The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of "The Last Good Paradise" by Tatjana Soli, Served with Tropical Guava Rum Punch

Need a little tropical island escape? Here's a review of The Last Good Paradise: A Novel by Tatjana Soli, set on a private island in the South Pacific and with a cast of characters looking to escape their lives and find their bit of paradise. To wash down all of the drama and angst, I am serving up this TLC Book Tour review with a cold and sweet glass of Tropical Guava Rum Punch. 

Publisher's Blurb:

On a small, unnamed coral atoll in the South Pacific, a group of troubled dreamers must face the possibility that the hopes they’ve labored after so single-mindedly might not lead them to the happiness they feel they were promised.

Ann and Richard, an aspiring, Los Angeles power couple, are already sensing the cracks in their version of the American dream when their life unexpectedly implodes, leading them to brashly run away from home to a Robinson Crusoe idyll. Dex Cooper, lead singer of the rock band, Prospero, is facing his own slide from greatness, experimenting with artistic asceticism while accompanied by his sexy, young, and increasingly entrepreneurial muse, Wende. Loren, the French owner of the resort Sauvage, has made his own Gauguin-like retreat from the world years before, only to find that the modern world has become impossible to disconnect from. Titi, descendant of Tahitian royalty, worker, and eventual inheritor of the resort, must fashion a vision of the island’s future that includes its indigenous people, while her partner, Cooked, is torn between anarchy and lust.

By turns funny and tragic, The Last Good Paradise explores our modern, complex and often, self-contradictory discontents, crafting an exhilarating story about our need to connect in an increasingly networked but isolating world.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press (February 10, 2015)

I have mixed feelings about The Last Good Paradise. I found the first part of the book--meeting the characters and learning parts of their stories absorbing. I found humor in the forced (supposed) primitiveness of Loren's resort and how desire for the concept of being unplugged and off the grid broke down in reality. Especially how Ann, not wanting to be contacted by her and Richard's badly-behaving business partner (and her former lover) Javi, tossed an expensive (and thankfully) water-proof Satellite phone in the plunge pool, pulling it out of the water when she wanted/needed to connect. The group dynamics between everyone were interesting and like a mini soap opera--between the couples, the different individuals with each other, relationships between the guests and the staff--Loren, Titi and Cooked, and those three with each other. But then things seemed to bog down and the middle of the novel had my interest lagging. I found it difficult to connect with the characters and didn't really like how the plot shifted toward the attempted activism of Cooked, Dex, Ann, and Wende. Their attempts to bring attention to the French government's lack of accountability for the health effects on the Tahitian people caused by sanctioned nuclear testing in the islands seemed out of place with the rest of the book. A serious message for sure, and one that made me think, but things just got a bit silly and the novel seemed to lose its focus. The ending picked the pace back up a bit and although most things were not completely resolved, there was some satisfaction in learning where the characters seemed to be going. The Last Good Paradise is a good cautionary tale on the truth that no "paradise" isn't perfect and the troubles one tries to escape, or new troubles on top of the old, can still be found there. Overall an interesting book, not my favorite but I would give the author's other two books--The Lotus Eaters and The Forgetting Tree a try based on this one.  

Author Notes: Tatjana Soli is a novelist and short story writer. Her New York Times bestselling debut novel, The Lotus Eaters, was the winner of the James Tait Black Prize, a New York Times Notable Book, and a finalist for the LA Times Book Award. Her critically acclaimed second novel The Forgetting Tree was also a New York Times Notable book . Her stories have appeared in Zyzzyva, Boulevard, and The Sun, and have been listed in Best American Short Stories. She lives with her husband in Southern California.

With Richard being a chef there was a fair amount of food inspiration in The Last Good Paradise to choose from and make a dish representing the book. From Pacific island fare, to the dishes Richard and Javi make in their restaurant kitchen like potato-and-fennel au gratin, rabbit fricassee with cilantro and onions, an organic baby greens salad with hearts of palm, Roquefort-and-sauteed-apple quesadilla, and mango ice. Richard gets queasy cooking meat and wants to be a baker, so a dessert like the stunning wedding cake he makes for Titi and Cooked would have been appropriate too. Most of all there was plenty of alcohol consumed on the atoll, including the guava punch served by Titi when new arrivals hit the island. Whether you get rum or local moonshine that knocks you off your feet for days in your drink is dependent on Titi's mood and how she likes you. I chose to go with flavored rum, lime and a combination of guava and mango nectar for my Tropical Guava Rum Punch. 

