Featuring Alison Massina's Cream of Zucchini Soup

Born in Australia, I entered into the world of cooking at the age of 13 years helping out while my Mum and Dad went to work. At present I am a stay at home Mum (housewife) maintaining our household and looking after my two young boys and husband. The most important satisfactions I gain from my role are happy, healthy respectful children. There is nothing more fulfilling than having the time to prepare nutritious food for my family and I take pleasure in their contentment having enjoyed a beautiful cooked meal. My home is my restaurant though I tend to eat more by spending time in the kitchen cooking and tasting. I gain inspiration from chefs such as “Maggie Beers” and my favourite cook book is the “Australian Women’s Weekly Sweet” since I am a bit of a chocoholic.

Our regular comfort foods are stews and soups made in the slow cooker. I rely on my trusty Kenwood Chef Food Processor to create some wonderful dishes such as “Thai Chicken Meatballs” which are a specialty at the “Glenreagh Public School”. The dishes I am most proud of are those that allow me to hide the vegetables which my boys don’t always like to eat, although I consider “Salmon Terrine” to be my best creation.

Good wholesome old fashioned cooking can easily be achieved with a few ingredients from my pantry such as flour, eggs, milk, cheese and butter. One word of advice, always wear gloves when deseeding chili. I recently had the experienced of a visit to the local hospital after six hours of pain the result of burning the skin on my hands while cooking lots of bird’s eye chili.

Cream of Zucchini soup

Green zucchini squash is part of the gourd family, because it contains seeds it is considered to be both a fruit and a vegetable, however it is mainly used as a vegetable in cooking. The flowers on the zucchini plant are edible and are battered, deep fried, baked, stuffed or used as a garnish for first class dining.

Ingredients make 2 large serves

2 tbls butter (30g)

1 brown onion finely chopped (200g)

2 garlic cloves minced (2 tsp)

2 tbls plain flour (20g)

¼ tsp white ground pepper

1 tsp salt

8 zucchini coarsely chopped (800g)

2½ cups chicken stock (625ml)

½ cup fresh cream (125g)

Method

Using a peeler shave the skin of one zucchini, finely chop with a sharp knife and use for garnish.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onion and garlic while stirring for approx. 5 min until the onion is soft. Add flour, salt and pepper while stirring until combined. Add zucchini and stock over high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low and cover saucepan simmer for 6 to 10 min until the zucchini is cooked. Remove saucepan from heat. Place the mixture in the bowl of a food processor or blender and process until smooth or blend with a stick blender in the saucepan. Pour cream into soup and bring back to the boil while stirring. Pour soup into serving bowls, drizzle with cream and sprinkle with finely chopped zucchini skin.

Serve with crusty bread.

Note: Vegetable stock may be used as an alternative for a vegetarian meal. Try the same recipe and add a 425g tin of asparagus spears together with the chopped zucchini. Instead of crusty bread use crotons or garlic bread.

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