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About The independent. (Vernonia, Or.) 1986-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 6, 2011)
Page 6 The INDEPENDENT, January 6, 2011 Food for Thought by Leslie Barnes Warm yourselves up with a bowl of hot soup or stew. SPICED UP CARROT SOUP 1 lb. carrots, peeled and sliced into 1/8” thick rounds. 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 1 stick of celery, chopped 3 cloves garlic 2 T olive oil 1 T tomato paste 1 bouquet garni (see recipes below) If you do not have a bouquet garni, use a lev- el teaspoon of mixed herbs. 3 cups of vegetable stock (vegetarian variety) or chicken stock for meat eaters. 1 tsp salt 1 level tsp ground coriander ground black pepper to taste Optional: a wee bit of cayenne if you want a slightly spicier flavor. Optional: garnishes of finely chopped parsley or croutons. Don’t have time to use the traditional recipe? Here is a quick method: Add all your vegetables, spices and broth at once and let it simmer for 30 – 45 minutes. You can add fresh mushrooms, red or orange bell peppers to the mix as well, for added flavor. Add olive oil to the pan and then add the sliced carrots, onions and celery. Bring the mixture to a very gently sizzle, stirring occasionally. Cover the pan and cook on low heat until the vegetables begin to soften (about 10 minutes), stir frequently to make sure that they do not stick or burn. Add the stock and stir until the thick liquid is smooth. Add the bouquet garni and salt. Cover and simmer for approximately 45 minutes until the carrots are fairly soft. Remove the bouquet garni (if you used fresh herbs) and transfer all the solid vegetable matter to a blender along with as much liquid as the blender can accom- modate. (A mixing wand is perfect in this case. You’re able to blend it in the pot.) Blend until you have a smooth liquid. Alternatively, if no blender is available, press the vegetables through a coarse sieve (this can be quite hard work unless the veg- etables are very soft.) If using a blender, add the coriander when blending. Return the blended mixture to the pan and mix with the remaining liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring frequently. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add pepper according to taste and adjust the salt if necessary. Serve when hot, garnished with croutons and/or a little finely chopped parsley. Serves 4. 1 2 1 3 Bouquet Garni Recipe Using Fresh Herbs bay leaf stems parsley stem tarragon stems thyme Bouquet Garni Recipe Using Dried Herbs 1 bay leaf 1 T parsley 2 tsp tarragon 1 T thyme IRISH BEEF STEW WITH GUINNESS STOUT 2 T olive oil 3 bay leaves 2 lbs beef stew meat, cut into 1-1/2 to 2 inch cubes (with some fat) 1 large yellow onion, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 tsp dried thyme, whole 1 tsp dried rosemary 2-3 T all-purpose flour 3/4 cup beef stock 1/2 cup Guinness stout 1 T chopped parsley 1/2 lb carrots, sliced salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste Preheat oven to 275°F. Heat a 6-quart stove-top casserole and add the oil and bay leaves. Cook the bay leaves for a moment, then add the meat. Brown the meat on both sides on high heat. Add the sliced onion and cook for a few minutes until it is clear. Reduce the heat to low and add garlic, thyme, rosemary and flour, and stir well until smooth. Add the beef stock and stout; simmer, stirring, until the stew thickens a bit. Add the remaining ingredients and cover. Place the pot in the oven for about 2 hours, stirring a couple of times. Check for salt and pepper before serving. Serves 4 to 6. Church Directory CREAM OF SPINACH SOUP 2 cups chopped fresh spinach, packed (or 1-10 oz. pkg frozen spinach, thawed) 1 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup butter 3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered (about 1 lb) 1-1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth 1-1/2 cups water 2 chicken or vegetable bouillon cubes 2 cups half-and-half 1/2 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 3/4 cup sour cream In a large saucepan over medium heat, sauté onion in butter for 3 minutes or until limp. Add potatoes, chicken broth, water, and bouillon cubes. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and sim- mer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Add spinach and cook for 2 to 4 minutes longer until spinach is tender. Working in batches, purée soup mixture in a blender. Return to saucepan. Whisk in half-and-half, salt and pepper. Over low heat, bring to just before simmering. Whisk in the sour cream. You may want to use an immersion blender to get the sour cream fully incorporated. This soup can be served hot or chilled. Garnish with chopped chives, sprinkles of allspice, or a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6 to 8. V ERNONIA F OURSQUARE C HURCH F IRST B APTIST C HURCH P IONEER B APTIST F ELLOWSHIP Carl Pense, Pastor 850 Madison Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-1103 Sunday Worship Service: 10:30 a.m. Children’s Sunday School Pastor John D. Murray 359 “A” Street, Vernonia 503 860-3860 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship Service 11:00 a.m. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 p.m. John Cahill, Pastor 939 Bridge Street, Vernonia 503 429-1161 www.pbfalive.com Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Thursday Prayer 7:00 p.m. S EVENTH D AY A DVENTIST Larry Gibson, Pastor 2nd Ave. and Nehalem St., Vernonia 503 429-8301 Morning Worship, 11:00 a.m. Sabbath School 9:30 a.m. A SSEMBLY OF G OD Wayne and Maureene Marr 662 Jefferson Ave., Vernonia, 503 429-0373 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m S T . M ARY ' S C ATHOLIC C HURCH Rev. Luan Tran, Administrator 960 Missouri Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-8841 Mass Sunday 12:00 Noon Religious Educ. Sunday 10:30 a.m. V ERNONIA C OMMUNITY C HURCH 957 State Avenue, Vernonia 503 429-6790 Sunday Worship 9:45 a.m. Children’s Church (Blast!) 10:15 a.m. Nursery 10:15 a.m. High School Youth 6:00 p.m. Wednesday Prayer 6:00 p.m. Preschool: Open House soon V ERNONIA C HRISTIAN C HURCH Sam Hough, Minister 410 North Street, Vernonia 503 429-6522 Sunday School 9:45 a.m. Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m. (meets in Youth & Family Center) Home Group Meeting throughout the week at various locations N EHALEM V ALLEY B IBLE C HURCH Gary Taylor, Pastor Grant & North Streets, Vernonia 503 429-5378 Sunday School 10:00 a.m. Morning Worship 11:00 a.m. Nursery available Wednesday Service 7:00 p.m. C HURCH OF J ESUS C HRIST OF L ATTER D AY S AINTS Marc Farmer, Branch President 1350 E. Knott Street, Vernonia 503 429-7151 Sacrament Meeting, Sunday 10 a.m. Sunday School & Primary 11:20 a.m. Relief Society, Priesthood and Young Women, Sunday 12:10 p.m.