Friday, February 24, 2012

Broccoli Mushroom Soup & Homemade Dilly Bread

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I made this soup & bread back when the Christmas dishes were in use, but forgot to post the photos.

Today's weather started out sunny, then got cloudy, then VERY w~i~n~d~y, and then it started to SNOW....good soup weather, so I made it again tonight!


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I have a DAK bread machine that bakes beautiful, big round loaves.

Ms. C's favorite type to make is "Dilly Bread" & I think she likes it because I take her with me to the back yard to gather the fresh dill & I let her add all the ingredients to the machine & push the buttons, too.

We've had such a mild winter here in Ohio that there was STILL a few sprigs of fresh green dill growing near the deck at Christmas time. We cut it back in the fall & store it downstairs, hanging upside down in a brown paper bag, so it will dry.


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You can see the flecks of dill seeds & some of the minced onions, too.

Both recipes are at the bottom of this post & you can easily make this bread without a bread machine.


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Everybody always wants the top crust...the "PIĘTKA" in Polish... prounounced "PYENT-ka."

My husband says he & his brothers fought over who got to eat it but they called it the "crumpka", (with a rolled "r")

Bread crusts are the BEST parts of fresh bread and the worst parts of sliced, supermarket bread. ??? Go figure!

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That little indent in the bottom of the loaf is where the paddle has been baked into the loaf. You must remember to remove it BEFORE you start to slice! Round circles won't fit into our toaster so we cut the loaf in half lengthwise first & then slice 1/2 moon shapes to eat with real butter. YUMMO!!


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Broccoli Mushroom Cheddar Cheese Soup

2 (10 oz.) pkgs. frozen chopped broccoli (I used fresh broccoli)
3 1/2 c. chicken broth, divided (low sodium here at The Gazebo House)
10 lg. mushrooms, sliced
2/3 c. finely chopped celery
1/3 c. chopped green onion
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. garlic salt
1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese (we prefer sharp cheddar)
1/2 c. sour cream (low-fat works just fine, but don't use fat-free)
1/2 tsp. Tabasco

If using the frozen broccoli, cook according to package directions, drain and puree in blender with 1 1/2 cups chicken broth.

If using fresh broccoli, just simmer florets in the chicken broth until tender
while preparing other vegetables.

Saute mushrooms, celery & onion in butter until they are soft & transparent.

Season with garlic salt and add to the broccoli & chicken broth.

Cook, covered over low heat 30 minutes.

Stir in parsley, grated cheese, sour cream and Tabasco. Serve when cheese has melted. Makes 6 servings.




Dilly Bread


1 pkg. yeast
3 1/3 C. flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 unbeaten egg (room temp)

In the order listed, place dry ingredients & egg into bread machine.

Next,
mix together the following ingredients & WARM to 105º ( usually less than 2 mins. in microwave) & add them to the machine.

1/4 C water
3/4 C cottage cheese
3/4 C sour cream
3 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp minced dried onion
2 Tbsp whole dill seed (I use fresh dill weed, too!)
1 1/2 Tbsp butter



Select "white bread" method

Without a bread machine, you can combine the dry ingredients & the egg with the warmed liquid ones, mix well & then hand knead until the dough doesn't stick to your hands & let bread rise in a warm, draft free location. Bake in 2 loaf pans in your pre-heated 350º oven till brown on top & taps sound hollow.

I saw the ingenious idea on Pinterest to use a heating pad to set your loaf pans on while your bread rises.


It came from Robyn at The Pink Peony of Le Jardin. Brilliant!!

I usually turn my oven on warm for a few minutes, then turn it OFF &
set the loaves inside, covered with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with Pam so it doesn't stick to the tops. Hey, whatever works for you!




I'm joining Foodie Friday at Michael Lee's blog Designs by Gollum, nicknamed "Rattlebridge Farm" as well as The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sundays. Thank you for hosting, ladies & thank YOU for visiting The Gazebo House today. Stay warm!

fondly,
Rett






23 comments:

  1. Cold and rainy here in Philly today. Dill is my favorite herb, this bread sounds great:@)

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  2. Yum, yum, yum!!! I do not bake bread at all, but my mom does. That looks wonderful!! We are having the mildest winter and very extreme. It was 61 at midnight and is now 41 headed to 27 tonight. Crazy windy too!!

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  3. Fresh baked bread! I know your home smells fabulous. We are having crazy ups and downs this winter. 91 on Thursday and 56 today. ;-)
    Love the cute plate. ~ Sarah

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  4. These recipes look great and just perfect for the snowy, windy day we are having here too!