Tropical Guava Rum Punch
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 2)

4 oz flavored rum (I used 2 oz banana rum + 2 oz pineapple rum)
4 oz guava nectar
2 oz mango nectar
2 oz lime juice, or to taste
ice
paper umbrellas, drink monkeys, lime slices to garnish

Fill cocktail shaker about 1/2-full with ice. Add rum, guava and mango nectar and lime juice and shake until blended. Pour into 2 (chilled if possible) glasses and garnish with paper umbrellas, drink monkeys, and lime slices if desired.

Notes/Results: A touch sweet, a touch tangy, a lot fruity ;-) this is a tasty little cocktail. You can adjust the amount of lime juice to your preference (I like it tart and refreshing) and of course you don't have to use a mix of flavored rums and fruit nectar but I like the blend of flavors--and after all, it is a punch. And although not the knockout from Titi's moonshine, it still packs its own nice punch. ;-) Paper umbrellas and cocktails monkeys are pretty necessary to the tropical drink experience too. I would make this again.

Note: A review copy of "The Last Good Paradise" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can see the stops for the rest of this Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here. 

 

Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup with Cashews and Chives for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I found this recipe for Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup in the current issue of Clean Eating magazine. I love a soup that gets its creaminess without using dairy. In this case, it's the cannellini beans that provide a rich, velvety texture--and they add fiber and protein to the mix too. 

I made a couple of small changes to the recipe, noted in red below--doubling the garlic, adding extra ginger, and squeezed in fresh lemon juice to add acidity.

Cream of White Bean, Carrot & Ginger Soup
Adapted from Heather Bainbridge, Clean Eating Magazine, Jan/Feb 2015
(Serves 8)
Hands-On Time: 20 minutes / Total Time: 40 Minutes
 
1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced (I used approximately 3-inches)
2 cloves garlic, minced (I used 4 cloves)
4 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 (15 oz) low-sodium, BPA-free cans cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
(I added the juice from 1/2 of a lemon)
2 1/2 oz roasted unsalted cashews, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives 

In a large soup pot or saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute until it begins to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add ginger and garlic; saute 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant.

Add broth, 2 cups water, beans, carrots, bay leaves and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaves. 

Using an immersion blender, or carefully in a standing blender, puree the soup until smooth. Place into bowls and topped with cashews and chives. 

Nutritional Info (1-Cup Soup with Toppings): Calories: 194, Total Fat: 6g, Sat. Fat: 1g, Mono-Fat: 4g, Poly-Fat: 1g, Carbs: 26.5g, Fiber: 10g, Sugars: 4g, Protein: 8.5g, Sodium: 158mg, Cholesterol: 0mg

Notes/Results: A quick and easy soup to put together that delivers good flavor and creamy satisfaction. I am glad I increased the garlic and ginger--I like lots of flavor in my soup and appreciated that I could taste both easily. They, along with the shot of lemon, also balance out the sweetness of the carrots. The cashews add a slight crunch and along with the chives make a good topping. A bright soup to brighten up a cloudy and cool day. I would make it again.

 Let's take a look into the Souper Sundays kitchen and see who dropped by. 

Janet of The Taste Space is here with this pretty Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Hemp and Orange. She says, "No stranger to raw shredded Brussels sprout salads, this is yet another way for me to eat eat one of my favourite vegetables. I chose to thinly slice them instead of using the food processor which made for cute mini cabbage creations in the salad. The vinaigrette was simple and allowed the produce’s own flavours shine with a faint sweetness from the juicy clementines."

Johanna of Green Gourmet Giraffe is back this week with a Creamy Potato Salad with Vegan Mayonnaise and says, "A bottle of sunflower oil has sat on my kitchen bench for a long time in hope that I might finally try to make a vegan mayonnaise. ...Then I made a potato salad with tofu bacon and spring onions.  This is pretty much the way that I used to have it as a child (but meat bacon not tofu bacon).  It was great comfort food on a lazy evening.  We love to eat it a bit warm but I am sure that it would be great at room temperature and should keep in the fridge."

