Finally Fall…

November 4, 2018

Soggy, grey frozen mornings. Warm afternoons dressed in reds & oranges. Decaying flowerbeds with their once lovely riot of colors now laying spent. Black walnuts falling all over the yard making their yearly splotches of nastiness as the green shells turn to black exposing the hard shell of the nut.

This is my time of the year it reminds me of those days spent in Europe so long ago waking the ancient cobblestone of Bamburg and Furth. There is just something about damp grey streets and fingers chilly from carrying the canvas bags of treasures obtained from the local farmers at the market on the platz…the fall veg freshly gathered and brought to market laid out in all their glory…the locally raised poultry and eggs dressed and on display….and the bread! Oh the fresh bread crusty on the outside soft and chewy on the insid… breads just calling for a thick hearty bowl of stew. I look forward to this time of year because it means time in the kitchen with knife in hand chopping, peeling root veggies, browning meats…the satisfying gurgling of the magic purple pot as it simmers away on the stove…

Grab your cutting board and knife turn on some tunes and let’s get started.

Cheddar Kielbasa Soup-

1 Kielbasa ring (I used a hatch chili kielbasa for a bit of zip)

1 c onion (diced)

1 c Celery hearts (finely diced including leaves)

3 c Waxy potatoes (Red or Yukon gold-Diced)

3-4 tb Garlic (finely chopped)

1 qt Chicken Stock

1 c Sharp Cheddar shredded

1 tb Olive Oil

1/2 ts Kosher Salt

1 ts Pepper (freshly ground)

In a 6-8qt heavy pot heat on medium until the oil starts to shimmer then add the onion, celery, salt and garlic. Saute until the onions turn translucent, a little color is ok just make sure you watch that the garlic does not burn or it will turn bitter.

Toss in your diced Kielbasa with the onion mixture and allow it to cook for about 5 minutes…just long enough to get the juice flowing if you will. Don’t forget to stir so it doesn’t burn. Add the Chicken stock and allow to come up to a soft boil -bubbles across the surface but not turbulent hard boil. Give it a good stir and cover, turn the heat down to med low heat and allow to simmer away for about 30 minutes -stirring occasionally. Check to be sure your potatoes are soft, once they are soft its tie to move on t the cheese stage.

Turn the heat off and add the shredded cheese a 1/3 of a cup at a time. You don’t have to measure just eyeball it, stir until the cheese is melted into the broth. Everything’s is set and ready to go…