Designing a soup

Before I start writing about the theme above, I want to make a comment and let you all know something that is coming.

Today, while walking to my doctor's office, I saw a book in a window titled "Cooking for Dummies."

You might well imagine, I found this title offensive. It strikes me as implying that there are people who are good at cooking and there are people who aren't. I don't believe that. I think I am a pretty good cook. I know there are people who are more imaginative, better trained, smarter cooks than I am. But I do not think for one minute that there are people who are not good at cooking. If you aren't interested in cooking, or it bores you, that's one thing. But if you cook, you're good at it. How many of you have cooked a meal that killed someone? There, that's just what I thought. There are no dummies in the kitchen, there are only the inexperienced and the hesitant. And what this is all about is trying to take you out of that. Well, I ordered a copy of the book, and expect my "unbiased review" soon.

So today, I'm going to introduce you to a more complex, somewhat more time consuming style of making soup. I first got this idea from the wonderful Ina Garten. I met her in Berkeley once. As I am a bit formal, I introduced myself and referred to her as "Ms. Garten." She smiled and said "if you use my recipes, you should be calling me Ina." YES!!!! If it weren't politically incorrect to say it, I'd say "Ina, you're a true broad. " Those of my age will know what I mean.

Anyway, Ina has a recipe in one of her books for a roasted autumn vegetable soup. I'm going to give you one for WINTER vegetables, even though, technically, it's not winter yet.

Winter vegetables, to me, include things like onions, carrots, parsnips, potatoes. Note that they're all root vegetables, stuff that survives a freeze, and gets sweeter as a result. Today, at the farmer's market, I was absolutely floored by how beautiful they looked: white parsnips, orange carrots, red onions, kale with its beautiful blue green cast, potatoes, and others. No, there is nothing boring about winter vegetables.

This soup is essentially a guideline for how I make it. You should feel free to substitute in what vegetables you like.

Something to keep in mind: winter vegetables tend to be sweet. And the process of roasting brings out sugars. So you will want to balance that sweetness with plenty of salt and savory ingredients. I use duck confit in this recipe. It's easy to find in NY, but if you don't have it, use meatballs. Or chicken. Or turkey. Or anything you like.

First, get your oven HOT. By hot, I mean about 450 degrees. Let it sit at that temperature for about 20 minutes. You'll use that time to prep your vegetables. If it's a veggie that needs to be pared, like a carrot or a parsnip, do that. Peel the onions and carrots. Clean up leeks if you're using them, just prep the vegetable as if you were going to cook it as a vegetable "per se." Now, put them all in a big bowl and be lavish with salt and olive oil. Get your hands in there and turn everything until they're all coated with oil and salt. Then, lay everything out on a baking sheet, trying to make sure that everything is in contact with the metal. Start roasting, for about ten minutes. After ten minutes, turn them. And after that second ten minute roast, check to make sure they're soft, and brown and beautiful. If they're not, keep roasting. When they're done, remove the tray and let it cool. All in all, you want to start with between 4 and 6 cups of raw veggies.

While that's happening, get your duck confit ready. I use three legs, but use more or less as you see fit. Confit, strictly speaking is already "cooked," i.e., it's been poached or cured in fat. It's very rich. But you'll probably want to crisp it up. To do that, get a nonstick pan, if you have one ready, by putting in the tiniest amount of oil (yes, the duck is rich and fatty, but the oil will help get the thing going). Lay the confit legs in the pan, and bring up the heat to medium. You'll hear a wonderful spattering and smell an even more wonderful odor. As they brown, turn them. And when both sides are browned, take them out of the pan and drain them.

Now, here's the part that I hate: when the duck confit is cool... rip away the skin and toss it. Or, save it to make duck cracklings (YES!!!!!). Simply shred the meat from the bone, looking for pieces that are small enough to eat with one mouthful.

When your vegetables are cool enough to handle, puree them with some cold chicken stock until you get a nice, thick puree (I think that in France they call this gabure, and eat it as it is. And it IS wonderful). Take a look: is it too thick for you? If it is, add some more stock or some water. Then put your shredded duckmeat in, and you are DONE.

This is a truly wonderful and satisfying main dish soup. Put out some serious bread, like a good peasant sour dough rye, and you are in business for a nice informal dinner, need I say it, with a friend or two.

And I have to thank Chuck, Kevin's partner, for the inspiration for this soup. Chuck made roasted autumn vegetable soup once for me, several years ago. I have never forgotten that golden yellow orange soup as we ate it before Kevin's beef tenderloin. That color, golden yellow orange, is one that I will always associate with "sunflower Chuck." It's not a bad thing.