Portuguese? yes please!

This week was Jeff’s turn to host soup night. His menu was inspired by his recent trip to California. Jeff was “stuck” in San Diego when Chicago got hit with a blizzard. After eating out for 8 days straight, a good friend of the Schneider’s, Skippy, invited him to a dinner party with his friend Carlos. Carlos made an authentic Portuguese Kale Soup. This week Jeff tried to recreate this soup from memory, and he didn’t stop there. He made several other Portuguese dishes to accompany it. Enjoy!

Menu
Garlic Dip
Roasted Tomato, Pepper and Cucumber Salad
Kale Soup
Zucchini, Ham, Basil and Ricotta Fritters
Apple Fritters

Garlic Dip

Ingredients
8oz cream cheese
3/4 cup Greek yogurt
6 garlic cloves mashed
2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce.

Directions
Mix and serve with chips.

Roasted Tomato, Pepper and Cucumber Salad
Serves 4
*adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
3 plum tomatoes
1/4 olive oil
1 cucumber, peeled
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tsp chili paste
Salt and pepper

Directions

Turn the broiler on, and set the red and green bell peppers underneath. Cook, turning occasionally, until lightly blackened on all sides. When done, place in a small plastic bag and let steam for a few minutes. Repeat with the tomatoes, but first lightly coat in olive oil. They will cook much quicker. Remove when lightly blackened all over and let cool on a tray. 



While the bell peppers and tomatoes cool, slice the cucumber into 1/2 inch thick slices. Set on a rack or on a paper towel, and sprinkle lightly with salt. Let them sit for 20 minutes or so until they release some water. Dry with paper towels. 



Remove the bell peppers from the plastic bags when cooled. Peel off the skin, remove the stems, and chop into 1-inch squares. Repeat this process with the tomatoes, discarding most of the pulp. 



Toss the chopped bell peppers, tomato, and cucumbers in a large bowl. Add the chopped cilantro, olive oil, red wine vinegar, and chili paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Eat right away, or let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes for the flavors to really marry.

Kale Soup
*adapted from Carlos

Ingredients
6 garlic cloves, mashed
4 tbs. olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 lbs precooked cubed yokon gold potatoes
1.5 liters vegetable broth
1 bushel of kale, chopped
1 16 oz. can kidney beans
salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste

garnish

chorizo, browned

chopped onions

Directions
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add garlic and onions, cook until they begin to brown. Add potatoes and vegetable broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and immersion blend. 

Add kale, cook for 2 minutes. Immersion blend. Add kidney beans, and cook until warm. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to taste. 

Garnish with chorizo and raw onion. Serve with crusty bread.

Zucchini, Ham, Basil and Ricotta Fritters

*adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients

1 cup self-rising flour, sifted


2 eggs


1 1/2 tbs butter, melted 

1/3 cup milk


Sea salt and cracked black pepper


1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese


1/4 cup torn basil leaves


2 2/3 oz. ham, cubed

1 zucchini, cut into long, thin strips


Vegetable oil for shallow frying

Directions
Place the flour eggs, butter, milk, salt and pepper in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Fold through the ricotta, basil, ham and zucchini. Place two tablespoon of the oil in a small frying pan and heat over medium heat. Add half of the mixture to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until bubbles appear on the surface. Set aside.

Add another two tablespoons of the oil and repeat with the remaining batter. Cut into wedges to serve.

Apple Fritters
*adapted from Cuisine

Ingredients
3 apples
3 tbsp castor sugar
60ml Anise del Mono or Sambuca
2 eggs
½ cup castor sugar
½ cup milk
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1½ cups plain flour
1½ tsp baking powder
vegetable oil for frying

Directions
Peel, core and thinly slice apples in rounds of about 3mm. Sprinkle with sugar and pour over the anise liqueur. Toss and allow to stand for 1 hour.

In a bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, milk, olive oil and cinnamon. Sift in the flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Leave to stand for 30 minutes. The mixture should then be a thick batter - if too thick adjust with a little more milk.


