Location:
My place, where I'm attempting to propagate the notion that the Flable is really just my first step toward minimalism (nicely complimented by my stark walls)
Attendees:
Ashley, Erin, Julie, and me
An admittedly low-quality photo, but because there are fewerphotos of Erin in existence than there are of Bigfoot, I'm using it.
Raw vegetables and Sweets & Beets with gua-cah-mo-lay
Lime cilantro slaw
Mushroom Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano
Entertainment:
It was, like, venting central up in here. Very girltime. Very cathartic.
On nemeses: "We should make them be friends and then DESTROY THEM."
On exes: "My Valentine's gift to myself was to unfollow ___ on Twitter."
The name of the wine Julie brought made me giggle.
Bieber stickers = endless entertainment.
Ashley should be a professional photobomber.The Soup:
Julie loves the shrimpless version of this poblano corn chowder I made a few years ago, and since I can't just make that again, I thought I'd find something that used a lot of the same ingredients and see if that would make her happy. Success (I think! Unless she lied!)!
Don't you feel lulled into a relaxed state just by reading the words "Mushroom Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano." You just know it's going to be food therapy. It sounds heavy, but it's so not; it manages to be both thin and creamy (concomitantly!). Still comfort food, but light and really quite healthy when it comes down to it.
In case you're worried about spice, poblano peppers, particularly when roasted, hardly pack any heat. To me, the poblano is just too pleasant for words. It's, like, earthy? Not spicy. Take my word for it.
Bonus for a weeknight soup: This comes together crazy fast and requires minimal prep time. It's so easy it feels like winning a prize for LIFE.
Mushroom Potato Crema with Roasted Poblano
adapted from a Rick Bayless recipe from frontera.com
1 pound mixture of Yukon gold and fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and roughly chopped
6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
6 cups vegetable broth, divided
1 large fresh poblano
8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
a few dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in boiling water to reconstitute, then chopped into small pieces
1 cup frozen corn
1 sprig thyme
1/4 cup fat-free Greek yogurt
1 corn tortilla, cut into eight wedges
fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Place the potatoes and garlic in a pot with 3 cups of the vegetable broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20 minutes).
Meanwhile, heat the broiler in your oven with the rack in the top position. Place the poblano directly on the rack, and broil until blackened, turning once so you get all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove pepper and wrap it in a kitchen towel for a few minutes. The skin should peel right off, and then you can pull the stem and seeds out and dice it up.
Turn the oven to 350 and place rack in center position. Rub a bit of olive oil into the tortilla wedges and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and bake for 10 minutes or so, until nicely browned and crispy.
Remove potatoes from heat and, using an immersion blender, whiz the potatoes into a smooth puree. Add remaining 3 cups of broth, poblano, mushrooms, corn and thyme and cook over medium heat until mushrooms are cooked through (about 15 minutes). Stir a spoonful of soup into the yogurt, then mix it into the pot. Season to taste with salt.
To serve, divide among four bowls and garnish each bowl with a few cilantro leaves and two tortilla chips.
P.s. I would be remiss in my duties should I not share with you the epic tumbleweave I #spottedonwalnut today. Take in the majesty:
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