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Jude	25-01-2006 07:59 PM

What to put on the side?

I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.

Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
Help me out here!

Doug Kanter

25-01-2006 08:08 PM

What to put on the side?

aem	25-01-2006 08:11 PM

What to put on the side?

Jude	25-01-2006 08:22 PM

What to put on the side?

aem wrote:
> Jude wrote:
> > I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> > mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> > homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> > several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> > mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> > course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> > all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
> >
> > Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> > Help me out here!
>
> I know you said no salad, but maybe you just meant green salad. All
> these flavors go well with split peas.
>
> 3 Cups shredded carrot
> 1 Cup raisins (regular or golden)
> 1 TB salad oil
> 1 TB honey
> 2 TB lemon juice
> 2 TB orange juice
> pinch nutmeg
>
> Toss it all together while the soup is cooking. Cover and refrigerate
> to blend flavors. -aem

Ooooh, it's been forever since I've made a carrot/raisin salad! What a
good idea....if I have enough carrots left after some go in the soup.
Crunchy and a little sweet. And my food processor died last week, so i
just bought a new one - this gives me a chance to try out the grater on
the carrots!

Oh yeah, and you read me right - I meant no green, lettuce-based salad
tonight. Thanks for the idea, your recipe sounds like a good one!

Jude	25-01-2006 08:24 PM

What to put on the side?

Jude	25-01-2006 08:24 PM

What to put on the side?

Doug Kanter wrote:
> "Jude" > wrote in message
> oups.com...
> > I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> > mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> > homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> > several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> > mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> > course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> > all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
> >
> > Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> > Help me out here!
> >
>
> Waldorf salad sounds all wrong next to that soup anyway. Two round tastes at
> the same time. Bad. I'd serve something with a little edge to it. Sliced
> tomatoes with slivers of fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic vinaigrette.

I'm curious....what do you mean by "two round tastes"? I was going for
the textural contrast, something crunchy alongside the soup.

Somehow tomaotoes/basil/balsamic doesn't hit me as the right tastes
against the soft, smoothness of a pea soup. I want somehting that jumps
out at you a little more, crunchy, cool or cold, a little sharp. But
thanks for the idea.

Jude	25-01-2006 08:25 PM

What to put on the side?

Wayne Boatwright

25-01-2006 08:26 PM

What to put on the side?

On Wed 25 Jan 2006 01:22:06p, Thus Spake Zarathustra, or was it Jude?

> aem wrote:
>> Jude wrote:
>> > I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
>> > mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
>> > homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
>> > several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
>> > mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
>> > course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
>> > all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>> >
>> > Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
>> > Help me out here!
>>
>> I know you said no salad, but maybe you just meant green salad. All
>> these flavors go well with split peas.
>>
>> 3 Cups shredded carrot
>> 1 Cup raisins (regular or golden)
>> 1 TB salad oil
>> 1 TB honey
>> 2 TB lemon juice
>> 2 TB orange juice
>> pinch nutmeg
>>
>> Toss it all together while the soup is cooking. Cover and refrigerate
>> to blend flavors. -aem
>
> Ooooh, it's been forever since I've made a carrot/raisin salad! What a
> good idea....if I have enough carrots left after some go in the soup.
> Crunchy and a little sweet. And my food processor died last week, so i
> just bought a new one - this gives me a chance to try out the grater on
> the carrots!
>
> Oh yeah, and you read me right - I meant no green, lettuce-based salad
> tonight. Thanks for the idea, your recipe sounds like a good one!
>
>

Pretty, too, along side a bowl of green.

--
Wayne Boatwright Õ¿Õ¬
________________________________________

Okay, okay, I take it back! UnScrew you!

L'Espérance

25-01-2006 08:34 PM

What to put on the side?

Jude wrote:

> I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>
> Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> Help me out here!
>

I'd nix the croutons and serve the soup in a multi-grain bread bowl
sitting on a bed of spinach or romain lettuce. Garnish with a mini
dollop of sour cream for accent. The remainding insides and top of the
bread bowls can be used for dipping if desired. This in itself would be
a hearty meal sans salad. If you really want a salad make a robust one
to bring out the flavour of the soup. Perhaps a spinach salad to echo
the base under the bowl. Simple and easy, spinach salad would really do
it with very little effort and the bacon would echo the ham flavour in
the soup. I would go lighter for dessert after such a robust meal. A
small bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with just a wee bit of cream de
mint and garnished with a mint leaf comes to mind *even* though none of
the desert would echo the main meal.