In a frying pan, heat enough oil to shallow-fry the apples. When the oil is very hot, dip the apple slices, one at a time, into the batter, remove and gently slide into the hot oil. Cook a few at a time, until puffed and golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels and dust with powder sugar. Serve with ice cream.

Beer and Wine Served

Bayou-tiful

Soup night is back! This week I, Juliana, went and I made a Creole inspired menu. Red Beans and Rice is a Creole side dish staple. I took a new approach to this classic dish and made it into a soup. I turned out great, however next time for the okra salad I am going to chopped the okra into smaller pieces or bread it. In case you didn’t know, okra is very gooey.

Menu
Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

Seared Okra Salad
Red Beans and Rice Soup
Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Jalapeno Cheddar Corn Bread

Ingredients
Jiffy Cornbread Mix
½ cup Cheddar Cheese
Jalapeno, seeded and minced

Directions
Follow directions on the back of the box, but before you put the batter in the greased pan add jalapeno and cheddar cheese. Pour the batter in the pan, and top with additional cheddar cheese and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake cornbread according to the directions on the box.

Seared Okra Salad
*adapted from the food network

Ingredients

2 tbs red wine vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. finely chopped parsley

1/2 small clove garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Dash Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 pound small okra pods, topped and tailed

2 small heads Boston lettuce, separated into leaves

Mixed greens

I red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into fine julienne

Directions

In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, salt, pepper, parsley, and garlic. Drizzle in the olive oil in a thin stream, whisking constantly, until it is completely emulsified. Stir in Tabasco.

In a large saucepan, bring a generous amount of water to the boil. Plunge in the okra and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and pat dry with paper towels. In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Toss in the okra and sear it, tossing frequently, for about 1 1/2 minutes, or until golden. Set aside for 5 minutes to cool.

Arrange the lettuce leaves and mixed greens in a large serving bowl and scatter the okra on top. Pour the dressing over, toss together and scatter the red pepper julienne on top.

Red Beans and Rice Soup
Serves 6
*adapted from Cook’s Illustrated

Ingredients

1 tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

1 chipotle in adobo sauce, minced

1 tsp. paprika

¼ tsp. cayenne pepper

salt and pepper

8 cups vegetable broth

2 green peppers, stemmed, seeded, and chopped

1 jalapeno, seeded and minced

2 bay leaves

1 cup long-grain rice

1 tsp. red wine vinegar

1 can small red beans, drained and rinsed

3 scallions, sliced thin

12 oz. andouille sausage

Directions
In a large pot heat olive oil, add onion and celery and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, paprika, cayenne, chipotle peppers, salt and pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add broth and bring to a boil. Once the broth is boiling, add peppers, rice and vinegar. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, cook until rice is cooked, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile in a skillet sauté andouille sausage until cooked about 5 minutes. Place sausage on a paper towel lined plate to cool. Once the rice is cook, add beans and heat through. Remove from heat and remove bay leaves. Garnish soup with sausage and scallions.

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies
*adapted from Doughmesstic

Sea Salt Caramel
Ingredients
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup sugar
2 tbs. light corn syrup
1 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 cup sour cream

Directions
In a small saucepan, combine the cream and the salt. Simmer over very low heat until the salt is dissolved. set aside.

In a medium saucepan combine the sugar and corn syrup carefully. They will not combine well until the sugar begins to melt. Cook over high heat until an instant-read thermometer reads 350 degrees, 6 to 8 minutes. Without a thermometer, just pull the sugar off the heat when it is a medium goldish brown – it will continue to cook in the heat of the pan. Better to pull it too early than too late. Remove from the heat and let cool for one minute.

Add the cream mixture and the vanilla to the sugar mixture. Whisk in the sour cream. Let the caramel cool to room temp, then follow the brownie instructions. Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate any leftover caramel. it makes a great ice cream topping or tastes great straight out of the jar.

