marianne%pansy.wv.tek.com@RELAY.CS.NET (Marianne Evans) (04/10/90)
This recipe came out in the Portland Oregonian
last week. I tried it last night and was very
pleased with the results. Not only is it tasty,
but it is very pleasing to the eye with the
orange soup centered with the green soup, and
the white cream in the middle. I served it as
a dinner meal with crusty bread.
CREAM OF CARROT-TOP SOUP
(Tom McCombie, chef/owner of Chez T.J.'s in Mt. View, California)
4 T butter, divided
1 large onion, diced medium-fine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 ts whole fresh thyme leaves
4 cups chicken stock
6 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 medium potatoes, coarsely chopped
1 bay leaf
salt
1/2 ts ground white pepper
1 cup milk or half and half, about
2 T chopped parsley
3 cups tender young carrot tops
1 qt boiling water
3/4 cup whipping cream
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and
garlic and saute gently until golden. Add thyme and cook 1 minute more.
Add chicken stock, carrots, potatoes, bay leaf, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper,
and simmer 30 minutes more.
Remove bay leaf and puree mixture by batches in food processor fitted
with steel blade to desired fineness. Return puree to pan. Thin to desired
consistency with milk. Bring soup to simmer. Little by little, stir in
remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Add parsley and keep warm.
Meanwhile, pick over carrot tops removing stems and yellow leaves. Plunge
greens into boiling water. When water returns to a boil, add 2 teaspoons
salt. Drain carrot tops. Puree greens along with 2 cups pureed carrot soup
in processor.
To serve, fill soup bowls 2/3 full with orange carrot soup. Ladle green
carrot soup in middle of soup bowl to fill it. Top soup with dollop of
whipped cream.
Makes 4 meal servings or 6-8 first course servings.
NOTES: I did not peel the carrots, but peeled the potatoes. The original
recipe didn't specify. I used skim milk; and light sour
cream in place of the whipped cream garnish.