Always, but especially at Thanksgiving, we're grateful for the many people who work hard to provide us with fresh, wholesome and safe food.

Just like last year, in addition to the turkey, our virtual Thanksgiving 2011 potluck includes a choice of two soup starters - Gretchen's Thai Butternut Squash soup and Andy's Gorgonzola and Celery Soup. Helena has contributed homemade herb chard stuffing., Dan is offering pumpkin applesauce muffins, Alli is bringing herb-roasted winter veggies, Suzanne has made apple-blackberry pies and Cookson has suggested coconut-milk pumpkin pie.

Thank you for reading Food Safety News. Have a happy and food-safe Thanksgiving.

This gorgonzola and celery soup is a favorite on Capitol Hill that food historians say goes back at least a half-century. I usually serve it warm but the French physician from whom this recipe was adapted served it chilled during Washington's scalding summers. Because of the egg yolks used in this recipe, it must be cooked thoroughly before chilling. If you're planning to serve it chilled, reduce the amount of cheese by a little less than half. 

 

Serves 8

Ingredients:

- 3 med. shallots, roasted

- 2 heads garlic, roasted

- 4 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin

- 4 cups celery, chopped fine

- ½ cup onion, sweet, minced

- 1 large leek (white part only), chopped fine

- 8 cups chicken or vegetable  stock

- 2 1/2 cups whole milk or cream

- 3 tbsp fine flour (thickening agent)

- 1 tsp celery salt

- 1/4 tsp pepper, white

- 1 tsp nutmeg, ground

- 5 each egg yolks

- 1 tbsp Maggie seasoning

- 10 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled in 1/2-inch pieces

optional:

- ¼ cup prosciutto, ribboned, crisped 

Instructions: 

Cut the tops off garlic heads and shallots, drizzle with olive oil, wrap in foil and bake at 400-degrees for 45 minutes.

 

Add olive oil to a heavy pot over medium heat. When hot, add garlic squeezed from heads and shallots removed from skins and (add slivered prosciutto)

Stir. 

Add finely chopped celery and leek, stir well, cover and cook over medium heat until soft, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Add flour and  seasonings, stir and add chicken stock, bring to light boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and puree with in-pot blender.

In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with milk; add two ladles of hot soup, add crumbled cheese and mix well and whisk egg mixture into pot. Heat, but do not allow to boil again. 

When soup thickens slightly, serve garnished with a few celery leaves or prosciutto baked until crisp. 

When reheating leftover soup, do not boil again.      

A friend from Vietnam who was living in Washington.