Brownies
Ingredients
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
pinch salt
3 Tbs Chocolate Syrup
half of the above caramel recipe

Directions
Preheat oven to 325F.

Melt Chocolate and butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, and vanilla, and mix until well combined. Add flour, salt, chocolate syrup and chocolate mixture and blend well. In a greased 8×8 pan, pour a little over half of the brownie batter and bake for 18 minutes.

Remove from oven and pour in the caramel. On top of the caramel, add the rest of your brownie batter. If it doesn’t pour smoothly, just plop it in a swirl it around a little bit. Return to oven and bake for another 18-22 minutes. Brownies will still appear a little shaky, due to the caramel, but they will firm up once cooled. Do not overbake. Serve with ice cream and additional caramel sauce.

Beer and Wine served

Snowed In Chowder

Well if you live under a rock you may not know, but Chicago got hit with a massive blizzard on Tuesday night. Which unfortunately turned the Souperstars into shut ins, canceling our weekly soup night. I was able to rummage around my cupboards and find some great ingredients for some chowder. So here you go, a great Butcher Block recipe of what I’m affectionately naming Snowed In Chowder.

Snowed In Chowder
Serves 8

*adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Ingredients
4 slices bacon, chopped
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
8 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 medium onion, minced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. minced fresh thyme leaves
½ cup flour
2-3 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
½ jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, and minced
1 cup heavy cream
2 tbs. minced fresh parsley leaves
salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 375. Cook chicken with olive oil and place in an oven safe dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until cooked thoroughly. Remove from oven and set aside. Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until and crisp and rendered, about 5 to 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer half the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.

Add onion to bacon left in pot and cook until it begins to brown. Stir in garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, stir in flour, and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in broth, scraping up any brown bits, and smoothing out any lumps. Stir in sweet potatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 min. Add peppers, and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Shred the chicken that is set aside, add to pot, and heat through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with reserved bacon.

Hey Mambo!

Hey everybody! This week for Juliana’s Butcher Block, I made Pasta Fagioli. It was excellent, and extra meaty. Enjoy!

Pasta Fagioli
Serves 6
*adapted from Epicurious

Ingredients

extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small onion, roughly chopped
½ fennel bulb, chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or more to taste
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
4 oz. prosciutto
1 lb spicy Italian sausage
5 canned whole San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand
Kosher salt
2 cans cannelloni beans
8 cups chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 piece parmesan cheese rind, plus 1/2 cup grated parmesan, and more for topping
2 cups whole wheat small pasta, such as shells or ditalini
1 bunch kale, stems and ribs discarded, leaves chopped
1/4 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground pepper

Directions
In a large pot brown Italian sausage. Remove the sausage, but leave the drippings. Cook the prosciutto for about 3 minutes. Add olive oil if needed. Add the garlic, onion, fennel, red pepper flakes, and rosemary, and cook 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes; season with salt. Add broth, the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a different pot cook pasta to al dente. I like to keep the pasta separate, otherwise the noodles absorb too much of the broth. Also drain and rinse the beans. Bring the soup to a boil, by increasing the heat. Add the kale and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 5 to 6 more minutes. Add the beans and sausage.

Remove the bay leaves and parmesan rind. Add the grated parmesan, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. When serving divide the noodles among the bowls, and ladle the soup onto it. Top with parmesan.

The Soup of the Union

Even with the state of the union, the souperstars still made time for soup. This week Kaitlin hosted soup night. She put together a great fruit inspired menu, with pomegranate, apricots, and blood oranges. I don’t know about you, but when I hear pomegranates, I always think of the Greek myth of Persephone, how eating pomegranate seeds sealed her fate as queen of the Underworld, and also explains the turning of the seasons. I wish the seasons would turn a little faster. Chicago has been brutal.

