Veal Meat Ball Soup with Escarole

Veal Meat Ball Soup with Escarole
Recipe by Helen Ottobre
This soup is fairly time consuming, so making this large batch will probably give you leftovers. What you don’t use today can be frozen and reheated for those nights when you don’t have time to cook.

Veal meatballs

Ingredients
2 lb. ground veal
2 c. soft breadcrumbs
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1/2 c. onion, finely chopped
4 tblsp. fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teasp. salt
1 teasp. crushed garlic
1/4 teasp. freshly ground black pepper

Method:
Combine ground veal, breadcrumbs, egg, onion, parsley, salt, garlic and pepper, mixing lightly but thoroughly. (Mixture will be moist.) Shape into 36 (more or less) small 1/2 inch meatballs. Arrange in greased 15 x 10 inch jellyroll pan. Bake in 350 degree oven 15 minutes or until centers are no longer pink, turning once.

Veal Broth

Ingredients:
5 lb. Veal Bones, cut or split into 3 in. pieces
8 oz. Carrots, Rough Cut
8 oz. Celery, Rough Cut
1 lb. Onion, Rough Cut
8 oz. Tomato Puree
6 pc. Parsley Stems
2 1//2 Gallons Water
1 pc. Bay Leaf
6 pc. Peppercorns

Method:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the bones in a roasting pan and bake until they are golden brown — about 1 hour. Remove the pan from the oven and cover the bones with the carrots, celery and onion — bake again for another 1/2 hour. Remove bones and veggies from the roasting pan and place in a large stockpot, add the water (bones should be covered in water) and remaining ingredients. Do not wash the roasting pan yet. Add 2 cups of water to the pan and scrap with a metal spoon to remove the baked on goodies, add this liquid to the stockpot. Bring stockpot to a boil and reduce heat to simmer the stock. Using a ladle, skim the fat and impurities off the surface of the stock (repeat several times). Stock should simmer for at least 6 hours until it has flavor and brown color. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper. Strain off the stock into another container. This stock, of course, has many other uses.

Yield - 1 Gallon

1/4 lb. Parmesan cheese, grated
1 large head of escarole, washed and chopped into 1/4 inch chunks

Assembly:
In a large pot bring the stock to a boil and add the meatballs and escarole. Simmer about 20 to 30 minutes. Ladle into bowls and top with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 12 to 16 people

Tri Colored Gazpacho

Tri Colored Gazpacho

Ingredients:
1lb. each green, gold and red heirloom tomatoes
1 1/2 c. cucumbers seeded and chopped (8 oz.)
1 c. celery chopped (4 oz.)
2 c. red onion -- finely chopped (8 oz.1 medium)
2 cloves garlic minced (one teasp.)
1 c. ice water
4 tblsp. lemon juice
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 tblsp. sugar
1 tblsp. salt
1 1/2 jalapeno, flesh only chopped fine
1 1/2 teasp. Tabasco
Garnish
1/2 c. yogurt

Method;
Cut an x into the bottom of each tomato. Plunge tomatoes into boiling water for 30 seconds to loosen skins then immerse in ice water. Slip skins off.
You will need four bowls for the rest of the process.

Keeping the colors separate coarsely chop tomatoes then puree in a blender or food processor. Place purees in separate bowls.

Puree the remaining ingredients together (except the yogurt) and place in the fourth bowl. Add 1/3 of this mixture to each of the different colored tomato purees. Adjust the seasoning for each. To serve: spoon a little of each colored gazpacho into soup bowls (this is easier if you have a someone help you or you have three hands)

Garnish with yogurt.
 

Yield 6 to 8 portions

Fennel Soup

Fennel Soup

Ingredients:
2 tblsp. olive oil
1 red onion, peeled and diced small
1 or 2 cloves of garlic peeled and chopped finely

Fennel Soup, Ingredients, Continued:

1/2 lb. fennel bulb, trimmed and diced small (slice a few thin slices first for garnish and reserve in ice water).

1 c. white wine, chardonnay or sauvignon blanc.
1 c. vegetable broth, canned or your own homemade.
juice of 1/4 lemon
1 teasp. salt
a pinch of ground black pepper.
1/4 sweet red bell pepper, seeds and rib removed, diced fine.

