Photo: Breakfast dishes.
My Mother knows in the morning what she is going to make for dinner. At seven a.m. list in hand she is at the grocery store buying what she needs. Extremely Organized is her first and last name.
When my Mother came to visit me in France years ago, every morning after breakfast she would ask, "What do we needed for dinner?" Since I never plan dinner over breakfast I answered, "I have what we need, let's think about that later."
Many surprising dinners have been created with such a lack of plan.
Since I do not cook with recipes, exact measurements are lost in the wind. When you cook by the seat of your pants you have to wing it to keep afloat. I love winging it. Hence, that is how endive tart and chestnut soup came to be.
Seven o'clock in the evening scenario went like this: French Husband called to say some friends were coming over for dinner. Opening the refrigerator door, I bite my lip, drummed my fingers on the fridge door… Thinking what can I do with some endives, roquefort cheese, chestnuts, walnuts and some vegetables? My Mother's face seemed to scream, "There is nothing in there! I knew we should have gone to the store this morning."
Extremely Organized and Winger looked at the fridge differently.
Reaching for the endives and roquefort cheese my Mom thought out loud, "We're going to make a salad? A salad is not a dinner." Not concerned I winked, "Nope we are going to make an endive roquefort tart instead and chestnut soup." My Mother whipped up a dessert like only she knows how… saved!
Photo: An endive takes a bow.
Endive Roquefort Walnut Tart:
Put puff pastry on wax paper in a glass tart pan.
Chop in chunks three or four endives (use all the endive except the hard core at the end.) Place the chopped endives on the puff pastry that is in the tart pan.
Crumble a generous handful of Roquefort cheese, sprinkling that on top of the endives.
Add a small but loving handful of chopped walnuts on top of the Roquefort.
Ground black pepper to taste,
Bake for 30 minutes or so in a hot oven 220° (convection)
When the crust is golden, the endives caramelized and the walnut sweet perfume spills into the kitchen, turn the oven off, let it set inside the oven for fifteen minutes.
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Photo: Hot soup tureen awaits the chestnut soup.
Chestnut Soup
In a large heavy soup pan, saute in olive oil a chopped large strong yellow onion, three tall thin carrots, and the heart of the celery with their tender tops.
Toss in 30 or so *cooked chestnuts, stir around until they are coated with the sauteed mixture.
Add several (6-9) cups of cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn the burner down to simmer until the chestnuts are tender.
Add a glass of white wine, and a shot of vermouth or bourbon.
Nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste.
Blend a cup of soy cream (or cream of choice) until smooth. Serve hot.
(*Frozen or canned whole cooked chestnuts will do.) Note: I never use stock in my soups.
Photo: Chestnuts at the open market.
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