WEDNESDAY
Chicken Bouillon | Boursin Deviled Eggs | Kale Salad with Mustard Cream Vinaigrette
This morning, I had the pleasure of catching up with a dear friend. We first met, over eight years ago, in the manner common for moms with young children…school. We had children in the same grades, we volunteered like mad women {hot lunches, fundraisers, field trips…}, we carpooled, we sat through hours and hours of swim team practices and meets together and we both were nervous wrecks when our boys got up to bat during those years of Little League baseball. One rainy afternoon, while sitting in the car together and waiting for all six of our children to finish swim team practice, we discovered we had the same maiden name. By the time the kids were running out to the car, still wet and covered with the distinct scent of chlorine, we were convinced that somehow our bloodlines intersected…hers by way of Australia, mine via New England. A few years ago, I moved from Sonoma county to our current home in Marin. The drive between us now takes about 2 hours rather than 20 minutes. We have gotten together a few times but, for the most part, our communication takes the form of the random “butt~dial” from the cell phone followed by a humorous text, emails, and telephone calls. We both remain busy with our families and she continues to be an accomplished painter, maintaining her own gallery, sponsoring workshops, taking on commissions and traveling all over the world furthering her passion. I regularly check her website and she reads my blog, letting me know when she is trying new recipes. This morning, we were on the phone for over an hour and it felt just like that rainy afternoon sitting in the car years ago…warm, familiar, comfortable.
As I chopped vegetables for our soup tonight, I couldn’t help but draw similarities from my telephone visit with an old friend and the simple soup I was preparing for our dinner. Perfect in its simplicity, with just a few ingredients that develop over time into a familiar, warming, nourishing broth that can soothe us when we are sick and elevate us when we are down.
For tonights chicken bouillon, the slowly simmered meat and vegetables get a flavor boost from these aromatics…
In addition to the traditional bay leaf and black peppercorns, this stock took on notes of spice from coriander seeds, star anise, and cinnamon, the scent from which permeated every corner of the house today. When it came time to serve the soup, some meat {removed from the chicken pieces used to make the bouillon} and chopped raw carrots were put into a bowl and some of the strained broth was ladled over with a sprinkling of finely sliced mint…
- 3 1/2 pounds chicken wings
- 3 medium carrots, chopped
- 1 leek, thoroughly rinsed & chopped
- 1 onion, peeled & halved
- 1 celery branch, chopped
- 5 thin slices of fresh ginger
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon black pepper corns
- A handful of fresh mint leaves, slice finely
- 2-3 carrots, peeled and diced
- Coarse sea-salt
- Place the chicken wings in a large pot. Pour enough water to cover the wings, adding about 1 ½ cups more . Bring to a boil, remove any scum on the surface and add all the vegetables, herbs and spices. Season with salt and cover with a lid. Simmer gently for 1 hour and 45 minutes.
- After 45 minutes, take out 6 or 7 chicken wings and set aside to cool. Continue to simmer the bouillon.
- Drain soup through a sieve.
- Slice fine slivers from the chicken wings and place them in the serving bowls. Dice a few carrots and scatter in bowl. Season the bouillon if necessary, and spoon a few ladles in the serving bowls. Sprinkle with mint leaves just before serving.
- 6 large eggs
- 1/4 cup Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup Garlic & Fine Herbs Boursin Cheese
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- fresh ground black pepper to taste
- 6 chives, finely minced, for garnish
- To hard boil the eggs: bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Gently add the eggs and cook them for exactly 12 minutes, then place them directly into an ice bath until cool.
- Peel the eggs and slice them in half using a sharp knife. Scoop the egg yolks into a bowl, being careful to leave the whites in tact.
- Mash together the egg yolks, Greek yogurt, Boursin cheese, salt and pepper. Scoop the mixture back into the egg whites. Garnish with chives and serve.
