Recipe Talk

We were served this as an hors d'ouvre at a Bed and Breafast inn.
It has a delicate flavour with a background mild spice.
Would love to be able to make it.

Pear Soup Recipe courtesy Michael Chiarello





6 pears
3 tablespoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
Gray salt
Blue Cheese Bruschetta, recipe follows

Preheat broiler.
Peel, halve and core the pears. In a large bowl, toss pears with lemon juice to prevent oxidization. Melt butter in an ovenproof skillet over medium-low heat, let cook until butter begins to brown. Add sage to butter, allow to caramelize. Add brown sugar and a pinch of salt. Add pears to mixture, and roll them around to coat thoroughly.

Broil pears in skillet, stirring occasionally, until pears are light brown, about 15 minutes.

Puree pears and brown butter mixture in a blender until smooth. Pour into room temperature soup plates and serve with Blue Cheese Bruschetta. If preparing ahead of time, refrigerate and reheat slightly before serving.

Blue Cheese Bruschetta:
1 loaf walnut bread or raisin bread
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese, crumbled
Preheat broiler.

Slice loaf into finger-wide slices. Cover each slice with butter, then top with blue cheese. Place bread on cookie sheet and broil, with the door open, until the cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds.

Yield: 5 to 8 servings

Recipe Summary
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Yield: 5 to 8 servings
User Rating:

The Epicurean Table - www.epicureantable.com
vegetable soup - cauliflower and pear soup with broccoli

t=teaspoon T=tablespoon

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Cauliflower and Pear Soup with Broccoli Florets

An unusual combination of ingredients is the secret to this tasty soup. Toasted almonds impart a delicious, nutty touch. Served in small portions it is suitable as an appetizer.

serves 4 generously

1/4 head cauliflower (ca. 250 g.)
100 g. sm. broccoli florets
1 sm. onion
1 sm. ripe pear
1 leek (white part)
500 ml. vegetable broth
250 ml. milk or unsweetened almond milk
1 T. butter
1 T. fine oatmeal or instant
75 g. toasted almond flakes
salt, white pepper
50 g. low fat cream cheese or other soft cheese
1 rounded T. crème fraîche

Clean the cauliflower and trim the stem if necessary (allow only a few inches for the soup - see note). Break into large pieces and cook with any broccoli stems in the vegetable broth until al dente.

Melt the butter in another pot. Chop the onion and leek and sauté for 10 minutes. Add the chopped pears. Whisk the milk, oatmeal, and almonds before adding to the pot. Stir, bring to the boil and lower heat. Continue to simmer for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, steam the broccoli florets for 5 minutes. Set aside. Add the cheese and crème fraîche and season with salt and pepper. Use a puree wand (immersion blender) and puree until smooth. If using a blender, allow to cool 10 minutes before pouring into blender and returning to pot.

Add the florets, adjust seasoning if necessary and gently reheat without allowing to simmer.

Notes: Adding none or very little of the stem reduces the ‘gastro-intestinal' problems some persons have with such vegetables! Toasting the almonds first imparts a delicious flavour. This soup can also be made with broccoli instead of cauliflower. Substitute equal amounts. Unsweetened almond milk is a delicious substitute for the milk.

Serve in deep bowls. A rosé wine goes nicely with this or a not too dry white. For a filling lunch add a salad and a hardy, thick slice of bread.