A Clue in the Stew (A Soup Lover's Mystery) (28 page)

Author’s Note

Adoption laws, which vary from state to state, play a large role in the plot of
A Clue in the Stew
. Although records are always confidential to the public, in certain states information is made available to birth parents, adoptees, siblings and even descendants of deceased adoptees. In Vermont, the official site for adoption records is: dcf.vermont.gov/fsd/vermont_adoption_registry.

A Clue in the Stew
references a site called connectadopt .com. This is purely fictional, although the name is based on a real site—the Worldwide Adoptee and Birth Parent Search Database, which can be found at: adopteeconnect.com.

If you are someone seeking information about a birth parent, a sibling or a child given up for adoption, you can register at adopteeconnect.com, provide any known information and receive notifications if another’s search matches your parameters.

Recipes

CREAM OF ASPARAGUS SOUP

1 bunch asparagus

1 tablespoon butter

2 leeks, green part removed and white part thinly sliced

1 large potato, peeled and cubed

3 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

4 tablespoons crème fraîche

Trim off thick ends of asparagus and chop stalks into 1-inch thin sections. Reserve 4 asparagus tips for garnish and set aside.

In a large pot, melt butter, add sliced leeks and sauté for 5 minutes. Add potato and chopped asparagus stalks, and sauté for 5 minutes more.

Add chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil over medium heat, reduce heat to low, then cover partially and cook about 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

In the meantime, add water to a small saucepan, bring to boil and add reserved asparagus tips and lemon juice. Cook on medium heat for 3 minutes just until tips are tender. Drain and let cool.

Purée the soup in a blender in batches, or with a wand, then reheat the soup over low heat. Garnish each serving with crème fraîche and asparagus tips.

Serves 4.

ASIAN TOFU NOODLE SOUP

3½ cups chicken or vegetable broth

1 cup water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 tablespoon ginger root, freshly grated

2 cups shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced

handful of rice noodles or whole wheat spaghetti, broken in half

1 cup carrots, chopped

2 cups snow peas, fresh, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise

8 ounces firm tofu, cut into ½-inch chunks

½ cup green onions, chopped into ½-inch pieces

Heat broth almost to boiling, and add water, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Add mushrooms, noodles (or spaghetti) and carrots, and cook 5 minutes. Add snow peas, and cook 2 more minutes.

Add tofu, and cook until vegetables are tender but still crisp, and noodles are al dente, about 2 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in green onions and serve.

Serves 4.

FENNEL AND DATE SALAD

3 tablespoons pumpkin seeds

½ cup chopped walnuts

1 head romaine lettuce, washed and thinly sliced on the diagonal

3 celery ribs, thinly sliced on the diagonal

1 bulb fennel, cleaned, outer leaves removed, cut in half and sliced very thin

1 cup fresh parsley

5 ounces hard Parmesan cheese, shaved

10 dates, pitted and thinly sliced on the diagonal

juice of ½ lemon

salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

DRESSING

juice of ½ lemon

2 tablespoons walnut oil

Mix ingredients for dressing and set aside.

Toast pumpkin seeds and chopped walnuts in a small skillet for 2 minutes, remove and set aside. Mix lettuce, celery, fennel, parsley, cheese and dates. Add lemon juice, toasted nuts and dressing and toss again. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serves 4.

TOMATO PEPPER SOUP

2 teaspoons butter or margarine

1 sweet green pepper, seeds removed and diced

1 yellow pepper, seeds removed and diced

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

2 cups chicken broth

2 cans diced tomatoes, puréed in blender with juice, or 1½ pounds fresh tomatoes, chopped

2 teaspoons maple syrup or sugar

4 tablespoons uncooked white rice

2 basil leaves, torn in pieces, or ½ teaspoon dry basil

¼ teaspoon dry thyme, or small sprig fresh thyme

2 bay leaves

dash cayenne pepper

freshly ground pepper to taste

Melt butter or margarine in a large pot. Add green and yellow diced peppers, onion and garlic. Cook on medium heat, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is soft. If mixture dries, add a little broth. Add remaining ingredients except black pepper: broth, tomatoes, sugar, rice, basil, thyme, bay leaves and cayenne pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer about 15 minutes or until peppers are tender. Turn off heat, cover and let sit until rice has softened, approximately 20 minutes. Reheat, and add freshly ground black pepper to taste. Remove bay leaves and serve hot.

Serves 4.

CORN AND CHEESE CAKES

½ cup yellow cornmeal

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ cup grated cheddar cheese

½ teaspoon salt

dash black pepper

1 large egg

¼ cup half-and-half

1 cup yellow corn kernels

½ cup chopped green onions

nonstick vegetable oil spray

¼ cup (approximately) spicy brown mustard

Mix cornmeal, flour, baking soda, grated cheese, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Whisk egg and half-and-half together and add to dry mixture, blending well. Stir in corn and green onions. Spray large nonstick skillet with vegetable oil spray. Over medium heat and working in batches, drop small amounts of batter on skillet, pressing down lightly and turning over. Cook until each cake is golden brown, about 1½ to 2 minutes. Top each with a dab of mustard. Serve warm.

Depending on size, makes approximately 20 small cakes.

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