The chilly evenings of late September bring thoughts of the coming holidays, from Rosh Hashanah to Columbus Day and Thanksgiving. All three holidays are celebrations of new beginnings and renewals of faith in all that is to come.
I often like to explore the lighter side of holiday meals and feature selections from the farm stand that are symbolic for the occasion. With so many traditions surrounding the foods eaten during Autumn celebrations, the choices abound. Apples and honey are eaten for Rosh Hashanah to start off a “sweet new year”, along with pomegranates and other harvest fruit, which I include in my holiday menu. Your guests will begin their dinner with a delicious soup called Sopa de Prasa, a creamy leek bisque in roast chicken or garden stock, pureed to a silky finish with a pinch of salt and nutmeg. I hope you will enjoy this flavorful, low calorie, low-carb, dairy-free holiday dinner.
The Menu
Sopa de Prasa, creamy leek bisque
Mini Empanadas with butternut squash or another type of pumpkin
Sweet Harvest Salad
Orange and Honey-glazed Roasted Chicken with Cilantro
7 herb Gardener’s Herb Orzo
Baked Stuffed Zucchini
And for dessert, Fresh Figs in Rosemary-infused Honey.
Recipe for the Soup
Sopa de Prasa, creamy leek bisque
3 tbsp. local extra virgin olive oil
5 sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
5 cups stock, whatever your preference
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 head of fresh, local cauliflower, chopped and boiled (reserve the water)
Salt and white pepper
One small pinch of nutmeg
Preparation:
In a large pot, heat the extra virgin olive oil over low heat. Add the leeks and sauté, stirring often, until tender–about five minutes. Add the wine and cook for 2 minutes more. Add your stock, then the cauliflower. Cover and simmer gently until the vegetables are tender–about 30 minutes.
Remove your pot from heat, and set aside to cool. Once cool, purée in small batches to avoid a glue-like texture, using a standard blender or hand-held immersion blender. Once the soup is puréed, you can add your milk. Remember that this is a bisque and should have a lighter consistency–not heavy like a chowder. Season to taste, using the pinch of nutmeg, salt, and ground white pepper. Ladle into soup bowls and serve immediately.
Try this soup with a sangria of Red Fern Cellars 2005 Chardonnay, a kosher wine with aromas of orange blossom and citrus, and flavors of green melon and pear. Whether in a sangria or on it’s own, this chardonnay is a crisp, kosher accompaniment to the light leek bisque.