Menu
Kale and Pomegranate Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
Armenian Apricot Lentil Soup
Blood Orange Tart


Kale and Pomegranate Pasta with Pistachio Pesto
Serves 4
*adapted from 101 cookbooks

Ingredients
8 oz. whole grain linguine
2/3 cup pistachios, toasted

1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 large bunch of kale, washed, de-stemmed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
 (Save a couple large kale leaves to garnish your serving platter)
1 pomegranate, just the seeds

Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you are waiting, break the pasta into 1 1/2-inch segments and make the pistachio sauce by pureeing 1/3 cup of the pistachios, garlic, salt and olive oil with a food processor. Set aside.

Once the water is boiling, salt it generously and cook the pasta per package instructions - be careful not to overcook. At the very last second, add the kale to the pot of boiling water, and IMMEDIATELY drain the pot. You don't want to overcook the kale to the point that it is listless. Run cold water over the pasta and kale, using your hand to work the cold water through the kale and pasta. Toss gently with a spoonful of the pistachio sauce and now spin the pasta and kale dry in a salad spinner to toss off any remaining water.

Just before serving, toss the pasta with a big spoonful of the pistachio sauce and 1/2 of the pomegranate seeds, taste and add a bit of salt if needed. Turn the pasta out onto a platter lined with a couple kale leaves (optional), and sprinkle the remaining pomegranate seeds and pistachios on top. Finish with another drizzle of the pistachio sauce if you like.

Armenian Apricot Lentil Soup
Serves 8-10
*adapted from 101 cookbooks

Ingredients
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

2 onions, diced

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 tbs ground cumin

3 cups red lentils, rinsed

10 cups water

12 oz. dried apricots, chopped

salt

Directions
Heat the oil in your soup pot over medium heat, then stir in the onions and carrots. Sauté for about 10 minutes. Add the cumin and stir well. Decrease the heat, cover, and let the vegetables sweat for ten minutes.

Add the lentils and pour in enough of the water to cover. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low and cook for twenty minutes, or until the lentils and carrots are tender. Add more of the water as needed as the lentils soften and expand.

Remove from the heat, stir in the apricots and any remaining water, and season with salt. Use an immersion blender to puree until smooth. Take care not to over salt this soup. The right amount will bring out the flavor of the apricots but leave the onions in the background. Garnish with almond slices. Serve hot.

Blood Orange Tart

*adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

1/4 cup plus
2 tbs granulated sugar

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 stick plus 1 tbs unsalted butter, the stick cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled

3 tbs ice water

8 to 10 blood oranges (about 5 oz each) [I only needed 7]

1 large egg yolk mixed with 2 tbs of water

Deep, Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce, for serving (recipe below)

Directions
In a food processor, pulse the 1 cup of flour with 2 tablespoons of the sugar and the baking powder and salt. Add the stick of cold butter and pulse several times, just until it is the size of peas. Sprinkle the dough with the ice water and pulse just until moistened crumbs form. Turn the crumbs out onto a work surface, knead once or twice and pat the pastry into a disk. Wrap the pastry in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

On a floured work surface, roll out the pastry to an 11-inch round, about 1/4 inch thick. Transfer the pastry to a parchment paper–lined flat cookie sheet and refrigerate for 15 minutes, or until chilled.

Meanwhile, peel the blood oranges, removing all of the bitter white pith. Thinly slice 2 of the oranges crosswise; remove the pits. Transfer the orange slices to a plate. Working over a sieve set over a bowl, cut in between the membranes of the remaining oranges, releasing the sections into the sieve. Remove the pits and gently shake out as much juice as possible without mashing the sections; you will need 1 cup of sections. Reserve the orange juice for another use.

Arrange the orange sections on the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the sugar over the oranges. Using a paring knife, thinly slice the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter over the oranges. Fold up the pastry over the oranges, leaving most of the oranges uncovered. Brush the pastry with the egg wash and sprinkle lightly with 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Arrange the orange slices on top, leaving a 1-inch border of pastry all around. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar on top. Freeze the tart until solid, at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 375° and position a rack in the center. Place a baking sheet on the rack below to catch any drips. Bake the tart directly from the freezer for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling and the pastry is deeply browned. Transfer the cookie sheet to a rack and let the tart cool for 30 minutes. Carefully slide the parchment paper onto the rack and let the tart cool completely. Serve with the Deep Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce (below).