Speaking of salads, my friend Sue of Couscous & Consciousness has set the aggressive and healthy goal of posting a new salad everyday on her blog and she has posted eight amazing ones so far. You can join her in her Salad Days: 28 Days of Salads Project by linking up your favorite salads on the linky on her blog. (Sue has all the details there.) Representing her salads this week is this Hot & Sour Asian Slaw Recipe that she served with luscious Burmese Chili Prawns. Sue says, "This dish definitely had the wow factor - an absolute explosion of flavours and textures, and just enough heat to leave my lips tingling at the end of it ... in a good way.  If you like Asian flavours, I urge you to give this a try the next time you have cole slaw on your mind."

This week at  at Kahakai Kitchen, I made Watercress Tea Sandwiches to pair with a book review. What's better than little crust-less sandwiches? Little crust-less sandwiches spread with lemony watercress compound butter and layered with watercress leaves and thin slices of cucumber. Perfect with a cuppa, or as a light lunch. The compound butter is also excellent with grilled salmon and melted over veggies and is a must-make.

 
Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week! 

 

Eastern Salmon Carpaccio: A Little Fresh and Vibrant Fusion {One Photo Friday}

Fusion, when it works, is a wonderful thing. This Eastern Salmon Carpaccio from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry blends Asian ingredients with the classic Italian dish/preparation of thinly-sliced raw meat or fish. The result is fresh, vibrant, healthy, and pretty much addicting. 

Eastern Salmon Carpaccio
Adapted from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry
(Serves 6 as an Appetizer)

1 1/4 lb spanking fresh skinless salmon fillet
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
6 basil leaves
about 12 mint leaves
1/2 small red onion, finely sliced, almost shaved
1 cup Japanese Carrot & Daikon Salad (recipe below)
3 Tbsp Vietnamese Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
lime wedges to serve
(I added toasted coconut chips to serve)

Using a sharp knife, slice the salmon finely, as if you were slicing smoked salmon. Put it onto a serving plate, or onto individual plates.

Tear and sprinkle the herb leaves over the top. Spoon the carrot and daikon salad on top and sprinkle with red onion.

Spoon the dipping sauce on top and serve with lime wedges. 

---

Japanese Carrot & Daikon Salad
Adapted from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry
(Serves 4-6)

1 cup rice vinegar
3 Tbsp super-fine sugar (I reduced by 1/2)
2 daikon radishes (about 1 1/2 lb)
12 carrots (about 1 1/2 lbs)
(I added cucumber)
1 1/2 tsp salt

Heat the vinegar and sugar together gently in a saucepan, stirring a little to help the sugar dissolve. Let cool completely.

Peel and trim the daikon and carrots, keeping them separate, and cut into matchstick-sized pieces (I just used my julienne peeler.) Put them into colanders. Mix 1 tsp salt into the daikon and 1/2 tsp into the carrot, mixing it well with your hands. Let stand for 10 minutes and squeeze out excess water from both.

Put both vegetables into a clean bowl and mix in the sweet vinegar mixture. Keep in the refrigerator and serve nice and cold. It will keep about five days. 

---

Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Adapted from A Change of Appetite by Diana Henry

1 red chile, chopped, or to taste (I used 1 Tbsp Sriracha)
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 Tbsp lime juice, or to taste
1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
5 tsp superfine sugar, or to taste (I reduced by 1/2)  
 
Pound together chile and garlic and gradually add the lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar. Taste for seasoning and heat and adjust as needed. Add water if sauce is too strong. 

OK, I cheated and took a second iPhone photo (See One Photo Friday explanation below) because I covered up most of the lovely salmon on the plate with the herbs and veggies. ;-) So I guess it's Two Photo Friday today!)

Notes/Results: I know some people cringe at the thought of raw fish but if you can get good fish and want to give it a try, carpaccio or ceviche are always a great way to go. You can put on extra dressing and lime juice and wait a few minutes before eating it and it will *cook* more. If you are a raw fish lover like me, you will likely love this dish. Such great fresh flavors--herby, tangy, sweet and a little bit hot. The texture of the picked vegetable with the smooth, velvety salmon is nice too. I have become slightly obsessed with topping different dishes with toasted coconut chips and I love the crunch and sweet coconut flavor they add. I just used 1 small fresh salmon fillet and made about 1/3 of the recipe. I also cut down the amounts of the daikon & carrot salad and dipping sauce recipes too (and reduced the sugar in the recipes). This carpaccio is very colorful and pretty on the plate! All the elements were delicious and I will make them combined or individually again. 

