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Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup

This post is linked to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Gluten-Free Wednesdays, Real Food Wednesday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, and Food on Fridays.

I’m ready. I’m ready for the transition. I’m ready to “cross over,” if you will. Not Medium or Ghost Whisperer style, just seasonal. The school bell is ringing for some local students here already and sweaters are starting to appear in the clothing stores. I know it’s still August and hot weather isn’t completely over yet, but I’m ready for fall, which is definitely my favorite time of the year. And, a definite fall thing for me is soup.

We had one day last week that was rainy and cool enough for me to make Chicken Tortilla Soup (with corn and black-eyed peas this time—little Southern touch) and the next few days are supposed to only be in the 70s. I’m headed to Seattle for the International Food Bloggers Conference where it’s even cooler—mostly 60s during the day and 50s at night. Oh, my, what an event the IFBC is going to be! Diane has outlined what we, the gluten-free bloggers, will be doing at IFBC and in Seattle, here. Just reading her post made me get more excited … and a little panicky realizing how much I need to do before I leave. So, yes, a little warming, soothing soup is in order.

A while back Dr. Rodney Ford, one of our world’s gluten-free experts who I greatly admire for so many reasons (more on Dr. Ford in a moment), shared a link on his main Facebook page to a cookbook and website called 4 Ingredients. Well, remember the “easily” part of gfe … I really liked that concept. Recipes with four ingredients would inherently be easy. I have a bunch of four-ingredient (or less) recipes here on gfe, but I’m always looking for new ideas. So, I immediately checked out the site and signed up for the newsletter to get a feel for what was being  offered. Personally, I’m a bit reluctant to order a cookbook without knowing more about it. The 4 Ingredients authors, Rachael Bermingham and Kim McCosker, live in Australia. Their cookbook is the number one bestselling cookbook there. The recipes aren’t all gluten free, but many are. Bermingham and McCosker have a few more cookbooks in development. They are seeking input on their site on which ones readers want most. Two of the selections are for gluten-free cookbooks, a gluten-free 4-ingredient cookbook and a 5-ingredient one. Head over to their site to place your vote and get a free recipe or two, if you like. I find that often recipes from another country are quite different from ones we’ve “grown up on” and can expand our horizons a bit. And, I have been intrigued by the very simple recipes these ladies share.

The latest newsletter featured a zucchini soup recipe that was actually submitted by a reader. It included zucchini, onion, chicken bouillon, and enough water (and seasonings) to cover all ingredients. I had a large zucchini on the counter and a tub of small potatoes that needed to be used. So I decided to use both to ensure a creamier soup that would be as tasty as the Baked Potato Soup here on gfe. However, this potato-based soup recipe would be dairy free as well. I was headed to work, so after completing the initial steps, I decided to throw everything in the slow cooker and let this soup slowly “develop.” The result is this savory soup that comforts me and makes my taste buds happy.

Slow Cooker Potato-Zucchini Soup (Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free, Soy Free)
(Click here for a printable version of this recipe.)

About 9 cups broth (I used 3 cups of vegetable broth and 6 cups of chicken broth, which I pulled from the freezer; use all vegetable broth to make this soup vegetarian/vegan)
About 6 cups of peeled, diced potatoes
One large zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced (mine was very large; I cut out the soft part with seeds and discarded)
One large sweet onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic
about 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp curry powder (optional)
Sea salt and fresh grated pepper, to taste

Add broth to large slow cooker. (I used my oval, 5-qt Rival SmartPot.)

Peel and dice potatoes and add to slow cooker.

Add olive oil to large skillet. Heat to medium-high temperature. While skillet is heating, chop onions and quarter and slice zucchini thinly. Add to skillet. Stir occasionally. Add garlic about halfway through cooking. When onions are translucent and zucchini is also showing some translucency, transfer mixture to the slow cooker.

Stir curry powder, sea salt, and pepper. Cook 6 – 8 hours on low. During the last 30 minutes of cooking, use immersion blender in one area for about 15 seconds. Stir. Check appearance and taste. If you want a thicker soup, use immersion blender again. Cook additional 30 minutes.

Serve. Enjoy alone or with a nice gluten-free “bread” treat on the side—like popovers, corn muffins, cheese muffins, garlic cheese biscuits, Kate’s cheese rolls, or Kiva’s grain-free Golden Flax Bread.