Deep, Dark Salted Butter Caramel Sauce 
Makes about 1 1/3 cups of dessert sauce

Ingredients
1 cup sugar

6 tbs salted butter
1/2 cup plus two tbs heavy cream, at room temperature

Directions
Melt the sugar over medium to moderately high heat in a larger pot than you think you’ll need–at least two or three quarts, whisking or stirring the sugar as it melts to ensure it heats evenly. Cook the liquefied sugar to a nice, dark copper color. Add the butter all at once and stir it in, before turning off the stove and pour in the heavy cream (The sauce will foam up quite a bit when you add it; this is why you want the larger pot.), whisking it until you get a smooth sauce.

You use it right away or pour it into a jar and store it in the fridge for up to two weeks. Serve over everything.

Beer and Wine served

SOPA

This year I have really been trying to put out more butcher block recipes, because lets face it, meat is awesome. Well my carnivores on this installment I made a spicy chicken and quinoa soup. It turned out great. Enjoy!
















Spicy Chicken and Quinoa Soup
Serves 6
*adapted from Soup Chick

Ingredients
8 cups low-sodium chicken broth

3 boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 bay leaves
2 cloves garlic, halved
2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbsp unsalted butter

1/2 large yellow onion, diced

1/2 lb fresh arugala
1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

1 lime, juiced
1 large jalapeño chile, minced include seeds
1 red pepper, chopped

3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
3 scallions, white and green parts, finely diced
1 cup quinoa
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
Corn Tortillas, toasted in oven with olive oil

Garnish
Avocado, cubed
Cilantro
Goat Cheese (queso fresca is another option, but I was out. In the end I really liked goat cheese)

Directions
In a stockpot over high heat combine the broth, chicken, bay leaves, and the halved garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside to cool. Remove garlic and bay leaves and set the stock aside.

In another large pot, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and minced garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the arugala, cilantro, chipotle peppers and jalapeño, cook for 5 minutes. Add lime juice. Add the strained stock, bring to a boil, and cook for 3 minutes. Lower the heat to simmer, add the quinoa, red peppers and scallions, and cover. Simmer for 35 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, use two forks to shred the chicken. Pre heat oven to 375 and lay tortillas out on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until crispy, about 10 minutes. When the soup has cooked for the full time, uncover, add the chicken and black beans, and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Serve hot with toasted tortillas, avocado, cilantro, and goat cheese

The Souperman Affair

This week we had a special new chef, Dan! He’s been to a few soup nights, but he has never taken on the responsibility of hosting. I’m calling this event The Souperman Affair, which is playing off the name of his band, The Singleman Affair. Check them out at the Hideout (1354 West Wabansia Avenue, Chicago IL) on February 11th. We also had some post soup entertainment, the self made documentary Corey Haim, Me, Myself, and I…..wow.






Menu
Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
Vegetable Barley Soup
Hand Pies

Sundried Tomato Stuffed Mushrooms
Makes 18
*adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried tomatoes (about 5, not packed in oil)

2 tablespoons olive oil

18 white mushrooms, stems pulled out and chopped fine and caps reserved

1/2 cup finely chopped shallots

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/3 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1 large egg yolk, beaten lightly

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, washed well, spun dry, and minced

1/2 teaspoon dried basil, crumbled


2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a small bowl soak tomatoes in hot water to cover 5 minutes. Reserving 1 tablespoon soaking liquid, drain tomatoes well and chop fine.

Lay mushroom caps, stems removed, face down on baking sheet either lightly sprayed with cooking spray or parchment paper. Bake them approximately 10 minutes, or until their liquid puddles underneath. Remove from the oven. Carefully pour off liquid that has gathered in the bottom of the pan, and then again, carefully, turn mushroom caps over so they are ready to be filled.

