Irish Cheddar Soup Served Up Vermont Style

Photo Credit: Leah Haydock 

   This weekend on the drive through Vermont on the journey home we ended up by Simon Pearce just in time for lunch. Their Vermont Cheddar Soup is delicious and addicting with it's rich and creamy texture and powerful flavor. It is made with Vermont's own Cabot Cheddar Cheese which, is available from Munroe Dairy.  If you have ever had the fortune of having the soup before you understand the willingness to wander off the beaten path just a bit to stop in for a bowl of the yumminess and opportunity to wander around the old mill building to watch the glass blowing in progress and listen to the waterfall. 

Simon Pearce

Glass Blowing at Simon Pearce ~ Quechee, VT 

Glass Blowing at Simon Pearce ~ Quechee, VT 

Photo Credit: MiamiAvocado

To make it a meal all you need is a nice loaf of crusty bread for dipping and salad of Olivia's Organics Spring Mix lightly dressed with D.E. Vine Honey Balsamic Dressing. The soup is easy enough to make and keeps well in the freezer.  

 Here is the recipe from the restaurant at Simon Pearce: 

Ingredients

3 quarts water
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz. flour

5 oz.butter
1 cup heavy cream (whole milk can be substituted)

2 bay leaves 
1 lb. grated Cabot Sharp Cheddar cheese 
1 cup carrots, grated
1 cup celery, minced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cups half & half
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
Salt & fresh ground pepper

Methods/steps

Blanch carrots and celery in boiling water. Drain well and set aside. Bring water to boil. Melt butter in heavy stockpot, add onions & garlic, soften. Add flour to butter & onion mixture. Stir to combine well, turn heat very low. Stirring occasionally, cook about 15 minutes. Add water 1/3 at a time. Stir with whisk until smooth. Season with thyme, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Cook over low heat, until smooth and creamy. Add grated cheese.

Boil water in separate saucepan, add celery and carrots, cook until just tender. Drain well. Add celery-carrot mixture to large stockpot. Add half & half and heavy cream. Stir well. Serve hot, but do not overheat.

Check out the video of the restaurants former Chef Josh Duda making the soup here. In the video he uses chicken stock instead of water which, will add an even deeper flavor the to soup. If you want to keep it vegetarian you can use vegetable stock. 

Covered Bridge ~ Rebuilt and open after Hurricane Irene 

Turkey, Turkey, Turkey

  

          Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays of the year. Everyone over indulges without feeling guilty and you are doing it together in solidarity with your family and friends. In my family we always over estimate the amount of food that is needed with the thought of plenty of leftovers to hold everyone over just in case there is a national shortage of food for the next week. 

 Over the years I have become creative in seeking ways to use the leftover in some for other than Turkey Soup or Sandwiches. In the spirit of giving I have complied a list of some of my favorites finds to share with all!

Breakfast

• Thanksgiving Baked Eggs from Via Viands - Warm, cozy and delicious baked eggs with leftover stuffing, potatoes, squash and turkey (really anything that you have) make up this perfect brunch dish for the day after Thanksgiving meal. Serve it up with some coffee and spiked egg nog and you are good to go!
• Leftover Thanksgiving Frittata from Vanilla Late - A fritatta is truly one of the most amazing and simple breakfast dishes to make that will feed many, use few dishes and leave none hungry. As good as they are warm they are also good cold too. 
• Pilgrim Eggs Benedict from Brigs Restaurant - Poached eggs, over mashed potatoes, stuffing, squash, or sweet potato topped off with some hollandaise sauce and cranberry sauce. Oh MY!

Lunch

• Curried Turkey Salad from Simply Recipes - Spread a little leftover cranberry sauce on toasted bread and scoop on this yummy salad instead of a regular sliced turkey sandwich. So Good...
• Turkey Bacon Avocado Sammy from the Hen Basket - serve it up warm with some melted cheese (I used Monterey Jack in place of Swiss,) need I say more.
• Turkey Cranberry Quesadilla  from YumSugar - Good for lunch or as a snack to share. However, be careful as they are addicting. 

Dinner (Round Two)

• Turkey Pot Pie from Full Bellies, Happy Kids - This is sure to be a crowd pleaser for all ages. 
• Thanksgiving Salad from Serious Eats - If you are feeling a little guilty about the third helping of green bean casserole and two slices of pie, then this is for you. You can boost up the veggies and use quinoa as substitutes. 
• Not Your Traditional Leftover Turkey Soup - Eating Well featured this yummy Squash and turkey Soup that can be made with the leftover Turkey. It has a little kick to it from the pepper flakes but, it is calmed by the lime juice. Add a dollop of Cabot's Low Fat Sour Cream or Fat Free Cottage Cheese and this is a healthy refresher from the previous day's feasting. 

  

Roasted Butternut Squash and Apple Soup

  Tis the season of apple picking, squash, pumpkin and all things Fall. The leaves are now turning their seasonal bright red, yellows and oranges, the nights are getting crisper and there is the faint smell of a fireplace burning. In my household this also means it is the time of year for soups, chili and stew. I love soup and could eat it almost everyday! I am not sure if I have a favorite type but, Butternut Squash is in the top 10 of favorites and over the years I have made many different varieties of it. Some have bacon, carrots, cranberries, and sweet sweet fall apples.

 

Butternut Squash & Apple Soup

Ingredients

• 1 medium Yellow Onion (chopped 1" pieces)
• 1 rib of Celery chopped
• 1 Carrot chopped 
• 2 Shallots chopped
• 4 cloves of Garlic
• 1 - 20 oz package of Diced Butternut Squash
• 1 large hearty Apple cored and diced (Gala, Granny Smith, or Fuji)
• 4 cups of Chicken or Vegetable Broth
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 2 tbsp of Olive Oil 
• Salt & Pepper
• 1 cup Whole Milk or Light Cream

Photo Credit: Choosing Raw 

 On a lined cookie sheet place the onion, celery, shallots, garlic, apple, squash and bay leaf. Drizzle evenly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper. Roast in a 425*f oven for 25 to 30 minutes or just until softened and the corners are turning brown. (Can be roasted ahead of time by one day.) Remove the Bay Leaf and discard

  In a large stock pot add the butter over medium heat. When the butter has just melted add the roasted vegetables to the pot and cook for 5 before adding the broth. Once the broth is added simmer for 30 minutes until all the vegetables are very soft. Let the soup cool slightly before adding it to the food processor for blending or before using an immersion blender. Once the soup is blended add the milk to the cooled soup and incorporate it before returning the pot to the stove to bring to serving temperature.

Serve the soup in bowls with a dollop of Cabot Sour Cream!