Text 4555, 126 rader
Skriven 2006-08-19 15:18:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av RUTH HANSCHKA
Ärende: Home Again
==================
 -=> Quoting Ruth Hanschka to Jim Weller <=-

 ->  RH> Here, the frost line is 45" below ground - it thaws out eventually,
 ->  RH> but in winter it can be frozen solid that far down and usually is.

 -> 12-15 feet here. Even long after the rivers and lakes break up, the
 -> ground is still frozen here, sometimes to early June.

 RH> Not quite permafrost. Doesn't that make putting up a permanent
 RH> building a bit of pain?

We have permafrost in spots. From about 15 to 90 feet down. It requires
a thick insulating blanket of muskeg or peat moss to survive. It is
also gradually disappearing due to climate change. Our annual average
temperature has climbed from 30 F to 35 F in the last 20 years.

Our buildings are either built on concrete walls right on bed rock at or
near the surface or else on steel piles drilled through the muskeg and
set three feet into the underlaying bedrock. As a result very few homes
here have basements.

MMMMM-----Meal-Master - formatted by MMCONV  2.10

     Title: Asparagus Soup With Parmigiano Zabaglione
Categories: Californian, Italian, Soups, Chicken, Cheese
  Servings: 12

      2 TB extra-virgin olive oil
  1 1/2 c  finely chopped yellow onion
      1 pn finely ground salt
      1 lg russet potato; about 12
    ounces, peeled and cut into
      1    inch cubes
      1    bay leaf
      6 c  chicken stock
    Salt and freshly ground
    black pepper
      2 lb asparagus; tough ends
    removed, cut crosswise into
    1/2    inch slices
      2 ts finely chopped fresh thyme
    leaves
      2 c  tightly packed fresh spinach
    leaves
    1/4 ts powdered ascorbic acid
    (vitamin C)
      1 c  heavy cream; chilled
      2 ts freshly grated lemon zest
           PARMIGIANO ZABAGLIONE:
      2    egg yolks
      3 TB dry white wine
    Finely ground salt and
    freshly ground black pepper
    1/2 c  freshly grated
    Parmigiano-Reggiano
    1/4 c  heavy cream; whipped to soft
    peaks

For the soup, set a large saucepot over a high flame and heat up the
olive oil. Add the onions, stir briefly, and lower the heat to medium.
Add a pinch of salt to draw moisture out of the onions. Cook the onions
until they are soft and translucent but without any browning, about 10
minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes, bay leaf and chicken
stock. Raise the flame to high to bring the stock to a boil, then lower
the heat to a simmer. Taste the stock and season with salt and pepper,
if necessary. Cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes. Add
the asparagus and thyme. Return the stock to a simmer. Cook until the
asparagus is barely tender.

Remove the bay leaf. Working quickly, ladle some of the soup into a
blender with the spinach and vitamin C. Process until the soup is smooth
and homogenous. To cool quickly, remove to a large bowl set inside a
larger bowl filled with ice water or a sink partially filled with ice
water. Add the cream and lemon zest, and season with salt and pepper.
Stir often until the soup is no longer steaming. (The soup can be made
to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up
to 1 month.)

To make the zabaglione, bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in a large
saucepan. In a large non-reactive bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and
wine. Season with salt and pepper. Set the bowl inside the saucepan but
not touching the water, and whisk constantly until the mixture has
thickened to point where the whisk can leave a clean trail on the bottom
of the bowl, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat. Whisk
vigorously for 1 minute to cool to room temperature and gradually whisk
in the cheese. Season the mixture with pepper, to taste. (The zabaglione
can be made to this point, covered and refrigerated for up to 1 day).
Add 1/3 of the whipped cream. Whisk until smooth and then fold in the
remaining whipped cream, being careful keep the mixture light and airy.

To serve, in a large saucepot, warm the soup over medium heat. Ladle
into espresso cups. Spoon the zabaglione over each serving (about 1
teaspoon for each espresso cup of soup). Serve warm or at room
temperature.

Recipe Notes

Chef's Notes: The keys to achieving a brilliant green color for this
soup are blending the barely cooked asparagus with fresh spinach leaves,
adding a bit of vitamin C for its antioxidant effects, and cooling the
soup as quickly as possible. You can make both the soup and the
zabaglione the day before serving them. Add the whipped cream to the
zabaglione up to 8 hours ahead, but no longer, or it will deflate and
not float as beautifully on top.

This is a Michael Chiarello recipe.

From: Terry Pogue To: Foodwine@listserv

MMMMM-------------------------------------------------





Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




... Spring? I dunno, I burned all the calendars to ward off frostbite.
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