Fall Days

I love it when the weather starts to cool and I start thinking about cooking things that are cooked long and slow. I made Julia's Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup) for lunch. It is such a simple soup of potatoes, leeks, water and salt, cooked until everything is very tender. I took the immersion blender to the pot to puree the mixture. I then added a little bit of heavy cream to smooth it out, and garnished with minced parsley. Simplicity itself!

Dinner was Osso Bucco over Polenta from Tyler Florence's Real Kitchen Cookbook. Some veal shanks get a coating of seasoned flour before being browned in olive oil. The shanks were removed and in went onion, celery, carrots, some strips of lemon peel, garlic, bay leaves and parsley to get nice and brown. Once browned and tender, the shanks went back in along with a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon which was allowed to cook down until reduced by half. Some beef broth and a can of tomatoes were added and the pot was covered and put into a 375 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. The cover was removed and allowed to cook for another 1/2 hour.

Meanwhile the polenta was started by warming some chicken stock with salt. Once boiling, the cornmeal was whisked in slowly and simmered while whisking for about 20 minutes. Some milk and butter went in and stirred through to warm. Off heat, I folded in some Parmigiano cheese and black pepper. This was the perfect bed for the Osso Bucco.