We don’t have a fireplace. Not to worry, we found out this season that North Carolina is actually much warmer than Missouri in January. Who knew! Still, it’s winter, and we’ve been craving cold weather meals despite the mild temps. This healthy and flavorful soup is perfect to warm a chilly (..or not so chilly) winter night. It works great as a side or as a meal of it’s own. We recommend making this soup with a Cuisinart smart stick. If you don’t own one, working in batches with a blender or food processor should do the trick. Try subbing 4 cups of vegetable stock for the liquid in this recipe for an easy vegetarian option.

Ingredients:

1 head cauliflower, florets removed

2 leeks, chopped (use only white and light green parts)

4 cloves garlic, sliced

2 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

1 chicken bouillon cube

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons olive oil

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350°. Place cauliflower florets, leek, and garlic on a sheet pan. Drizzle olive oil over vegetables and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Gently toss vegetables on the pan to coat.

Roast for 30-40 minutes until all vegetables are golden brown. Be sure to move the vegetables around on the pan once or twice during the roasting process to ensure even browning.

While vegetables are roasting, place the stock, water, and bouillon in a small saucepan and heat over medium heat until bouillon dissolves. Turn heat off once dissolved.

When the vegetables are golden brown, remove from oven and carefully place in the stock. Using the smart stick, blend until all large pieces are smooth. Turn heat up to medium. Season again with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve warm with a drizzle of olive oil and freshly cracked black pepper.

Makes 4 large bowls.

This is our family “go-to” salad. My parents have been serving this salad at all major holidays for as long as I can remember. As a child, one of my fondest kitchen memories was helping mom destalk the romaine. I felt like it was such an essential part of the success of the salad. I’ve served this at many dinner parties and I haven’t found a guest who hasn’t liked it. The bold garlic flavor combined with the gentle sweetness of the pine nuts makes this salad a year-round crowd pleaser.

The original recipe was sent to my parents in a mailer from The Wine and Cheese Place in St. Louis at least 20 years ago. Les, the owner of the store, credited Gary and Judy Studer with the contribution of this recipe to the mailer.

Ingredients:

5-6 garlic cloves, peeled
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
2 large heads of romaine, washed, destalked, and torn into bite size pieces
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup + freshly grated Parmesan
¼ cup + pine nuts

Preparation:

First, toast the pine nuts. Spread the pine nuts on a baking sheet, and place under the boiler until golden brown. Watch very closely, once they begin to brown they can quickly turn to charcoal and you risk burning the kitchen down. Another method is to place the pine nuts in a small sauté pan on low heat and cook on the stovetop until golden brown. Set aside.

In small saucepan of boiling water, boil the garlic for 10 minutes. Drain well. In a large wooden salad bowl, mash the garlic to a paste with the salt.

Whisk in the mustard and the vinegar. Add the oil in a stream, whisking until emulsified.

Add the romaine. Toss the salad well to combine and season to taste with pepper. Add the Parmesan and pine nuts, and toss again.

Be sure to taste the salad before you serve. If it needs more zing, add a bit more vinegar. If it’s too tart for your liking, add more olive oil.

Serve the salad with extra pine nuts and Parmesan available.