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  5. Hmmmm, delish! I will definitely be making the bread today. My family loves homemade breads.

    The tulips above are breathtaking! I think they are my favorite flower...just love them.

    Thanks so much for stopping by to see me ~ I really appreciate it! Hope you have a fabulous weekend.

    xo
    Pat

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  6. Oh my darling Rhett, you're such a chef! I'm loving that soup, here the weather is rainy and cold, like 65, so it is soup weather. The breads look great and thanks for the recipes, I'm going to give it to my daughter Sofia as she's got that bread machine. Thanks for your lovely and sweet visit. Enjoy your weekend.
    FABBY

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  8. I am having a learning curve on my iPad. That's why I had to delete my previous comment. What I was saying.....there's nothing better than homemade soup and bread! Thank you for sharing the tip with the heating pad.... Love that! Thanks for visiting my blog & for your birthday wishes... So sweet.

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  9. Rett, the soup AND the bread sound great. I just ordered pizza. I don't feel great and cooking makes me feel nauseous:(:( I will try that soup another day. XO, Pinky

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  10. When Mike makes his Babka he puts it on a heating pad.
    The bread looks wonderful! I don't have a bread machine, is it worth it? He makes most of the bread. We just called the end the heel, no imagination!
    I will check out the Dak bread machine!

    Loved your movie story!

    Many years ago a similar thing happened and dh told the guy to knock it off! I felt like crawling under the seat! :)

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    1. We used the bread machine much more often, Kathleen, when we had kids at home, to help us eat it up. Because there are no preservatives in it, it is hard for just the 2 of us to eat it all before it goes stale. That said, I DO love to make it for company & Ms. C. ALWAYS asks if we can make some when she comes over.
      My machine must be well over 20 yrs old & is still working great...knock wood.

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  11. Love the heating pad idea! Your soup and bread are perfect as the wind is sure blowing here. Thanks for being such a wonderful contributor to Seasonal Sundays.

    - The Tablescaper

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  12. Hi Rhett, A belated Happy Anniversary. I like nothing better then fresh baked bread. I let my daughter-in-law do the baking in her bread machine and then she shares. There is only the two of us and I usually throw out more then we use. With hubby's health issues, I never know if he will eat what he says or not. Your soup sounds yummy. Have you tried it without the mushrooms. Have a great weekend. Take care. Your Missouri Friend.

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  13. It's a soup and bread kind of day here in the Pacific NW. Cold and rainy. That's an amazing loaf of bread, Rett. I've never succumbed to the temptation to buy a bread machine, but if it would turn out a loaf like yours it's worth the money. And I love the heating pad idea.

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  14. I really enjoyed your post about the weather and your recipes. Surprise is spring is already here with daffodils, japonica, azalea, tulip trees, and bradford pear trees blooming plus I saw a couple of trees with pink blossoms. It seems very early for the spring plants to be this far along. I love the recipes for both the soup and the bread. It is predicated to be 65 as high today. Hope your warm weather returns soon. Thanks for your kind thoughts when visiting my blog. Happy Tea Party! Pam

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  15. I just put my bread machine back into action today. I'll look forward to making dilly bread. Rett, I could stare forever at your beautiful header with the Mason jar. I hope you don't mind if I "pin" it. XX00

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    1. I'd be honored, Michael Lee! I'm thrilled that you liked it!

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  16. The Dilly Bread recipe is urging me to pull out my bread machine and give it a whirl. I'm such a soup person; I look forward to giving the soup recipe a try, too. Good to hear from you! Thanks for stopping by for a visit. Cherry Kay

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  17. Hi Rett, Your weather must come our way--I just wrote about the same thing here! Your soup recipe is so tempting! Cream of broccoli is one of my favorites and this looks like it would be tasty too. I have never made a yeast bread. It seems difficult and tricky! Someday I will try. Linda

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  18. Soup and homemade bread are the best on wintery or chilly days. Yours looks fabulous, Rett.
    Hugs, Beth

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  19. My hubby is a huge fan of broccoli cheddar soup but your dilly bread really got my attention. I've been wanting a bread making for ages. I need to treat myself!!

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  20. Looks/sounds delicious! I LOVE homemade bread!!

    Your new banner photo is beautiful!

    Katherine

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  21. Your soup and bread look delicious!!!! Nothing better than homemade bread!

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment. I read them all & each one is so very special to me & I try really hard to return the visit!

fondly,
~Rett~