Carolina Reaper Tomato Jam

Tomatoes inspire me. So do hot-as-the-dickens chili peppers. My beloved aunt is also an inspiration to me and often reads my blog, forever encouraging me to keep going even when going sometimes gets a bit rough around the edges.

Last year when I felt it hard to do much of anything, she told me to make habanero jelly. And that's just what I did. An odd prescription for heartache, I thought at the time, but who was I to argue the particular remedy? Sometimes, the people who truly love you and know you best, actually know what's best for you even if you don't.

It turned out so lovely and oddly, it was just the ticket to get me cooking again. I started writing again. Although that took a little more inspiration and a lot of laughs, personally delivered much later in the year.

So tonight, I get inspired by the abundance of beautiful ripe tomatoes lining my counter waiting to be of culinary service. A spicy tomato chutney of sorts... but with a donkey kick to the taste buds. Just typing that and smelling my bubbling concoction, my mouth waters.

Here is the short and spicy sweet list of goodies:

• 1 c of white distilled vinegar
• 1 c of white sugar
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 4 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, about 2 lbs or so, quartered
• 4 fresh Carolina Reaper chili peppers stemmed and cut in half

I put all ingredients in a small but heavy saucepan and simmer for a couple of hours until thick and reduced. It will begin to thicken and start to resemble tomato jam.

I leave the chilis whole just in case there is more than enough heat and I decide to fish the deadly beasts out of the jam. I lovingly say that because I know it will be too hot enough for most mortals.... but we aren't like most mortals, so I end up leaving them in!

Sous Vide Broccoli Cheese Soup

Got some gorgeous broccoli raab for pennies today at Maria's Market. I love going there, especially into their cool room where they've converted a large walk in fridge into a cold storage "greens" room. Fresh, locally grown herbs, green leafy vegetables, peppers, cucumbers, mushrooms, leeks, you name it. Last few times I've been there, I've taken home a case of Kirby cucumbers for pickling and a case of red jalapeños for hot sauce.

This time, I scored about 4 lbs of broccoli raab that was on sale for $1.89 and it just screamed "Broccoli Cheese Soup!".  Well, who can argue with broccoli cheese soup?

I've also been marinating some chicken in a dry rub which I will also sous vide at the same time for crispy Chinese BBQ chicken. Doesn't matter that these two won't get married into the same meal. That's the best part of sous vide: if you are cooking, might as well cook a few things at once. The ingredients all get vacuum sealed anyway so once they are finished cooking in the sous vide bath, you either complete the recipe or pop it into the freezer or fridge for a later meal. Easy peasy and oh, so convenient.

So my broccoli raab soup has the following components vacuum sealed for sous vide (145F/2 hours):

• 4 lbs of fresh broccoli raab or broccoli, washed and chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, chopped
• 4 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 quart of organic chicken stock
• 16 oz of sour cream
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp Rustic Tuscan Italian seasoning
• 1/4 tsp of mustard powder
• 1/2 c heavy cream (or milk)
• 2 c mild or sharp white cheddar, grated

You can certainly use a pot to cook this dish. Sous vide isn't necessary but I love the convenience of putting it on the stove and forgetting about it for a couple of hours. Can't do that with a pot. But you can do that with a crockpot!

Combine all of the above ingredients except the cheese. That comes later.  I use a long-ish vacuum seal bag and stuff all of my ingredients in except the white cheddar and seal it airtight. If you are cooking on a stovetop or using a crockpot, you shouldn't let the pot get hotter than a simmer. You really want to cook the soup slow and low, regardless of which method you choose.

Once the broccoli is pretty tender, you emulsify or blend all of the ingredients in a blender. I empty the contents of my sous vide into a large pot and use the hand blender to emulsify the ingredients in the pot over low heat. I will also fish out about a cup of the broccoli heads which I cook and then add back to the pureed soup for a little texture. But this is entirely optional and just a matter of preference.

Once the soup is warmed, slowly add your grated cheddar to the soup and stir gently to melt all ingredients.

I serve it with a little more shredded cheese and crusty homemade bread. I also have some delicious crispy pork belly bits that I sprinkle on top. Bacon would be nice, too. Or chives. Whatever floats your cheesy little boat!

The Comfort of Cauliflower Soup

So freaking delicious and so easy.

-1 head of cauliflower, chopped
-2 Vidalia onions, sliced
-Milk to cover
-Heavy cream, optional
-4 cloves of garlic
-Garlic Oil, for serving

Simmer until tender. We simmered this almost all night then I added heavy cream just to cover again and added two fresh cloves of garlic. Simmered and let it cool.

Put all ingredients in a blender, add two more cloves of garlic and puree until smooth and silky. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a little garlic oil

So delicious. So easyl