I received soooo…. many positive comments when I served this vegetable bisque a year ago I felt it needed to be shared. The first title of the recipe was simply vegetable bisque soup. When my staff sampled it they said it tasted like all the flavors of thanksgiving inside a cup! Thus the name stuck and we still call it,
‘Thanksgiving in a cup.’ With all the deer hunting I thought this might be a very tasty soup to place inside a thermos.
Our son, Phillip, has been monitoring all the deer harvested by his classmates.
Man can these guys and gals hit the mark. The largest buck so far was by a young lady. Here in the Ozark Mountains our deer will taste a bit gamey because their main diet is acorns. Whereas in Northeast Missouri, where I call home, the deer practically taste like beef! Many farmers leave corn in the fields just for this purpose. The same thing happens with fish. I’ve used this example before, but we’ll hit it once again. In Northeast Missouri they have black soil and the bottoms of the lakes and ponds consist of rich field silt. In Southern Missouri the waterways are rock and sand. Since we moved to the Ozarks in 2008 I’ve often been fooled by which fish I was eating. Our rivers and lakes don’t have the muddy bottoms and it truly makes a difference.
The soup this week would also be a nice opener to the Thanksgiving dinner.
I can see it served with a hearty grilled cheese sandwich or open face bruschetta sandwiches, in the oven. If you have someone on a soft diet this soup is going to bring lots of nutrients to the table.
My main goal this week is to get the holiday décor up and rolling. For me this is a 2-3 day process. I usually decide to re-arrange a centerpiece or change out ribbons here and there lengthening the completion time. This year we’re using a smaller tree so we should have it decked in no time. Then it will be time to work on the holiday dinner. On Thanksgiving Day the last thing I want is a ‘major mess’ in the kitchen. We even do our turkey the day before and steam it on the big day.
My menu is changing ‘slightly’ this year. Instead of my usual cranberry chutney I’m making the fresh cranberry orange salad in the food processor. I still don’t know how many are attending so all the plans can’t be completed. For dessert we’ll feature pies, pumpkin roll, chocolate chip cookies, pecan bites and usually a simple candy of some sort. I know, quite a little lay out. It’s fun to ‘showcase’ your desserts in a special spot. Provide dessert plates, napkins and silverware. Make sure a hot pot of coffee is ready, at this time. When I’m having a large number of guests I like to place one pot of coffee in an insulated carafe.
If anyone even thinks about an evening meal they are totally on their own, just clean the kitchen when you’re done!
Next week we’ll try to look at a recipe where all those leftovers can be implemented. Happy Thanksgiving, count your blessings. Simply yours, The Covered Dish. www.thecovereddish.com
Creamy Vegetable Bisque aka ‘Thanksgiving in a cup!’
2-3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion
1/2 lb. carrots, peeled
(3-4 large carrots)
3 large gold potatoes
10-12 oz. butternut squash*
3 celery ribs
1 red bell pepper, optional
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 garlic cloves
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dry ground thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1-2 bay leaves, optional
1 cup heavy cream
Chop onion, carrots, potatoes, squash, celery and pepper into small 1/2 inch chunks. Heat butter in a skillet and sweat the vegetables for around 8-10 minutes; until the vegetables begin to soften. Introduce garlic cloves towards the end. Sprinkle in the salt and white pepper.
Pour the 3 cups of chicken stock over all the ingredients. Add the thyme and bay leaves. Cook until mixture comes to a boil and the potatoes and carrots are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove bay leaves; with an immersion blender blend the ingredients until smooth. Add the ground red pepper. Slowly add the heavy cream and heat over medium to medium-low heat.
If the bisque isn’t as rich as you like add a bit more cream or fresh grated cheeses. Ladle into soup cups and garnish with a spoon of sour cream and parsley. When serving this for 20 or more I omit the sour cream and top with curled leek tops.
Yields 7-8 cups.
*Cubed butternut can be purchased at most Walmart stores.