This post is linking up to I Heart Cooking Clubs where it is East Meets West week--with fusion dishes from Diana Henry. You can see what everyone made by checking out the picture links on the post.

{One Photo Friday: Since I normally drag out my big camera and gear, take a bunch of photos of my recipes, and then spend time obsessing over them--I decided that for Fridays, I'll simplify by posting a recipe or something interesting and then just take one photo of it with my iPhone--no muss/no fuss.} 

 

The Book Tour Stops Here: A Review of 'A Memory of Violets" by Hazel Gaynor Served with Watercress Tea Sandwiches (and a Recipe for a Versatile Watercress Compound Butter)

Last week's TLC Book Tour stop (the psychological thriller One Step Too Far) took me to modern-day London. This week's novel is still set across the pond, but took me on a journey back to Victorian times where poor and often infirm children sold watercress and flowers. I'm reviewing A Memory of Violets: A Novel of London's Flower Sellers by Hazel Gaynor, and serving it up with Watercress Tea Sandwiches and a recipe for Watercress Compound Butter.

Publisher's Blurb:

From the author of the USA Today bestseller The Girl Who Came Home comes an unforgettable historical novel that tells the story of two long-lost sisters—orphaned flower sellers—and a young woman who is transformed by their experiences. 

“For little sister. . . . I will never stop looking for you.”

1876. Among the filth and depravity of Covent Garden’s flower markets, orphaned Irish sisters Flora and Rosie Flynn sell posies of violets and watercress to survive. It is a pitiful existence, made bearable only by each other’s presence. When they become separated, the decision of a desperate woman sets their lives on very different paths.

1912. Twenty-one-year-old Tilly Harper leaves the peace and beauty of her native Lake District for London to become assistant housemother at one of Mr. Shaw’s Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls. For years, the homes have cared for London’s orphaned and crippled flower girls, getting them off the streets. For Tilly, the appointment is a fresh start, a chance to leave her troubled past behind.

Soon after she arrives at the home, Tilly finds a notebook belonging to Flora Flynn. Hidden between the pages she finds dried flowers and a heartbreaking tale of loss and separation as Flora’s entries reveal how she never stopped looking for her lost sister. Tilly sets out to discover what happened to Rosie—but the search will not be easy. Full of twists and surprises, it leads the caring and determined young woman into unexpected places, including the depths of her own heart.

Print Length: 432 pages  
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (February 3, 2015)

Although I have it loaded on my Kindle, I have not gotten around to reading Hazel Gaynor's debut novel, The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic. I've now officially moved it up my to-read pile after being drawn into A Memory of Violets. Sweet, moving and thoughtful, A Memory of Violets is based on the history of the young girls struggling to stay alive and support their families with the small amounts they earned hawking flowers among the street traders in London's Covent Garden. It's the story of two sets of sisters--Irish immigrants Flora (Florrie), partially crippled from polio, and her younger sister Rosie, suffering from near blindness. Florrie promises her dying mother to take care of Rosie and her heart is broken when her sister is grabbed at the market and disappears. Florrie is taken in by preacher Albert Shaw and taught a trade--making beautiful, lifelike silk flowers at his Training Homes for Watercress and Flower Girls but she spends her life longing for and looking for Rosie. Thirty-six years later, Matilda (Tilly) Harper doesn't have a good relationship with her younger sister Esther--crippled in a riding accident that Tilly feels a deep guilt over. Wanting to distance herself from the guilt and her very distant and unloving mother, Tilly takes a position as an assistant housemother at Violet house, working with the orphaned and mostly disabled girls that work in Shaw's factory. In her room in Violet House, Tilly finds a box containing personal items and a diary written by Florrie. Caught up in Florrie's tragic story, Tilly wants to learn what Florrie never did and find out what happened to little Rosie. 