Adapted from a reader-submitted recipe to the 4 Ingredients newsletter

Shirley’s Notes: If you have family members who are die-hard carnivores and must have meat, feel free to add some crumbled bacon or diced chicken towards the end of the cooking time. You could even add bacon, chicken, etc. to individual bowls and stir until heated through. This recipe makes a lot, so feel free to halve the ingredients, use a regular 4-qt slow cooker, and reduce the cooking time. If you’d prefer to cook it on the stove, I’d still recommend slow cooking at a lower heat. I do love a pot of soup simmering on the stove!

A little more on Dr. Rodney Ford … Dr. Ford hails from New Zealand. He traveled with his wife, Chris, to the U.S. to do a number of speaking engagements in November 2009. I was extremely fortunate to hear him speak twice during one week and even got to have dinner with him and his wife prior to these events. A huge group of us (some who belong to the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) of Richmond and others who are part of The Richmond Health Initiative) gathered at the local PF Chang’s to welcome Dr. and Mrs. Ford. Some attendees had met Dr. Ford previously when had visited the U.S. for a conference. I was already a fan of Dr. Ford before I met him—from his articles on celiac.com and his numerous down-to-earth, and often humorous, YouTube videos. I was fortunate to sit sort of across from him during our dinner and we chatted a bit . Almost immediately, he asked for my Twitter name and “followed me” on the spot. That was unexpected … and pretty neat!

Over the next two days, his presentations (one to the medical professionals and the other to GIG members and guests) were superior … riveting, actually. I like seeing Dr. Ford get visibility because I think that he can make a “believer” out of just about anyone. He has the medical chops for one thing—he’s a pediatrician with a background in allergies, gastroenterology, and nutrition. Dr. Ford shared case studies—with ”before” and “after” photos—of children he’s treated who did not test positive for celiac using the gold standard diagnosis of positive blood testing and positive biopsy, but were transformed on a gluten-free diet. Those innocent faces make extremely compelling cases. It’s important to note that early in his practice, Dr. Ford followed the conventional wisdom and did not place his pediatric patients on a gluten-free diet when they tested negative for celiac. However, he found that many over time did finally test positive for celiac, but, sadly, for some, the damage that had been done (e.g., short stature, developmental delays) could not always be undone. He shares some of his findings and thoughts here. 

Currently, Dr. Ford’s main push is for a gluten-free planet. That was his topic when he spoke at the GIG conference banquet in Minneapolis this summer (a presentation that was very well received!) and that’s the focus of his new Facebook page, Gluten-Free Planet. My good friend, Heidi (Adventures of a Gluten-Free Mom), just happened to share a post on Dr. Ford’s mission yesterday. I told her we must have unknowingly done the Vulcan mind meld thing. She doesn’t have a husband who is a Star Trek fan, so she didn’t get the reference, but being free-spirited and positive Heidi, she eagerly bought into the idea anyway! Heidi shares her thoughts on Dr. Ford and his concept, as well as the Gluten-Free Planet YouTube videos. These videos include some of the photos showing the transformation of his patients after going gluten free. Pictures are worth a million words in these cases. Check it all out over at Heidi’s. 

Incidentally, I just found out that Dr. Ford has a new blog. Check it out here. His current post asks what we want in our world. Hmmm, I think the answer for us gluten-free folks is obvious. Is it possible to have a Gluten-Free Planet? I’d like to think so, and as the saying goes, Dream Big!

Speaking of dreaming big, have you signed up for Adopt a Gluten-Free Blogger yet? We have 16 entries at this moment—that’s terrific! Of course, I’d like more … a lot more. How about 50? Go ahead, adopt someone. If you have never participated before, then all the better. We have several folks participating for the first time. There are so many amazing gluten-free bloggers! Some have been helping us out for years; others have just joined the party to share and offer another place to learn and chat. Remember … non-bloggers are welcome to participate, too. Chances are, you know some gluten-free bloggers (or other bloggers with searchable gluten-free recipes) whom you admire or have always wanted to try their recipes. Now’s the time. Make a favorite blogger’s recipe, take a photo, do a short write-up, and email it to me. (Read more here.) Nothing hard at all, and a great way to be inspired to try a new recipe and show appreciation to a blogger.

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

Posana Café Review

Please click over to my Out and About page for my review of Posana Café, the 100% gluten-free restaurant that is located in Asheville, North Carolina. Yes, you read that correctly. If you’re a gluten-free reader, you won’t want to miss my review, or the restaurant for that matter! If my words don’t convince you, the photos will.

