Such a complicated sounding name for such a simple and satisfying recipe, as well as my contribution to last night’s supper club. The theme, “French-A Night in the City of Lights”. We were to have dined in the garden, under the stars and twinkling lights. Females were instructed to adorn themselves in their finest “bling” accessories. However, in typical Oregon style, it rained harder yesterday than it had in a long time. The party was moved indoors and a fantastic time was had by all.
I have written about our supper clubs here many times. They are sacred , kid-free evenings, where we over-indulge in amazing food and wine with great friends. Last night was of course no deviation from that theme.
Upon arrival we were greeted with French Martini’s (Chambord, vodka & pineapple juice) and Petit Quiches as we stood around admiring everyone’s “bling”. Filet de Boeuf en croute soon made its way out of the oven…and into my hands appeared French Champagne and some lovely red wine to follow.
I was up next with my first-course of garden-inspired vichyssoise and freshly baked bread. The main course, Paupiettes, a type of roulade or braciole. A classically French dish where a slice of meat is beaten thin and rolled with a stuffing and secured with a string before cooking. It was absolutely fantastic and something I had never experienced before. Some lovely 20 year old Bordeaux wines were shared as we moved onto dessert. Let me just say, dessert was a meal of its own; chocolate cake, quenelles of chocolate mousse, crepes with pastry crème and let’s not forget a little flambé and peach melba…decadent to say the least!
It was a night to remember, as all nights in Paris are! Of course we can’t wait until our next supper club takes place, we are definitely ready.
Now, back to the soup and my inspiration behind it. Our supper club club theme had a little garden inspiration behind it, which is why I chose a zucchini version of vichyssoise. I looked at several recipes but found my muse in Ina Garten and Jack Czarnecki. Ina makes a lovely garden vichyssoise, but it needed to be elevated to what I refer to as “supper club worthy”.
This white truffle oil, produced by a friend of mine, is what took this classic soup to the next level. Drizzling it over the top gave it a unique, earthy flavor.
I knew I wanted to repeat that flavor in my zucchini vichyssoise, giving the soup that same memorable quality I experienced last summer with Jack’s amazing vichyssoise. I came very close.
Using zucchini in this soup gave it a fresh, garden taste, which meant I had to choose my wines carefully. My first thought with this soup’s flavor profile was serving a French Sauvignon Blanc. However, good French Sauvignon Blanc was not readily available. I decided on two Sauvignon Blancs, one from California and another from New Zealand. I also opened a Pinot Blanc from Oregon and a Vinho Verde from Portugal. Surprisingly, all were perfect matches and it was fun trying all of them with this dish. My own Pinot gris, with its citrusy flavor profile, would also be a perfect match. However, since we drink our Pinot Gris all of the time, I wanted to offer something new and different as a pairing. Overall, we got to try some great wines that came together particularly well with this chilled soup.
I highly suggest giving this a try. It is perfect for multiple course dinner parties as it can be made ahead and left to chill overnight.
Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
I chose to process the cooked soup through a food mill instead of using a blender (either will do). I prefer the texture the food mill makes as opposed to the blender which makes a finer puree.
Cool the soup for a few minutes and process through a food mill fitted with the medium disc (or in a blender in several batches). Add buttermilk and season to taste. Chill the soup overnight for the best flavor.
Serve either hot or cold. We prefer the soup cold, chilling overnight for the flavors to meld. Garnish with chopped chives , which really kicks up the flavor, as well as julienned zucchini. Drizzle top with truffle oil.
Zucchini Vichyssoise
Inspiration from Ina Garten & Jack Czarnecki
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
1 Tablespoon olive oil
5 cups chopped leeks, white & light green parts (4 to 8 leeks washed well)
4 cups chopped unpeeled Yukon Gold potatoes
3 cups chopped zucchini (do not peel), more for garnish
6 cups chicken stock or canned broth
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons buttermilk or heavy cream
Chopped chives and julienned zucchini for garnish
Drizzles of Oregon white truffle oil
Heat the butter and oil in a large stockpot, add the leeks and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes. Add the potatoes, zucchini, chicken stock, salt and pepper; bring to a boil; then lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
I chose to process the cooked soup through a food mill instead of using a blender (either will do). I prefer the texture the food mill makes as opposed to the blender which makes a finer puree.
Cool the soup fora few minutes and process through a food mill fitted with the medium disc (or in a blender in several batches). Add buttermilk and season to taste. Chill the soup overnight for the best flavor.
Serve either hot or cold. I prefer the soup cold, chilling overnight for the flavors to meld. Garnish with chopped chives , which really kicks up the flavor, as well as julienned zucchini. Drizzle top with truffle oil.