Doug Kanter

25-01-2006 08:37 PM

What to put on the side?

"Jude" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> Doug Kanter wrote:
>> "Jude" > wrote in message
>> oups.com...
>> > I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
>> > mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
>> > homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
>> > several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
>> > mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
>> > course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
>> > all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>> >
>> > Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
>> > Help me out here!
>> >
>>
>> Waldorf salad sounds all wrong next to that soup anyway. Two round tastes
>> at
>> the same time. Bad. I'd serve something with a little edge to it. Sliced
>> tomatoes with slivers of fresh mozzarella, and a balsamic vinaigrette.
>
> I'm curious....what do you mean by "two round tastes"? I was going for
> the textural contrast, something crunchy alongside the soup.

I've never been able to explain this to anyone, other than to say that I
visualize the shapes of various tastes and smells. Pea soup's round.
Lemonade is edgy. So are tomatoes, usually. Sometimes I think various parts
of a dinner should share some qualities, and sometimes not. Pea soup's got a
pretty powerful flavor and scent. Sort of like a blanket. The scent of
tomatoes and vinegar seems right to me alongside that soup. If you want
crunch on the side, forget the croutons and serve toasted garlic rounds on
the side, made from some sort of excellent bread.

>
> Somehow tomaotoes/basil/balsamic doesn't hit me as the right tastes
> against the soft, smoothness of a pea soup. I want somehting that jumps
> out at you a little more, crunchy, cool or cold, a little sharp. But
> thanks for the idea.
>

Add some thick chunks of red onion with the tomatoes, then.

Jude	25-01-2006 08:37 PM

What to put on the side?

L'Espérance wrote:
> Jude wrote:
>
> > I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> > mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> > homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> > several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> > mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> > course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> > all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
> >
> > Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> > Help me out here!
> >
>
> I'd nix the croutons and serve the soup in a multi-grain bread bowl
> sitting on a bed of spinach or romain lettuce. Garnish with a mini
> dollop of sour cream for accent. The remainding insides and top of the
> bread bowls can be used for dipping if desired. This in itself would be
> a hearty meal sans salad. If you really want a salad make a robust one
> to bring out the flavour of the soup. Perhaps a spinach salad to echo
> the base under the bowl. Simple and easy, spinach salad would really do
> it with very little effort and the bacon would echo the ham flavour in
> the soup. I would go lighter for dessert after such a robust meal. A
> small bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with just a wee bit of cream de
> mint and garnished with a mint leaf comes to mind *even* though none of
> the desert would echo the main meal.

Perhaps you missed the part where I said my family is tired of green
salads / lettuce. We had a fabulous spinach salad last night and a baby
green / goat cheese / veg salad the night before, and caesar over the
weekend. We're lettuced out.

I also have no bread bowls on hand; I'm trying to work without a run to
the store. We love soup in bread bowls, but I usually save that
approach for creamier stuff like chowder or potato soup. I'm looking
for simple side ideas that would round the dinner out nutritionally. I
was going for barley to try to add some whole grains into the meal.

But thanks, of course, for the ideas, It's always iteresting to think
about how others would fill out your main dish to make it a meal.
So far best I've got is the soup (on the stove now) topped with garlicy
croutons with sides of barley pilaf and carrot raisin salad. Dessert is
covered - I made chocoaltey brownie cookies last night.

Jude	25-01-2006 08:44 PM

What to put on the side?

Doug Kanter wrote:

> > I'm curious....what do you mean by "two round tastes"? I was going for
> > the textural contrast, something crunchy alongside the soup.
>
> I've never been able to explain this to anyone, other than to say that I
> visualize the shapes of various tastes and smells. Pea soup's round.
> Lemonade is edgy. So are tomatoes, usually. Sometimes I think various parts
> of a dinner should share some qualities, and sometimes not. Pea soup's got a
> pretty powerful flavor and scent. Sort of like a blanket. The scent of
> tomatoes and vinegar seems right to me alongside that soup. If you want
> crunch on the side, forget the croutons and serve toasted garlic rounds on
> the side, made from some sort of excellent bread.
>

Huh, that's interesting. See, in my perception, split pea soup is
smooth and thick, almost like a comfort food, no sharp edges. But I do
like to add a splash of vinegar right at the end; that gives it a
little sharpness and acidity.

Tomatoes I could see better alongside lentils, but somehow it doesn't
hit me as right against peas, texture and flavorwise. My mouth is
thinking crunchy, cold, a little sweet. The mozzarella would be all
wrong. The tomaotoes, okay, the idea of onions and vinegar, a little
better.