I have also submitted my review post to Gluten-Free Wednesdays over at Linda’s (Gluten-Free Homemaker). Linda’s weekly carnival is a roundup of recipes, product reviews, restaurant reviews … basically anything that has to do with gluten-free food. Be sure to check out all the entries here; it’s always a great roundup. 
 
Enjoy!
 
Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!
 

Posana Cafe in Asheville, NC

This post is linked to Gluten-Free Wednesdays.

Full disclosure: This is an uncompensated review. The opinions expressed are strictly my own. But, be forewarned … Posana Café makes me break all the food blogging and food critic rules because I want to use all the superlatives and adjectives of food praise … and repeat them, without shame.

Have you fantasized about eating at a restaurant that’s completely gluten free? A place where you can eat amazing food without worrying about cross contamination? Dear gfe reader, there is such a place! It really exists and, no, I am not talking about your kitchen. It’s Posana Café in Asheville, North Carolina, located at One Biltmore Avenue in the downtown area.

Let me repeat this information again. The food served at Posana Café is 100% gluten free. Yes. I know it’s hard to believe, but you read that correctly. I say food, because there are beers that are served that contain gluten, but they are self contained and, therefore, not a potential source of cross contamination. The husband-wife couple, Peter and Martha Pollay, who own and operate Posana decided to go 100% gluten free because Martha has celiac, and, therefore, eats gluten free.

I started reading about Posana Café back in the fall of last year, long before I knew I would be making another visit to Asheville this month. A few of the gluten-free sites that I enjoy had reviews. My friend, Tiffany, who writes at a number of online spots including Celiac-Disease.com and the Triumph Dining blog, had talked about Posana being the best kept secret in gluten-free dining here and marveled at her dining experience, here, too.    Wendy, who you know as Gluten-Free Greenie, had also written a review about her visit last year. She used the word “remarkable” to describe Posana and all of her review gushed praise and happiness. In fact, when Wendy read that I had visited Asheville, she wanted to know right away if I had eaten at Posana. She’s just one of its many dedicated fans. Finally, the Chicks—Celiac Chicks, that is—had written a glowing review earlier this year.

Since I’m often a research-oriented person, I read other Posana reviews online, too. One person said that of the 13 meals they had eaten during their stay in Asheville, they had eaten 11 of them at Posana. Wow! And, he and his family weren’t even gluten-free folks. Sight unseen and food untasted, I had decided I would be thrilled to enjoy even one meal there.

 

We headed to Posana for dinner on our first evening. As I said, its address is One Biltmore Avenue, which means it’s located right on historic Pack Square.  The dining room is long with high ceilings. The décor is plain wooden tables, a sleek bar, artful shelving, exposed industrial ceiling infrastructure, and engaging paintings. A few simple pleasing colors are provided by painted walls, the plants in various ceramic pots, and the food service items themselves, which are pleasingly arranged on shelves, server stations, and the tables themselves. Think crystal pitchers, glasses, tea pots, and tea cups in all shapes and sizes with clean, simple designs. It’s the kind of place that is so attractive and appealing that once you enter, your body just goes “ahhh” and relaxes. So, it’s fitting that Posana calls itself “the place to sip, snack, and relax.”

When we entered the restaurant, I told the host that we had traveled from Virginia just to eat their gluten-free food. He responded that all of Posana’s food was gluten free, so I should really enjoy myself. That evening I was a little anxious. Oh, no, it wasn’t about getting glutened. I knew from my research that would not be an issue. And, I wasn’t concerned about whether I’d like the food. There were too many rave reviews to make me doubt that. I expected to love Posana’s offerings, but I was anxious about whether my gluten-eating girlfriends would love them as well.

Just looking at the menu and knowing I could eat any of them, absolutely any of them, without having to ask questions or worry was a pretty neat experience I must say. The menu changes every several days, but when we visited, there were 9 appetizers, 4 salads, 12 entrees, 8 sides, and 5 desserts. Yes, all gluten free. Delightfully mind boggling, isn’t it? How do they do it? Well, it’s clear that they use the gfe approach, focusing on real food that is naturally gluten free and using alternative ingredients as needed (e.g., gluten-free flour mixes for some baked goods).

