Chard and Chantrelles

I did a very Berkeley thing today. I let a passage from Pollan's, The Omnivore's Dilemma put the idea for dinner in my head. Or rather it was a combination of Pollan and the funhouse of fungi at Monterey Market.



The chard is lightly sautéed in oil with salt, black pepper, and mustard seeds. The mushrooms (a mixture of chantrelle and oyster) are seared per Francis Lam's instructions with thinly sliced shallots. Next time I think I'll add a bit of garlic to the mushroom to round out their flavors a bit. In general though, exciting times with fungi.

Two Takes on White Bean and Kale Soup

I was driving across the Bay Bridge with the awesome L.B. riding shotgun and chatting about cooking styles and the upcoming Lenten fast. She mentioned a soup that she had made recently: white bean and kale. Puree a leek as the base, cook white beans, add in chopped kale, and a small ton of black pepper.

The next I realized that the bunch of kale in the fridge was a bit far gone for the making of crispy kale. Sadness ensued...soup was the answer to sadness. And thus began take one.

A smallish leek - about half a pound once trimmed - chopped.
2/3 cup dry white beans, soaked.
bunch of kale, chopped into strips.
carrots, chopped - about 3/4 a cup.
veggie broth
salt

I simmered the carrot along with the leek in vegetable broth until tender. Pureed the two together with a hand mixer. Added the beans, simmered until they were cooked through and added the chopped kale near the end. The spices were pretty simple. Some salt at the beginning, but the soup turned out rich and lovely, if simple from the leek, so I left it be.

About a week ago I realized that I had another bunch of kale turning limp and lonely in the fridge, so I decided on a second round -- this time shooting for a more aggressive flavor.

1 yellow onion, chopped.
5-6 cloves garlic, chopped.
1/2 cup dry white beans, soaked.
1/2 cup carrots, chopped.
1 bunch kale, chopped.
veggie broth
vegetable oil
salt, black pepper, and paprika

Sweat the onions and garlic together in soup pot with vegetable oil and salt. When they're tender, add about a tsp of black pepper and a tsp of paprika. Allow the spices to toast a bit. Add the beans and adequate veggie broth (I think I used a TBSP of Better than Bouillon and 4 cups of water.) Bring to a boil, reduce and simmer until the beans are cooked through. Puree with a hand mixer. Add kale and carrots, and a bit of water if needed. Cook until carrots are tender. Taste and adjust seasonings.

In terms of the texture of the soup, I preferred the first with the beans left whole to balance the kale. The flavoring of the second one, with the strength of the garlic and onion would better withstand the introduction of a meat to the party.