cilantro

Creamy Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 6 Comments

Hot or cold depending on our tempestuous Spring weather…served in a bowl or sipped from a cup…easy and quick.

I realize that food always seems to taste better when you are sitting at a table on a rather idyllic beach as the sun sets, surrounded by tropical flora, the waves crashing and having great company alongside. Nothing to do, no pressing work, a hammock nearby. Really, that is a no brainer I think.

No matter how many times I have been to the Yucatan Peninsula, I still discover new dishes that are delicious in any setting. A roasted poblano pepper soup served chilled, a little creamy with a very fresh roasted poblano pepper flavor and a spicy bite at the end. Lovely, subtle green color laced with darker green flecks of pepper and cilantro and freshly ground black pepper rounded out a memorable meal in a memorable setting and was just as delicious here at home.

An easy recipe based on four or five large poblano peppers roasted……
….until well charred. Peeled and ready for the soup pot.
All the ingredients cooked down in chicken broth ( you could use veg broth), then blended until somewhat smooth and cooled to room temp.
A tiny bit of cream added to the pan. Chilled and ready to serve. Garnished with a drizzle more of cream, black pepper and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. More cilantro and chopped tomatoes if you like.

Creamy Roasted Poblano Pepper Soup

Ingredients:

  • 4-5 large poblano peppers
  • 3 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1/2 cup chopped white onion
  • 2-3 cloves garlic smashed
  • 6 cups chicken broth (can use veg)
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves & stems
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream + more for serving
  • Fresh limes
  • Optional for garnish: chopped tomatoes; hot sauce; cilantro leaves

Directions:

  1. Turn oven to 425 degrees. Place poblano peppers on a sheet pan and roast for about 15 minutes, flip them over with tongs and roast another 10 minutes or until they are charred and softened. Remove peppers and place in a reclosable plastic bag/or paper bag to sweat. After they have cooled somewhat, remove from bag and peel a much skin as you can off, remove and toss stem and most of seeds. Give the peppers a rough chop and set aside.
  2. While peppers are roasting, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium high heat and saute the onions and garlic for a few minutes until softened. Add chopped poblano peppers to the pan and saute another 5 minutes or so. Turn heat to medium. Toss in cilantro leaves and stems and mint. Add broth, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, turn to simmer and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove pan from heat and let cool for about 10 minutes.
  3. Working in batches (do not put too much hot soup in the blender at one time) puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to the pan.
  4. Stir in 1/4 cup cream. Taste and adjust seasonings. Creamy poblano soup is delicious served hot or cold. If serving cold, chill in refrigerator in pan, uncovered until cold.
  5. Serve hot or cold with a drizzle of additional cream, cilantro leaves, fresh lime juice and black pepper if you like. A sprinkle of chopped tomatoes and a splash of hot sauce is great if soup needs more heat.

Be kind, be well.

teresablackburnfoodstyling.com

“Cilantro Limeade Rum Cooler for Third Thursday July Pop-Up Potluck”

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 23 Comments

“Cilantro Limeade Rum Cooler”

It seems that the “Third Thursday Potluck” here in Nashville, started by lover’s of good foods and good deeds Nancy Vienneau (Good Food Matters) & Gigi Gaskins (HatWRKS), is getting quite a bit of buzz. Relish Magazine  (relish.com) is now running a regular monthly column on this wonderfully social, local & edible event. Writer, Nancy Vienneau shares with readers interesting, seasonal recipes as well as tips on how to start your own community potluck dinner club. Third Thursday is always one of my very favorite evenings of each month. I love the food, the camaraderie, the ever-changing parade of guests as well as the stalwart friends.

For a few years now Third Thursday Potluck has been hosted by Nancy and Gigi. One month at Nancy’s house, the next at Gigi’s, both in the Hillsboro/Belmont neighborhood of Nashville. This July they decided to shake things up a bit. They asked me to host a “Pop-Up Third Thursday Potluck” at my house in Historic Germantown, downtown Nashville. It was lots of fun, well attended, the food & drink abundant & outstanding. It was a hot night….perfect for lots of fresh local foods & homemade peach ice cream, not to mention a large jar of my ice-cold “Cilantro Limeade Rum Cooler” made especially for the evening.

First a quick recipe for “Cilantro Limeade Rum Cooler for Third Thursday July”

1 1/2 cups Raw Sugar

1 bunch fresh Cilantro

1 cup Water

2 cups fresh squeezed Lime Juice

2 cups (or to taste) White Rum

1/2 cup St. Germain or other Elderflower Liqueur

Lots of Crushed Ice, Seltzer Water, Lime wheels for Garnish

1. Make a “simple syrup” by putting the raw sugar & water into a saucepan on med heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to melt sugar.  Remove from heat, stir in fresh cilantro sprigs, cover & let cool. When cooled, strain out cilantro & discard. Pour syrup into a large pitcher or jar when ready to serve.

2. Add fresh lime juice, white rum & liqueur. Mix and adjust taste if needed. Fill pitcher or jar halfway with crushed ice. Fill the rest of the way with seltzer water. Serve with additional crushed ice, lime wheels & cilantro sprigs.

 

Photo Gallery of “Third Thursday July Pop-Up Potluck Dinner”

Getting ready….Plates, plates and more plates…

Flowers….there must be flowers.

A makeshift bar….there must be a bar.

Tables, chairs….

…and more tables & chairs!….yes you are correct…to left is a little table (stool) and a wooden box (stool) to sit on…

Everything is ready…

Great people, lots of laughter, conversations, fresh good food…

We ate outside, inside and on the steps!

