Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Soup

I know, I know, this is a weird one, but work with me here and imagine this.  You know how sometimes you have a bagel, and you spread it with vegetable cream cheese?  Cream cheese that has been mixed up with chopped veggies like spinach, maybe a little tomato, maybe some chopped onion, maybe some herbs like chives and dill?  And then you top it with a little bit of lox or smoked salmon?  (Digression: can someone tell me if lox and smoked salmon are the same thing?  I should know, but I don't.)

Anyway, imagine that...still with me?  Now, take that scrumptious bagel topping and (work with me here), imagine it as a warm and creamy soup.  The cheese is all melted and smooth and creamy, the veggies are cooked and mixed throughout the cheese, the herbs are sprinkled throughout, and in the midst of all of this are pieces of salty, delicious smoked salmon.  And if you still aren't convinced (and the Southern husband wasn't when I first mentioned I would be making this for dinner), see if this helps: this recipe is from the always fabulous SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK.

Now, the Silver Palate and I can't BOTH be wrong, can we?  We can't.  Just ask the Southern husband, who after having it for dinner is now hoarding the leftovers for his lunch tomorrow.  That's the true test if you ask me...leftover hoarding.

Give it a try and see what you think!

Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Soup, adapted from SILVER PALATE GOOD TIMES COOKBOOK

• 3/4 stick butter
• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh dill
• 2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 8 ounces smoked salmon, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 8 cups water
• fresh ground pepper, to taste
• 2 cups fresh spinach, washed and chopped
• 2  eight ounce packages cream cheese, sliced into 8 pieces each
• 1/3 cup vodka
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• Snipped fresh chives, for garnish

1. Melt butter in medium size saucepan over medium heat.  Add onion and saute until soft, about 10 minutes.

2. Stir in dill, tomatoes and salmon and cook 3 minutes.  Add flour and cook 1 minute more.  Gradually stir in water and heat to boiling.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  

3. Season with pepper, stir in spinach and simmer 5 more minutes.  Now stir in cream cheese, one piece at a time, allowing each piece to melt into the soup.  When all the cheese is added and the soup is smooth, stir in the vodka and lemon juice.  Taste for seasonings, and ladle into bowls.  Garnish with chives and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Blueberry Cheesecake Squares

Now this is one of those recipes that has a backstory, so hunker down. A few weeks ago, we celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. We had a wedding cake and great music, and many many friends and family, and it didn't rain. Thank you, Lord.

They had a wonderful time, and then they went off to Maine on a little 50th anniversary honeymoon trip. (Aren't they adorable??). And while they were there, they visited one of my favorite, favorite makers of all things delicious, the amazing Stonewall Kitchen. And they brought me back some delectable Stonewall Kitchen goodies. Including this...

I have big plans for this that involve caramelized french toast and cinnamon and berries. Stay tuned for that one. They also brought me this...

I'm considering my peach jam options. Suggestions welcome. Now brace yourself for this next one...

I don't even know what to say. I am seriously considering just hiding somewhere and eating it straight out of the jar with a spoon.

Last but not least, this was in the Stonewall Kitchen bag...

Along with a recipe card for Blueberry Cheesecake Bars. (Talk about the gift that keeps on giving!) Anyway, this scrumptious recipe calls for making a super-easy shortbread cookie crust. On top of that crust goes a classic cheesecake batter...and then comes the fun part. You take that whole jar of wild blueberry jam (and when you open it up you will see there are tons of teeny tiny whole little baby blueberries in the jam. Deep breaths.) and drop it in spoonfuls on top of the cheesecake batter. Then take a knife and swirl, swirl, swirl the jam through the batter.

Bake. Cool, counting the minutes. Cut into squares. Try not to eat all of them at once. And if you have the self-discipline to put them in the fridge to chill down for a while -- well, the only better than a blueberry cheesecake square is a cold blueberry cheesecake square.

Stonewall Kitchen, have I told you lately that I love you??

Blueberry Cheesecake Squares, from Stonewall Kitchen

Cookie Crust:
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 teaspoon ice water

Cheesecake Filling:
• 16 ounces (2 packages) softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup blueberry jam. I highly recommend Stonewall Kitchen Wild Maine Blueberry Jam!

