Devshirme

This hearty soup is probably more of a winter dish but, this being New England, you never know when winter-like weather will pop up again – I think it is about 40 degrees out as I write this.

3 potatoes, sliced thinly

4 stalks celery, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

2 chicken sausages, cooked, cut up and casing removed

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tbsp Better Than Bouillon

1 can cannellini beans, rinsed

Salt and pepper to taste

In a pot heat a 1/4 cup or so of olive oil.  Add the celery, garlic, green onion and onion and heat until they start to soften a bit.  Add water – the amount depends on how soupy you want the soup – and bring to a boil.  Once boiling, throw in the potatoes and bring back to a boil – it takes about 5 minutes to get the potatoes cooked.  Turn off the heat and add the beans, bouillon and sausage.

1  jar grape leaves

1 large bunch parsley, chopped

4-5 medium onions, chopped (4 cups)

2 cups rice (Carolina)

1 cup canola oil

1/4 cup pomegranate syrup

juice of 2 lemons

2 T tomato paste

1/2 tsp black pepper, salt to taste

1-2 T dill, chopped

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/4 cup golden raisins

Add oil to deep pan.  Heat.  Add onions until softened.  Then add all remaining ingredients, with the rice coming last.  Taste test and allow to cool.  Line pot with broken or tough leaves.  Layer the rolled (stuffed) leaves onto those.  Cover with another layer of remaining leaves in a flat layer.  Cover with 1 and 1/2 cup boiling water mixed with 1/2 cup lemon juice.  Pour over leaves.  Bring to a boil then simmer 45 minutes – 1 hour.

This is most definitely not a Lenten recipe but I feel I need to celebrate the new blog with a recipe, since recipes are by far my most popular posts.  I am especially ebullient right now since, after reviewing pending comments, I noticed that the new software eighty-sixed my first spam comment (you will recall that these nefarious comments plagued the old site).  So here is the recipe.  As usual it is a Prez original.  She says it is good for pasta, fish or poultry.  Add to a food processor:

2 cups baby spinach, 2T olive oil, 2T grated parmesan or romano, 1T pine nuts (optional), 3 cloves garlic, salt and pepper.

Process until a paste-like texture.  Use as a topping.