Then there were desserts…pies, cookies, ice cream,  berries & cream, bread puddings.

Do you have room for dessert? I think so…..

Bon Appetit.

“Crop Circle Tabbouleh / Third Thursday”

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 2 Comments

“Crop Circle Tabbouleh”

Ingredients:

Gather the following: Fresh, Ripe, Local Peaches & Strawberries, Cilantro, Parsley, Mint, Spring Green Onions, Jalapeno & Sweet Red Bell Pepper, Wheat Berries Cooked, Balsamic Vinegar, Olive Oil, Honey, Herbs de Provence, Sea Salt & Black Pepper (Amounts really don’t matter just use whatever amounts you want of each based on your own personal palate.)

1. Chop finely Spring Onions, Parsley, Cilantro & Mint. The onions I used came from the Downtown Farmer’s Market and the mint from my garden.

                                                       2. Carefully peel ripe peaches & cut into a large dice.  I used a combination of Alabama and Georgia peaches                                                              that started showing up at our local Farmer’s Markets last week.

  


                                     3. Let cooked Wheat Berries cool completely. Finely chop a bit of Jalapeno pepper & Red Bell Pepper for garnish.Wash                                                   &  trim Strawberries, let drain. The small sweet berries in this salad came from a farm in Ridgetop, TN.

4. Choose a large round serving dish and place cooked wheat berries in the middle a bit “domed” spreading out to the edges.  Add each prepped ingredient in a circle around the domed center, creating a “crop” circle!

Cover loosely with plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to serve. 

5. Mix a simple Vinaigrette using the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, honey, herbs de provence, sea salt & black pepper. I make quick vinaigrettes in small canning jars and shake to mix ingredients. Taste and adjust.

To Serve: Remove Crop Circle Tabbouleh from refrigerator anda drizzle Vinaigrette over all, add a large serving spoon.

The destination for my “Crop Circle Tabbouleh” ……………..

“Third Thursday May 2011 at Gigi’s Home”

Third Thursday’s Potluck was held this month at the home of Hat Maker and Gardener Extraordinaire Gigi Gaskins. Also hosted by Nancy Vienneau who invited some out-of-town guests who livened things up for us all.  Third Thursday’s are always much-anticipated by all of us who attend regularly and even more so as a bounty of  seasonal crops  are arriving daily, fresh from farmers all over our area here in Nashville.

Out-of-town guests, Kathi Speller and Lanette Mohr read about Third Thursdays in the current issue of Relish Magazine (check it out online at relish.com) & as they were both nearby on this particular Third Thursday they  joined our pot luck dinner party.

Image Gallery of the evening of food, conversation, laughter………..

                                                             

                 

                                                                                        

                                                                                  

Good food, new & familiar friends, a beautiful May evening.

Bon Apetit.

(My “Crop Circle Tabbouleh” was inspired by a recipe by Nigel Slater in his Tender, Vol II  cooking book. His recipe was for a Peach and Mint Tabbouleh.)

(The styling for”Crop Circle Tabbouleh” was inspired by an article I recently read on Crop Circles and by my good friend, Nancy Vienneau.)

A bit about Crop Circles from Wikipedia:

A crop circle is a sizable pattern created by the flattening of a crop such as wheat, barley, rye, maize, or rapeseed. Crop circles are also referred to as crop formations, because they are not always circular in shape. While the exact date crop circles began to appear is unknown, the documented cases have substantially increased from the 1970s to current times. 

Since the early 1990s the UK arts collective founded by artists Rod Dickinson and John Lundberg (and subsequently includes artists Wil Russell and Rob Irving), named the Circlemakers, have been creating some crop circles in the UK and around the world both as part of their art practice and for commercial clients.

Using local crops to make circles in food seemed a natural progression. Teresa B.

Travels in the Yucatan – La Flor de Santiago Salsa

~ Teresa Blackburn ~ 9 Comments

 

Yucatan & Quintana Roo 2011
Merida, Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Progreso, Campeche, Muna, Chetemal, Mahuahual, Xpuha….
In the heart of Merida near the Mercado, is one of my favorite restaurants, La Flor de Santiago.
Steaming cups of cafe au lait, freshly made pastries, huevos, frijoles negros, mango, papaya, pina…all make this a favorite of local residents.  Stepping  from the morning already warm street into the darkly cool interior of La Flor de Santiago was the perfect start to what turned out to be a perfect day.
Radish Salsa from La Flor de Santiago

There is always something memorable to eat and this visit was no exception. Along with abundant choices for breakfast there was a really unusual and delicious salsa made with radishes. It was a bit sweet, salty, crunchy with a hint of oranges & limes. I had it with my eggs and went back for more. I keep a little notebook with me when I travel to jot down recipe ideas or recipes that I find and want to try at home. I call my version, “La Flor de Santiago Salsa”.
Ingredients you will need:
12 Radishes, washed and trimmed & diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Juice from one orange
Juice from one/half lime
1 tsp raw or brown sugar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
salt & pepper to taste
1. Put orange & lime juice in a mixing bowl. Add diced radishes.
2. Add chopped cilantro, 1 tsp raw sugar & 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, salt & pepper.
3. Stir ingredients together, cover & chill for at least 1 hour before eating.
Serve as a side for grilled or baked fish or chicken, or eat with crispy tortilla chips.
I coated a piece of fresh tuna with herbs de Provence and pan-seared it in a bit of olive oil, adding some fresh mango slices along with my radish salsa.