Maybe I'll slice up a few cucumbers and sweet onions into some rice
wine vinegar as a side. That would still go crisp and sharp and
crunchy.

The courtons are a must for me in split pea soup. Besides, my half a
loaf of bakery sourdough is too stale for anything else.

Jude	25-01-2006 09:01 PM

What to put on the side?

L'Espérance

25-01-2006 09:05 PM

What to put on the side?

Jude wrote:

> L'Espérance wrote:
>
>>Jude wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
>>>mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
>>>homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
>>>several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
>>>mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
>>>course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
>>>all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>>>
>>>Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
>>>Help me out here!
>>>
>>
>>I'd nix the croutons and serve the soup in a multi-grain bread bowl
>>sitting on a bed of spinach or romain lettuce. Garnish with a mini
>>dollop of sour cream for accent. The remainding insides and top of the
>>bread bowls can be used for dipping if desired. This in itself would be
>>a hearty meal sans salad. If you really want a salad make a robust one
>>to bring out the flavour of the soup. Perhaps a spinach salad to echo
>>the base under the bowl. Simple and easy, spinach salad would really do
>>it with very little effort and the bacon would echo the ham flavour in
>>the soup. I would go lighter for dessert after such a robust meal. A
>>small bowl of vanilla ice cream topped with just a wee bit of cream de
>>mint and garnished with a mint leaf comes to mind *even* though none of
>>the desert would echo the main meal.
>
>
>
> Perhaps you missed the part where I said my family is tired of green
> salads / lettuce. We had a fabulous spinach salad last night and a baby
> green / goat cheese / veg salad the night before, and caesar over the
> weekend. We're lettuced out.

I did and sorry. We eat salads daily so I never thought anything about it.

>
> I also have no bread bowls on hand; I'm trying to work without a run to
> the store. We love soup in bread bowls, but I usually save that
> approach for creamier stuff like chowder or potato soup. I'm looking
> for simple side ideas that would round the dinner out nutritionally. I
> was going for barley to try to add some whole grains into the meal.

I would just whip out the bread machine or mixer and make my own.
Cheaper, easier, and better tasting with a heck of a lot less preservatives.

>
> But thanks, of course, for the ideas, It's always iteresting to think
> about how others would fill out your main dish to make it a meal.
> So far best I've got is the soup (on the stove now) topped with garlicy
> croutons with sides of barley pilaf and carrot raisin salad. Dessert is
> covered - I made chocoaltey brownie cookies last night.
>

Good luck with your dinner.

[email protected]

25-01-2006 09:08 PM

What to put on the side?

On 25-Jan-2006, "Jude" > wrote:

> I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside?
<SNIP>
> Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> Help me out here!

1 Cup cooked barley or wheatberries
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (pieces about twice the size of barley/wheatberries)
1/4 cup diced celery (pieces about twice the size of barley/wheatberries)
1/4 cup diced red onion (optional, they've been too "hot" lately)
sometimes I add red/yellow/green bell pepper, sometimes not
vinaigrette to moisten (I prefer raspberry but balsamic or others will do)
toss to combine, chill on top shelf of 'fridge for an hour to let
ingredients become acquainted

2 serviings; easily doubled or otherwise scaled up.

Jude	25-01-2006 09:10 PM

What to put on the side?

L'Espérance wrote:

> >
> > Perhaps you missed the part where I said my family is tired of green
> > salads / lettuce. We had a fabulous spinach salad last night and a baby
> > green / goat cheese / veg salad the night before, and caesar over the
> > weekend. We're lettuced out.
>
> I did and sorry. We eat salads daily so I never thought anything about it.

We eat salad about 3 - 4 times a week, but my daughter much prefers
that I vary our dinners by offering 'composed' (ie, non-lettuce-based)
salads or fruit a few nights a week as well. She will eat the greens
but does not like salad dressing, so I can see why she gets bored. For
her sake, I try to offer some variety.
>
> >
> > I also have no bread bowls on hand; I'm trying to work without a run to
> > the store. We love soup in bread bowls, but I usually save that
> > approach for creamier stuff like chowder or potato soup. I'm looking
> > for simple side ideas that would round the dinner out nutritionally. I
> > was going for barley to try to add some whole grains into the meal.
>
> I would just whip out the bread machine or mixer and make my own.
> Cheaper, easier, and better tasting with a heck of a lot less preservatives.
>
Oh, gosh, I wish! I have NO talent whatsoever for baking yeast bread.
Not that I;ve tried too hard =). I'm great with quick breads - we have
half a loaf of beer bread left over from the weekend, and we have
apple-cheddar-hazelnut muffins in the breakfast goodies - but I don't
do any real breads at home. The rise-punch down part has always
intimidated me. Want to come over and give me a bread lesson? =)

