Rutabaga and Winter Roots Apple Soup

¼ lb (1 stick) butter (113gm)
1 cup roughly chopped onion (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup Granny Smith apple (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup rutabaga (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup butternut squash (1/4 Kilo)
1 cup carrots (1/4 Kilo)
1cup sweet potato (1/4 Kilo)
2 cups chicken stock (1/2 L)
1 cup white wine ( 1/4 L)
1 cup apple juice or hard cider(1/4L)
2 cups heavy cream (1/2 L)
¼ cup maple syrup (60ml)
Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Sour Cream for decoration
Peel and chop and discard seeds of fruit and root veggies.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the onions, apple, rutabaga, squash, carrots, and sweet potato and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent.
Add the chicken stock, wine and apple cider and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes or until all of the veggies are cooked through and tender.
Puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain through a fine mesh sieve into the same pot you used to cook the vegetables. Add the cream, maple syrup, salt, and cayenne pepper. Heat to desired temp serp with a dollop of sour cream.

Marinated Eggplants

1 Lb Eggplants
3 Cloves of garlic
3 Bay Leaves
olive oil
white vinegar 1/3
white wine 1/3
water 1/3
Kosher salt
crushed hot red peppers
black peppercorns

• Wash and dry the eggplants
• Cut both ends and slice them1/2 in thick spread the slices out on a colander
• shake the Kosher salt on the eggplants for 1/2 an hour trying to sweat the bitterness out them
• Pat the slices dry with some paper towels.
• Put slices on a pot and cover them with a mixture of 1/3 each of water wine and vinegar
• Bring to a boil till they are tender but not soft.
• Dry the slices with paper towels.
• In a glass jar put three slices some chopped garlic and some crushed red pepper and some peppercorns
• the bay leaves should go on the side of the jar once you are finished with the previous step
• fill the jar with olive oil till it covers all the eggplant, let it sit for three days

You can use a glass bowl if you don't have a jar. You should not use red pepper if you don't like them hot.

Tortellini Salad

1 Red onion
1 Red pepper
1 Yellow pepper
1 Green Pepper
1 cup of chopped celery
1 cup chopped Genoa Salami
1 cup chopped cheese (Provolone or whatever you like)
1 cup green olives stuffed with pimentos (sliced in half )
1 Pint of grape or cherry tomatoes (sliced in half)
1 cup chopped roasted peppers (optional)
1 cup marinated artichokes chopped (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped Italian parsley
5 lbs of tortellini

Vinaigrette:
2 tlb Dijon mustard
2 tlb Sugar
1/2 cup wine vinegar
1 1/4 cup of olive oil

Chop all ingredients except tortellini, tomatoes ,and olives.
Prepare the vinaigrette while cooking the tortellini according to package. Usually you have to boil water add the tortellini for about 4 minutes and they are ready. Immediately run cold water after the are done so they stop cooking. It is better to have them all dente.

Add the chopped ingredients to the tortellini in a large bowl, + the tomatoes , the olives and the vinaigrette. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you hate olives or any other ingredient omit it. If you have stuff in the fridge that you think you like, add it don't be bashful e.g. zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli,carrots left over chicken or turkey.

Arleusian Garlic Soup

2 Tablespoons of butter
3/4 cup whole garlic cloves peeled
1 1/4 lb potatoes quartered
2 carrots quartered
8 cups (1/2 water 1/2 chicken broth)
1/2 cup of heavy cream
3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
3 dashes hot sauce
chopped parsley for decoration (optional)

In a large saucepan, melt the butter and gently cook the garlic, stirring often till it begins to brown. Add the rest of the ingredients except cream and hot sauce.
Bring to a boil, cover and cook gently for an hour.
The veggies should be soft. Let it cool. Pure the soup in a blender or food processor.

Reheat, add cream and hot sauce.

Serves 6
Note if you multiply the ingredients times four you do not need 32 cups of liquid. 26 to 28 cups will be enough. Cook the veggies in 20 cups of liquid and add 6 to 8 more cups after you blend according to your taste and the consistency you would like.