Soup Weather is Upon Us...

We start cooking class up this Thursday and you know what THAT means?  A house full of wine drinking, knife wheeling women catching up on the comings and goings of the past few weeks.  Since it's been unseasonably cold here in Los Angeles this winter, I decided we should do the next 7 week series on SOUPS.  Who doesn't love soup?  (Communists possibly... their loss I'm sure).

Some folks are frightened by making soup. They think "Oh, I don't have 6 hours to make soup"... well, I'm here to tell yah, some of the greatest soups are made in 15-30 minutes.  True!  I'm not talking about the tripe that they make in most restaurants that comes from a powder mix that sits in a walk in fridge for 8 months out of the year.  I mean the kind that you can go to the farmers market early on a Sunday morning (Deirdra) buy a bunch of things you like, and cook it up for lunch :o)

There are two Farmers Markets I frequent on the weekends; the Hollywood Farmers Market and the Montrose Farmers Market.  

The added bonus of going to the Montrose one is that after your done (and haven't indulged in some of the wonderful faire that they offer in the food area...

...mmmmmmmmmmm papusa.  Delishhhhhhhhhhh.  Now that's got me thinking I'll make these for dinner tonight!  Of course I'll add the pig or perhaps some delicious grilled chicken and many cheeses to mine but for my Vegetarian friends, you can fill a papusa with anything you like!  Recently enjoyed brie and fig papusa.  Very nice.  I'm sure the Sam&Cheese will enjoy them as well.  But I digress...so, yes, after you are done at the Farmers Market in Montrose you can rest your tired feet at The Black Cow.

Back to the matters at hand... winter is a time for Soup and Soup we will make!  Nothing warms you up faster than a Gruyere soaked piece of toasted french bread on top of French Onion soup... seen here:

  

Here's what you need:

•                                         1/2 cup unsalted butter
  
  
  4 cups sliced onions
  
  
  4 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth (OR, keeping it Veggie, use vegetable broth 
  instead)
  
  
  2 tablespoons dry sherry or brandy
  
  
  1 teaspoon dried thyme
  
  
  salt and pepper to taste
  
  
  4 slices French bread
  
  
  1/4 cup grated Gruyere
  
  
  1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
  
  2 slices Swiss cheese, diced

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Here's how to do it:

1. Melt butter with olive oil in an 8 quart stock pot on medium heat. Add onions and continually stir until tender and translucent. Do not brown the onions.
2. Add beef broth, brandy and thyme. Season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Heat the oven broiler.
4. Ladle soup into oven safe serving bowls and place one slice of bread on top of each (bread may be broken into pieces if you prefer). Layer each slice of bread with the Gruyere, 1/2 slice diced Swiss and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese. Place bowls on cookie sheet and broil in the preheated oven until cheese bubbles and browns slightly.

And, there you have it!  Bob IS your Uncle!

Enjoy! (and keep warm... geeeezzzz!)