For the past two weeks, we have been watching green tomatoes and figs in the garden slowing growing plumper by the day. Delicate sweet pea tendrils reach out and wind their way around our makeshift string trellis. Green strawberries are getting big enough that their stems and starting to bend under their weight. Any day now, we'll have a bed full of blooming red roses and purple hysop. Everything in the garden is just on the verge of early summer fullness.
But not yet. Right now it's a little too chilly and rainy. And according to the weather man, it's going to stay this way for a little while.
So today, my first day off if about two weeks, I am hunkering down indoors with a bowl of soup. It's not what I think of when I think about the middle of May, but it feels pretty good right now anyway.
Puree of Sunchoke Soup with Creme Fraiche and Hazelnut Oil
I know. Creme fraiche? Hazelnut oil??? Not things most of us usually have lying around in the kitchen. You can make this soup without these garnishes and it will still be delicious. But I HIGHLY recommend getting your hands on some hazelnut oil. It's so very good, and it adds a whole layer of flavor to the soup. You can also use the oil to make a great salad dressing ( a la Michael Schwartz of the restaurant Michael's Genuine Food in Miami) with some OJ, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and a little finely chopped shallots. Just shake approximately equal amounts OJ and hazelnut oil together with half as much EVOO, a pinch of S+P, and bit of the shallots in a jar. It keeps in the fridge for at least 2 weeks, and it's great over sliced avocado, or even some simply steamed white fish. Store the hazelnut oil in the fridge after it's open. It will keep longer this way.
1 lb sunchokes, scrubbed and rinsed, cut into 1/3 inch thick sections
1 sprig rosemary, leaves removed and roughly chopped.
extra virgin olive oil
salt + pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs, I used equal parts rosemary and thyme
1 tsp crushed red pepper, or to taste
scant 1/2 tsp nutmeg
salt + pepper
1 cup of dry, appley wine, like Sauvignon Blanc
2 tbsp heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 400.
Heat about 3-4 tbsp of olive oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the sunchokes, rosemary (chopped leaves and the woody stem) and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Brown the sunchoke in the skillet for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a golden crust is visible.
Place the browned sunchokes in their skillet into the preheated oven. Cook for about 20 minutes until quite tender and easily pierced by a fork. At this stage, the skillet-roasted sunchokes would make a great substitution for traditional roasted potatoes. I always find it hard not to snack on them all while I wait for the rest of the soup to be ready. They're salty, herby, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Yum.
Heat the 1/4 cup olive oil in a large dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium heat. Add the shallot, garlic, herbs, red pepper, nutmeg and salt and pepper. Saute until the shallot begins to soften and become translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine, and simmer lightly until it reduces to about half. Add the sunchokes and stir to combine. Add just enough water to cover the sunchokes, then simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, add the heavy cream, and puree with an immersion blender or a standing blender. If using a standing blender, puree in batches and only lightly cover the top to allow steam to escape. Otherwise, the steam with cause the top to go flying off the blender, and soup with go everywhere.
Taste for seasoning. You may need to add a bit more salt, pepper, or nutmeg. When adding nutmeg, only add a tiny pinch at a time; a little goes a long way.Serve the soup hot with a dollop of creme fraiche, a drizzle of hazelnut oil, and a turn of freshly cracked pepper.
