Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Weekly Cooking (and related issues) Thread

Posted on 02/22/2018 4:20:07 PM PST by Jamestown1630

When I was young and single, I rented part of an older lady’s house for many years. She had children who had become vegetarians, and was always hunting for something meatless but special to make for holidays. One Christmas she made this Dilled Vegetable-Barley Soup, from Molly Katzen’s ‘Enchanted Broccoli Forest’; it became one of my favorite recipes, and Katzen’s book one of my all-time favorite cookbooks. If you aren’t averse to the wine, add it, as it really brightens the soup; but the recipe is still very good without it. I’ve never used the fennel in this recipe, but you may want to include it. (In my experience, this soup freezes well.)

Dilled Vegetable-Barley Soup

1/2 cup uncooked pearl barley

5 1/2 cups water, divided, more if needed

2 to 3 tablespoons butter or canola oil

2 cups minced onions

1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt

1 bay leaf

2 medium-size carrots, diced

1 medium-size rib celery, minced

1 pound mushrooms, chopped

4 cups water or broth

6 tablespoons dry white wine, optional

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 tablespoons minced fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dillweed

1/2 cup minced fresh fennel, optional

2 large cloves garlic, minced

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Optional toppings: Sour cream or yogurt; toasted sunflower seeds; minced fresh parsley or chives or combination

Place the barley and 1 1/2 cups water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook about 30 to 40 minutes, until tender.

Melt the butter or heat the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven. Add the onions, salt and bay leaf and cook over medium heat until the onions begin to soften, for 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the carrots, celery and mushrooms, and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Add 4 cups water, the wine if desired, lemon juice and cooked barley. Lower the heat to a quiet simmer. Cover and let the mixture bubble peacefully for about 30 minutes. The soup will thicken -- you might want to add more water.

Shortly before serving, stir in the dill, fennel if desired, garlic and black pepper. Taste to adjust the seasonings. Serve hot with all, some or none of the optional toppings.

___________________________________________

While thinking about barley soup, I happened to find ‘The Dragon’s Kitchen’, the website of a blogger from Ontario, who made a project of re-creating recipes from the menu of the Titanic. They include a ‘cream of barley soup’ which looks very comforting:

http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/2012/01/cream-of-barley-soup.html

And here’s a link to the page about the ‘Titanic Project’:

http://www.thedragonskitchen.com/search/label/Titanic%20Project

-JT


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Food; Hobbies
KEYWORDS: barley; soup; titanicmenu
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-157 next last
To: SkyDancer

I hope you get something good to eat :-)


21 posted on 02/22/2018 5:59:48 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: leaning conservative

I have several of her cookbooks now. They’re all very good.


22 posted on 02/22/2018 6:01:55 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Well right now we’re at 35,000 feet heading to Atlanta. The accommodations at Hartsfield airport is sorta okay, food is airport quality. I usually get a good nights sleep.


23 posted on 02/22/2018 6:07:00 PM PST by SkyDancer ( ~ Just Consider Me A Random Fact Generator ~ Eat Sleep Fly Repeat ~)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Weren’t there bad feelings & maybe legal wrangling because the rest of the collective thought she had no business publishing what they thought were recipes the group owned?

First world earthy/crunchy problems ; )
But she sure was successful!


24 posted on 02/22/2018 6:28:00 PM PST by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 22 | View Replies]

To: leaning conservative

I don’t know about that. I’ve never paid much attention to restaurant/cooking-world ‘dish’. I just pick up on chefs, cooks or books that seem interesting, and try the recipes.


25 posted on 02/22/2018 6:36:34 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Who needs a recipe..!

Leftover ham.
Beans (canned, cooked dried).
Canned tomatoes (I have 75+ home grown quarts in the basemen - ha!).
Carrots.
Pressed barley (uncooked).
Oatmeal (uncooked).
Rice (uncooked).
Taters (uncooked).
Okra (home grown - I cook my okra *separately* and add to taste to the cooked soup)
Half a cup of homemade young nappa kimchi (if, IF you’re to that level of cooking)

Indian spices are good seasoning for this soup. Arhar Dal is my favorite (I have LOTS of Indians spices in my pantry)

I don’t measure anything. I hardly measure even when baking.


26 posted on 02/22/2018 6:58:18 PM PST by Original Lurker
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Kept reading down the recipe, looking for where the protein came in..............


27 posted on 02/22/2018 7:03:18 PM PST by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: doorgunner69

Well, it wasn’t the entire meal, and these were not modern-day ‘vegans’, but old-school vegetarians who ate dairy. And you CAN get all of your essential aminos by combining non-meat items.

