Aug 19
Tarrant FiglioSoups
I have a strange gazpacho tale to tell. In sixth grade, I came down with German Measles. What originally was diagnosed as fever of unknown origin landed me in the hospital and resulted in a large number of doctors–particularly young ones who had never seen a case of German Measles in person. During this hospital stay, my parents went out to lunch and had gazpacho, something I hadn’t even heard of until that point.
While they were gone, a doctor came to examine me, he gave me the creeps AND he wasn’t willing to wait for my parents to get back. They came back part way through the exam smelling of garlic and all sorts of mysterious stomach turning foods. After the doctor left I asked about that horrid smell and vowed never to eat gazpacho. I didn’t.
Then came the vitamix and its recipe book full of great stuff. Gazpacho was one such recipe. Wait! I love all the things in Gazpacho. Maybe I should give it a try. I did and I fell in love.
The ramble today is because I have a lot of tomatoes in the house this week. The best ones at the best price in the market came in 12 pound baskets. In order for that to really be the best price–I need to actually USE the tomatoes. Tomatoes have gone in dinner, in salsa, in sandwiches, in snacks all week. There are a lot of tomatoes though. So today, I will be making gazpacho for lunch. Alas I have no Vitamix anymore. (SNIFF! I miss my Vitamix) Fortunately one really isn’t required.
Tomato Overload Gazpacho
(or Blender Gazpacho for adults who like cold soups and easy meals)
4 large tomatoes, roughly chunked
1/2 to 1 medium yellow onion, chunked
1 cucumber, peeled and diced (though I have been known to leave the peel on if it is a fresh pickling cucumber)
1 jalapeno or a good shot of Tabasco or rooster sauce (about a teaspoon)
1 heaping tablespoon chopped jar garlic or about four cloves chopped
2 T lemon or lime juice
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 cup tomato juice, tomato sauce, water or other liquid
1 cup ice cubes
Put the liquids in the blender first. Add other ingredients. Blend 3-60 seconds depending on the power of your blender. Look for about a smoothie thickness.
Tweak the spice, garlic, and lemon juice/vinegar based on your taste and the produce you are using.
Oct 14
Tarrant FiglioRecipes, Soups
My family has a love/hate relationship with chili. Sometimes they will eat it…sometimes not. I was not a chili fan as a child. I am not as an adult-except that it is so easy, cheap and nutritious. I have found offering tortillas with my chili and turning it into chili burritos satisfies the non chili lovers in my family. No idea why that is different than a bowl of chili but whatever. Over fritos or tortilla chips also makes it a well loved item at my house.
Here is how I make it and the purists can shudder.
2-4 cans red beans (err kidney beans)
1 can tomatoes-with juice
1 bag soy crumbles
1 bag of the Six Gun Chili Mixins (it is a brown bag-and never in the same place in two different grocery stores-hunt it out)
Throw all together in a saucepan and heat until heated through or pop in the crockpot (though add a can of water if you do this and will be letting it perk all day. Serve with sour cream, onions (if worth cutting up for your family) and shredded cheese. Lettuce too if you go the burrito route.
Apr 23
Tarrant FiglioSoups, Vegetables
It is nearing the end of our grocery week, which means there is more produce than meals left…or is there? In any case, my family wouldn’t be thrilled if I made them another tomato, onion, and cucumber salad.
So for lunch today, I whipped up a favorite of mine, Gazpacho. All ingredients are approximate. You may need to fiddle a bit for your favorite version. In any case, it is quick, nutritious, and yummy.
Blender Gazpacho
1 large beefsteak or two plum tomatoes
1 cucumber
1/4 cup balsamic, red wine or whatever vinegar you have on hand
a generous spoon chopped garlic
1 1/2 cups low sodium tomato juice (In the midst of summer you can skip this and add a few more tomatoes)
2 green onions
1/2 green pepper, seeded
a couple of drops to a tsp or two of tabasco (or in my case Rooster Sauce)
Core the tomato. Peel the cucumber. Chunk the veggies. Throw everything in the blender and give it a whirl until it is the consistency you desire. I like mine a bit smooth.
Some people add olive oil and I do add 1/4 cup or so and it does add a richer taste…but I skipped it today. Chill (or don’t if you are in a hurry.) Since I don’t blanch and peel the tomatoes, it will separate in the fridge, but stirring will return it to a proper soup.
May 29
Tarrant FiglioMeat, Soups, Vegetables, retro food
Ok, a bit of beef stew is not so bad in the summer is it? Especially when trying to stretch the budget. This one is from my Great Grandmother’s files.
1 1/2 lbs cubed stew beef
Dredge in 2 TBS flour and pepper and salt (to taste)
Brown in 2 tbs. cooking oil
1 can beef broth or consomme
1/3 cup burgundy wine
1 cup celery cut fine
Cover and cook 1 hour
Add 1 small can mushrooms
6 onions
6 potatoes (medium)
8 carrots
Cook slowly until vegetables are tender.
Serves 4 to 6.
May 28
Tarrant FiglioFish, Recipes, Soups, retro food
This one is from an old newspaper clipping. Dauphin Island is off the coast of Alabama and where my mother spent many of her childhood summers.
Dauphin Island Crab Gumbo
2 cups finely chopped celery
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
Minced Parsley
3 tablespoons bacon drippings
3/4 cup sifted flour
2 cups raw crab meat
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 cup cut okra
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
Paprika (optional)
Hot sauce (optional)
1 tablespoon gumbo file
Saute celery onions, peppers, and parsley in drippings in covered skillet until soft. Remove from pan. Brown flour in drippings, add to vegetables. Add 3 qts water and crab. Cook for 30 minutes. Add tomatoes, okra and seasonings; simmer for one hour. Remove from heat; stir in file. Serve over rice.
