Warm and Delicious Thai Portobello Tortellini Bisque

Many thanks go to the wonderful folks who made the book launch party for Superb Maine Soups happen. Adele Gale made this Thai inspired soup that was a huge hit! Now you can make it for your family- it warms the throat, fills the belly and causes the yummy noise. My Favorite sound!
East meets West in this spicy, creamy, full-flavored soup. Portobello mushrooms and crabmeat are favored tortellini fillings, but if you have a different one you love, use it in this soup.
Serves 4

1 shallot, finely chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 t curry powder
2 T minced garlic
1 T olive oil
1 large portobello mushroom cap, thinly sliced
1⁄2 t coriander
1 T sambal oelek (chili paste; see page 000)
2 c full-flavored chicken stock
1 can coconut milk (Be sure to use unsweetened coconut milk—not cream of coconut.)
1 9-oz package refrigerated mushroom- or crabmeat-filled tortellini
1 T fresh basil, snipped
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 c heavy cream

In a medium saucepan, cook the shallot, jalapeño pepper, curry powder, and garlic in olive oil about 1 minute, until the shallot is tender. Add the portobello and coriander, and cook 2 more minutes. Stir in the sambal oelek and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes.
Stir in the coconut milk, tortellini, and basil. Cook and stir about 5 minutes more, or until the pasta is tender but still firm. Stir in the tomato and cream and cook until the soup is heated through; do not boil. Ladle into soup bowls and enjoy!

Baked Brie with Dried Cherries and Maple Sugar

Be careful with this one! If you serve it to hungry guests as an appetizer they might not leave room for dinner. Its outstanding with a soup and salad for a delicious meal.
Ingredients:
6” wheel of brie
1 sheet of puff pastry at room temperature
1/2 c dried cherries
2 T crumbled maple sugar
1/2 c rough chopped pecans or pinenuts (optional)
water
Place a piece of waxed paper or parchment on your work surface.
Unwrap and unfold your puff pastry sheet. Press any cracks to seal pastry into a whole sheet.
Sprinkle the maple sugar in the center of the pastry and smooth out to the size of the wheel of brie.
Mound the dried cherries and pecans on top of the sugar.
Gently place the brie upside down on top of the fruit and nuts.
One by one carefully pull the corners of the puff pastry up onto the brie. Use a touch of water when you place the pastry corners on top of each other to seal. After the four corners are touching- encasing the cheese- trim the four sides if you need, so they will not be too bulky. Save the trimmings. Now carefully pull the sides down to fully encase the brie.
Use the trimmings to decorate the top. You can slice long thin triangles and roll them up from one point. Dab a bit of water on the top of the brie with your finger and gently press your decorations on.
Bake in a 400’ oven according to the puff pastry package directions. 30 minutes is usually enough. Bake until golden brown.
Serve with a knife and crackers or bread rounds.

Sweet and Sour German Potato Salad

This warm and tangy salad is delicious with grilled bratwurst or any kind of barbeque. It holds its own alongside other flavorful foods. Mom used to make this when we were growing up- it is sweet and salty with the familiar potato to soak up all the wonderful dressing.

For the salad:
6 large Maine potatoes
1 large Vidalia onion

For the dressing:

1 lb bacon, diced
3⁄4 c finely chopped yellow onion
3 T flour
1⁄2 c white vinegar
3⁄4 c water
3 T sugar
1 T celery seeds
1 1⁄2 t salt
1 t fresh ground black pepper

Wash and trim the potatoes and onion. Peel the potatoes if you like. Cut the potatoes and onion into quarters. In a large saucepan boil the potatoes and onion until the potatoes are fork tender but not mushy. Drain the water (reserving it if you are making foccacia). Let the potatoes cool. When they are cool enough to handle chop them into bite-sized pieces. Slice the onion into bite sized pieces.

In a large pan, fry bacon till crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon, crumble and set aside.

Add the 3⁄4 c onion to bacon fat in pan and cook 5-8 minutes till onion is soft. With a slotted spoon, remove onion and set aside with bacon.

Whisk flour into bacon fat. Add the vinegar, water, celery seeds, sugar, salt and pepper. Heat to a boil. Set pan on medium heat and cook till thickened.

Add potatoes, cooked Vidalia onion, bacon and sautéed onion. Gently stir to coat the potatoes. Serve while warm.

Chunky Fresh Gazpacho

Chunky Fresh Gazpacho
This is one of the easiest recipes you’ll find to create this refreshing summer classic. The addition of vinegar gives it a delicious, subtle tang.
Serves 8 to 10

2 c tomato juice or vegetable juice cocktail
1 c peeled, seeded, finely chopped tomatoes
2 c diced canned tomatoes, with their liquid
1 c finely chopped celery
1 c seeded and finely chopped cucumber
1⁄2 c finely chopped red bell pepper
1⁄2 c finely chopped Vidalia onion
1⁄4 c finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3 T red wine vinegar
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh oregano or 1 t dried
2 t sugar or Splenda sweetener
1 t salt
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 t freshly ground black pepper
1⁄4 t cayenne pepper (optional)
10 sprigs fresh parsley, for garnish

Place all of the ingredients except the 10 parsley sprigs in a large stainless steel or glass bowl. Cover and chill 6 hours or overnight. Serve cold, garnished with sprigs of parsley.

