The second semester is moving along nicely, and the learning objective for the semester has been set. By the end of the semester, my students will be able to complete a full meal consisting of a starch, vegetable, sauce and protein in about 60 minutes. They will be expected to do this for their final exam, and we will have outside guests and hopefully some local chefs to evaluate their dishes.

So far we have made stocks and are now making soups. One of the first soups we made was a basic cream soup. They were given the option to make either a cream of broccoli or cream of mushroom depending on their preference, but students learn the basic technique and recipe for making any cream soup. As their skills develop they will be able to evaluate the flavors and know how to adjust the ingredients to meet their needs.

We also have finished our hydroponics lab and have planted our first vegetable bed. This will come in handy as we will be able to grow and harvest our own vegetables and use them for our upcoming vegetable section. This is another step in expanding our curriculum’s farm-to-table program.

Here, you will find the recipes for chicken stock and our cream of broccoli soup. It is not necessary to make your stock from scratch, as I understand time constraints, so feel free to use a chicken base or low sodium broth to make it.

CHICKEN STOCK

Makes 5 quarts

5 pounds chicken bones

6 quarts water

2 cups onions, small dice

1 cup celery, small dice

1 cup carrots, small dice

10 parsley stems

8 whole black peppercorns

2 bay leaves

2 sprigs thyme

Place the chicken bones and water into a large pot. Bring the water to a boil then drop to a simmer. Simmer for 1 hour. Skim the impurities off the top as necessary. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for three hours. Skim the fat and impurities off the top as necessary and discard.

Strain the stock through a cheese cloth-lined colander into a large metal container. Discard the solids. If you are using the stock right away, skim the fat off of the top and use. If you are not using the stock right away, cool quickly by placing the container into a sink filled with ice cold water. Once cooled, place into smaller containers. The stock will last for about four days in the refrigerator or a few months in the freezer.

CREAM OF BROCCOLI SOUP

Yields 1 quart

3 tablespoons butter

2 cups broccoli stems, medium dice

1/4 cup onions, small dice

1/4 cup celery, small dice

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup broccoli florets

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped fine

Optional garnish:

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 pinch salt

Place the butter in a medium size sauce pan and put over medium heat. Add the broccoli stems, onions and celery and stir while cooking until the onions are translucent. Add the flour and stir until mixed. Slowly add the chicken stock while stirring. Raise the heat to high and bring to a boil; then drop down to a simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the broccoli florets and simmer for an additional five minutes. Puree the soup until smooth then add the heavy cream and stir in. Season to taste with salt and pepper then divide into four bowls. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve.

Optional garnish: Mix the sour cream, heavy cream and salt together. Place in a small squirt bottle. I do a zigzag design on my soup with the mixture, but you can make any design you like.

“From the Whaler Cafe” presents recipes used in the culinary arts program at New London High School, which is helmed by chef instructor Thomas Johnson. Johnson welcomes reader questions at JohnsonT@newlondon.org.