The story alternates between Florrie's and Tilly's points of view and moves back and forth in time telling each girl's story. I enjoyed the dual story telling--both characters were easy to attach to and to root for. Author Gaynor did a lot of research into her subject and it shows in the detailed capture of life in Victorian England. It was especially interesting to me to read the author's notes at the back of the book and learn about her inspiration for the character of Albert Shaw--based on the real life work of philanthropist John Groom and his work to support the watercress and flower sellers he encountered, helping them off of the streets and into a safe environment while learning a viable trade. The story was predictable at times but it did have some small twists, and the well-drawn characters and vivid descriptions kept me engaged. An enjoyable book, charming and an easy read that will appeal to historical fiction fans--especially lovers of British and Irish fiction.   
 

Author Notes: Hazel Gaynor is an author and freelance writer in Ireland and the U.K. and was the recipient of the Cecil Day Lewis Award for Emerging Writers in 2012. Originally from North Yorkshire, England, she now lives in Ireland with her husband, two young children, and an accident-prone cat. Find out more about Hazel at her website, and connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.


How could I not be inspired by either flowers or watercress for my dish representing A Memory of Violets? Much of the food within the book was simple fare--a warming bowl of soup, bread and butter, a cup of hot tea, the occasional pudding for dessert, or even the hot cross buns, lemonade and ham sandwiches sold by the street vendors. Before Rosie's disappearance, Albert Shaw encounters the sisters on the street and gives them a special ticket to get a hot drink and a slice of bread and butter in a "Club Room" set up to support the poor. It was the combination of London, watercress, and that comforting bread and butter that led me to tea sandwiches. 

When looking at tea sandwiches online, there were several recipes for watercress butter that caught my eye. I love compound butters--they add so much rich flavor to a dish--so I put together my version of Watercress Compound Butter. Spread on sliced bread and layered with watercress leaves and slices of cucumber, it makes a lovely little sandwich perfect for lunch or an afternoon tea. (Crusts removed of course!) 

Watercress Compound Butter
by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen inspired by this recipe and this recipe
(Makes about 2/3 cup of Butter)

1/2 cup good butter*--softened but not melted
1 1/2 cups fresh watercress leaves (remove larger stems--small stems are fine)
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 small pinch crushed red pepper flakes
sea salt* and black pepper to taste

Place ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste for seasoning. Place in bowl or container and let flavors meld for 20-30 minutes before using. Cover and refrigerate if not using right away but allow butter to come to room temperature and a spreadable consistency before using.

*Butter note: If using salted butter, taste before adding any additional salt.

Notes/Results: Watercress compound butter (to quote Martha Stewart) is a very good thing. The creamy butter slightly softens the peppery edge of the watercress and the lemon adds bright notes. It has great versatility--it was wonderful spread on grilled bread, made into little tea sandwiches--with cucumber and more cress leaves, and it was nothing short of amazing topping a piece of grilled salmon. I think my next use is going to be melting it over a baked potato. Use good butter--I used Kerrygold Irish butter in honor of Flora, Rosie and Tilly. Since I can readily get the salted kind in bulk at Costco, I just omitted adding any salt to the recipe. Definitely a make-again recipe for me. 

And to end a satisfying read, a cup of hot cocoa--a welcome treat and warming nourishment for the children selling their 'cress and flowers.

Note: A review copy of "A Memory of Violets" was provided to me by the publisher and TLC Book Tours in return for a fair and honest review. I was not compensated for this review and as always my thoughts and opinions are my own.

You can see the stops for the rest of this Book Tour and what other reviewers thought about the book here.

 
 

A Simple Breakfast of Herbed Poached Egg and Tea for Cook the Books: 'Sustenance & Desire' by Bascove

Poems, prose and pictures all centered around 'the pleasures of the table'--Sustenance & Desire: A Food Lover's Anthology of Sensuality and Humor is our Cook the Books selection this round, selected by Rachel, The Crispy Cook. This anthology of writing dedicated primarily to food, is edited by the artist Bascove, with her gorgeous paintings sprinkled throughout the book. 

 
This was an excellent book pick by Rachel for a busy December--and an unusually busy for me January. It was the perfect book to have on the bedside table, ready to delve into before bed, or whenever there was a free moment and absorb an essay or a poem or two. As with many anthologies, it was a grab bag of authors, styles and subjects. Some pieces were provocative, some touching, some humorous, and many brought back my own food memories and experiences. There were some pieces I connected with more than others and some I didn't care much for, but all were interesting in their own way. Sustenance & Desire is such a gorgeous book too--it's the perfect size for holding and reading and Bascove's artwork aptly captured the moods of the different poems and words within. (Take a look at Bascove's website to see some of her incredible work.) It would be a  wonderful gift for a food and literature-loving friend--maybe with a bottle of good wine, or chocolate truffles, or even couple of perfect artichokes. 