Heirloom Tomato Bisque from Morning Dew Farm

This simple, creamy soup is enhanced by the bright flavor of fresh basil. It is delicious warm or at room temperature by the bowl or atop pasta with steamed veggies and a touch of garlic oil for a complete meal. Heirloom Tomatoes are found at many farms in Maine- Morning Dew Farm in Newcastle has several delicious varieties available through their CSA or at the Damariscotta Farmer’s Market.
Serves 6
1 large Vidalia or sweet onion, minced
3 cloves garlic minced
3 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter or olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white or black pepper
2 Tablespoon sugar
6 large tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped (approximately 4 cups)
1 cup light cream or plain soymilk
12 large leaves fresh basil
Place the onion in a medium saucepan. Sauté over medium heat with the garlic, olive oil and butter. Cook until the onions are transparent. Stir the onions often- Do not let the onions brown.
Deglaze the pan with sherry. Stir the onions and sherry well, scraping the bottom to incorporate all of the brown bits of flavor. Cook the sherry and onions on medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook over low heat another 10 minutes, stirring often.
Wash the basil leaves well and pat dry with paper towels. Stack the leaves one on top of each other on a cutting board. Roll the leaves up into a tight cylinder with the stems at the bottom and the tips at the top. Using a sharp knife and starting at the tips/top, carefully cut the leaves into 1⁄8” (1mm) slices. End just before the stems. Set the stems aside (these are wonderful to put in a baggie in the freezer for the next time you want extra flavor in your homemade stock.) Lift the ribbons gently and sprinkle them down on the cutting board to unfurl and separate the ribbons. This is called a chiffonade of basil.
Now is the time to puree your soup. If you have an immersion blender it is perfect for blending the soup right in the pan. If you have a regular blender, puree the soup by the cup-full being very careful not to burn yourself. Return all of the pureed soup to the pan.
When the tomatoes and onions are all pureed add the cream to the pan and stir. Heat the soup on low just until it’s is warm enough for your taste.
Ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle with the fresh basil ribbons. You are ready to eat!

Oyster Creek Mushroom Company- Wild Mushroom Dip

Dan and Candice Heydon own and run Oyster Creek Mushroom co. in Damariscotta, Maine. They are certainly the purveyors of the most extensive wild mushroom selection in the region. Fortunately they attend many of the farmer's markets so we can all enjoy fresh and dried mushrooms as often as possible. Oyster Creek sells online so you too can create delicious dishes with wild Maine mushrooms. This recipe is from their website and is absolutely delicious!
Oyster Creek Wild Mushroom Dip
8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 oz. Maine Wild Mix {dried mushrooms}
2 - 3 cloves roasted garlic
parsley and or chives (chopped)
salt & pepper to taste
Reconstitute dried mushrooms in 2 cups hot water for 30 minutes. Drain, saving the soaking liquid. Rinse mushrooms with cold water, then press with a paper towel to remove excess liquid. Chop the mushrooms fine, saute in very little olive oil a few minutes. Add soaking liquid to mushrooms being careful not to use any sediment at the bottom (sometimes wild mushrooms can be gritty). Simmer slowly, stirring occasionally until liquid is gone but mixture is still moist. Remove mushrooms to a bowl to cool. Add mashed, roasted garlic, softened cream cheese, herbs, salt, and pepper. Refrigerate before serving. This can also be used as a sauce over pasta by thinning the dip with a little yogurt or cream, and heating it up a little.

Caesar Salad with Fresh Maine Blueberries

When I first made this salad for friends- they came back with their bread to scoop out any leftover dribbles of dressing from the empty bowl. Please your family and your friends with this simple yet flavor dazzling recipe. My children even love it!
Caesar Salad with Fresh Maine Blueberries
For the Dressing:
2 lemons
1 anchovy or 1⁄4-1⁄2 t anchovy paste
2 T minced garlic
1 T Raye’s stone-ground mustard
1 T cider vinegar
3 dashes Tabasco
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
6-8 oz. extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1⁄4 t salt
1⁄2 t fresh cracked black pepper
In a medium glass or stainless steel bowl, juice the lemons. Add the anchovy, garlic, mustard, vinegar, Tabasco and Worcestershire. Whisk together for one minute. Be sure all of the ingredients are well blended.
SLOWLY drizzle the oil into the bowl as you whisk. Continue whisking until all of the oil is incorporated.
Whisk in the Parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.
For the Croutons:
Either purchase ready made croutons at your local market or…
1 loaf of bread- you can use pumpernickel, crusty baguette or what you have on hand
1⁄3 c butter
1t garlic powder
1⁄4 t fresh cracked black pepper
dash salt
Cut the loaf of bread into 3⁄4” cubes. Place in a large bowl.
Melt the butter and stir in the garlic, pepper and salt
Pour the butter mixture over the bread cubes and toss to coat all pieces.
Arrange a cooling rack on top of a cookie sheet
Place the bread cubes on the rack. Toast in a preheated 350’ oven for 6-9 minutes
Remove from oven and cool. Croutons can be stored in a plastic bag or airtight container in the freezer for several months.
For the Salad:
3 heads of Romaine lettuce
1⁄4 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese
3 hard cooked eggs- peeled and chopped (you can use three raw egg yolks if you like)
1 c fresh Maine Blueberries
Wash the lettuce and tear into bite-sized pieces. Remember, not pieces that you have to fold twice before they will fit into your mouth. Think of the circle the size of a golf ball- they should fit through that Place the clean, dry, torn lettuce in a beautiful bowl.
Just before you serve, whisk or shake the dressing well. Drizzle the dressing onto the greens. Add the Parmesan cheese, chopped (or raw) eggs, Blueberries and croutons. Toss well to coat all of the little lettuce leaves with dressing.
This salad looks beautiful with the addition of a head of chopped radicchio tossed in with the final ingredients. Add Grilled marinated chicken, shrimp or steak.