Green Pea and Mint Soup..."Some Malady is Coming Upon Us"

by Libby

Tureens filled with brilliant pea and mint soup sat on the table, next to baskets of fresh, warm baguette. (The Beautiful Mystery, Kindle, p.290)

By the time this meal is served Beauvoir has lost his appetite, and resonating in Gamache's head is the line, "Some malady is coming upon us", (from TS Eliot's play, Murder in the Cathedral). It is indeed a harbinger.

I think the food in The Beautiful Mystery, more than in any other book in the series, drew me in with its fresh seasonal produce. Its gentle nurturing and cultivation and the nutritious meals prepared from it by the monks are strikingly juxtaposed with the tension, simmering conflict and stark rage played out within the monastery walls.

Preparing food from new season produce, more than at any other time, is always a delight to me. Young vegetables and fresh herbs and flowers make for quite a delicious meal. There's little you need to do but savour the delicate, juicy flavours and crisp textures when vegetables are young. Recently I made a vegetable salad (served at room temperature) with young vegetables from the market and my garden. It was part of the vegetable course of a meal I prepared for friends.  As I put it together I couldn't help thinking of The Beautiful Mystery and imagining this salad on the refectory table.

It can be made a little ahead of time (always handy) and kept at room temperature. I loved foraging for all the herbs and flowers that added little punches of flavour to the salad. The vegetables were all quickly poached (to keep some crispness) in lightly salted water. I poached each vegetable separately, so as not to mask their individual flavours or colours by cooking them all together. By quickly transferring them to an ice bath you halt the cooking and preserve the colour.

I used different coloured baby carrots, radishes (which turn a delightful pink colour), asparagus, broad beans (I peeled them down to the heart), shelled peas, spring onions and cloves of garlic. After arranging the cooked vegetables on a large platter I scattered fresh nasturtium, borage, rocket and chive flowers, elderflower and lemon flower buds, fennel fronds and nasturtium, baby sorrel and rocket leaves amongst them. It was just a delightful, aesthetic experience watching it all come together. I love that! And I couldn't help taking a photo! A drizzle with good extra-virgin olive oil was all that was needed. I served the vegetables with a lemon confit, made with the zest and juicy flesh (all the membranes removed) of lemons from my garden. Cooked with sugar and reduced to a jam consistency it provides a lovely bitter-sweet contrast.

The Beautiful Mystery was a difficult one to read with Beauvoir's internal drug-fuelled crisis and loss of control, and Gamache's fight to save him which leaves him isolated and steeling himself for future confrontation. Never had both been so vulnerable. And never had the foundations of their relationship been so undermined and shockingly rocked.

Gamache grabbed at Beauvoir’s hand, trying to loosen the gun. From Jean-Guy’s throat came a wail, a cry of desperation. He fought wildly, flailing and kicking and bucking but finally Gamache twisted Beauvoir’s arm behind his back and the firearm clattered to the floor. Both men were gasping for breath. Gamache held Jean-Guy’s face against the rough stone wall. Beauvoir bucked and sidled but Gamache held firm. “Let go,” Beauvoir screamed into the stone. “Those pills are mine. My property.” (The Beautiful Mystery, Kindle, p.364)

There seems a striking parallel with the foundations of the monastery which, too, are collapsing.

Amidst all the dissent and internal conflict, a terrible rage emerges which has caused death amongst the monks, and threatens death amongst the Surete officers.

Gamache put his face against Francoeur’s. “You could’ve killed him,” Gamache snarled. “You almost killed him. How can you do this to one of your own?” Gamache had Francoeur’s shirt in his fist, yanking it. He felt the man’s warm breath on his face, in short, terrified puffs. And Gamache knew. Just a little more pressure. Just a few moments more, and this problem would disappear. This man would disappear. One more twist. And who would blame him? (The Beautiful Mystery, Kindle, p.366)

The enmity between Gamache and Francoeur is fully exposed. Gamache's rage is both shocking and buoying. Who would blame him, indeed!!

The conflict amongst the monks to embrace 'modern times', the way that Francoeur 'had gotten into Jean-Guy', the corruption deep within the Surete and the evidence that Gamache uncovers to reveal that it goes beyond Francoeur, give substance to "some malady is coming upon us".

