Creamy Celeriac Soup with Homemade Croutons

Meet celeriac, a knobby, rough looking, not so well known root vegetable, belonging to the celery family.  You are likely to come across them in farmer's market rather than the supermarket and they look quite remarkable freshly harvested from the field with vibrant green tops.  Take time to remove the tough outer skin and any gnarly bits to reveal creamy white flesh, which can be roasted, boiled or mashed. Their earthy, mildly sweet flavour lend themselves to this lovely soup with potatoes and leeks.  I serve it with homemade croutons.

Serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 celeriac, about 500g / 1lb 2oz
• 3 potatoes, about 450g / 1lb
• 1 leek, white & pale green parts only, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 cups vegetable stock
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• sea salt, to taste
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 tablespoon chopped dill or chives, for garnishing

For the croutons:

• 2 thick slices crusty bread (about 110g / 4oz)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Wash and scrub the celeriac clean.  Slice off the top and bottom with a knife to create flat surfaces, then cut away the tough outer skin.  Slice into chunks.
2. Peel potatoes and slice into chunks.
3. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add sliced leek and sauté for 2-3 minutes until soften.  Add the garlic and sauté for another minute.
4. Add the celeriac and potatoes.  Cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes to coat with oil.
5. Pour in the stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook until the celeriac and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Turn off the heat.  Use a stick blender to process the vegetables until smooth.
7. Add milk and let the soup simmer over low heat for 2-3 minutes to warm through.  Stir in lemon juice.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Garnish with chopped dill or chives.

For the croutons:

1. Line a large baking tray with baking paper.
2. Use a serrated knife to slice the bread into 2cm / ¾" cubes.
3. Place the bread cubes on the prepared tray.  Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Gently toss the bread cubes with a pair of tongs until they are coated evenly in oil and seasonings.  Arrange the cubes on the tray so they are not touching each other.
4. Bake in a preheated 200°C /400°F oven for 10 minutes.  Remove the tray from the oven and give the cubes a toss after 5 minutes.  The croutons are ready when they are golden brown but still a little soft in the centre.  Serve immediately with soup.

Homemade Sauerkraut

Until I attended a workshop earlier this year learning to make sauerkraut, I had thought it was a German invention, but it actually originated in ancient China, where workers building the Great Wall fermented shredded cabbage in rice wine.  Sauerkraut adds tanginess and heightens the flavour of food, and that's more than Bratwurst!  Stir some into soups and stews; serve some with your tacos and burritos; pack them into sandwiches and burgers.  They are lovely for your breakfast fry-up too.  Sauerkraut is also healthy, full of probiotics and vitamin C.  You can make it at home using a mix of your favourite vegetables and spices. (Chop some fresh turmeric in for a good dose of antioxidant if you like.)  It is not a complicated process, requiring no specialist kitchen gadgets and most rewarding when your homemade sauerkraut tastes so much better than the shop-bought variety.

Makes 1-2 jars

INGREDIENTS

• 1 medium head of white or red cabbage (about 1kg / 2lb 4oz)
• a small mix of fresh vegetables for flavour and colour, such as carrot, cauliflower, beetroot, radish, kohlrabi, daikon, fennel, ginger, garlic, turmeric (optional)
• sea salt 
• whole spices such as black peppercorns, caraway seeds, mustard seeds, coriander seeds

EQUIPMENT

• a large mixing bowl
• a sharp knife 
• a cutting board
• a kitchen scale
• 1-2 large wide-mouth glass jars with lids
• a wooden spoon or tamper
• 1-2 glass fermentation weights or small zip-lock bags filled with water

METHOD

1.  Prep & shred

• Wash your glass jars and lids with hot soapy water.  Rinse well with hot water.  Sterilise by placing them onto a baking tray, then into a preheated 120°C/250°F oven for 20 minutes, or until it is dry and ready to be used.
• Put aside one clean outer cabbage leaf.  Cut a piece or two to fit the opening of your jar(s).
• Cut the cabbage into quarters and slice out the hard core.  Shred the cabbage thinly with knife.  Thinly slice a small mix of other vegetables of your choice.

2.  Salt & massage

• Note the weight of your cabbage on a kitchen scale.  Measure out the salt, which should be  2% of the total weight of the cabbage.  (If you've got 1 kg of cabbage, that's 20g or 2 teaspoons of salt).  
• Place cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle salt on top.  With clean hands, massage the cabbage firmly, rubbing the salt evenly into the cabbage.  
• After 5-10 minutes, the cabbage will start to go limp and emit some liquid or brine.   Let the cabbage sit in the bowl for 30 minutes.
• After 30 minutes, massage the cabbage for another 3-5 minutes.  There should be a large pool of liquid forming at the bottom of the bowl.
• Add a quantity of whole spices, to taste.  Mix them with the cabbage.

