Udon Noodle Soup

Recipe: Udon Noodle Soup
Event: Needed to use a lot of leftovers and crop share items
Verdict: Scrumptious.  We both highly enjoyed it.

I suspect this recipe is pretty forgiving.  I looked at a few different ones and then just winged it based on what I have in the house.  Sorry for the haphazard nature of the recipe.  It's really very tasty.

Ingredients:
-9.5 oz package of udon noodles (or whatever you can find close to that size)
-Half of a large onion, diced
-9-ish cups water and broth (half of one, half of the other.  I know this is vague - I used about 9 cups of water and added enough Vegetable Better than Bouillon for about 4-5 cups of water)
-4 inch piece of ginger, cut in half, skin left on
-1 cup of miscellaneous onion-y and garlic-y items - I used ramps, green garlic, and green onions.
-1 steak, already cooked (ours was grilled. you can also cook it in a skillet until browned on both sides)
-1/4 tsp chinese 5 spice powder (contains anise seed, licorice, fennel, cassia, ginger)
-Cinnamon (I just gave the container a shake or two - maybe about 1/8 tsp?)
-1 tsp sesame oil
-2-3 tsp soy sauce
-Splash of wine (who measures anyway?)
-Mushrooms - I used about 10 crimini
-Cooking Greens - I used a little bit of bok choi and a sizable bunch of kale (about 7 large leaves, stems removed)
-Scallions, chopped


Directions:
1. Cook udon noodles according to directions on package (boil water, add noodles, boil 4 minutes, drain). Set noodles aside.
2. In second large pot, add some olive oil, heat, add onion, cook for a few minutes
3. Add water/broth
4. Add ginger, bring to boil, then reduce to simmer
5. Add Misc onion-y and garlic-y items
6. Add fatty pieces of steak
7. Add spices and other liquids - 5 spice powder, cinnamon, sesame oil, soy sauce, wine
8. Add mushrooms
9. Add greens
10. Taste liquid - add the various ingredients in step 7 to your taste preference
11. Add rest of steak and noodles
12. Heat a little longer to warm the noodles and steak, serve with scallions on top

Potato Soup

Recipe: Potato Soup

Event: Some game night.

Verdict: One of my favorite go-to soups.  Absolutely delicious!

This is my grandfather's recipe.  I have no idea if it comes from a cookbook somewhere.  You can go high on the amount of potatoes and carrots but I wouldn't go over the amount of celery - it can take over the flavor of the soup. 

Ingredients

3-4 tbsp butter

1 chopped onion

6 potatoes cut into small pieces

enough water to cover potatoes

1-2 stalk celery, chopped 

2 carrots, chopped

2 tsp minced parsley

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

3 chicken bouillon cubes

1.5 cup milk

1. Heat butter in skillet and add onion. Cook until onion is transparent.  Set aside. 

2. You have two options for the next step

Option 1: Boil potatoes, celery, and carrots in water.  Once soft, blend vegetables while still in the water (we use a hand blender).  Move to step 3.  This is my grandfather's method.
Option 2: Boil potatoes.  Once soft, blend in the water.  Then add celery and carrots (and rest of ingredients - steps 3 and 4) and cook until celery and carrots are soft.  This method takes a lot longer but is the way we usually do it.

3. Add sauteed onion and the butter that it was cooked in.
4. Add 1.5 cup milk,  parsley, pepper, salt and chicken bouillon cubes.
5. Cook 20 minutes - simmer on medium low and stir it so it doesn't burn on the bottom
6. Optional: Add bacon or ham.