I truly wanted to try everything they served, but I finally decided on blackened scallops with warm white cheddar polenta and a fried green tomato crouton. I sipped on a house margarita, called the Posanarita, a margarita that includes fresh-squeezed orange juice. My younger girlfriend (my one friend’s daughter who is all of 13) ordered one of Posana’s specialty, non-alcoholic, drinks—Italian soda, orange flavor. She also ordered Caesar salad with homemade garlic croutons and Reggiano parmesan. Yes, before you ask, they were gluten free croutons! Remember … every food at Posana Café is gluten free! My young friend was seated next to me and didn’t even come close to finishing her salad, so I ate the last few very fresh, crunchy bites that were untouched. They were wonderful; I could have made a meal from that salad alone. Her entree was a grilled pork chop. The pork chop came with mashed sweet potatoes, wilted arugula, and caramelized apples. She opted for mashed white potatoes instead of the sweet potatoes. My girlfriend on the right ate roasted free-range chicken with potato gnocchi, root vegetables and pan drippings. My other girlfriend enjoyed seared Atlantic salmon with celery root puree, cherry tomatoes, haricot verts and tomato-tarragon coulis. (While salmon is one of my absolute favorites, it’s also my fallback food in non-gluten free restaurants, so I decided to opt for something else at Posana.) My blackened scallop dish was beyond my expectations. I’ve had blackened fish before, but never scallops, and that flavoring along with the polenta and fried green tomato “crouton” (a first for me!)—all cooked just right—was simply perfection. (If I’d been at home, I probably would have taken a spoon to the bowl to make sure I got every drop.) Everyone loved their meals and my youngest friend declared the pork chop to be the best one she’d ever eaten.

When Peter, who is also Posana’s executive chef, found out that I had traveled from Virginia to enjoy their gluten-free food, he came over and spent several minutes talking to me and my friends between courses. (By the way, he did this on two separate occasions. Yes, we ate there more than once! I’ll share more in a moment.) Peter stated that he had told Martha if they served gluten-containing food along with gluten-free food, there really would be no way to prevent cross contamination. So, they decided to have a gluten-free restaurant. But, they are passionate about serving incredible food to all their patrons, not just those of us who are gluten free. Peter said his wife had developed a tagline “outstanding food that just happens to be gluten free.” But, just to be clear, they don’t advertise their restaurant as gluten free.  They don’t want to deter those who eat gluten from visiting because they might think that weird food or food that’s lacking in some way is being served. Their menu simply says that they have gluten-free options available. While I’d like them to shout “100% gluten free!” from the roof tops, I do understand their concerns. In fact, we appeared to witness the negative effect of the gluten-free label in action one evening, when a diner next to us did not like his dessert. Up until that point, the gentleman had loved everything he’d eaten, including bread sticks. When the couple complimented the waiter on the bread sticks, the waiter thanked them and shared that they were gluten free as was everything else served at Posana. Moments later, the waiter served the gentleman his dessert and suddenly the fellow proclaimed he didn’t like it and didn’t eat it. Was it an honest assessment? One can’t be sure, but we enjoyed that same dessert and found it to be enjoyable. It is a fact that perception often distorts reality.

When it was time for our dessert that first evening, we all seriously considered the menu for a few minutes. Our young one opted out, but the rest of us each ordered a different dessert, so we could share. There was no doubt that my choice had to be chocolate pots de crème, a classic that has never disappointed me. This time it was gluten free and dairy free as it was made with coconut milk! (I believe the menu even said it was vegan.) The presentation of this dessert was irresistible. One friend ordered a chocolate roulade, which came with coffee ice cream and hazelnut squares (I believe). Another ordered carrot cake, which also came with a little dollop of ice cream. The chocolate roulade and its accompaniments made for a rich and delightful treat. The carrot cake was good, but much lighter in flavor than one usually expects for a carrot cake, which was not necessarily a bad thing at all.