1/2 baguette French bread

Method:
In a small soup pot, sauté the onion in olive oil slowly taking care not to brown. Add the garlic and continue for another minute. Trim off the excess green of the fennel and dice. Stir in the fennel and sauté for another minute. Add the white wine and vegetable broth. Simmer for 10 minutes. Puree with a stick blender ( the best tool for this job ) in the pot, puree in small batches in free standing blender. Return to the pot and season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the reserved fennel and diced sweet red pepper. Serve with warm bread.

Yield 4 cups

Corn and Pepper Chowder

Corn and Pepper Chowder

by Chef Ron Ottobre

This recipe is primarily a summer-oriented soup, though the produce used in it is usually available throughout the year.

I have had a love affair with fresh corn, this coming from an experience that I had during my first trip to Hawaii in the sixties. I was visiting a friend on the island of Oahu who was a caretaker of a pineapple ranch. He had a family garden and took me on a tour. There we picked and ate corn right off of the stalks. I had never tasted anything so sweet and delicious. I realized that relentless cooking of this vegetable was totally unnecessary.

Ingredients:
4 ears sweet corn, hulled from the ears
4 red bell peppers, seeded and diced
2 onions, skinned and finely chopped
4 stalks celery, diced
4 ounces sweet butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon leaf thyme
4 cups water or chicken stock
2 cups whipping cream
juice of 1 lemon
salt to taste
cayenne pepper to taste

Technique
In a 2 quart soup pot, melt the butter and saute the peppers, onions and celery. Cook over low heat until tender. Add the flour and mix well until the butter is absorbed. Add the water or vegetable stock a little at a time while stirring with a large spoon. Keep stirring until the soup begins to thicken, and the soup is simmering. Add the cream and bring to a soft boil. Season with the lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the corn. Simmer for an additional 2 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with sour cream or lime slices.

Yield 1/2 gallon, 6 to 8 portions

Tomato Basil Soup

Tomato Basil Soup

by Chef Ron Ottobre

The Tomato basil soup recipe is one of the most popular Mudd’s recipes. Most of the ingredients and techniques are the same as the Tomato-herb sauce. In fact if you are so inclined you could use the sauce as a base for the soup by simply pureeing and adding cream and more fresh chopped basil. It is important, however to add the basil last and not to over cook it so it retains it’s lovely color and taste.

Ingredients
1 cup chopped celery
1 fine chopped yellow onion
1 cup chopped carrots
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cups diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1 pinch white pepper
2 bunches fresh chopped basil leaves
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
4 cups whipping cream
salt and pepper to taste

Technique
Sauté vegetables and garlic slowly in olive oil for 10 minutes. Vegetables may be chopped in a food processor as long as they are not too fine. Add diced tomatoes (fresh skinned and seeded vine ripe tomatoes should be used when in season) . Add red wine. Simmer 2 hours over low heat. If the mixture is still hot be careful not to burn yourself, purée in small batches Return the puree to the soup pot and add cream, seasonings and basil. Bring to a light boil to finish.

Garnish with croutons, sour cream or creme fraîche

Yield 1 gallon or 16 servings

Chilled Cucumber Soup

Chilled Cucumber Soup
by Chef Ron Ottobre

Ingredients:

5 c. water
2 c. vegetable or chicken stock
12 cucumbers, peeled and sliced
1 1/2 tblsp. chopped dill
2 tblsp. chopped sorrel
1/4 c. lemon zest, chopped
flesh of 1 lemon (no membrane)
juice of 1 lemon

Method:
Bring water and stock to a boil. Lower heat and add cucumbers, dill, sorrel, lemon zest, membrane, and pulp; simmer until tender. Puree. Add juice and season with salt and white pepper. Chill at least 2 hours.

