Mcgrath Farms Watercress Soup With Gentlemans Relish Toast Recipes

COLD CREAM OF WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan with olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the leeks and the watercress stems only and saute until wilted, about 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and potatoes and season well with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the potatoes are tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prepare an ice water bath by partially filling your largest mixing bowl with ice cubes and water.
• In batches to avoid overfilling and splattering, ladle the soup into a blender or food processor, adding some of the creme fraiche and watercress leaves with each batch and reserving about 2 dozen whole leaves for a garnish. Puree each batch and transfer to a fine-meshed strainer held over a large mixing bowl that fits inside the ice water bath, using a rubber spatula to press the puree through the strainer. Taste the puree, adjust the seasonings, if necessary, with more salt and pepper, and stir in the lemon juice.
• Place the bowl of soup inside the ice water bath and chill it until cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour. Remove the bowl of soup from the ice water bath, dry its underside, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.
• Before serving, taste the soup. If it is too thick, thin it with a little cold milk, chicken stock, or water, to a thick, creamy consistency. Adjust the seasonings, if necessary. Ladle into chilled bowls and decoratively garnish each serving with a few of the reserved watercress leaves.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add oil and garlic, cook until sizzling and fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in potato and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 1 minute.
• Add stock and 1 1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in watercress. Return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer for 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among soup bowls and squeeze a lemon wedge into each bowl. Serve immediately.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Remove the leaves from one bunch of watercress and set them aside. Discard the watercress stems.
• Make sure the leeks are in small dice that will cook up quickly.
• Place butter, leeks and chicken broth in a saucepan.
• Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer 4-5 minutes.
• Add zucchini, cook several minutes more, until zucchini is just tender.
• Add salt and pepper, stir.
• Add watercress and reduce heat. Simmer 1 minute until watercress wilts.
• Remove from heat and purée in a blender.
• Correct seasoning.
• Just before serving, stir in optional cream OR optional virgin coconut oil.
• Serve hot, warm or cold.
• NOTE 1: Because the traditional French soup is pale green, Richard Grausman used peeled zucchini to create a paler shade of green. You could leave the zucchini unpeeled, thereby giving the soup a darker green color.
• NOTE 2: I am now using almond milk successfully instead of cream. Try Almond Breeze original unsweetened.
• NOTE 3: See my description for making this soup Weight Watcher friendly.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• 1. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the onion and celery and sauté over a medium heat for 5 mins until pale golden. Stir in the potato and stock and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer for 10 mins or until the potato is tender.
• 2. Stir in the watercress, cover and cook for a further 5 mins or until the watercress is wilted. Transfer the soup to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Return the soup to the rinsed out pan add the milk, nutmeg, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Gently reheat until piping hot and serve with crusty bread.

WATERCRESS SOUP

Steps:

• Melt butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5-6 minutes. Add broth and potatoes; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Add watercress to pot; stir until leaves wilt. Let soup cool briefly. Working in batches, purée soup in a blender until smooth. Return soup to same pot. Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired. DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• Whisk cream with a pinch of salt in a large bowl until soft peaks form. Fold in 1 1/2 tablespoons chives.
• Rewarm soup gently over low heat. Divide soup among demitasse or small teacups and garnish each cup with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons chives over.

SUPER-GRAIN SOUP WITH WATERCRESS AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a pot over medium-high. When it shimmers, add mushrooms and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and golden brown in places, 10 to 12 minutes. Add grains and cook, stirring a few times, until toasted and nutty, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add broth; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until grains are just cooked, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Pecorino and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Serve with watercress, a drizzle of oil, more cheese, and lemon wedges.

MCGRATH FARMS' WATERCRESS SOUP WITH GENTLEMAN'S RELISH TOAST

Steps:

• Heat a large pot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 4 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the sliced onion, leeks, carrot, and celery. Stir to coat with the butter, and season with 1 tablespoon salt and some pepper. Cook 5 minutes and add the chile, thyme, and parsley sprigs. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes, until the vegetables are just starting to caramelize.
• Add 10 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Turn the heat down and simmer 30 minutes. Strain the stock, discard the vegetables, and set the stock aside.
• Return the pot to medium heat for 2 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons butter, and when it foams, add the diced onions, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt, and a healthy grind of pepper. Cook the onions about 5 minutes, stirring often, until they're translucent and tender. Add the vegetable stock, turn the heat up to high, and bring to a boil.
• You will need to purée the soup in batches. Place 2 1/2 cups of the watercress, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, and 1 1/2 teaspoons tarragon in the blender. Ladle 1 1/2 cups of the hot stock over the greens. Cover tightly, and carefully start the blender at the lowest possible speed. When the mixture is puréed, add another cup of stock and turn the blender up to high. Add more stock, until the soup is a little thicker than heavy cream. Run the blender at high for 1 minute to ensure the soup is very smooth and creamy. With the motor running, pour in 1/2 cup of cream and taste for seasoning. Add a little squeeze of lemon juice if you like. At this point, the soup's consistency should be that of heavy cream.
• Set the first batch of soup aside, and repeat the process with the remaining watercress, herbs, stock, and cream.
• Pour the hot soup into a large tureen or soup bowl and pass the toasts on the side, so they remain crunchy. Tell your guests to float the toasts in their soup.
• Gentleman's relish on toasts
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Cut the baguette on the diagonal into twelve 1/4-inch-thick slices. (You may have leftover bread.) Brush both sides of each slice generously with olive oil, about 1/4 cup in all. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven 10 to 12 minutes, until golden and crispy but still tender in the center. Let cool.
• Combine the butter, anchovy, shallot, lemon juice, zest, cayenne pepper, parsley, and chives in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• When the toasts have cooled, spread them with gentleman's relish.