Cooking With Virgil: Veggie Soup

[crabapple]

Well, I posted this last year, and I want to post it again both for you THUNDERBIRDS/Gerry Anderson fans (I know there's got to be one or two in here somewheres!) and for people who like cheep cooking. Now the true story of this dish can be told: It was concocted on a REALLY COLD NIGHT (like tonight?) out of stuff I had in the cupboards because I really didn't want to go outside. I threw together the meager ingredients I had and it turned out to be a very charming sort of soup, so I hope you enjoy it!

***************************



COOKING WITH VIRGIL
by crabapple


"You boys are always killing animals," Tin Tin observed, watching Scott barbecuing out on the patio.

"I don't get it; what do you mean, Tin Tin?" Scott stopped grilling for a moment, holding a dripping hunk of cow's flesh up away from the gas flames.

"Always killing a cow or some chickens...don't you ever cook vegetarian foods? Don't you think that International Rescue should be less obsessed with the slaughter of animals?"

Virgil folded his newspaper and set it down on the glass table beside the wicker chair. "Well, as a matter of fact, I make a bean soup that is just dynamite. And it's simple, too."

"Really!" Tin Tin's eyes widened in amazement. "You know how to make a bean taste good?"

"Not only does it taste good, it's how I stay calm." Virgil folded his hands and smiled, his eyes radiating an unnatural peacefulness. "Eating meat all the time raises your testosterone levels dangerously, and makes you argumentative."

"Now, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, Virg." Scott threw the sizzling, squeaking meat back on the grill. "I'd like to see some documentation to back that up!"

"Oh, enough already!" Tin Tin had jumped up, and now took Virgil's hands in hers. "I would so like to try some of your soup, Virgil!" Yes: Once again, the Virgil magic had done its thing. He was careful not to appear overly pleased by this; after all, it happened basically every day. He tried to look...well, just slightly inconvenienced about having to get off his ass. "Sure, why not." He stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

Scott sighed, and then he did something very out-of-character. He turned and looked directly into the camera, with a tired expression.

"You know...it really makes me ill when he does that!"

***********************************

VIRGIL'S LOVELY VEGETARIAN SOUP

8-10 whole cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
15 oz. can great northern beans
15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, no salt added
1 stalk celery, finely minced

pinch fines herbes
one or two grinds of a nice dried jalapeno
sesame oil
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take garlic cloves and slice rough ends off, allowing a space that you can squeeze the garlic out of later. Place on a piece of aluminum foil (with sides folded to avoid oil spillage) and brush lightly with sesame oil. Place on top shelf of oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Throw the celery into a medium sized soup pot, and saute in a teaspoon of sesame oil until tender. Crush fines herbes and sprinkle over celery. Add a bit of ground jalapeno pepper if desired. Add northern beans (washed and drained), stewed tomatoes (with liquid), and honey. Bring to boil, reduce heat immediately to simmer.

Squeeze roasted garlic out of husks and drop cloves, whole, into soup. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring lightly and occasionally. Cool slightly before serving.

[Elvis_Christ]

That sounds great. I'm really hungry now :(

[Spallalala]

Originally Posted by crabapple

Well, I posted this last year, and I want to post it again both for you THUNDERBIRDS/Gerry Anderson fans (I know there's got to be one or two in here somewheres!) and for people who like cheep cooking. Now the true story of this dish can be told: It was concocted on a REALLY COLD NIGHT (like tonight?) out of stuff I had in the cupboards because I really didn't want to go outside. I threw together the meager ingredients I had and it turned out to be a very charming sort of soup, so I hope you enjoy it!

***************************



COOKING WITH VIRGIL
by crabapple


"You boys are always killing animals," Tin Tin observed, watching Scott barbecuing out on the patio.

"I don't get it; what do you mean, Tin Tin?" Scott stopped grilling for a moment, holding a dripping hunk of cow's flesh up away from the gas flames.

"Always killing a cow or some chickens...don't you ever cook vegetarian foods? Don't you think that International Rescue should be less obsessed with the slaughter of animals?"

Virgil folded his newspaper and set it down on the glass table beside the wicker chair. "Well, as a matter of fact, I make a bean soup that is just dynamite. And it's simple, too."

"Really!" Tin Tin's eyes widened in amazement. "You know how to make a bean taste good?"

"Not only does it taste good, it's how I stay calm." Virgil folded his hands and smiled, his eyes radiating an unnatural peacefulness. "Eating meat all the time raises your testosterone levels dangerously, and makes you argumentative."

"Now, wait just a cotton-pickin' minute, Virg." Scott threw the sizzling, squeaking meat back on the grill. "I'd like to see some documentation to back that up!"

"Oh, enough already!" Tin Tin had jumped up, and now took Virgil's hands in hers. "I would so like to try some of your soup, Virgil!" Yes: Once again, the Virgil magic had done its thing. He was careful not to appear overly pleased by this; after all, it happened basically every day. He tried to look...well, just slightly inconvenienced about having to get off his ass. "Sure, why not." He stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

Scott sighed, and then he did something very out-of-character. He turned and looked directly into the camera, with a tired expression.

"You know...it really makes me ill when he does that!"

***********************************

VIRGIL'S LOVELY VEGETARIAN SOUP

8-10 whole cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
15 oz. can great northern beans
15 oz. can stewed tomatoes, no salt added
1 stalk celery, finely minced

pinch fines herbes
one or two grinds of a nice dried jalapeno
sesame oil
salt to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Take garlic cloves and slice rough ends off, allowing a space that you can squeeze the garlic out of later. Place on a piece of aluminum foil (with sides folded to avoid oil spillage) and brush lightly with sesame oil. Place on top shelf of oven and roast for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

Throw the celery into a medium sized soup pot, and saute in a teaspoon of sesame oil until tender. Crush fines herbes and sprinkle over celery. Add a bit of ground jalapeno pepper if desired. Add northern beans (washed and drained), stewed tomatoes (with liquid), and honey. Bring to boil, reduce heat immediately to simmer.

Squeeze roasted garlic out of husks and drop cloves, whole, into soup. Simmer for 7-10 minutes, stirring lightly and occasionally. Cool slightly before serving.

Maybe add some carrots, turnips...more veg. That aint no veg soup but sounds darn tasty.

[crabapple]

Well, I put it up again so, you know, the good people with mostly only cupboard-stuff could try it. As I recall, on that frozen evening, the only thing I had that was fresh was garlic so I thought, well, I'll just put a whole head of garlic in there and see what happens. And as it turned out, what happened was okay!

Plus you get to try a recipe that was invented by a puppet--which is interesting and a little spooky in itself.

[Spallalala]

Originally Posted by crabapple

Well, I put it up again so, you know, the good people with mostly only cupboard-stuff could try it. As I recall, on that frozen evening, the only thing I had that was fresh was garlic so I thought, well, I'll just put a whole head of garlic in there and see what happens. And as it turned out, what happened was okay!

Plus you get to try a recipe that was invented by a puppet--which is interesting and a little spooky in itself.

I hope the puppet tried it, cos yknow all good cooks try there own food..Man if you cook anything you gotta try it before you serve it.