Calabrian Holiday Soup Food

CALABRIAN MUSHROOM SOUP

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet and cook the onion for 3-4 minutes, or until soft and golden.
• Wipe each mushroom with a damp cloth and cut any large mushrooms into smaller, bite-size pieces. (Mushrooms absorb water which can lessen their flavor.).
• Add the mushrooms to the skillet, stirring quickly to coat them in the oil.
• Add the milk to the skillet, bring to a boil, cover and leave to simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Gradually sitr in the hot vegetable bouillon.
• Under a preheated broiler, toast the bread on both sides until golden.
• Mix together the butter and garlic and then spoon generously over the toast.
• Place the toast in the bottom of a large tureen or divide it among 4 individual serving bowls and pour over the hot soup.
• Top with the grated Gruyere cheese and serve at once.

BOMBA CALABRESE (SPICY CALABRIAN PEPPER SPREAD)

Steps:

• Place mushrooms, onion, and eggplant into bowl of a food processor. Pulse on and off until very finely chopped but not liquefied, 8 to 10 pulses.
• Drizzle 2 tablespoons olive oil into a skillet. Transfer mushroom mixture to skillet over medium-high heat. Add a large pinch of salt. Cook until mixture is soft, stirring, about 10 minutes.
• Cut off tops of cherry peppers; discard stems but save the ring of pepper around it. (Do wear protective gloves for this.) Cut the peppers in half and remove the seed pods. Shake out the rest of the seeds. Prep the bell peppers and habanero peppers the same way. Place all peppers in bowl of food processor. Pulse on and off until peppers are very finely chopped, but not liquefied. Transfer peppers to eggplant-onion-mushroom mixture in skillet. Add remaining olive oil. Cook and stir over medium-high heat, reducing heat as needed if mixture looks like it may brown. Add fennel seeds, oregano, and a pinch of salt. Cook until peppers are sweet and tender, 20 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat.
• Stir in white wine vinegar and (optionally) another tablespoon of olive oil. Transfer mixture to a mixing bowl and cool to room temperature. Taste for seasonings, adding more salt, a splash of vinegar, and/or olive oil, if needed. Transfer to jars. Store in refrigerator.