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August 2007
Recipe
Summer Herb Soup With
Nettles and Sunflower Seeds
This recipe comes
from an idealistic young French chef, François Bogard, at the
Château de Chaumont in the Loire valley. His ingredients are left
to grow naturally with only organic fertilizer and a minimum of
irrigation, and in his recipes even the water comes from a bottle
so he knows the source. There’s nothing Spartan, however, about
his use of cream! Sorrel or watercress can be substituted for
nettles, and the soup can be served hot or cold.
Serves 6
-
140g/5oz baby spinach
-
140g/5oz arugula
-
110g/4oz young stinging nettles
-
medium bunch of flat leaf parsley (about 60g/2oz)
-
medium bunch of peppermint or spearmint (about 60g/2oz)
- 1½
tablespoons butter
- 2
scallions, chopped with some of the green tops
- 1
liter/1¾ pints/1 quart Vittel or other still mineral water
-
110g/4oz/¾ cup shelled fresh or frozen peas
- 1
liter/1¾ pints/1 quart heavy cream
- ½
teaspoon celery salt
-
salt and pepper
-
70g/2½oz/½ cup toasted sunflower seeds
-
soup pot or medium saucepan
-
Pull leaves from the greens and herbs, discarding the stems
(wear rubber gloves when handling the nettles). Wash them and
drain in a colander. Bring a large pot of salted water to a
boil, add the spinach, arugula, nettles and parsley and bring
just back to a boil. Drain, rinse the greens with cold water
and leave to drain thoroughly. Chop the peppermint leaves,
reserving 6-8 sprigs for decoration.
-
Wipe out the pot and melt the butter in it, then add the
scallions and sauté until soft. Pour in the water and bring to
a boil. Add the peas and boil them until tender, 5-7 minutes or
longer if your peas are a bit elderly. Transfer them to a bowl
of cold water with a draining spoon. Add the cream to the
cooking liquid and bring it just to a boil. Stir in the drained
greens.
-
Purée the soup in a food processor or with an immersion
blender. Bring it just back to a boil and add the drained peas,
chopped peppermint, celery salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust
the seasoning. Serve the soup hot or chilled (if chilled it
will need more seasoning), sprinkled with toasted sunflower
seeds and topped with a peppermint sprig.
Shortcut: Use
only two of the five greens, increasing quantities so the total
weight is the same.
Getting Ahead:
After the soup has been puréed, it can be kept a day in the
refrigerator, or frozen for a month. To finish it, bring it to a
boil, add the peas and other ingredients and continue as directed.
In the Glass:
A white wine such as a Riesling or dry Chenin Blanc. |
