Amanda Hesser's Zucchini Soup

Hello, hello, it's me, I'm back; though, of course, I wasn't really gone, just swept up in a whirlwind of work, dinners out every night, and get-togethers with out-of-town friends in for their biannual visits to this city of ours. The company was, every night, more memorable than the meal, except for a plate of spaghetti with baby clams at a hidden gem on 13th Street, Trattoria Maurizio, that tasted as good as the stuff does when I'm in Italy (also of note, an appetizer of braised artichokes with delicate, quenelle-shaped mozzarelline). But for the most part, what kept me fed were the stories and laughs from my friends.

After a week of restaurant meals, there's nothing I love better than getting back into the kitchen. Last night, we roasted a baking sheet full of tomatoes, peppers, leeks and garlic into a sweet, stewy mess and sauced a tangle of spaghetti with it. Afterwards, we sank into the soft couch and ate squares of bitter chocolate while watching six-year-old episodes of 24 (we've just gotten started and I'm both totally hooked and completely annoyed). Dolce far niente, for sure.

Today a fierce wind buffeted the puffy clouds encircling the sky here and swept one of my Danish placemats clean off the balcony table just before lunch. Ben, ever the hero, zipped downstairs and found the placemat, improbably blowing down the street straight towards him. We moved our lunch operations indoors after that - two bowls of hot, green soup, both sweet and peppery, brightened with a squeeze of lime juice. We dragged crusty bread through the dregs of the soup at the bottom of our bowls, the crispy crust softening just a bit.

Amanda calls this zucchini soup, but it almost reminded me of a stronger-flavored potage St-Germain, that sweet, Gallic lettuce-and-pea soup that tastes so perfect when spring is just emerging and you see life exploding greenly out of every corner. The lemon juice (or lime, if that's what you've got) is essential, of course, in elevating this soup from muddiness to sprightliness. It would help, too, if you didn't make this in a food processor, because a blender's the only thing that can actually liquefy all that cellulose into something creamy and smooth. If you don't have a choice because, like us, you don't own a blender (ridiculous, I know, but I'll remedy it soon, which reminds me, readers, to ask for your recommendations ), just know that your soup will be a little...grainy and textured. It's not awful, not at all, but it's not how it's supposed to be.

An ascetic, little, home-cooked lunch was just what we needed to prepare us for tonight - our first excursion to Sripraphai, a trip at least five years overdue and not to be put off now that we live within minutes of the place. And in a few days, my mother arrives, coming to bless the place with her presence, at least for me, to teach me just exactly how to get stains out of the tablecloth, help us explore the neighborhood, and sit on the couch in all her mamma-ness, smelling just like she always does. I can't wait.

Zucchini Soup
Serves 4 to 6

1 clove garlic, peeled and smashed
1 small onion, peeled and chopped
1 small dried chile de arbol, finely sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound zucchini, in 1/2-inch slices
2 cups hot chicken broth
1 cup frozen peas (or, an entire package, if you're me)
6 to 8 ounces watercress, stems trimmed
Salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon, or to taste
10 basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Freshly ground black pepper or grains of paradise

1. In a large pan, combine the garlic, onion, chile and olive oil. Place over medium heat and saute until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini, broth and 2 cups hot water. Bring to a simmer, and cook until zucchini is almost soft. Add peas, simmer for 1 minute, add watercress and remove from heat. Season with salt to taste.

2. Allow soup to cool slightly. Working in batches, transfer soup to a blender (do not fill container more than halfway) and, holding onto lid tightly with a dish towel, puree until very smooth; begin at low speed and gradually increase to high.

3. Season soup with lemon juice and adjust salt to taste. Stir in basil and ladle into soup bowls. Sprinkle with pepper or grains of paradise and olive oil to taste, and serve.

Comments

[deb]

Oh Luisa, braised artichokes? I feel like you whispered that just for me. I am calling right now to see if they have room tonight!

A few years ago, before I had a full-sized food processor, we got the Cuisinart that is both a mini-prep and a blender. It doesn't have the vroom of the full-size, but for drinks, it's as good as any and for chopping, it's perfect for those small batch things like bread crumbs or pesto.

[radish]

This soup looks so yummy - and the trattoria sounds heavenly. I agree with Deb, braised artichokes is enough to drop all plans and run run run to the restaurant!!

