Like so many others who are passionate about food, I cook according to mood and hankerings.
This isn’t such a complicated issue when each season settles into its groove.
Midsummer menus? Nightly hits of fresh-from-the-field corn, herb-laced tomatoes and grilled peppers are expected. Anything that produces powerful and dynamic meals in the shortest amount of time.
But once autumn hits its stride, I’m on to plump and juicy heads of roasted garlic, creamy mashed potatoes with caramelized onions, and apple cobbler.
Here’s one that fits the season:
HOT AND SOUR SOUP WITH FRESH CHANTRELLES
1 1/2cups (about) thinly sliced fresh chantrelle mushrooms (see note)
2tablespoons canola oil
Dash of sesame oil
7cups homemade or canned chicken broth
1/2cup rice vinegar
2tablespoons soy sauce
1-2teaspoons chile-garlic sauce
1cup chopped green onions (all the white and half the green portions of 6 onions)
11-pound block firm tofu, drained well and sliced into 1/2-inch long by 1/4-inch thick julienne strips
3eggs, lightly beaten
In a large pot, saute the mushrooms in the canola and sesame oils until the mushrooms are softened, about 1 minute. Add the broth, vinegar, soy sauce, chile-garlic sauce, green onions, and tofu.
Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce the temperature to medium-low, and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to give the flavors a chance to develop.
Adjust the seasonings, adding additional vinegar or soy sauce to balance the flavor as desired.
Just before serving, bring the soup back to a slow boil. While stirring the soup, slowly drizzle in the beaten eggs. They will cook quite quickly in the hot broth and blossom out into feathery strips and bits. Serve immediately.
Note: If chantrelles are unavailable, used 10 dried shiitake mushrooms. To reconstitute them for the recipe, place them in a deep bowl, cover with boiling water, and let sit for about 30 minutes, or until the mushrooms are soft and pliable. To keep the mushrooms submerged as they reconstitute, place a saucer or plate on top and weight it with a heavy object, such as a can or a coffee mug.
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
Jan Roberts-Dominguez is a Corvallis, Ore., food writer, cookbook author and artist. E-mail janrd@proaxis.com.
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