Garbure & the Parisian Grocers Radish Soup

GARBURE is the original French comfort food. It is a thick, hearty peasant soup from Gascony, in SW France. Typically it has bacon or preserved meat, such as goose, cabbage, legumes, dried or fresh and other seasonal vegetables. Frequently, a meal would end with a traditional Chabrot, the pouring of wine into the remaining broth in your bowl or the soup tureen. I would assume now is the time for the stale bread.

Garbure is a spring cleaning for your fridge. Fill your brassiere up once more and then put it to rest. It will soon be time for green crisp lettuces, fresh herb vinaigrettes, sweet peas, prickly artichokes, nutty fava beans and so much more. The magazines, email alerts and food sections are alarming me with photos yet to appear in my local market. Meanwhile cleanse your fridge and yourself in preparation for the green season. It’s time for a Garbure cleanse. I took the last of everything I could get my hands on. Half a head of cabbage, a few carrots, an onion, 3 celery stalks, 6 small potatoes, sprigs of thyme, cloves of garlic, 2 strips of bacon in the freezer along with a small container of home made chicken stock, a splash of leftover white wine. I also added 2 firm pears, seeded and quartered, parsley, rosemary and a bay leaf. I cleared out the last refrigerator draw. Don’t forget the bread box. Take those last few ends and put them in the toaster, rub with garlic and drizzle with your best extra virgin olive oil. Where is that sliver of cheese hiding?

Radishes are one of a gardeners first signs of spring. They grow quickly in the cold nights and sunny brisk days. Once you have eaten the peppery, crisp tubers, fresh from the earth, you will be leery of the sad lifeless grocery store variety found throughout the rest of the year. Since the ground is too hard to plant right now I decided to take a trip to the restaurant supply store and get some shallow bus tubs in lieu of planting beds, which my dogs would have used as bark-o-loungers, and start my spring garden on this blue sky day. I can’t decide which is more costly, a trip to the restaurant supply or Nordstrom’s shoe department. I am going to plant 3 varieties, my favorite, French Breakfast radishes, Sparkler White Tip and Cherry Belle. In 3 weeks I’ll have a crop. The French believe spring radishes are best eaten with good sea salt and butter on a baguette. I get out my truffle slicer, which is unfortunately under used for its sole purpose in life, and shave them all over my goat cheese and walnut salad. This is a heavenly sight to me; pink, red, white and lavender paper thin, laced slices on my green leaves. Since I am talking about radishes I have to include my other great love, anchovies, which are like 2 peas in a pod. Nothing could be simpler and more satisfying; grilled garlic bread, little swimmers & radishes. I found beautiful organic Easter egg radishes at Sickles Market. The leaves were so fresh it made me think about this recipe for cream of radish leaf soup. “Parisian, Home Cooking”, by Michael Roberts. It is a 10+ year old book that includes conversations, recipes and tips from the cooks and food merchants of Paris. Here is my adaptation. This soup can be prepared and enjoyed in less than a half hour. Even though some radishes may be peppery it does result in a milder taste. If you are not in love with radishes you could always substitute watercress, arugula, your favorite salad greens, celery leaves, some carrot tops or a mix of herds like parsley, tarragon, chives, chervil, cilantro…..Use your imagination. Hot or chilled this soup is simple to make and healthy to eat!

Soup aux Fanes de Radis/Cream of Radish Leaf Soup
2 bunches of radishes, chopped, reserve a couple for garnish, rinse leaves
2 T. butter + 1 T. XVOO
1 large leek, chopped, rinsed well, tender parts only
1 bay leaf
½ celery stalk, left whole
4 C. purified water
1 1/2 C. diced, peeled, red potatoes
2 dollops crème fraiche or sour cream + a squeeze of lemon juice
S & P

Garnish
2-3 shaved radishes, fresh parsley, chive, celery heart leaves or chervil, drizzle of XVOO, sea salt & pepper.

Soften the leeks and radishes in butter but do not brown them. Add the water, potatoes, celery stalk and bay leaf. Season and bring to a gentle boil. Cook for 10-15 minutes, add the radish leaves and turn off the heat. Puree the soup, (careful not to overdue this step) season and whisk in the crème fraiche.

Au revoir gray winter, spring is here at last!