[Lydia]

Now you must treat yourself to an immersion blender, because it's coming into soup season in a big way, and you will wonder how you ever lived without one!

[Carmen]

I don't have a blender, but I do have an immersion blender. It is extremely portable, easy to clean, and efficient.

[Casey]

The soup sounds delish but my favorite part of this post I enjoyed most was the mental picture engendered of the placemat blowing down the street *towards* its gallant chaser.

[jancd]

This soup sounds wonderful--but I have to ask (boy, do I hate to admit stupidity)) what is watercress? Ouch, that hurt.

[Kevin]

You have accomplished something by making a Zucchini soup look formidable!

[mary]

This was a lovely read. Thank you.

How to get stains out of anything that is hand washable: combine liquid dish soap with powdered Clorox 2 (the color safe stuff), mix together to make a paste (this will heat up a little as you do this, don't be worried). Rub paste into stains, place item in a bucket of cool water, pushing it down so the air bubbles don't make it float. Soak overnight. If stains are still not gone, repeat. I've removed the most stubborn stains with this method, including spaghetti grease combined with red wine from a pale lavender linen shirt - it took three tries and two weeks of soaking, but the shirt looks like new (that would be the boy's shirt, I'm not the one who spills such things down the front of me).

I'll let everyone else tell you what kind of blender to get.

[Victoria]

I've been upstate for a week. It was supposed to be my summer vacation, and the week started out hot, but then summer sort of headed south. No matter. The vegetable stand was still chock full of wonderful goodies, and we ate well - very well - the whole time and didn't eat in any kind of a restaurant once, not even when we had errands to run in Bennington, Vermont, and waited to eat lunch at home even though we were famished. But I thought of you, Luisa, because the farm stand had its own mizuna all clean and packaged in the clearest plastic bags I've ever seen with a tie around the top looking for all the world like little glistening presents. They were out of their own mesclun (and it really is mesclun) and arugula, so with great trepidation (because of your past post) I snagged a bag - and am happy to report it was delightful. Spicy and sharp but not spikey at all. So next summer, when it rolls around, find the good stuff and try Judy Rodgers' salad again. I've clipped your recipe for myself. I'm sure it will be more than worth making. And have a GREAT visit with your mother.

[Luisa]

Deb - ha! I knew your ears would perk up at that. I have a little chopper/mini-prep thing from Braun that I love, even though the blade is getting duller than dull. Perfect for those small batch jobs (and a little feta dip I made last night that I will have to post about at some point, because YUM).

Radish - do it! Go! I think Deb might have already beat you there, though :)

Lydia - I loooooove immersion blenders - used to have one that came in a set with the mini-prep thing I told Deb about. Unfortunately, it hasn't held up as well and I've been lazy about replacing it, precisely because I'm wondering if I should get a blender instead.... Any thoughts from you between one or the other?

Carmen - hmmm, yes. A second vote for the immersion blender...

Casey - Yes, that made me smile, too ;)

Jancd - hey! there's nothing stupid about that question. Watercress is a peppery little green - it's got relatively tough stems and small, dark green leaves. Usually, you find it bunched together near the parsley, though sometimes I've found it bagged near the other bagged lettuces. Ask the people who work in your grocery store - I'm sure they'll be able to help you.

Kevin - thanks!

Mary - thank you very much! the overnight soaking seems to be the key, though I'm excited to try out that little chem experiment of clorox and dish soap! Off to buy a bucket....

Victoria - I hope you're enjoying your vacation - despite the lower temperatures, it's been pretty glorious with all this sun and those puffy clouds! I will definitely try for mizuna again next year, as per your instructions! :)

[ann]

Go with an immersion blender! No transferring of hot liquids from pot to blender, no fear that hot liquid will blow out the top of the blender and coat your walls in a thick slurry of green.
Sounds like a nice week, and I have got to try that restaurant out, sounds delightful!

[Lia]

What did you think of Sripraphai? We went for the first time last year and loved it. I have to get back there sometime soon!

[Luisa]

Ann - that's what we did! I kind of liked the idea of one of those 50's looking blenders on my counter, but the immersion is so much more efficient...

Lia - it was closed for holiday that night! But we went back THIS Saturday evening and, holy cow, was it good. Worth the wait!