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9X13 inch pan.
2. Place flour, sugar and salt in food processor and pulse.
3. Add butter and process until the dough begins to form a ball, adding ice water if necessary.
4. Press dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake until crust is lightly golden, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 30 minutes.
5. While cooling, prepare filling. Mix softened cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until well blended.
6. Add eggs and mix just until eggs are incorporated.
7. After crust cools for 30 minutes, pour cheesecake filling evenly over the crust.
8. Spoon Blueberry Jam randomly on top of filling and then swirl to combine.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 35-45 minutes or until center is set. Allow to cool in pan.

Click here for printable recipe

Tomato Gorgonzola Soup

This soup is the single best way I know to use up that piece of blue cheese that you bought for something else but still have a little piece of. The Southern husband and I are currently trying to train ourselves to use up all of whatever ingredients we bring home...so if we bring home a half pound of Swiss cheese, for example, and we don't use it all up in the cheese fondue that we had the other night, we figure out what we can make next that calls for Swiss cheese. (You will hear more about our adventures in Swiss cheese in the days to come, assuming all goes well).

So after I made shrimp in gorgonzola sauce a little while ago, I still had a little hunk of the gorgonzola left. Just enough to make this scrumptious soup, which has chunks of chopped tomato in it and gets its creamy goodness not only from the gorgonzola but also from a little cream cheese and heavy cream and milk tossed in as well. I know...but if you are going to make homemade soup, you might as well go for the gusto, right?

The only TINY drawback to this recipe is that in order to use up the gorgonzola, I had to buy a largish container of tomato juice (another key ingredient) because apparently they do not sell smallish containers of tomato juice. So there it is in my fridge. Sitting there. Mocking me.

Anybody got any good recipes that call for tomato juice, or do I need to buy more gorgonzola and start the cycle anew?

TOMATO GORGONZOLA SOUP, adapted from Allrecipes

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 minced cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/4 heavy cream
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups tomato juice
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1. Heat oil in medium pot over medium heat. Add garlic and stir for 2 minutes.

2. Add cheeses, cream and milk and heat until cheeses are melted and mixture is simmering

3. Stir in tomatoes with their liquid, tomato juice, basil, sugar and pepper to taste. Simmer for 15 minutes, stirring often, and serve.

Click here for printable recipe

Scrambled Eggs with Salmon and Herbs

There they are. My adorable little La Crueset individual crocks. Get used to them because I have about one million upcoming ideas of things to make in them. Portion control and loveliness, all in one serving piece -- I can hardly stand it.

Tonight our little red crocks are featuring eggs that are scrambled with milk, cream cheese, some chopped herbs and ribbons of smoked salmon, with toasted brioche circles. (I feel like the maitre d at a posh Upper West Side of Manhattan brunch place!). You'd never know that this swanky comfort food came together in about 15 minutes, but oh yes it did. Here's my favorite trick to this recipe -- put the little crocks in the oven while you are making the eggs, and they will be all nice and toasty warm when the eggs are ready to be popped into them. And okay, if you haven't yet gotten your own set, you can use any oven-safe plate or bowl. I'm pretty sure they will taste ALMOST as good.

Last but not least, I know the picture looks like this can not possibly be enough to keep the Southern husband from getting hungry an hour after he eats, but this recipe is rich enough that a crock-full is actually the perfect amount. Yum, yum. Give it a try and see what you think.

SCRAMBLED EGGS WITH SALMON AND HERBS, from La Crueset

• 8 large eggs
• 8 slices challah or brioche bread
• 4 pieces smoked salmon, cut into ribbons
• 3 tablespoons milk
• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (chives, tarragon, parsley)
• 1/2 stick butter
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• Salt and pepper

1. Heat 4 serving dishes in 300 degree oven while preparing eggs

2. Cut circles out of bread slices with cookie cutter or top of glass. Toast until golden.

3. Whisk eggs with milk and half of the herbs.

4. Melt butter in frying pan over low flame. Add eggs and cream cheese and cook for 4 minutes, stirring from time to time. Add salmon and cook without stirring for one more minute. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Put one toast circle on each plate or in each bowl. Divide eggs among plates. Scatter remaining herbs on eggs and top with remaining toast circle. Serve immediately.

Click here for printable recipe