Panera Bread Five Onion Soup with Scallion and Gruyere Croutons

Hi Everyone,
Well today it's almost 70 down here, but we have had it so cold for Fl,
It's still been in the 30's
My friend Ron sent me this recipe, I love French Onion Soup. So you will love this recipe from Panera Bread.

Panera Bread Five Onion Soup with Scallion and Gruyere Croutons

3 large yellow onions, halved and sliced (pole to pole)
3 red onions, halved and sliced
6 shallots, halved and sliced
3 leeks (white parts only), halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise
3 cups scallions (greens reserved for croutons), sliced
1 large garlic clove, minced
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 750ml bottle red wine
1 small bunch thyme (12 sprigs) cut into 4" lengths
6 quarts beef stock, homemade or low-sodium canned
1 baguette, sliced into 1/2-inch coins
1 cup Gruyere cheese, grated

In a 12-quart stockpot, saute the onions, shallots, leeks, scallion
whites, garlic and a heavy pinch of salt in 2 tablespoons oil until
the onions begin to caramelize. Deglaze with red wine. Add the
thyme and stock to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil, reduce heat
to low, and simmer for at least 1 hour. Adjust the seasoning with
salt and pepper.

While the soup is simmering, preheat the oven to broil. Toss the
bread coins with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and place flat on
a sheet pan. Toss the scallion greens with the Gruyere, and top
each coin with the mixture. Bake on a rack in the middle of the
oven for 3 minutes and then transfer to the broiler to lightly
brown the tops. The cheese should be bubbly. Ladle the soup into
bowls and top with croutons.

Serves 6-8
Source: The Panera Bread Cookbook: "Breadmaking Essentials and
Recipes from America's Favorite Bakery-Cafe"
If you are interested in more secret recipes just click on Rons cook book on the right side of my blog.
Enjoy!
Allison
allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

Groundhog Day

Most of my family was from Punxy and the small towns near Punxy. So to tell you about various aspects of the Groundhog Day holiday, and how we've been celebrating it in Punxsutawney since 1886.

Here are some answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the holiday:

Yes! Punxsutawney Phil is the only true weather forecasting groundhog. The others are just impostors.

How often is Phil's prediction correct? 100% of the time, of course!

How many "Phils" have there been over the years? There has only been one Punxsutawney Phil. He has been making predictions for over 120 years!

Punxsutawney Phil gets his longevity from drinking the "elixir of life," a secret recipe. Phil takes one sip every summer at the Groundhog Picnic and it magically gives him seven more years of life.

On February 2, Phil comes out of his burrow on Gobbler's Knob - in front of thousands of followers from all over the world - to predict the weather for the rest of winter.

According to legend, if Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter weather. If he does not see his shadow, there will be an early spring.

No! Phil's forecasts are not made in advance by the Inner Circle. After Phil emerges from his burrow on February 2, he speaks to the Groundhog Club president in "Groundhogese"(a language only understood by the current president of the Inner Circle). His proclamation is then translated for the world.

The celebration of Groundhog Day began with Pennsylvania's earliest settlers. They brought with them the legend of Candlemas Day, which states, "For as the sun shines on Candlemas Day, so far will the snow swirl in May..."

Punxsutawney held its first Groundhog Day in the 1800s. The first official trek to Gobbler's Knob was made on February 2, 1887.

So the story goes, Punxsutawney Phil was named after King Phillip. Prior to being called Phil, he was called Br'er Groundhog.
By the way if your ever in Punxy stop by the Library and you can see Phil and Phyllis (That's Phils girlfriend) they live in front of the Library and you can watch them sleep and eat two of there favorite pass times.
Enjoy!
Allison
http://allisonskitchen.blogspot.com

Grilled steak with Chimichurri sauce

Chimichurri is a sauce or marinade for meat typically attributed to Argentinian cuisine. but its consistency is really more like a pesto. The cool thing about chimichurri is that you can make it with almost anything once you get the idea. I’ve tried a few different recipes but I’ll share one with you here that my son gave me the other day. His wife is from Ecuador and instead of parsley he uses Cilantro

1 cup fresh cilantro (packed)
1 garlic clove
1/4 to 1/2 medium onion
Juice from 1 fresh lime
1/4 cup olive oil or more (You want a paste)
1/2 serrano pepper (optional, or use jalapeño)
Salt & pepper to taste

Put everything in your food processor and pulse (Except oil) then stream in the oil till smooth paste is formed rub onto your steaks ( My favorite is a Rib eye) let set till your ready to grill. I saved the leftover Chimichurri and used some the other day in my boiled potatoes like parsley potatoes but with a kick!
Enjoy!
Allison
http://allisonskitchen.blogspot.com