“Writing is a lot like making soup. My subconscious cooks the idea, but I have to sit down at the computer to pour it out.”
― Robin Wells
I don’t have any profound lines for you about what this year will hold. I only know that I want more out of it than I received last year, and I have every intention of seeing it through. I have so much creativity compressed inside me, that there have been moments when it almost brought me to tears. I didn’t know how to harness it and where it should be unloaded. I felt an overwhelming sense of grief for all the words and images that I held inside, and it felt as though there wasn’t enough time to properly organize it all. Like possessing an armful of files but no file cabinet, and no one near to pull a drawer open for you, leaving you to drop the contents that you worked so hard to produce, on the cold hardwood floor. I hadn’t felt the desire to sit down and write in sometime, well that’s a lie, I have been writing. I’ve been writing in my journals on a regular basis. But I have not felt the desire to sit and write here in this space for some time. I made all the meals, and composed all the dishes. I even took the photos, but I wasn’t inspired to pour it into this space. But I’m back. And I pray you are inspired by all that I have to give you this year.
Winter is giving me ‘all the feels’ this year. If you don’t know – it is truly one of my favorite seasons alongside Autumn. There is something about stark blue light and sea of gloom in the sky that keeps the light at bay that gives me life. I can’t explain it and I probably shouldn’t try. But I feel a certain sense of revival, the deceased leaves have made their final descension and dance amongst the writhing grass. It’s the season of warm blankets, warm mugs full of tea, and bonfires surrounded by the laughter of friends. It’s also the season for soup-making, and if there is one thing my palate will never deny, it’s a bowl of soup. I like to consider soup the epitome of comfort foods.
There are so many variations that can be birthed from the ingredients in your fridge. A simple chicken noodle soup could be a hearty vegetable soup the next day and a creamy concoction the next. It is simply your perspective on the ingredients that you have to work with. I find it rather annoying when someone feels they have to run to the store to create something exactly the way they think it should be. I say, put radishes in, if you don’t have any celery. Add some bok choy if you don’t have cabbage. Soup is forgiving, it’s not demanding and it won’t ask you to be someone who you’re not, so don’t stress about the lack thereof.
I rarely buy the ingredients to prepare soup. I typically keep frozen broth in the freezer or containers in the pantry, and there’s also coubillion cubes, but steer clear of the ones with palm oil if you can. And I more often than not have vegetables lying around or partial leftovers from the previous nights dinner or that afternoons lunch, that can be added to the mix. This turkey soup was birthed from the turkey legs I had leftover from Thanksgiving. We don’t eat a lot of turkey throughout the year unless it is on a sandwich in the sliced format. Quite often the critics are giving turkey the thumbs down, saying that its bland nature is much worse than that of chicken but I still look forward to a small helping once…or twice a year.
This recipe is pretty similar to how I enjoy eating my chicken noodle soup. Which is with a copious handful of green onions if they are available. I simply enjoy the bright tangy bite that it adds to the rich chicken broth. So this whole bowl of soup is essentially less than five ingredients, because why complicate something simple like a good winter soup?
Simple Turkey Soup
1 quart chicken broth
1 cup pulled turkey meat
2 green onion stalks sliced
3 dashes of Texas Pete or Tabasco
fresh ground black pepper
Method
1. I simply heated my chicken broth up until it came to a rolling simmer. Then, I add some dashes of Texas Pete and taste it to see if its to my liking, and adjust. Pour yourself a bowl of the broth, add your pulled turkey meat. It’s up to you if you want to heat the meat prior to adding it to your broth. I put it in cold and let the broth warm it through for me.
I finished it with a copious palm of the green onions and that’s it. Enjoy.
NOTE: The next day you could add some frozen vegetables to this soup for a heartier version as well as some noodles, barley or rice. You could even add some heavy cream or crushed tomatoes to completely transform it into something different. Just adjust your salt and pepper accordingly.
I’ve been watering my mint for a few months now and I could never seem to find the time to make the simple syrup, despite the fact that the mint was simply thirty footsteps or so away. I’m working on it friends, everyday presents me with the opportunity to be better than the day before. But nonetheless, here is your recipe and its the desire of my heart that this syrup will make its way into your evening tea, top off your backyard cocktails, be drizzled over that ice cream nightcap or just a shot in your morning coffee. I hope that was enough inspiration to pause Netflix and get to work! Let me know your latest herb concoction in the comments or how would use this recipe to bring some joy to your life?
And then when I was around 6 or 7, I’m not sure, we found out that I was allergic to everything that bloomed or breathed in nature. It was a rough life as a kid but it was a good life nonetheless, once you find out all the things you’re allergic to, you simply calculate your next move, like chess, and carry-on. There were moments when I’d reach for something and forget to read the label, a few arm scratches later and all my senses were aroused and I was scrambling for Benadryl and a puff of my inhaler. Yes, allergies and asthma is no fun as an energetic youth who had a passion for life the way I did. But I survived and I’m here to tell you all about it.
The winter entered through the back door a little prematurely. Autumn was slowly taking steps backward to make way for the hues of blue, the last leaves to fall away from the branches of soon-to-be withered trees. You know, the ones that cast shadows behind the street lights at night. I’ve become used to hearing the wailing of those who lament winter’s arrival; grumbling about how their desire for summer to come back because the spring time wreaks havoc on their allergies.
As a child I had both allergies and asthma, two diseases that still bring me grief today. But I still have an appreciation for every season because the details are different; and the arrival of spring blooms versus the color change of the leaves in autumn are all things to be appreciated. And winter’s vegetables are some of my favorite to consume. The vibrant shades of cabbage nestled against the neutrals of potatoes and a splash of hearty greens all ready to be made into delectable soups, stews and pickled things if you’re skilled enough to take on the challenge.
I was a strange kid if you were to inquire from the right family members. I was a lover of all vegetables with the exception of okra, it had to be fried and practically burnt for me to find it palatable. Of course, I’ve since matured and adore it fried or pickled, but still slightly burnt (old habits die-hard). But enough of memory lane, lets talk radishes. My only familiarity with radishes growing up was at church potlucks on crudités platters and they were always the last thing left, along with celery. They were more oft than not left behind on salad bars and strewn to the side of the plate like the family member you wanted to avoid at all cost due to lack of personality. In culinary school we carved them into flowers during garde manger, shaved over salads as an a la minute need for a burst of color. I’ve only ever known them to be the red-headed stepchild of the cruciferous family…tis a shame.
The recipe I’m sharing with you today I hope changes your mind about these guys…or gals. I rather enjoy introducing radishes to my clients in this format and I have yet to see anyone shy away from giving them a try. It’s so simple and yet so rewarding-ly delicious – just a little bit of olive oil, kosher salt and fresh ground black and you’re in business. This same method works well with carrots, rutabagas, parsnips and other hearty veggies as well.
I decided to make a little garlic aioli to eat them with and used the cheaters guide to make this rather quickly. I cracked and peeled three cloves of garlic and sautéed it in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive and a little salt and pepper until the garlic was aromatic and began to caramelize a little. Once I got a good amount of color on the garlic about two minutes on medium heat – I set that mixture to the side to let it cool. I pulled out my food processor and put three heavy tablespoons of Duke’s mayo in there with two dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce, a squeeze of lemon juice (1 tbsp), the garlic with the oil that it cooked in and a dash of Worcestershire. I flipped the switch and let those ingredients come together, scraping down the sides once or twice to incorporate all the ingredients. Once I was happy with the consistency I tasted it for salt and pepper.