3.  Pack the jar

• Place a few handfuls of cabbage in your clean, sterilised jar.  Press down hard with a wooden spoon or tamper to eliminate air pockets.
• Repeat until the jar is nearly filled up with cabbage.  Leave 4cm / 1½" of empty space at the top.
• Pour any remaining liquid from the bowl into the jar.  The cabbage should be completely submerged.
• Place your reserved piece of leaf on top of the cabbage to keep anything from floating up.
• Place a glass fermentation weight or a small zip-lock bag filled with water on top of the leaf so everything is pinned below the liquid line.
• Screw the jar lid on loosely so gases can escape during fermentation.

4.  Caring for your sauerkraut

• Day 1-3:  Place your jar on a small plate in a cupboard or a dark space.  The cabbage will bubble up and liquid might overflow onto the plate, which is a good sign that fermentation is happening.
• Day 4-14:  Open the jar slightly each day to 'burp' it, then close the lid loosely again.  This is very important so the gas can be released.  Ensure the cabbage stays submerged.
• Day 14+: Use a clean fork to taste your sauerkraut after 2 weeks.  If you are happy with the taste, remove the weight and the cabbage leaf and tighten the lid.  Move it to the fridge.  If you would like it sourer, let it ferment a little longer.

Notes:

• During the fermentation phase, the cabbage reabsorbs liquid as it sits.  If this happens, push down the weight to force the liquid back up.  If it is completely dry, top it up with brine (1 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 cup of water.)
• If a thin flat film starts to develop on top of the cabbage during fermentation, it is usually Kahm yeast, which is harmless.  Simply skim if off, rinse your weight, and keep fermenting.
• Sauerkraut can be kept in the fridge for 4- 6 months while keeping its best flavour and crisp texture.  It should smell pleasantly sour and tangy.  Discard and start again when it smells offensive, looks slimy or has furry green/black mold. 

I like to thank my friend Jools for teaching me how to make sauerkraut and sharing her knowledge so generously.

Chocolate Ricotta Cake

Nothing fancy about this chocolate cake, just full of fabulous chocolate flavour with a delicate, melt-in-the-mouth texture.  The key ingredients are cocoa powder,  good quality dark chocolate (I use a Lindt 70% cocoa bar) and Italian ricotta cheese which contributes to the crumb being fluffy and moist.  Make yourself a cup of coffee while you're at it and pour some into the batter to intensify the cocoa flavour.  Best to serve it warm.

INGREDIENTS

• 115g / 4oz unsalted butter or ½ cup olive oil
• 100g / 3½oz  dark chocolate bar
• 1 cup plain flour, sifted
• 2 tablespoon baking cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• a pinch of sea salt
• 3 eggs
• ⅔ cup sugar
• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
• 2 teaspoons instant coffee mixed with ⅓ cup hot water
• 2 tablespoons icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

1. Grease and line the bottom and sides of a 23cm / 9" round springform or loose base cake pan with baking paper.
2. Break up chocolate bar and place in a small saucepan with butter or oil.  Heat gently, stirring, until the chocolate has melted and well combined with the butter/oil.
3. In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients - flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar and eggs.  Whisk with an electric beater for a few minutes until light and fluffy.  Reduce the speed and add the chocolate mixture, ricotta cheese and vanilla paste.  Whisk until smooth.
5. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding gently with a spatula  until just combined.  Stir in the coffee mixture.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan.  Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.  
7. Allow the cake to rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Dust with icing sugar before serving.

 

Ricotta & Parmesan Mini-Meatloaves

These Italian-style mini-meatloaves are easy to make and packed with delicious ingredients - fresh herbs, ricotta cheese for creamy texture and parmesan cheese for rich flavour.  Cooked entirely in a pan on the stove top in a simmering tomato sauce, they are kept moist and tender.  Made in individual portions, they are also easier to serve than a traditional meatloaf.  Perfect with rice, mashed potatoes or polenta on the side.

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• ½ cup plain flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the meatloaves:

• 500g / 1lb 2oz beef mince
• 1 egg
• 3 tablespoons milk
• ½ cup bread crumbs
• 200g / 7oz ricotta cheese
• ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
• 2 spring onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, plus extra for garnishing
• a good pinch of nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1½ cup passata
• ½ cup water
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• salt & pepper, to taste

METHOD

1. In a large bowl, place the beef mince with egg, milk bread crumbs, ricotta, parmesan, spring onions, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper.  Mix with your hands to combine.  Divide into 4 equal portions and form into mini-meatloaves.
2. Spread flour in a dish big enough to receive the meatloaves.  Coat them lightly with flour.
3. Heat a large frying pan with oil over medium high heat until hot.  Brown the meatloaves all over, about 4 minutes.  Remove to a plate and set aside.
4. In the same pan, add garlic to the residual oil and fry for 30 seconds over medium low heat or until fragrant.  Pour in the pasta and water.  Add the basil.  Stir to combine and bring it to a simmer.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
5. Transfer the meatloaves back to the pan.  Cover and cook gently for 15-20 minutes or until the meatloaves are cooked though.
6. Serve meatloaves with a generous amount of sauce on top.  Garnish with chopped parsley.