Welcome to My Kitchen

Emergency Tomato Soup was my contribution to a recent soup supper. I should come up with a catchy name but haven’t thought of anything over the years. Maybe you readers will have a good suggestion. The recipe takes canned tomato soup to the next level and is quick and easy to prepare.

Emergency Tomato Soup

• 6 cans (10 3/4 ounces each) condensed tomato soup.

• 4 soup cans water

• 1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk

• 2 Tbsp crushed dried basil

• Dash, finely ground black pepper

Combine soup and water in a large kettle and place over medium heat. Heat soup until hot, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Stir in evaporated milk and basil, reduce heat and continue to heat until soup is hot but not boiling. Serve immediately. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Split Pea Soup has two camps, those who like it, and those who don’t. The recipe I use is the same recipe my mother used, but I reduce the water amount and prepare it in my slow cooker.

Split peas soup is so easy to make, but it has recently come to my attention, most companies don’t include the recipe on the packages anymore. This slow-cooker version of my mother’s recipe should make any first-time split pea soup makers endeavor a success.

Split Pea Soup

• 1 bag (2 cups) green split peas

• 6 cups hot water, or half ham broth, half water.

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1 medium onion, chopped fine

• 1 stalk celery diced fine

• 1 large carrot, peeled and grated

• 1/8 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 ham hock, optional

Combine all ingredients in a large slow cooker. And cook on high 6 hours or low 8 hours, until vegetables are soft and peas fall apart when stirred.

If using a ham hock, remove from crock and set on a plate until cool enough to handle, remove meat from bone and discard bone and excess fat. Return meat to the crock and heat through. Yield: 6-8 servings.

I like using food items that are grown in Washington state, and lentils are one of these crops. I recently tried a new recipe for a Scottish Lentil Soup because I can’t resist anything with rutabagas in it.

Scottish Lentil Soup

• 1 1/2 cups dry lentils

• 1 large russet or red potato, washed and cubed

• 1 large rutabaga, peeled and cubed

• 1 large carrot, peeled and diced

• 1 large onion, peeled and chopped

• 1 1/2 to 2 quarts ham stock or water

• 2 Tbsp butter

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Ham hock, optional

Combine the lentils, vegetables, 1 1/2 quarts ham broth and ham hock in large kettle or slow cooker. If using a kettle stove top, bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook 1-2 hours until lentils are tender, and meat falls from the done.

If using a slow cooker start out on high for 1 hour, then set to cook on low for 8-10 hours.

For both methods, remove ham hock if using when soup has cooked, and let cool a bit, then remove meat from the bone and return to the soup until heated through. Add more broth if needed for desired thickness. Stir in butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Yield: 6-8 servings.

Most readers will be enjoying this column near the first of March, and most gardener readers are itching to get seeds started. The first week in March is a good time to begin sprouting seeds if you are planning to put in garden in April. If you are a fair-weather farmer like me, wait until mid-March or your seedling will be too leggy when planting after Mother’s Day.

Herbs, such as parsley, basil, savory and cilantro may be started now, because you can begin to harvest before setting outside. Cutting from herbs before setting out strengthens the plants and causes them to form more leaves.

Herbed Potato Salad is a mayonnaise and gluten free salad calling for fresh parsley. This full flavor salad is a perfect side dish for spring holiday meals and summer barbeques.

Herbed Potato Salad

• 2 pounds small red potatoes, scrubbed and sliced into 1/4-inch slices

• 1 Tbsp fine sea salt

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/3 cup packed fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped, plus about 2 Tbsp more for garnish

• 1/3 cup roughly chopped green onions, plus about 2 Tbsp more for garnish

• 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 2 tsp Dijon mustard

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• Ground black pepper to taste

• 3 stalks celery, chopped

In a large saucepan combine potatoes and salt. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes.

Reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water, then drain thoroughly. Transfer potatoes to a large mixing bowl.

In a blender or small food processor, combine oil, 1/3 cup each parsley and green onion, lemon juice, mustard, garlic and black pepper. Process until the herbs and garlic are finely chopped, then while blender is running add reserved cooking water until just blended.

Drizzle dressing over potatoes and let stand 10 minutes for potatoes to absorb dressing, stirring several times. Add celery to the bowl along with the remaining parsley and green onion. Toss gently, and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately. Yield:6 side servings.

Note: if you have larger red potatoes, cut into halves or quarters before slicing so you have bite size pieces.

Share your favorite soup and spring salad recipes with your fellow readers by sending them to: Welcome to My Kitchen, c/o The Record-Times, P.O. Box 458, Odessa, WA 99159, email therecord@odessaoffice.com or drop them in the Welcome to My Kitchen mail tin in The Odessa Record office. If you are starting seeds this week, be sure to place seed starting trays where they get plenty of sunlight to grow sturdy stems.