When we left Posana that first evening, I expected that it would be our only visit during our trip as there are numerous great restaurants in Asheville. But, then two evenings later, we were late heading to dinner, unsure where to go, and headed back to Posana once more. With no reservation on a Saturday night, seating was only available outside. It was a chilly evening, but we managed to stay warm enough with the food that was fabulous once again, plus a few libations and hot drinks as well. I ordered the citrus crab cakes with lemon and lime zest, peppers, onions and a caper remoulade. We all shared this beautiful and sensational appetizer. For dinner, I enjoyed pan-seared Cold Mountain trout over crispy polenta with asparagus, pickled ramps and dill-caraway cream. One friend ordered the New York strip steak with braised spring onions, herbed fingerling potatoes, and onion jus. Her daughter ordered the grilled pork chop dish, once again proclaiming it the best meal ever. My other friend ordered grilled Georgia quail with wild mushroom risotto and porcini oil. We all raved over our dishes once again. Young friend had some of her pork chop left to take back to our suite with her, but the rest of us had no problem finishing every morsel on our plates. We all ordered dessert and shared again. This time I ordered the chocolate roulade, which was really nice with the accompanying coffee ice cream and squares—so many wonderful flavors and textures. One friend ordered the rice pudding with broiled pineapple slices and another ordered a dessert that I failed to note the name of, but it was basically oatmeal lace cookies with ice cream and a raspberry sauce. My friend’s rice pudding was a black rice pudding with cardomom and ginger. Admittedly, she was a bit disappointed as it was not a more classic rice pudding as she expected. The oatmeal lace cookie and ice cream dessert won raves from all of us.

As an added bonus to our dining on Saturday evening, there were street performers entertaining us on the Square, only 10 to 15 feet away from our table. I’ll write more about them in my next Asheville post, but they definitely make eating outside at Posana an even more enjoyable experience!

Was that second time our last time dining at Posana on our trip? No; thankfully, it was not. We had planned to have brunch on Sunday at Grove Park Inn with our friend’s stepson and his partner, but we couldn’t get an early enough reservation there before our trip home. So, you guessed it … we ended up back at Posana for their brunch! Yes, I felt like one lucky, lucky girl. First, I was pleased it was a brunch where one order off the menu. Even with no fear of cross contamination, breakfast and brunch buffets have never appealed to me. (Usually a buffet means too much food that is often overcooked.) Now you might think I would order something like buttermilk pancakes … something that I would be very unlikely to get anywhere else gluten free. Well, I like to eat much more protein than pancakes and bacon most of the time for breakfast. And, frankly, once I saw crab cake benedict with seared polenta and a poached egg with hollandaise and asparagus on the menu … well, I just had to order that. Others ordered Posana omelets (cherrywood smoked ham, peppers, onions, cheddar cheese) with home fries; sauteed red onion, asparagus, and Parmesan quiche with mixed greens salad; and buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and bacon. I also ordered Vietnamese spring rolls with shrimp, rice noodles, carrots, cucumber and ponzu dipping sauce. These were gorgeously presented, but the ponzu sauce proved hotter than my taste preference. So, they were boxed up for one friend as road trip food. Everyone loved their meals and I sampled both the quiche and the pancakes and found them to be excellent. But, the star performers of this brunch were something I was not likely to eat anywhere elsewhere—scones. These gluten-free scones were downright heavenly. The two flavors ordered at our table were bacon cheddar and maple orange pecan. The first was a wonderful savory scone, but the latter easily won my heart. If I lived in Asheville, I’d be stopping by to buy scones and their other baked goods a lot. Also available that morning was a double chocolate hazelnut cake, and it looked divine.

 

The bottom line … Posana Cafe serves 100% gluten-free, real food that is outstanding. You will feel so pampered and special from eating this amazing gluten-free food that you’ll want to move to Asheville so you can dine there all the time. There are a few other things to note. They don’t miss any single detail—on anything. For example, look at the elegant tea bag shown in the photo above. Yet, the prices at Posana are actually better than any of the other comparable restaurants in Asheville, which just proves that neither gluten-free food, nor “real food” dishes have to be outrageously expensive. The service is extremely friendly and top notch. My only disappointments were my own … not getting blog-worthy photos to share of every item that we enjoyed from the menu, not getting a photo of myself with Peter Pollay, and not getting to meet his wife/co-owner, Martha—the ultimate reason that Posana is gluten free. Posana Café has been open for almost a year. They will celebrate their anniversary next month. I’m hoping that Posana will be around for many years to come. And, while I haven’t yet gone so far as to tell Mr. GFE that we are moving to Asheville, my girlfriends and I already have a return trip planned for April 2010. But, if I’m super lucky, I may get to return to Posana Cafe before then. Summer motorcycle trip perhaps?

UPDATE: In case you still had any doubts, the following news release just came out. (Seattle, Wash., April 30, 2010) – Posana Café earned an excellent rating for their commitment to Best Practices in safe gluten-free food service through the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America’s (GIG) Gluten-Free Food Service Accreditation (GFFS) program.  

Shirley
Not just gf, but gfe!

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