Soup Tasting

Dave was in the Soup Tasting event at the Bloomington Farmer's Market this weekend. It was an event sponsored by Slow Food, free to those who want to stop and taste some seasonal soups from local restaurant chefs. Our soup was made from local chestnuts, all scored and peeled by our kitchen's hands. :) We peeled them all and froze them in anticipation for this event.

Our soup was a Chestnut and Pancetta (House-Made) Soup with Persimmon Bread Croutons

We had so many people asking for the recipe, but we just really have a method of how it was done.

Pancetta - rendered and pulled out for crispy garnish
Onions, Carrots, Parsnips and Chestnuts - cooked in the pancetta fat
Rosemary, Thyme, Garlic, Shallot - added for flavor
Apple Cider, Brown Duck Stock, Water - liquid it was cooked in
The soup was then cooked for about 45 minutes, pureed, passed through a fine mesh sieve. Then finished with a little heavy cream.

The croutons were pan fried in local farm butter. The bread was made with local persimmons that we again, passed our selves during the season and froze the puree.

Just so people didn't think this was in anyway vegetarian Dave wore his "Meat is Neat" shirt. :)