June is not soup weather. Let me rephrase that: June shouldn't be soup weather. But here in Seattle, we roll with the punches. This year, June is soup weather. And, if I've learned anything from living 30 odd (and they have been odd) years in the Pacific Northwest, the best way to deal with the weather is to get into it. Raining again? For the tenth day in a row? In the supposed summer? Turn on the heat, pull out the wool socks, put the kettle on, and cozy up with a good book. In other words: embrace the weather. Which brings me back to soup.

Working from home affords me a small luxury: I get to cook myself lunch every day. That may not sound luxurious, but after years of brown-bagging it, eating a hot meal at lunch is a step up. Yesterday, in honor of the rain and a visit from my friend OCD, I whipped up a simple, easy, affordable soup for two. The end result is thick, hearty, and reasonably low fat.

Lunch Soup
Serves 2-3
prep time: 10 minutes
time on stove: 1 hour and 3 minutes

you will need:
2 tbsp. of olive oil
1 tsp. of dill
basil (5 leaves minced fresh or 1/2 tsp. dry)
onion chives (chopped)
paprika to taste
pepper to taste (I was liberal in my application)
salt to taste
1/2 onion (chopped)
5 cloves of roasted garlic (chopped)
3 small potatoes (chopped)
3 mushrooms (sliced)
1 cup of canned corn
1 pint of chicken broth
2 pints of water
1/4 cup of white wine
1 carrot (minced)

1. Heat oil at medium heat in medium sauce pan.
2. Add onions, potato, and mushrooms.
3. Add dill, paprika, salt, pepper, garlic, and wine.
4. Stir occasionally. Cook until onions are translucent.
5. Add broth and water.
6. Cook for one hour, stirring occasionally.
7. Add carrots and cook for an additional 3 minutes.
8. Serve, sprinkled with chives.

I didn't grow up eating beef stew (it wasn't exotic enough for my Dad's tastes), but I've developed a liking for it in my advanced old age, and I've been perfecting this recipe for awhile. I get a great deal on quality stew meat from my butcher in Pike Place market, and I vary the included vegetables depending on the season.

Adding vegetables such as carrots and celery twice during the cooking process (once at the outset, and again 15 minutes before serving) gives the dish a more complex flavor and texture: the long-cooked vegetables thicken the consistency and provide a mellow base note; the vegetables tossed in toward the finish give fresh bursts of color, crunch, and flavor. (Adding cabbage, greens, carrots, and celery 15 minutes before serving also ups the stew's nutritional content.) Naturally (and this is the great thing about stews, I think) the ingredients can be varied or minimized, depending on what you have on hand. I generally cook the day before serving (as described below). It's not necessary (obviously), but it definitely improves the flavor.

You will need:
3+ quarts of stock or water
2 lbs of beef stew meat
1/2 cup of flour
3 tablespoons of olive oil or bacon grease
1/8 cup of wine (both red and white work; sherry is also good)
1 onion (coarsely chopped)
1/2 leek (green and white portions, chopped) (optional)
1 tablespoon of fresh garlic or onion chives (chopped) (optional)
5 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 turnips (chopped)
3-4 potatoes (chopped)
3 stalks of celery (diced)
3-4 mushrooms (chopped) (optional)
2 carrots (diced)
1 tomato (when in season)
1 cup of seasonal greens such as kale (optional)
1/4 cup of cabbage (optional)
1/2 cup of corn (fresh or frozen)
1/4 cup of parsley (diced)
1/2 serrano chile (optional)
2 teaspoons of Marjoram
3 teaspoons of smoked paprika (regular paprika will do, but smoked is better)
2 teaspoons of coarse black pepper
sea salt to taste

Serves 6

1. Mix flour, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika, and salt in a bowl. 2. Dredge stew meat in mixture.
3. Heat olive oil or bacon grease in a large pot (preferably cast iron).
4. Brown meat in oil.
5. Temporarily remove meat.
6. Add the onion, leeks, potatoes, thyme, salt, chile, the rest of the paprika and pepper, 1 tablespoon of stock or water, and wine.
7. Cook until the onions are translucent.
8. Add corn, 1 carrot, 1 stalk of celery, Marjoram, garlic, turnips,
and mushrooms.
9. Add the rest of the stock or water and bring to a boil.
10. Add browned meat. Turn down to simmer and cook for 3-6 hours.
11. Turn off and allow to sit, preferably over night. (optional)
12. Resume cooking for 40 minutes.
13. Add cabbage, greens, parsley, chives, and the remaining celery and carrots.
14. Simmer for 15 minutes.
15. Salt to taste. Serve. (It's good with grated sharp cheddar or Parmesan or both.)