Rites of Spring: Soup and Salad Days

Spring has arrived in San Francisco. People emerged out of their grayness yesterday. Pale legs revealed themselves for the first time since September. A pair of robins returned to Nob Hill to nest in the same Victorian Boxwood tree that they have been setting up household in for the past twelve springs. Even the parrots of Telegraph Hill swooped by. Unlike the East Coast where spring can arrive while there are still drifts of dirty snow hiding under the eaves, there is nothing here to remind us of winter. The hills turn green instantly, the bulbs bloom, and folks go swimming at Ocean Beach.

What to cook? In fashion there are ‘transitional’ articles of clothing that bridge the gap between seasons. One might wear dark cottons after Labor Day when it is cool but not cold enough for wool. There are dishes that do the same thing. They ease the cook out of one season while celebrating the season to come. Spring days in San Francisco can be cool so a pot of soup that takes only an hour to prepare is perfect. Poule au Pot d’Henri Soule from The New York Times 60 minute Gourmet by Pierre Franey is such a soup. Root vegetables like carrots, turnips and leeks remind you of winter but a nice fresh chicken and zucchini or peas (my suggestion) celebrate spring. This is a pretty soup. Due to copyright laws, I cannot reprint the recipe. I know that the book is still in print and is one of my favorites. Even if the title seems a bit dated, remember there was a time when people actually had 60 minutes to prepare a meal.

Once upon at time it was very fashionable to name a dish after a famous person: Turkey Tetrazzini, Oysters Rockefeller, Peach Melba. From what I can tell, these dishes usually came out of the kitchens of hotels. I am guessing that a note was passed from the Concierge to the Food and Beverage Director to the Executive Chef. The note probably read: (Karletta Moniz is in town. She loves chocolate. Create a new chocolate dessert NOW). Knowing all too well how the back of the house reacts to suggestions from the front of the house, I can only imagine what the Executive Chef’s reaction was when he was expected to create a dish in honor of someone named Karletta Moniz. Or George Arliss. Now, George Arliss was an actor that visited San Francisco in 1915 and stayed at the Palace Hotel. Luckily for us, the Executive Chef had the good sense to name the following dressing for the play that Arliss was in town performing in, The Green Goddess, and not for Arliss himself.

For those of you who only know from Ranch and Caesar dressings, the following ingredients may seem a little out of the ordinary. I beg you to get to know tarragon—you will thank me. Making salad dressing is easy. This recipe yields over a quart. It will keep for over a week in the refrigerator. Try tossing it with leftover grilled chicken or shrimp.