Yield 12 cups

Parsnip and Carrot Soup

Parsnip and Carrot Soup
by Chef Ron Ottobre

Ingredients:
1 lb. carrots peeled and diced
½ lb. parsnips peeled and diced
1 onion peeled and diced
2 or 3 ribs of celery diced
4 c. orange juice
1 c. water
juice and zest of 1 lemon
2 c. whipping cream

Method:
Place vegetables in a soup pot with a cover. Add orange juice and water.
Simmer slowly covered until the veggies are tender. Puree and adjust the seasoning with a squeeze of lemon, salt and pepper. Add the whipping cream and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes.

Yield 10 cups.

Persimmon, Pear and Parsnip Soup

Persimmon, Pear and Parsnip Soup

Ingredients:
4 tblsp. Canola oil (or other salad oil)
1 rib of celery (1/4 C. diced)
1 medium yellow onion (1 ½ c. peeled and diced)
3 small Fuju persimmons (1 ½ c. peeled and diced)
or 1 to 2 ripe Hachiya persimmons (1 1/4 c. of puree)
½ lb. parsnips (1 ½ c. peeled and diced)
2 small pears (1 ½ c. peeled and diced)
14 oz. vegetable stock (1 can)
2 c. water
1/8 teasp. Nutmeg
2 teasp. Kosher salt
6 oz. whipping cream
2 teasp. Lemon juice

Sour Cream for topping

Method:

In a 2 quart soup pot sauce sauté the celery and onion over medium heat until translucent. Do not brown. Add the remaining ingredients except the cream and lemon juice. Cover and simmer stirring occasionally for 20 minutes until all vegetables and fruit are very tender.
Puree with a stick blender, blender or food processor until smooth. (take caution as soup is hot)
Return soup to pot and add cream and lemon juice.
Check seasonings and adjust if necessary.
 

Ladle into soup bowls and garnish with a tablespoon of sour cream.
I fried up some julienned left over parsnip as an additional garnish.
 

Yield 8 to 10 cups — at least 8 portions

Pinto Bean Soup

Pinto Bean Soup

This recipe was given to me by my wife’s-aunt’s-maid Juanita, who lives in Cuernavaca, Mexico. However, her version was not quite as thick and hearty. This soup makes a great luncheon entree or dinner first course.

Ingredients:
4 cups cooked pinto beans covered with water

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion diced
1 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced celery
1 jalapeno diced fine
1/2 pound of ham diced fine
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
dried oregano
chili powder

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons melted butter or oil
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/2 pound grated cheddar cheese

2 corn or flour tortillas cut into strips
oil to fry

Method:
Either buy precooked pinto beans or make your own. Usually 1 1/2 to 2 cups of dry beans yield about 4 cups cooked beans.

Wash the beans and soak over night. Drain and cover with fresh, lightly salted water. Simmer for about 3 hours. Keep adding water if necessary, taking care not to let the water level go below the beans.

Sauté the vegetables in the oil until they are tender. Add them, the herbs and spices to the beans. Simmer for 1/2 hour more. In a separate sauce pan melt the butter and add the flour while stirring. Gradually add the milk as you stir. Cook the cream sauce over low heat until it bubbles. Combine the grated cheese with the sauce and stir until melted. Add the cheese sauce to the bean soup while mixing. Cook over low heat another 1/2 hour. If the soup is to thick add more water. Salt and/or pepper to your own taste.
Garnish with fried or baked tortilla strips

Yield 8 cups

Calamari Soup

Calamari Soup
By Helen Ottobre

Ingredients
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 tblsp. olive oil
8 cups canned tomatoes in juice
2 cups pitted green olives
2 lbs. cleaned calamari tubes and tentacles
2 cups dry white wine
1 tblsp. kosher salt

Method:
(You will need a very heavy duty soup pot for the long cooking time or a crock-pot.)
Chop the onion and garlic finely in a food processor. In a 1 gallon soup pot sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil stirring constantly until translucent. Clean the calamari and slice the bodies into rings. Puree canned tomatoes in a blender or food-processor, add to the sautéed onion – garlic mixture. Add the calamari, white wine, olives and salt. Bring to a slow simmer and cover. Cook at least 18 hours. I found that the best method is to bring everything to a boil and transfer every thing to a crock-pot and cook on low for 18 hours. The long cooking time will make the calamari very tender.

Serve with a baguette that has been sliced open and brushed with olive oil and either grilled or broiled.