I had a bread machine eons ago when they first came out. I remember it
would never get my loaves right - I had a lot of bread that the machine
said was done, but when I took them out and cut them, they were doughy
/gooey in the middle. I also had one of the round ones that was SO
ANNOYING! becasue the paddle would bake into the bottom of the loaf and
then you would have to pry it out and you ended up with this round
loafwith a huge dent and hole taken out of the middle, so it was
useless for sandwiches. It went to the Goodwill about 8 years ago, i'd
guess. Maybe I should get one , people around here seem to love them

As I said, I think it's realy niteresting to think about how my mian
dish would turn out as dinner at someone else's house, so pleas don't
take offense as I shoot down ideas!! I think its fun to play with the
ideas.

And one more apology - Google seems to be going crazy today and
posting everything I say repeatedly. Sorry, it's not me.

Christine Dabney

25-01-2006 10:15 PM

What to put on the side?

On 25 Jan 2006 13:01:30 -0800, "Jude" > wrote:

>Somehow tomaotoes/basil/balsamic doesn't hit me as the right tastes
>against the soft, smoothness of a pea soup. I want somehting that jumps
>out at you a little more, crunchy, cool or cold, a little sharp. But
>thanks for the idea.

Now, I could see something like a non mayonnaise based coleslaw with
that sort of soup. That would fit the crunchy, a little sharp
category.

Christine

Chris

25-01-2006 10:28 PM

What to put on the side?

"Jude" > wrote in message
oups.com...
> I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>
> Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> Help me out here!
>

How funny; I was going to make a baked barley pilaf with pine nuts and green
onions (mushrooms optional) to go w/ salmon tonight. Not enough time now,
though. The day got lost somehow (between my daughter's strep throat and my
son's piano lesson).

The carrot-raisin salad sounds really good alongside the soup (better than
the barley, to me). I would also consider roasted applesauce (throw
chopped, peeled apples into a pan w/ a little butter, sweetener of choice,
and cinnamon; cover tightly and bake at 400F for half an hour; uncover and
bake 5 more minutes; remove from oven and mash) and crusty bread (for next
time-- I know you have neither apples or bread on hand).

Chris

jmcquown

25-01-2006 11:03 PM

What to put on the side?

Jude wrote:
> I'm not findinf a lot of inspiration for dinner tonight. I'm in the
> mood for a nic thick hot soup, so I'm going to do split pea with
> homemade croutons on top. I'm tired of the sup/salad combo; we've had
> several big yummy salads this week. What should I serve alongside? (no
> mean please) I was thinking of maybe some kind of fruit salad, but of
> course bieng winter the options are limited. The apples this week were
> all soft and icky, othersie I'd be thinking about Waldorf Salad.
>
> Maybe some kind of barley pilaf with stock and nuts would go well. Hm
> Help me out here!

I'd use sourdough bread bowls to serve the soup in; you get to eat the bowl.
Just rub garlic cloves on the inside of the scooped out small round bread
(use the soft middle to make your croutons) then brush with olive oil and
bake the "bowls"until crispy. Serve your split pea soup inside. If you
must have veggies, do a quick steam or stir fry of something like
broccoli/cauliflower/carrots.

Too bad you don't want meat; beef stew served on top of rice or barley pilaf
is very nice.

Jill

Jude	26-01-2006 01:54 AM

What to put on the side?

So here's what we ended up with:

Split pea soup, chock full of carrots, onions, celery, and a hint of
vinegar, topped with garlic croutons; sides of barley pilaf with pine
nuts, parsley, and mushrooms, cooked down in stock; carrot-raisin salad
with mandarin oranges in a dressing of ornage juice, lemon juice, and
plain yogurt; and cucumbers and sweet onions marinated in rice wine
vinegar. It was delicious.

The croutons on the soup were good - added a little crunch - but it
definitely would have been nice if I'd had decent bread instead of the
barley. It was good and all, but not quite right with the meal. Too
soft, I think. But it was enjoyed by all and loaded with nutrition! Not
bad for scrounged-up-from-th-fridge dinner.

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