(Mushrooms are incredibly healthy, by the way...)


28 posted on 02/22/2018 7:12:13 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 27 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

I make a cream of barley soup, but mine’s simpler. Simmer the barley in chicken broth until tender. Add a can of cream of chicken soup. Bring it backup to a boil. Done!

If you toast the barley in a dry pan first, it adds and extra dimension to the flavor.


29 posted on 02/22/2018 7:30:49 PM PST by Ellendra (Those who kill without reason cannot be reasoned with.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Ellendra

I’ll remember the part about toasting - Thanks!


30 posted on 02/22/2018 7:35:31 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 29 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

Very curious about this. I never had this cookbook but I sure heard a lot about it. I guess it is all vegetarian. I’d like to make it.

Here is a barley soup from Switzerland. Always served in cold winter alpine towns.

http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/bunder-gerstensuppe-swiss-barley-soup-457543


31 posted on 02/22/2018 7:37:28 PM PST by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630

You are right that even with no protein the best way to have a tomato sandwich is grabbing the mato warm off the bush, slicing it, and eating it with mayo between slices of good bread. But I have upped the protein by sticking a sharp flaky slice of cheddar in there, that works.

And yes, with (turkey) bacon, lettuce, and mayo is also a great way to enjoy fresh toms.


32 posted on 02/22/2018 7:39:55 PM PST by Yaelle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: mylife
Al Franken? LOL

Ya know, Franken's been holding a hotdish cookoff for the MN congressional delegation for a number of years.

You could probably look up the pdfs for each year, and see if any of them can exceed Fauxcahontas's plagiarism of NYT food columns. (or more likely the Rival recipe book included with Crockpots.)

33 posted on 02/22/2018 7:40:12 PM PST by Calvin Locke
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630
I hear you, no doubt good side of meat was on the table. Never gave any credence to that vegan "combination" crap.

Beans/rice/corn needs meat or fish.

That said, made up a big pot of chicken posole tonight, properly seasoned per the chef, AKA Doorgunner. A few serranos, etc.

Notes to the recipe: needs a lot more hominy.

34 posted on 02/22/2018 8:31:39 PM PST by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 28 | View Replies]

To: doorgunner69

LOL!

Your posole sounds very good, doorgunner. That’s a dish I haven’t gotten around to yet; but hominy fried in bacon grease was one of our faves when I was a kid.


35 posted on 02/22/2018 8:37:57 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 34 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630; All
Lady Bender made this big pot of Beef Short Ribs early this week and Mr Bender has had at least 4 meals out of it so far...

IMG_7065

36 posted on 02/22/2018 8:55:03 PM PST by tubebender
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jamestown1630
Posole the SW way not for most eastern palates, for sure.

Funny thing about hominy. Never had it until my father was transferred from Calif to a little VA hospital in SE Colorado.

The school cafeteria served it when I was in maybe 2nd grade. I loved those big chunks. Looking for it at our Safeway, all over the canned vegetable stuff. Finally thought to look in the Mexican section. What about hominy is Mexican???

Thought hominy grits was southern?

37 posted on 02/22/2018 9:03:08 PM PST by doorgunner69 (Give me the liberty to take care of my own security..........)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 35 | View Replies]

To: tubebender

That looks very good, ‘Bender.


38 posted on 02/22/2018 9:06:08 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 36 | View Replies]

To: doorgunner69

Mexicans eat massive amounts of corn.

They soak the corn kernels in lime and water to make the corn. Then grind it to make the masa which makes corn tortillas which are a main source of nourishment in Mexico. The soaked corn also goes to make posole soup which is one of the national dishes.

The lime soaked corn is the main ingredient in tamales too.

Actually, Mexico is incredibly beautiful. Until all of the drug problems in the country I used to be in love with Michoacan. Deep red rich earth, huge pine trees with orchids growing and blooming in them. Lots of Mexican places are gorgeous. It is very poor with corrupt politics.

Yes, I wish they would go back home. I wish I felt safe enough to visit again.


39 posted on 02/22/2018 9:13:24 PM PST by BunnySlippers (I love Bull Markets!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: doorgunner69

‘Grits’ and ‘Hominy Grits’ can be considered different products. But it’s all corn (maize, maiz), so it’s native to Mexico.

(Our word ‘corn’ originally referred to just about any cereal grain, and began to be transferred to maize after the discovery of the New World.)


40 posted on 02/22/2018 9:13:58 PM PST by Jamestown1630 ("A Republic, if you can keep it.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 141-157 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson