Soup!

As the saying goes, everyone talks (or complains) about the weather but no one does anything about it. Weather talk does make a handy conversation starter. Where I live it’s somewhat less of an issue than some places – but even in the absence of extreme snowstorms, tornadoes and earthquakes, we can find something to complain about. The last few weeks have had more than our share of rain, which in Southern California is an anomaly and welcomed only by some.
However the last few days in Orange County have been bright and sunny. We’ve had a spell of very warm weather considering its February, much to the gratitude of those whose homes lie in the path of mudslifes and flooding. And to the rest of us who much prefer sun to rain and dark days, even if we don’t have those particular concerns.
No doubt the cool weather will return and prevail for a while longer. I keep reminding myself that when it is winter it has to act that way. Summer will come again. During the coolness I understand how the coffee culture came to be invented in cold places like Seattle. Being indoors with a hot drink is a perfect antidote for damp surroundings. Other perfect things are comfort foods like risotto and spicy foods like Mexican dishes. But for something lighter and just as satisfying there’s soup, which typically will have less carbohydrates and fat or other things that might not agree with your digestive system.
Over the years I have accumulated a fair number of soup and stew recipes. However, as with most recipes, or most things maybe, it’s always easy to fall back on the known and familiar,like Au Pistou which is very forgiving since it has a variety of ingredients, and always tastes wonderful. So I keep making a few of them over and over, then in some cases I don’t even make the attempt. For example since I have an excellent clam chowder source I don’t even have to try making that.
Under all circumstances the type of recipe that appeals to me to take on is usually something that is not commonly available. With soup this has become more and more of a challenge since now there are so many places to obtain fresh good soup to take away. Most grocery stores have a nice selection and we’re not just talking about places like Whole Foods Market or small places like my neighborhood Zinc Market and Café. Even Trader Joes has some pretty good soups like the butternut squash and the roasted tomato, though they are packaged and not fresh. During our recent rainy spell, I made a soup of the type I love if I am even going to bother with it; one that is less common and that I have not seen around. I prefer a dish that has a lot of chunkiness to it with fresh vegetables. All kinds of vegetables but I particularly love root vegetables probably because you don’t see them used in recipes as much although I will say that they appear to have gained favor in the last few years. It must be the influence of celebrity chefs who focus on seasonal and local foods.
Surprisingly, I have had this recipe for years, but not made it. For some reason (cold rainy weather?) as I was leafing through my binder of possibilities it just jumped out at me that day. so I prepared it for us and our friend Larry, who came to share our meal. He brought a nice bottle of Pinot Noir which complemented the dish perfectly. I baked cornbread to go with the soup which did taste good, but in retrospect I think that a crusty artisanal bread might have been a better choice. To dip in the broth, you know.




Root Vegetable Soup with Lentils & Gruyere
Ingredients
1. 1 cup green lentils
2. Salt
3. 1/4 lb pancetta, sliced 1/4 inch thick and finely diced
4. 6 garlic cloves, finely minced
5. 3 carrots, finely diced
6. 2 celery ribs,diced
7. 1 onion, diced
8. 2 medium red potatoes
9. 11/2 cup diced peeled butternut squash
10. ½ cup fdiced peeled rutabaga (1 lg)
11. ½ cup diced peeled parsnip (2)
12. ½ cup diced peeled turnip (1)
13. Freshly ground pepper
14. 3 quarts chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth
15. 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
16. 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
17. 1/4 pound Gruyère, thinly shaved
18. 1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions
1. In a small saucepan, cover the lentils with 1-2 inches of water and add a large pinch of salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain.
2. In a large saucepan, cook the pancetta over moderately low heat, stirring, until most of the fat has been rendered, about 8 minutes. Add olive oil to the pan and then then garlic and, onion, and cook over moderately high heat for 2 minutes, then add carrots, celery and root vegetables stirring to coat with fat. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes longer. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes
3. Stir in the lentils, parsley and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Ladle the soup into bowls, top with Gruyère shavings and serve piping hot.

The soup can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3 days. Make ahead is another one of the big advantages to soup. In most cases it is improved by the sitting.