In a small skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and cook chopped mushrooms stems, shallots and garlic, stirring until shallots are softened. In a bowl stir together mushrooms mixture, bread crumbs, tomatoes, reserved soaking liquid, yolk, parsley, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Mound stuffing in reserved mushroom caps and arrange caps in a lightly greased shallow baking dish, or the same parchment-lined pan you’ve roasted your mushrooms in. Sprinkle mushrooms with Parmesan and bake in middle of oven 15 minutes.

Vegetable Barley Soup
Serves 8
*adapted from All Recipes

Ingredients
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 cup uncooked barley
2 Idaho Potatoes
1 Bushel of Kale
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
1 zucchini, chopped
1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans with juice
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans with juice
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves of garlic (minced)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp white sugar
2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp fresh parsley
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp red pepper flakes
½ cup dry red wine

Directions
Saute' onion, garlic and kale until slightly browned. Add vegetable broth, barley, potatoes, carrots, celery, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, kidney beans, and bay leaves. Season with garlic powder, sugar, salt, pepper, parsley, curry powder, red pepper flakes, and paprika. Add red wine. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low heat for 90 minutes. Wait to add zucchini until after 60 minutes to ensure that it doesn’t lose its texture. The soup will be very thick. You may adjust by adding more broth or less barley if desired. Remove bay leaves before serving.

Hand Pies
*adapted from Smitten Kitchen
makes about 14 pies

We made 4 different kinds of pies.
1. Peach Bourbon
2. Apple
3. Peach Blackberry
4. Peach Blueberry

For the pastry
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

16 tablespoons (2 sticks, 8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces

1/2 cup sour cream

4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup ice water

To make the pastry, in a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. 

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. If preparing ahead of time, the dough can be stored at this point for up to one month in the freezer.

Divide the refrigerated dough in half. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out one half of the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Using a 4 1/2-inch-round biscuit cutter, cut seven circles out of the rolled dough. Transfer the circles to a parchment-lined baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator to chill for about 30 minutes. Repeat the rolling, cutting, and chilling process with the remaining half of dough. (I used a 4-inch cutter–if you can call a “cutter” the tin edge of the container that holds my smaller round cutters–and managed to get 12 from each dough half, after re-rolling the scraps.)

For the Peach Bourbon filling
2 pounds of peaches

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 tsp bourbon

1/2 tsp vanilla extract
One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)

Coarse sanding sugar, for decoration

Peel and chop the peaches into small bits (approx. 1/2-inch dice), much smaller than you’d use for a regular-sized pie. Mix them with the flour, sugar and pinch of salt, and add the bourbon and vanilla, if you wish.

For the Apple filling

Sautéed apples in butter and cinnamon sugar/brown sugar

For the Peach Blackberry filling

Same as bourbon peach only I added a whole thing of blackberries that I juiced through a wire mesh (around 3-4 tablespoons)

For the Peach Blueberry filling

Same as peach bourbon only I crushed blueberries in there. I also added 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator, and let stand at room temperature until just pliable, 2 to 3 minutes. Spoon about 1 to 2 tablespoons filling (use the smaller amount for a 4-inch circle) onto one half of each circle of dough. Quickly brush a little cold water around the circumference of the dough, and fold it in half so the other side comes down over the filling, creating a semicircle. Seal the hand pie, and make a decorative edge by pressing the edges of the dough together with the back of a fork. 

Repeat process with remaining dough. Place the hand pies back on the parchment-lined baking sheet, and return to the refrigerator to chill for another 30 minutes.

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled hand pies from the refrigerator, cut a small slit in each and lightly brush with the egg yolk wash. Sprinkle sanding sugar generously over the pies, and place pies in the oven to bake. Bake until the hand pies are golden brown and just slightly cracked, about 20 minutes. Remove the pies from the oven, and let stand to cool slightly before serving.

Beer and Wine served