There was endless inspiration to create a dish from this book. I felt pulled in several directions--artichokes as described by Scottish poet Robinson and writer/poet Thomas Lynch, a moving essay called "Indian Takeout' from a favorite author of mine Jhumpa Lahiri about ingredients carried from Calcutta back to Rhode Island, a drool-inducing ode to cheese, and simple pleasure like homemade bread, stuffed peppers, and beans. But the poem that kept pulling me back was 'Breakfast' by American poet Diane Wakoski. The poem spoke about the author sitting at the wooden table in the 'morning kingdom' of her living room with a cup of Earl Grey tea and breakfast of an egg poached in water with a few drops of white rice-vinegar, turned out onto a plate with ribbons of four basil leaves, picked from a windowsill herb pot and scattered over the top. 

Alone, at the big table
with my plate, my single
herbed egg, a goblet of 
iced water with a fresh sprig of mint
also from the window garden,
and my china cup of hot tea I sit
down
in my morning kingdom.

       Excerpt from Breakfast by Diane Wakoski c. 1979

It sounded like the perfect lazy morning breakfast to me so I recreated it with one exception. In my morning kingdom, a poached egg is much more of a pleasure with good bread to soak up the loose yellow yolk so I added a couple of slices of grilled olive bread to the plate.

I confess that I am not much of an egg poacher mainly because I find it far easier to fry one or two in some olive oil to the perfect (for me) consistency of firm whites and runny yolks--plus, my poached eggs just never look that pretty. (All the better to be covered in Hollandaise sauce.) ;-) Looking for a neater egg for pictures, I turned to the expert in all things culinary, Alton Brown and followed his direction for "Perfect Poached Eggs" at Food Network. I would say that while my egg wasn't quite perfect--I would cook it a touch less than his five minutes off the heat the next time--the whites were more solid and less 'feathered' than my usual poached eggs.

I did use white rice-vinegar to poach my egg, and four fresh basil leaves like the poem, and I enjoyed this breakfast immensely with my added grilled olive bread and the iced mint water and Earl Grey, at my wood table in the peaceful Sunday morning hours.

Thanks to Rachel for a fabulous and creative pick. As per usual I am running down to the wire with this post as the deadline for this round of Cook the Books is today. ;-) If you missed out this round, consider joining us for Feb5uary/March when I will be hosting Ruth Reichl's classic foodie memoir Comfort Me With Apples. 

 

Quick Harissa-Spiced Creamy Tomato Soup with Hummus Toasts for Souper (Soup, Salad & Sammie) Sundays

I was planning making a different soup this week but found myself sitting at the vet's office for several hours and never quite made it to the grocery store as planned to pick up needed ingredients. Improvising is always easier with a well-stocked pantry and spice rack and since I had a few boxes of Pomi chopped tomatoes, I decided on a quick blender tomato soup with my Vitamix blender. (Don't stop reading if you don't have a high-speed blender, this soup can easily be made on the stove top too.)

Spicy harissa paste was on my mind since I just used it in a salad dressing recipe (see the "Crazy Salad" below) so I decided to make my tomato soup Moroccan-inspired with the harissa, cumin, smoked paprika and cinnamon, and to make it creamy but dairy-free with coconut milk. Creamy tomato soups are always better with something to dunk into them and since I had leftover olive bread on hand and homemade hummus in the fridge--hummus toasts seemed like the perfect accompaniment. A more exotic but equally delicious take on the classic tomato and grilled cheese. 

Quick Harissa-Spiced Creamy Tomato Soup 
By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen
(Serves 2 Bowls or about 4 cups)

1 Tbsp olive oil
2 scallions coarsely chopped or 1/2 sweet onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-inch knob of ginger, peeled and finely minced
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp harissa paste, or to taste
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp round cinnamon
1 (28 oz) can or (750 g) box of chopped tomatoes
1 cup coconut milk
sea salt and black pepper to taste

In a medium pan, heat the olive oil and add the scallions, garlic and ginger. Saute about 5 minutes until scallions have softened and begun to lightly brown (make sure not to burn them). Stir in tomato paste, harissa, smoked paprika, cumin and cinnamon and cook another minute or two until spices are mixed in and releasing their fragrances. 
 
