Moo's Cream of Zucchini Soup

1 lb. zucchini, coarsely diced
2 T shallots or scallios, minced
1 clove garlic
2 T olive oil
1 tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Wash zucchini but do not peel. Dice coarsely. Mince shallots (or scallions). Heat olive oil in large sauce pan and add zucchini, shallots and garlic. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Do not let vegetables brown. Put cooked vegetables into blender or food processor. Process then add the remaining ingredients and blend again. You can serve this soup hot or cold.

Moo's Cream of Broccoli Soup

When Moo sent this recipe to me years ago, she wrote: "This is my Cream of Broccoli soup we had for Easter, and it is delicious. You could easily substitute zucchini or another vegetable." She didn't call it a palate pleaser, but I will. You can serve this soup hot or cold.

1 bunch broccoli
1 stalk celery, finely sliced
1 small onion, finely sliced
3 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth for vegans)
Dry mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup sour cream (or a non-dairy substitute)
Sour cream and fresh chives, finely chopped for garnish

Combine in a sauce pan broccoli, washed and trimmed, celery, and onion. Add broth and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender. Pour into blender, add a pinch of dry mustard and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and blend until smooth (or a little less if you like more texture). Stir in sour cream (or substitute). If soup is to be served cold, add a dollop of sour cream on top and sprinkle with fresh chives. If you want to serve the soup hot, mix 3 T of olive oil with 3 T flour over low heat to make a roux. Add to the soup...it really adds to the flavor.

Moo's Cream of Ginger-Lemongrass Soup

I love this soup. It is light and flavorful. It's also got a little zip to it. Thank the chili bean paste for giving this soup that little something extra. Moo loved lemongrass and she liked to mix delicate flavors with a little spice. Dare it say it...chili bean paste was her "Bam!"

2 T olive oil
1 T fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 T lemongrass, finely chopped
2 T shallots, finely chopped
1/2 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
2 cups fresh corn
4 cups chicken stock (for vegan/vegetarian version use vegetable broth)
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup half and half (vegan replace with a soy creamer)
2 tsp. chili bean paste
Coriander leaves for garnish

Heat olive oil in pot, add ginger, lemongrass, shallots and onions. Cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Add corn and cook for another minute. Add stock and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for about 5 minutes, add salt and pepper, then sugar and half and half. Remove pot from heat and cool to room temperature. When ready to serve, stir to blend ingredients and return pot to heat. Ladle into soup bowls add a dot of chili bean paste to top and swirl it with a knife to create a pleasing pattern. Garnish with coriander.

Moo's Winter Melon and Chicken Soup

This is a very light, savory Chinese soup. Moo made this often during the winter (after all it's made with winter melon). If you don't know, a winter melon looks a little like a watermelon from the outside. The flesh is a light green and cannot be eaten raw. I like to call this Chinese penicillin. It's light like chicken noodle with the winter melon providing an interesting texture. This is a palate pleaser.

6 cups chicken stock
1 lb. winter melon, cut into bite-size chunks
6 fresh shitake mushrooms, sliced
1 medium size knob of fresh ginger, minced
1 chicken breast, raw
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sherry
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. soy sauce, low sodium is best
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. olive oil

Cut flesh away from rind of winter melon. Cut flesh into chunks. Remove stems from mushrooms and slice caps. Bone raw chicken breast and cut into bite-size pieces. Mix chicken, garlic, sherry, sugar and 1/2 tsp. of the soy sauce. Let stand for 15 minutes. Mix salt, 1 1/2 tsp. of soy sauce, olive oil. Set aside. Heat stock to boiling, add melon, mushrooms and ginger and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chicken marinade mixture. Stir well. Add salt/soy/oil mixture. Cook until the chicken is tender.

Moo's Tapioca Asparagus Soup

This is a simple recipe and very good. You'll get raves as a palate pleaser when you serve this. I mention using a Hot and Spicy seasoning (your choice) because it's up to you how much zip you want to give the soup and the flavor enhancement you're looking for. There are many spicy seasoning mixes on the market so experiment with different flavors. Enjoy!

1 1/2 T butter (vegans can use a non-dairy butter substitute like Earth Balance)
1 T flour
1 cup asparagus water (the water your fresh asparagus is cooked in or the juice in a can of asparagus spears)
1 quart chicken broth (you could use a vegetable broth for vegan version)
1/2 cup quick cooking tapioca
salt and pepper to taste (watch salt if you use canned asparagus)
Hot and Spicy seasoning (your choice)
asparagus spears for garnish

In a large sauce pan melt butter. Add flour to make roux. Cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Add asparagus water slowly. Simmer about 5 minutes. Then add broth. Add tapioca and cook, stirring for about 5 minutes or until the tapioca is cooked and soft. Add salt, pepper and hot/spicy seasoning. Prior to serving put a couple spears of cooked asparagus in the soup bowl and ladle soup over the spears.

Moo's Very Best Clam Chowder

Prepare 10 dozen clams for steaming (i.e., soak in water and cornmeal to clean the sand out of the clam. If particularly sandy, you might have to change water/cornmeal more than once.). Steam until clams open and can be easily removed from shells. Save 1 ½ cups of the clam broth, poured through cheese cloth to catch any residual sand.

In a kettle, sauté 1 ½ cups diced onion in a generous amount of butter until soft and transparent but not brown. Add 2 ½ cups diced potatoes and the reserved clam broth. Simmer 20 minutes. Add clams and simmer 5 minutes. In a sauce pan, heat 2 ½ cups milk and ¾ cup heavy cream (or sour cream). Pour into the soup pot and add 2 t. salt and ½ t. crushed thyme, pepper to taste. Make a mixture of butter and flour (roux), add to hot soup. Do not allow to boil. Finally add 2 cups chicken broth. When plating the soup, add a pat of butter to the top of each bowl.

Moo's Chicken Ginger Coriander Soup

8 cups chicken stock
6 slices fresh ginger
5 stalks fresh lemon grass
1 bunch coriander
Fresh, raw dark meat of chicken (legs and thighs)
Fresh spinach, chopped
Japanese Udon noodles or Chinese noodles
Fresh mushrooms
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Suggested garnishes: scallions, chopped tofu, chopped hard-boiled eggs, coriander leaves, lime slices, fresh bean sprouts

To chicken stock, add ginger, lemon grass and coriander. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes in order for flavors to merge. Remove ginger, lemon grass and coriander. Add chicken (still on bones) to the flavored broth. Once cooked, remove chicken. Cool enough to debone and chop into bite-size pieces. Now prepare soup: To flavored broth, add chopped chicken, fresh spinach, noodles and mushrooms. Simmer until noodles and vegetables are tender. Salt and pepper to taste. Prepare separate bowls for garnishes. Serve soup and invite diners to garnish soup to their taste.

Moo's Three-Mushroom Soup

This can easily be turned into a vegan soup by using mushroom or vegetable broth in place of chicken. Olive oil or a non-dairy butter can replace the butter. Omit the sherry and sour cream. I've also taken to playing with the original recipe. I sometimes add fresh ginger, finely chopped, and cilantro, chopped. This is my all-time favorite palate pleaser soup.

4 cups chicken broth
1 large leek (white part only), coarsely chopped
1 shallot, coarsely chopped
1 can (15 oz.) straw mushrooms
2 oz. dried Polish mushrooms
½ pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
6 T butter
3 T flour
¼ cup sherry or white wine
½ t. salt or to taste
Lots of freshly ground pepper
¼ cup sour cream
Chives or coriander for garnish

Soak dry mushrooms in warm water until pliable (about 1 hour). Cut mushrooms into ½” pieces. Discard stems and woody pieces. Heat butter in saucepan. Sauté mushrooms, shallot and leek until soft but not brown. Stir in flour and gradually add hot broth, stiring continuously. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add wine, salt and pepper. Stir in sour cream just before serving. Add garnish.

Shrimp Bisque a la Dovell

Hot or cold, this soup kicks. It's one of my brother's favorite palate pleasers.

1 pound cooked shrimp
1 small carrot, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 T butter
Pinch of thyme
¼ cup brandy
½ cup sherry
1 cup chicken broth
2 cans frozen shrimp bisque

In a saucepan, sauté carrot and onion in butter. Add a little thyme. When golden brown, add shrimp and cook for another 5 minutes. Add brandy and flame. When the fire is out, set aside. Thaw frozen shrimp bisque in a large saucepan, and add sherry and chicken broth. Put thawed bisque mixture in blender along with 1 cup sour cream and a little red food coloring. The soup should be a light pink. Put the cooled shrimp mixture in the food processor. Combine the two mixtures and serve hot or cold.

Cucumber Dill Vichyssoise

This is a refreshing, flavorful soup. And because there are such interesting flavors going on here, it's best to make this a day ahead to give the flavors a chance to mingle and merge. A summer palate pleaser.

¼ cup butter
2/3 cup leeks (white part only), chopped
1/3 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 bay leaf
¾ pound potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups chicken broth
2 ½ cups cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 cup half and half cream
Salt & white pepper to taste
3 T fresh dill
2 t. “Hot & Spicy” seasoning

Melt butter in saucepan. Add leeks, bay leaf and onion. Cover and cook about 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Discard bay leaf. Add potatoes and chicken broth, simmer about 20 minutes. Mix chopped cucumber into soup. Puree in blender or processor in batches. Add cream, dill weed, salt, pepper, and “Hot & Spicy.” Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Serve chilled. If it gets too thick overnight, you can thin to preferred consistency with a little additional chicken broth.

