Vermont Pepper-Pot Soup

 

We are entering the most beautiful time of the year here in Vermont. The trees are beginning their turn into a majestic kaleidoscope of color and wonder. Proctor Gas has never experienced a busier fall in our 45 years. We are thankful.

Mrs. Tom is busy installing fireplaces, wood and pellet stoves, propane generators, and lava lamps to heat your patio and still her favorite Proctor Gas product… the phenomenal line of outdoor Twin Eagle and Saber gas grills. Mrs. Tom likes to say that cooking is akin to love, passion and family. It is where it all comes together around the gathering of the table.

It’s time for apple picking and pumpkin carving and the emergence of very short spooks goblins and monsters lurking about our neighborhoods looking to satisfy their sweet tooth. Beware some will have large fangs! As we send our most special and prized possessions into the streets for Hollows Eve we all need to be frightfully aware and keep them safe from harm and accident.

Mrs. Tom has a great fall soup to go with all that candy!

Vermont pepper-pot soup w/sweet or hot sausage, broccoli rabe, potatoes and finger size apple dumplings

Make a Roux

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter

3/4 cup all purpose flour

Salt & Pepper

Melt the butter over a medium low heat and then whisk in the flour and incorporate until smooth, let it cool to room temp
 

The Soup Ingredients

1lb sweet ground sausage or pulled from the casing

3 medium size russet potatoes peeled cut into ¼ inch squares blanched and reserve the water

1 small can white kidney beans with liquid

2 shallots sliced thin

1 bunch broccoli rabe chopped
¼ cup fresh oregano and basil chopped

3 boxes organic chicken stock or your own

6 table spoons olive oil
Teaspoon red pepper flakes
S&P taste

In a heavy sauce pot put the oil, heat then add the shallots. Cook for 3 minutes and then add and brown the sausage, the broccoli rabe, crushed red pepper. Then add the blanched potatoes and fresh herbs. The kidneys beans with the liquid and then the reserved water from the potatoes.

Now add the stock and bring to a simmer, then whisk in the rough until it is all incorporated. Spoon in the dumplings.

The Apple Finger Dumplings

1/2 cup butter
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour or unbleached white flour, sifted
1 1/4 cups water
2 large eggs
1/2 cup chopped chives

2 apples peeled and cored chopped fine

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, pressing out any lumps with a spoon. When the mixture is smooth, add the water, stirring to blend well.

Remove from the stove and mix in the eggs and chopped chives, apples making sure that the mixture is uniform in consistency. Allow the mixture to cool.  

Bring two cups of chicken stock to boil. Ladle a rounded spoonful of dumpling batter into the stock to test. If it separates in pieces, blend in as much additional flour as is needed to keep the dumplings whole. Add the rest of the batter by spoonfuls to the soup and cook for 20 minutes, or until firm.

Serve immediately with the soup.

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