DINNER TIME! Cream of Asparagus and Ham Soup

We've moved and we're no longer suburban. We'll now be known as The Cheapskate Rural Dweller since we live at least a half hour from anything that could be deemed a city or suburb.

Time to ease back into the blogging grind and we'll do it with a recipe.

It's been cold up here in Northern California and it's great soup weather. Here's one I came up with this week.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 bunch of asparagus
1 cup spinach
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 medium onion
1 medium pasilla chile
1/2 pound cubed ham
1/4 cup sherry
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon tarragon
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Start by putting a stock pot half full of water and 2 tablespoons of salt on the stove and bring to a boil. Cut the crown spears off of the asparagus.

Put in a strainer and hang in boiling water. Cut the rest of the asparagus into 2 inch lengths.

Slice the chile into strips, remove the seeds, and then cut into 1 inch squares.

After the asparagus crowns have boiled for 5 or 6 minutes, remove and set aside. Put the chile chunks , asparagus stalks, carrots, and spinach into the boiling water. Boil for 8 minutes and strain out all but one cup of water.

Put the boiled vegetables, the onion, and the one cup of reserved water into a blender and puree for 5 seconds.

Pour the mixture into a saucepan, add the sherry, garlic, parmesan cheese, and simmer for one hour. Stir every 5 to 10 minutes.

10 minutes before the simmer period is over, add the ham and asparagus spears.

5 minutes after turning off the heat, stir in the cream.

Serve and sprinkle the cheddar over the top.

Darryl Musick
Copyright 2019 - All Rights Reserved

DINNER: Three Part Cream of Asparagus and Ham Soup.

Sometimes, everything aligns and comes together perfectly. This recipe, which actually came to me in a dream, is one of those. It's appropriate, because this is one dreamy soup!

As the title suggests, this hearty soup is made in three parts , then cooked together to come into one fantastic whole.

INGREDIENTS
One bunch (approx. 1 pound) of asparagus
Three carrots
1 can chicken broth
8 oz. diced pancetta
3 oz. heavy cream
1 small, white onion
1 green onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup all purpose flour

The three parts to make are the vegetable base, the ham base, and the chicken broth. I'm making the vegetable and ham base ahead of time so at dinner, all I have to do is combine in a pot and cook.

Vegetable Base: Cut off the crowns of the asparagus and set aside. Cut the remaining stocks of asparagus into 1/2 to 1 inch lengths.  Peel the carrots with a potato peeler and also cut into the same lengths.

Put the asparagus and carrots into a steamer and steam for 10 minutes.

Take the steamed asparagus and carrots, put into the blender and add one cup of the broth in the bottom of the steamer and puree.

Steam the crowns for five minutes, Put the puree and the crowns into a sealable container and set aside in the refrigerator.

Ham Base: Take the green onion and chop up the green stalks to use as a garnish later.

Put the bulb and the small onion into a processor and chop finely.

Just like this...

The steamer I use is on top of a three-quart stock pot. I melt the butter in the pot and cook the onions until translucent in the butter, stirring the entire time (about 3 minutes).

Add the pancetta, salt, pepper, and garlic. Cook for another 15 minutes on medium/low stirring occasionally. The fat from the pancetta will render down and combine with the butter.

Put in a sealable bowl and in the fridge until you're ready to cook.

I want to cook outside today, so I'm using the side burner of my gas grill (I collect barbecues like some people collect art). The three parts...vegetable base, ham base, and chicken broth...are all put together in the stock pot and cooked on high until boiling.

Once a good boil is achieved, put the flame on low and stir everything together thoroughly.

Put a loose lid on, lower the heat to low, and simmer for half and hour, stirring occasionally.

Put the lid on tight, take off the flame and set aside for five minutes. Then, add the cream and stir in.

Sprinkle some shredded cheese and the chopped green onion stalks for garnish and flavor, then serve.

Tuesdays with Letty: 88 Noodle House, Arcadia

Home of the world famous Santa Anita Racetrack and the Arboretum, Arcadia has morphed into an upscale Asian neighborhood.  The San Gabriel Valley is famous for its Asian population and food stretching east from the epicenter of Monterey Park.  Those with money have gravitated over to San Marino and Arcadia. Fortunately, they've brought their food with them.

Across the street from the world famous Din Tai Fung dumpling house is our favorite place for Chinese soup, the 88 Noodle House.

While there is an extensive menu here, I come for one thing...beef tendon noodle soup.

These little bits of jellied cow floating in a spicy and savory broth are just irresistible. Imagine the best ribeye steak literally melting in your mouth and you get a hint of the taste.  Along with the noodles, spinach, and that tasty broth, it makes for a soup you'll remember to your grave.

Also, Letty likes to have the shrimp and pork dumplings that rival the famous ones people are lined up for across the street.

88 Noodle House is in a strip mall on Baldwin Avenue, just north of the corner of Baldwin and Duarte and about 4 blocks south of Santa Anita Mall.

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved