Comfort Food for Crazy Times
10/06/2008
“There is nothing like a plate or a bowl of hot soup…to dispel the depressing effects of a grueling day at the office or the shop, rain in the streets, or bad news in the papers.”
Louis P. De Gouy, The Soup Book (1949)
Marczyk soups are made from scratch with all the fine ingredients you see on our shelves. The chicken noodle is the best in town due to a secret ingredient. Nan’s Clam Chowder is great football tailgating food. The 2 soups of the day you’ll find on the Marczyk website blog. See below for delicious winter squash soup recipes.
The Woman’s Bean Project now has a whole kiosk here dedicated to its soup, chili, and cookie and brownie mixes. What could be better than mixing up an easy batch of soup and helping a great cause? Their soup kits are $5.29, our fave is the 10 Bean.
What’s Fresh Now?
Organic Colorado potatoes! From the beautiful San Luis Valley: Yukon golds, russets, and Peruvian blue. Mashed blues, fun for kids! Also, packed-with-vitamins organic yams. Peel and slice any of these lengthwise, rub with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, put in a hot oven until crispy.
Pumpkin pies are in. Don’t wait for Thanksgiving to take home one of these delicious pies made by our friends at Breadworks. Spiced just right, we eat ours for breakfast with a cup of coffee. Speaking of America’s favorite holiday, Pete and Paul just ordered our Thanksgiving turkeys from Willie Bird!
Even though your garden tomatoes may have taken a hit with the recent frost, that’s no reason to cut back on Marczyk’s fresh daily mozzarella. See below for a crazy fun recipe.
All Ela Family Farms apples, including Jonathan, Gala, and Golden Supreme; and Ela Bartlett pears, on sale for $1.99 per lb.
The beef from Colorado’s Best Beef Company http://www.cobestbeef.com/ continues to win fans here at the market, and Westword’s Jason Sheehan has this to say:
“This was crazy. As far as I knew, no one in Denver was trying to sell the huge, muscular and sway-backed white French cattle. Like Kobe (but better), Charolais is a kind of name-brand breed — something that people who know beef understand to be special and worth the price because of the leanness, the gorgeous wine color of the meat, the flavor that (when properly aged) is just unbelievable.
And while the price is steep, it's also very much worth it. And the only place I know of to buy it locally is at Marczyk's.”
Jimmy is getting an irregular order on a regular basis: it changes weekly. If you have a special occasion coming up and need Colorado’s Best Beef call 303 894-9499, talk to Jimmy.
New new new!
Georgetown Valley Candy Company
From old-fashioned caramel corn to custom-spiced hand-crafted chocolates, we’re really impressed with this Colorado product. The caramel corn, a classic fall indulgence, comes plain or with peanuts. The chocolates have names like Beijing Bites, Sherpa’s Secret, and Marrakech Marvels, and they don’t skimp on the spices either. Spicy and sweet, just what you need for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Recipes
Mozzarella "s'mores"
Ingredients
- 16 sun-dried tomato halves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, if needed
- 1 ball of fresh mozzarella (8 to10 ounces), cut into 16 pieces (cut the cheese into 4 thick slices, then cut each slice into quarters).
- 16 fresh basil leaves
- 16 garlic rubbed grilled bread slices or 32 crackers
- 2 to 6 long barbecue forks or skewers
Place the tomatoes in an attractive serving bowl. Arrange the mozzarella, basil leaves, and grilled bread or crackers in bowls or on a platter.
Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat to high. In the best of all worlds, you'd use a charcoal grill, raking the embers into a pile at the bottom of the grill and leaving off the grill grate. If using a gas grill, preheat it superhot.
Skewer a cube of mozzarella. Roast it over the fire, turning the skewer to evenly melt the cheese. If using a gas grill, you'll need to bring it as close as possible to the fire without touching the grate. When the mozzarella begins to melt and brown, after 1 to 2 minutes over charcoal, a little longer over gas, use a knife or fork to scrape the cheese off the skewer onto a piece of grilled bread. Never attempt to eat the melted cheese directly off the hot skewer — you'll burn your lips. Top the cheese with a basil leaf and a piece of sun-dried tomato and place a second piece of grilled bread on top. Eat at once.
This recipe comes from Beer Can Chicken.
Winter Squash Soup with Gruyère Croutons
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup ( 1/2 stick) butter
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 14 1/2-ounce cans low-salt chicken broth
- 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 4 cups 1-inch pieces peeled acorn squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh thyme
- 1 1/4 teaspoons minced fresh sage
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons sugar
Croutons
- 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
- 24 1/4-inch-thick baguette bread slices
- 1 cup grated Gruyère cheese
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
For soup
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add broth, all squash and herbs; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until squash is very tender, about 20 minutes.
Working in batches, puree soup in blender. Return soup to same pot. Stir in cream and sugar; bring to simmer. Season with salt and pepper, and add a tiny bit of white wine if you like. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Rewarm over medium heat before serving.)
For croutons
Preheat broiler. Butter 1 side of each bread slice. Arrange bread, buttered side up, on baking sheet. Broil until golden, about 1 minute. Turn over. Sprinkle cheese, then thyme and sage over. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Broil until cheese melts, about 1 minute. Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with croutons and serve.
Bon Appétit
