep warm.
5. Eggs: Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, add the tablespoon of vinegar. Carefully break the egg one at a time into a cup and slide gently into the boiling water, to prevent baking. Poach the eggs for 2 minutes, or until the whites are opaque. Gently lift the eggs from the water, dry on a plate covered with kitchen towel and cut off the fringes of the egg white.
6. While the eggs are poaching, rub 4 slices of baguette with the clove of garlic and grill/toast under the grill.
7. To serve: Place a slice of toast on each plate, top with a poached egg and carefully spoon the red wine sauce around the egg.
8. Finish off with some salt and freshly ground pepper and decorate with a sprig of herb. Serve immediately  with some more bread on the side.

                                                                   Serves 4 people

I’m entering this recipe for Waiter, there is something in my …sauce! of which Andrew is host.