| 1 | Recipe by: dean fearing, chef at turtle creek (1989) preparation time: 1:10 cold weather soup, diced apples and cheese make it colorful. |
| 2 | Easily made witho ut the ham or bacon. |
| 3 | Use vegetable broth instead of the chicken stock. |
| 4 | To make the soup, in a medium-sized saucepan heat the oil over medium-high heat. |
| 5 | Add the ham scraps, if using, the celery, garlic, and onions and saute for about 4 minutes, or until the onions are translucent but not brown. |
| 6 | Reduce the heat to medium and add the quartered apples. |
| 7 | Cover and cook, stirring frequently, for abour 10 minutes or until the apples soften. |
| 8 | Add the port and simmer for 5 minutes more. |
| 9 | Add the chicken stock, bouquet garni, and ham bone, if using. |
| 10 | Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 20 minutes, or until the flavors are well blended. |
| 11 | Remove the bouquet garni. |
| 12 | (the soup may be made a day or two in advance, up to this point. |
| 13 | Cool and refrigerate. |
| 14 | See detail "a"). |
| 15 | Meanwhile in a small skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until browned and crisp. |
| 16 | Drain on paper towels. |
| 17 | Cut into l inch dice and set aside. |
| 18 | Leaving the skin on, cut the green and red apples into 1/8-inch dice to use for garnish. |
| 19 | You will need about 2 tablespoons of each color. |
| 20 | Put the diced apples in a small glass or ceramic bowl and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. |
| 21 | Set aside. |
| 22 | In a small bowl, knead the softened butter and flour together until smooth to make a beurre manie". |
| 23 | Whisk the mixture into the soup to thicken it. |
| 24 | Cook for 5 minutes longer, stirring frequently. |
| 25 | Add the grated cheese to the soup, stirring constantly, until it is melted. |
| 26 | Strain the soup through a fine sieve into the top of double boiler set over gently boiling water to keep the soup hot. |
| 27 | (do not press too hard on the solids). |
| 28 | Season with the remaining lemon juice and salt and tabasco to taste. |
| 29 | Ladle the soup into warm se rving bowls and garnish with the diced apples and chopped bacon. |
| 30 | Serve hot. |
| 31 | Detail "a" continued: add the beurre manie and then the cheese and seasonings, when you reheat the soup for serving. |
| 32 | Do not prepare the apple and bacon garnish until a few hours before serving. |
| 33 | This soup can be completed up to 2 hours before serving, bu t keep it warm in the top half of a double boiler set over hot water. |
| 34 | Do not simmer over direct heat after the cheese has been added or the soup will separate. |
| 35 | Apple-cheese soup: lunch or a light dinner. |
| 36 | Or serve as appetizer followed by a warm lobster taco with yellow tomato salsa and jicama salad |
