Cocktail hour - what’s on our minds?  

Soups pg. 176

Mushrooms pg. 525

Salads pg. 583

Lettuce pg. 556

Recipe Source

FRAANCE

Ingredients 

Mushroom Soup - pg. 185

9 Oz Mushrooms

1 Sprig Thyme

2 T Butter

Scant ½ C rice flour

Salt And Pepper

Heavy Cream (To Taste)

B Additions

Soy sauce 

Nutritional yeast

Black truffle salt

Onion powder 

Cayenne 

G Additions

Nutritional Yeast

½ cube porcini bouillon

Hot Sauce

Black Truffle Salt

Lettuce Salad - pg. 583

2 heads lettuce

4 T Olive Oil or a mixture of olive and other neutral oil

2 T White Wine Vinegar

Salt and Pepper

Finely Chopped chervil, tarragon or chives

3 T creme fraiche (optional)

1 T Lemon Juice

Steps in Detail - 

Soup

Cut two-thirds of the mushrooms into fine strips. Put them in a large pan with  6 ⅓ cups of water and bring to a simmer. Add the thyme and cook for 20 minutes. Remove and discard the thyme. Transfer the mixture to a food processor or blender and process until smooth, then return it to the pan and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, chop the remaining mushrooms and cook them gently in the butter in the skillet for a few more minutes until softened. Mix the rice flour with a little water to make a paste, and add the paste to the soup along with the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper, add the cream and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Serve piping hot. 

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 40 min 

Gretchen’s Thoughts on the recipe: Why not chop all the mushrooms and sauté them before removing a portion that will be added for texture at the end.

Salad

The oil and vinegar in the vinaigrette can be varied according to the ingredients it is to dress. For example, a milder-tasting sunflower oil would complement stronger flavored leaves. Romaine, curly endive, oak leaf, or Boston lettuces can be used. 

Carefully wash the lettuce, separating the leaves. Drain or spin in a salad spinner to remove as much excess water as possible without damaging the delicate leaves. Whisk the oil, vinegar, and salt and pepper together to make the dressing. This can be prepared in advance, but do not dress the leaves until the last minute. Herbs can be added, or a cream dressing can be made by whisking the creme fraiche with the lemon juice and salt and pepper. 

Prep time: 10 min

Cooking time: 0