Second Helping: Smoky Tomato Bean Soup

This is my take on Jerry Traunfeld's Smoky Tomato Bean Soup. I rarely have great bacon on hand — I have a hard time controlling myself with bacon, so I usually have low-sodium turkey bacon in the fridge. It worked well enough here. Traunfeld's recipe calls for a hearty dose of smoked paprika, but there was none left in my spice cabinet. I substituted chipotle chile powder — much hotter, of course, but a very little goes a long way. I added just a dash and set the spice on the table for diners to add if desired. The sage brings a lovely earthy note to the soup, and a dash of liquid smoke, magic in a bottle, deepens the flavor.

Smoky Tomato Bean Soup

Adapted from Jerry Traunfeld, The Herbfarm Cookbook. Omit bacon for vegetarian version.

4 ounces bacon, preferably smoky variety, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, finely diced
3 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon chipotle chile powder
3 pounds tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and diced, or substitute 3 14.5-oz. cans diced tomatoes
2 teaspoons kosher salt (1/2 teaspoon if using canned tomatoes)
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 1/2 cups white beans, cooked, or one 15-oz. can, rinsed
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke, or more, to taste

Cook bacon in olive oil over medium heat in large saucepan, stirring often, until it renders and begins to crisp. Pour off about half the fat. Add onion, sage, garlic, and chile powder and continue to cook until the onion softens, a few minutes longer. Stir in the tomatoes and salt, then partially cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the oregano and beans. Season with salt, pepper, and liquid smoke to taste.

Playdate Special: Simple Chicken Piccata

The spindly sage plant just outside my front door has been enjoying the warmth of spring, setting out new leaves and transforming from woody twigs to lush, leathery, green-leaved branches. But it’s still early spring, and today was a breezy, cool exception to the warm weather we’ve been enjoying. I needed something to bridge the seasons. The garden bounty is meager: a handful of carrots, some small lettuce heads, cabbages, spring garlic, a few herbs, and a dismaying amount of re-seeded chamomile and rampaging mint taking over empty beds.

I decided to focus on herbs and turned to Jerry Traunfeld, whose simpler recipes have proven tasty and readily adaptable. I went with chicken piccata, a quick-cooking dish with an easy sauce. Traunfeld’s original recipe calls for dill as a primary flavor, but dill and I don’t get along. I used a mix of English and lemon thyme for the sauce, accenting the lemon zest and juice — it seemed the right note for spring. I followed Traunfeld’s recipe exactly, but the chicken lacked oomph. It was partly my fault for rushing to put the chicken in the cast-iron pan before it was hot enough. When I tried it again a few nights later, I made sure the pan and oil were hot, and I dredged the chicken in white whole wheat flour first. Perfect.

I needed another dish with strong herb flavor to lead into it. I opted for the sage, whose earthy flavor lends itself well to more traditional cool-weather dishes. I played around with Traunfeld’s Smoky Tomato Bean Soup: Wow. Yum.

Simple Chicken Piccata

Adapted from Jerry Traunfeld's Herbfarm Cookbook

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup dry white wine
lemon zest, thinly sliced from 1/2 a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, English or lemon, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Place each chicken breast half between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound gently until 1/4-inch thick. Cut each piece in half. Dredge pieces briefly in flour, shaking off excess. Season both sides with salt and black pepper.

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil begins to smoke. Place the chicken breasts in the oil and cook until lightly browned on the underside, 2-3 minutes, then turn and brown the other side 2-3 minutes or until fully cooked. Transfer chicken to a plate and keep warm.

Pour off any oil in the skillet, then pour in wine, stirring to loosen any browned bits in the skillet. Cook over medium heat until the wine is reduced by half. Add the lemon zest, juice, and butter; stir until butter is melted and incorporated. Stir in herbs; add salt and pepper to taste. Spoon sauce over chicken to serve.

Optionally, add 2 tablespoons drained capers to the sauce with the wine.
Variations
Replace thyme with your favorite herbs, alone or in combination.

Playdate Special: Marinated Tri-Tip

Few foods satisfy me more than red meat. I wish it weren’t so, but it is. Red meat makes me happy. There. I said it. Luckily, one of my kids is a serious meat eater. He actually says: “I want to go home and have meat.”
One of my favorite food discoveries since moving to California was tri-tip. I had never encountered it growing up. My love affair began at a barbecue, on a day that seemed impossibly warm for that early in the year, with scores of people enjoying the park and slice after slice of tender tri-tip coming off the grill. My favorite recipe requires some advance preparation — at least four hours to marinate — but it’s simple, makes use of pantry staples, and always comes out beautifully. This is especially satisfying paired with beef's classic partner, potatoes. The leftovers are easily reinvented: toss strips of beef with salad greens or tuck them into a sandwich.

Marinated Tri-Tip

I top the grilled slices with sliced scallions from the garden. A little green decoration on top makes me think it’s healthier than it is.

2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon water
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
black pepper
2 pounds beef tri-tip, cut into 1/2-inch slices

Stir together the soy sauce, olive oil, water, garlic, and pepper in a bowl. Add the tri-tip slices, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator at least four hours.

These are best grilled, but firing up the charcoal grill when the kids outnumber adults two to one isn't always a good idea. Grill or broil the slices 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until they’re done to your liking.