‘Goat’ restaurant shares mushroom soup recipe

The Blue Rock Chorus brings the joy of music to those restricted by health. The day we sang at Forwood Manor in the morning and The Kutz Home in the afternoon, we needed a place in between to have lunch.

Stanley, our base player, suggested Goat.

Huh?

None of us had heard of it, but we gave it a try and enjoyed everything we ordered. Goat Kitchen & Bar, 1845 Marsh Road in Brandywine Hundred, is the dream of restaurateur David Weir. His goal was to open a small, comfortable, come as you are space with an innovative menu offering “Continental, New American, Timeless Mediterranean, and of-the-moment farm-to-table freshness,” including vegetarian meals.

You may have heard of Weir, as his previous location was Buckley’s Tavern in Centreville. This self-taught chef has been praised by Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Family Circle, New York Times and others. Visit www.goatkitchenandbar.com.

You’ll find wild mushroom soup on the menu, which was my choice, and what led me to ask for the chef. I told Weir it was the most delicious soup I have ever eaten. I was thrilled when he offered to share his recipe with all of us in far smaller quantities than he makes.

REQUEST: Joan Bonora used to eat with her friends at the Federal Bake Shop on Market Street in Wilmington. She has happy memories of their chocolate cookies, which were crispy and shiny on the outside and chewy on the inside. Does anyone have that recipe? She, and probably many others, would be eternally grateful if it were shared.

GOAT KITCHEN & BAR WILD MUSHROOM SOUP

3 pounds assorted wild mushrooms

2 leeks, cleaned and chopped

3 cups chopped tomatoes (if using canned, drain liquid)

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/4 cup sherry

48 ounces vegetable stock

1 cup water

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons red miso paste

Salt and pepper to taste

Slice the mushrooms and set aside. In a heavy bottomed stock pot, sauté over medium heat the leeks, tomatoes and garlic until soft. Add mushrooms and cook 5 minutes until they become soft.

Deglaze the pot with sherry. (To deglaze is to pour cold liquid into a hot pan to scrape up the flavorful brown bits stuck to the bottom.) Add vegetable stock, water, bay leaf, parsley, olive oil and Miso and cook 30 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

RICE-RICOTTA PANCAKES

From Bette Hagman’s “The Gluten-Free Gourmet…Living Well Without Wheat.” This delicate crepe-like pancake is from a batter made in a food processor or with an electric mixer. For a thicker pancake, reduce the milk to 1/2 cup. When baking, I always use almond or coconut milk.

2 eggs

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/2 cup rice flour

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk or nondairy liquid

Beat together the eggs and ricotta cheese, then add the oil. In a large measuring cup, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Beat into the egg mixture alternately with the milk. The mixture will be thin.

Pour as 4-inch cakes onto either a lightly greased or Teflon griddle and bake at medium high. (Too hot a griddle will burn them.) Makes 1 dozen pancakes.

To request a recipe or send one in response to a request, send emails to nancyzippe@gmail.com or letters to: What’s Cooking, 500-B Greenbank Road, Wilmington, DE 19808. Include your name, address and phone number. No calls, please. Recipes in this column are not tested by The News Journal.