I used my Vitamix Blender to make the soup but you can easily make it in a pan on the store and blend with a regular blender or immersion blender. Below you will find the method for each.

Vitamix Blender Method:
Place tomatoes  in blender jar and scrape in the scallion-spice mix. Add the coconut milk and blend on high (or on soup setting if using a newer model) until soup is hot and you see steam around the blender top. In my older Vitamix it takes roughly 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and serve hot with hummus toasts. 

Stove-Top Method:
To the scallion and spice mix, add the tomatoes and their juices. Heat until just and a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender in the pan or a regular blender, puree until smooth. Return to pan and stir in coconut milk. Heat through, season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with hummus toasts.  

Hummus Toasts: I brushed slices of olive bread and grilled them until crisp then spread them with homemade hummus. Mine had chickpeas, almond butter, lemon juice, cumin, smoked paprika and cayenne. You can use your hummus recipe or store-bought.

Notes/Results: Smooth and creamy, great warm and exotic flavors, and a slight burn at the back of the throat from the harissa. It's quick and easy to prepare too. Cooking the scallions, garlic, spices, etc. before adding them to the blender is an extra step but helps intensify the flavors. It paired perfectly with the hummus toasts and the briny bites of olive in the bread I used were a nice addition to the flavor mix. I will definitely make it again.    

Although it's "Souper Bowl Sunday" today--it is salads and a tasty sandwich that dominate in the Souper Sundays kitchen this week. Let's have a look.  

Pam of Sidewalk Shoes is here with Thai Mango Grain Salad. Pam says, "...I rarely deviate from my list.  One of the few exceptions is if a favorite fruit or veggie just happens to be on sale, as was the case last week.  Mangoes.  I will deviate from my list for some perfectly ripe, organic mangoes, which Earth Fare had on sale.  So, I brought these home, along with $5.00 rotisserie chicken and plotted what to make for dinner. ... This salad was basically created from what I already had in my pantry and fridge and my lovely mangoes.  It is bright and refreshing with the Thai flavors shining through."

Sue of Couscous & Consciousness brings Sicilian Artichoke & Broad Bean Salad with Saffron Dressing and says, "The fact that this "veggieccentric" meal (though I did sneak in some anchovies) is also a salad, that salad of any description just happens to be my favourite meal of any kind, that it offered a riot of colour on a grey and gloomy day, and that it delivered a sublime combination of flavours and textures (which is always the benchmark of a great dish for me), meant that this dish ticked every conceivable box for me."

Help me welcome a new face to Souper Sundays this week, Correen of Food Lovers Web, hailing from SW Washington and here with her "nice and spicy"  Chimichurri Kale and Cabbage Salad. She says, "The combination of kale and cabbage make this an extra crunchy salad, even into day 3. A surprising whoa! are the tiny bits of red onions and raisins tossed into the mix. Undeniably spicy (~swoon), all the flavors in this salad enhance one another perfectly. Make it the night before so all the ingredients have a chance to meld. In this salad’s case, melding is a very good thing!" Welcome Correen!

I couldn't resist adding my adaptation of Diana Henry's "Crazy Salad" to the roundup this week. It would probably be easier to say what isn't in this salad as in addition to barley, spelt and chickpeas, there are plenty of greens and veggies, pomegranate seeds and blueberries, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, a sweet and spicy harissa dressing and a little local cheese on top. It was crazy-good and a good pairing with the crazy-intense book I reviewed on the post.

And finally, one sandwich this week from Janet of The Taste Space. She shares this fun Jackfruit Vegan Gyros with Vegan Tzatziki Sauce and says, "The jackfruit had an excellent texture, similar to pulled pork and the flavours were bright and fresh. Because I didn’t have yogurt or sour cream on hand, I made my own version of tzatziki which complemented the pita well. I opted for a tofu base since I thought the meal needed an extra hit of protein. As leftovers, once I ran out of the pita, this was also excellent as a quinoa bowl, with the jackfruit and veggies piled high and a generous serving of the tzatziki overtop."

 
Thanks to everyone who joined in this week. If you have a soup, salad, or sandwich that you would like to share, just click on the Souper Sundays logo on the sidebar for all of the details.

Have a happy, healthy week!