In my last column I longed for fall and cool weather. Two weeks later I am at the lake, stuck inside because of cool, fall rain for the past two days. And you know — I really don’t mind it. I love the sound of rain, and the light gray of the daylight is soothing. I made some shrimp chowder which Terry and I have supped up for these two days. I arrived here with 1 1/2 pounds of getting-old, small, red potatoes, 12 1-pound bags of frozen Gulf shrimp and an onion or two. I also had frozen chicken broth here. Oh, and a touch of cream to make it chowder.
Soup seems to be synonymous with fall and winter for many. While I understand this, I do think soup is a 12-month dish. Gazpacho and cool cucumber buttermilk soup in the summer are just the trick to beat the heat.
Basically, soup should be made with whatever is in season at the time. A week ago we had a lovely lunch at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Columbus for our Late Bloomers’ group. We went with an autumn theme of pumpkin soup, salad with cranberries and pecans, and a yummy apple cake for dessert. The soup was made with a mirepoix, which I sauteed and then added cumin and chili powder to. Mirepoix is a French term usually referring to a mixture of onion, carrot and celery, cut in small dice. The ratio is 50 percent onion, 25 percent carrot and 25 percent celery. In New Orleans it is called “the trinity” and consists of onion, bell pepper and celery. In Italy, it is called “soffritto” and is the same mix as the mirepoix. These ingredients are the basis for soups and other dishes. The vegetables are sauteed in either butter (France), or olive oil (Italy) or neutral oil (as you would in a gumbo).
You could go in any direction you like, perhaps using cinnamon or all-spice and a dash of cayenne. It is important to add the spices to the pan before the liquid and cook them until you smell their fragrance. This will bring out their essential oils and result in a deeper flavor. I then added canned pumpkin puree and chicken broth. I used my immersion blender to be sure the soup was smooth. For a garnish I added black beans and sauteed diced smoked sausage. The black beans on the orange soup was perfect for fall.
The cake was outstanding! We served it with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of homemade caramel sauce. I am sure there are many variations for this cake, but I am giving you the recipe I got years ago from my friend, Jody Vrana in Athens, Georgia. I can remember to this day how delicious it was. She had made it for the luncheon after my mother’s funeral, and it was so refreshing and different from the catered meal. Her recipe has raisins which I omit, but you could add raisins or dried cranberries if you like. I would plump them in orange juice in the microwave before adding to the batter.
I hope you enjoy this cake. For an added treat, try it with cinnamon whipped cream.
JODY’S APPLE CAKE
3 cups of chopped apples (I don’t peel mine)
1 cup cooking oil
3 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups plain flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped pecans
EASY CARAMEL SAUCE
Makes 1 cups
1 stick butter
3/4 cup dark brown sugar (you can use light brown sugar too, but sauce will be a bit lighter in color)
1/2 cup whipping or heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla or vanilla bean paste
Pinch sea salt
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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