Note: if cooked crab meat is used, add 10 minutes before removing from heat. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.
Jan 10
Tarrant FiglioMeat, Recipes, Soups, Vegetables, retro food recipe, Spam, stew
Spam! Yes…a retro recipe with Spam! Ok, so they call it canned luncheon meat. You can go for it or you can substitute ham. In any case, this makes for a nice winter lunch or supper on a budget.
Thrifty Meat-Bean Stew
1 1/2 cups large dry limas (12 oz)
3 cups cold water
1 16-oz can tomatoes, cut up
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon salt
***
1 12-oz can luncheon meat, cubed
1 beef bouillon cube
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup reconstituted nonfat dry milk or fluid milk
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Kitchen Bouquet (optional)
Rinse beans; place in large saucepan and add water. Bring to boiling; cover and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 1 hour. (Or add beans to water and soak overnight.) Do not drain. Add tomatoes, onion and salt; cover and simmer for 1 1/4 hours. Add luncheon meat, bouillon cube, and pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Combine milk and flour; add to stew mixture. Cook, stirring constantly till thickened and bubbly; stir in Kitchen Bouquet. Makes 8 servings. (From Good Food on a Budget, 1971)
Aug 27
Tarrant FiglioRecipes, Soups, retro food
Well, some of you have vanished already. The classic refreshment of the 30s just isn’t your thing. Others read on trying to figure out just what it is…it is basically beef Jell-o.
But before you run off…reconsider. It is elegant, salty, smooth, cool and refreshing, all at the same time.
Jellied Beef Consomme
4 cups beef broth
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup green pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
~~~~~~~~~~
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons water
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Combine first five ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat, simmer 15 minutes. Strain mixture, discarding vegetables and return to saucepan.
In small bowl combine sherry and water; sprinkle gelatin over top to soften gelatin. Add gelatin mixture to broth. Heat and stir until gelatin dissolves. Pour into a large bowl. Chill until set. Break with fork and serve in small dishes or elegant glassware. Garnish with a bit of parsley or savory whipped cream or sour cream.
Aug 16
Tarrant FiglioAppetizers, Beverages, Recipes, Soups, retro food
Now I know that everyone and their cousin has a Gazpacho recipe these days. Now, once upon a time, Gazpacho was exotic and Tomato Bouillon commonplace. So, try this for a refreshing summer retro treat. Retro soup, cocktail, and beverage all in one!
Tomato Bouillon on the Rocks
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced carrots
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 sprigs parsley
4 cups canned tomato juice (or homemade)
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
6 whole cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups canned bouillon or consomme, chilled
6 lemon slices
6 green scallions or celery sticks
Early on the day, if desired :
1. In large saucepan, combine all ingredients except bouillon, lemon slices, scallions. Bring to boil; cover; simmer over low heat 1 hour.
2. Strain; then refrigerate
15 minutes before serving:
1. Combine chilled tomato mixture with bouillon.
2. Serve in Old-fashioned glasses, filled one-fourth full with crushed ice. Garnish each with a lemon slice which has been snipped in center and has a scallion threaded through this center. Makes 6 servings.
Apr 19
Tarrant FiglioRecipes, Soups, retro food
All of you gagging at soup and particularly at cream of potato…know that Cream of Salmon Soup is the recipe right beneath this one in the book. On the other hand, this soup will fill you up on a dime in lean times and is a good one to have in your repertoire for those desperate no money until pay day times.
It does beat having yet ANOTHER bowl of ramen. It gives you the opportunity to feel like you are really cooking and having a meal…but doesn’t take long either.
So, be brave, get some thrifty retro comfort. (and oh…I sprinkle a bit of nutmeg on mine instead of the parsley if I am out of parsley.) By the way…homemade potato soup is WAY better than that canned stuff.
Cream of Potato Soup
5 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1 medium onion, sliced
2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons butter
1â…” cups evaporated milk
1 cup water
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Put potatoes and onion into a 3-qt saucepan and barely cover with cold water. Add salt, cover and bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes or until potatoes are perfectly tender. Mash potatoes in their liquid. Add butter, evaporated milk and water. Stir and add a little more water if soup is too thick. Reheat to scalding, remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley. Serve immediately. 5 servings. The Modern Family Cookbook
Apr 11
Tarrant FiglioRecipes, Soups, retro food
Well, I know Liz isn’t looking forward to this and frankly the whole pickle relish definitely kills it for me too.(if the canned beets didn’t off the bat). I myself say stick with the Beet Borsht posted previously.
But, speaking of creamed, I am getting creamed in the Blogger’s Choice Awards…which is worse than beet soup…so go vote for me! A vote for Retro-Food is a vote for misunderstood American Recipes of yesteryear!
Cream of Beet Soup
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
No. 2 can beets
1½ teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons grated onion
1 tablespoon pickle relish
¼ cup cider vinegar or to taste
Melt butter, blend in flour and gradually stir in milk; cook over direct heat, stirring constantly until sauce boils and thickens. Drain beets (save juice) and put beets through ricer or food mill into the hot sauce. Add salt, onion, beet juice, and pickle relish, and heat again to boiling. Remove from heat, add vinegar and serve immediately. 5 servings. The Modern Family Cookbook
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