Moo's Quick Cracker Dumplings

This is a very quick and easy way to make dumplings. Excellent in soup or stewed vegetables, such as tomatoes. It's part of a palate pleasing comfort meal.

23 soda crackers or saltines, crushed
2 T flour, unsifted
1/2 t. baking powder
1 whole egg, beaten

Combine crackers, flour and baking powder. Crack egg into a small bowl so you can beat with a fork. Then add to the cracker mixture. Mix into a dough. Mold each dumpling with the help of a teaspoon, then drop into simmering chicken stock. Cook until done. It will float to the top.

Moo's Original Black Bean Soup

Moo had several dishes that she worked on, revised and continued to perfect across the years. Black Bean Soup was one of them. This was her original recipe. It's good and hearty as Black Bean Soup should be. In days and weeks ahead, I'll share some of her variations on the Black Bean theme.

1 ¾ cups dry black turtle beans
2 quarts water
2 ozs. pork, diced
2 ozs. veal, diced
½ small yellow onion
1 bay leaf
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ tsp. fresh basil, finely clopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1 quart beef consommé
Salt and pepper to taste
½ cup cooked ham, finely chopped (topping)
Coriander and sour cream for topping

Rinse beans, drain thoroughly and put in a 3-quart stock pot. Add about half the water and soak beans overnight. Next day, in the same pot, bring beans and water to boil. Cover pot, reduce heat to simmer and cook about 1 ¾ hours (until tender).

In a separate saucepan, combine pork, veal, onion, bay leaf, garlic, basil, celery and remaining water. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour (until tender). Check water level from time to time. If it evaporates and meat is above the water level, add more water to keep meat covered.

Strain the fully cooked and tender beans, taking care to reserve the cooking water. Pour beans into food processor along with about 1/3 cup of the cooking water and puree. Turn the pureed beans into a large saucepan, and add beef consommé, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer (uncovered) for about an hour. Strain beans then return to the saucepan.

Once fully tender, drain meat combination, and remove bay leaf. Pour into food processor along with 1/3 cup of the reserved cooking water. Puree and turn into bean mixture.
Bring the combined soup ingredients to a boil. If you feel the consistency is too thick, gradually add some of the reserved cooking water. You can add more salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, and garnish with a dollop of sour cream, ham and a little coriander.

Dovell's Favorite Pink Velvet Soup

What a delightful cold soup for summer. Moo's beet borsch has always been my favorite; this one was my father's. It's fresh, it tastes good, it's like a delicious alternative to beet borsch. Yes, it's a palate pleaser.

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 8 oz. can diced beets
¼ cup catsup
1 T concentrated beef stock (such as Bovril) Vegetarians can easily substitute vegetable stock
1 cup sour cream
1 3 oz. package cream cheese

Mix ingredients in processor or blender. Blend thoroughly and chill. Serve in chilled bowls. Garnish with coriander or parsley, your choice.

Moo's Cold Cucumber Soup

This soup is easy to prepare and makes for a cool, summer treat. But because the flavors need to mature, you do have to plan ahead and keep overnight before serving. For a change of flavor (to spice things up a bit) you can add cilantro and when serving put a dot of Asian Chili Paste with Garlic or Black Bean with Garlic Sauce on top.

1 1/2 quarts broth, either chicken or vegetable
1 1/2 cups potato, pared, diced
2 cups cucumber, pared, seeded and sliced thin
1 cup fresh leeks (white part only), chopped fine
Cucumber and fresh dill for garnish

Boil potato in about half the chicken broth--until soft. Sauté cucumber slices and chopped leeks in butter until soft but not brown. Add potato and broth as well as the remaining broth to the cucumbers and leeks and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. Pour cooled ingredients into food processor and blend until smooth. Set aside, cover and chill overnight. To serve, pour into chilled bowls and garnish with thin slices of cucumber and chopped dill.

Lemon Grass & Cucumber Soup

Moo served this soup often--making it a family palate pleaser. She was an ardent devotee of all foods Asian. And when lemon grass began to come into our consciousness and into our recipes, she embraced it wholeheartedly. This is a very light, almost aromatic soup. In addition to being a good starter, it serves as an excellent palate cleanser. Enjoy.

5 cans chicken broth
6 stalks of lemon grass
1 ½ large cucumbers or 1 hydroponic
Remove outer dried leaves from lemon grass stalks, chop off tip of bulb and chop off the stiff stick-like ends then cut what is left in two pieces. Add to chicken broth, cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Do all of this ahead of time and do not remove lemon grass from broth.

Close to serving time, peel and de-seed cucumber halved lengthwise. Slice into 1/8” thick slices. Bring soup to boil again, add cucumber slices and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove lemon grass. Do not serve piping hot. Chopped cilantro can be added as garnish, but remember that the soup has a very delicate flavor so don’t use much (if at all).