The last chapter is shattering with its volatility, uncertainty and ominous ending.

The Chief Inspector looked into the sky and felt the north wind on his upturned face. Some malady is coming upon us. (The Beautiful Mystery, Kindle, p.372)

We are confronted with the prospect of what Gamache must face next. But nonetheless we feel his quiet strength and steely determination.

It's not hard to make parallels to recent events that have left many feeling degrees of uncertainty, isolation, some trepidation and fear, and even rage about what the time ahead might hold. Finding positive means to deal with uncertainty and adversity, clear and respectful ways of expressing our feelings and responding to others, steeling our strengths and sighting the cracks that let the light in, challenges us all.

Green Pea and Mint Soup

This is a tasty, brilliantly coloured soup with the fresh flavour of peas dominating but greatly enhanced with a few additions, particularly fresh mint. It's perfect for a light meal, served with crusty bread. I rather enjoyed making it as there is something very therapeutic about shelling peas. Though I have to admit, after all the shelling I was a bit short on peas so I made up the difference with some frozen baby ones. A tasty, nutritious stock, which can be made well ahead of time, is the basis for this recipe. I made a chicken stock but a vegetable one would work well too.

The Stock

A little more body or thickness is given to this stock with the addition of a small amount of glutinous/sweet rice. The recipe makes approximately 1.5 litres/quarts, but you'll only need half of this amount. 

700g / 1.5lbs of chicken wings, each wing chopped into 3 pieces (I got the butcher to do this.)

2 tablespoons of light oil (I used grapeseed oil.)

2 litres / 2 quarts of water

2 small inner stalks of celery, finely chopped

6 spring onions, white part only, finely sliced

1 clove of garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons of chopped root ginger

100ml / 3.5fl oz of dry white wine, sake or verjuice (I used sake.)

30g / 1oz glutinous rice (also known as sweet rice or sticky rice)sea salt

1.  Heat the oil in a pot and sauté the chicken wing pieces until lightly coloured all over.

2.  Add the celery, spring onion, garlic and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes, stirring continuously.

3.  Pour in the wine, sake or verjuice to deglaze and reduce it until almost evaporated.

4.  Add the water, bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

5.  Skim the surface to remove any foam.

6.  Add the glutinous/sweet rice.

7.  Periodically taste the stock and add a little salt to help bring out the flavours.

8.  Allow the stock to simmer away for 1-2 hrs.

9.  Pour through a fine sieve and discard the solids.

10.  Cool the stock and refrigerate. It cools into a soft jelly.

11.  Decant 3/4 litre / 3/4 quart for the soup and freeze the remainder.

The Soup

This recipe will serve four as a starter, or two as a meal. It's really quite a simple soup but the addition of crème fraîche, lightly sautéed pea sprouts and fresh mint as a topping provides an enhancing burst of flavours and textures. They all go so well together in this soup.

3/4 litre / 3/4 quart of chicken stock

500g / 18oz fresh shelled or frozen green peas

2 tbsp unsalted butter

5 spring onions, finely sliced

sea salt

1.  Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat and gently sauté the spring onions for several minutes until soft.

2.  Add the peas and continue to gently sauté, stirring them well together.

3.  Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Cook until the peas are tender.

4.  Allow the soup to cool a little, then blend for a smooth texture. I used a stick blender which is so much more convenient than having to transfer the soup to a bench top blender.

5.  Add a little sea salt to taste.

Finishing and Serving the Soup

 

half a lemon

handful of fresh pea sprouts

unsalted butter

crème fraîche

mint leaves, finely sliced

cracked black pepper

1.  Stir a squeeze of lemon juice into the soup. Add more to taste.

2.  Lightly sauté the pea sprouts in a little unsalted butter until they wilt but still have their crunch. Season very lightly with sea salt flakes.

3. Ladle the soup into bowls. 

4. Swirl a generous dob of crème fraîche onto the surface. Add some pea sprouts and a generous sprinkle of mint. Finish with cracked black pepper.

After reading The Beautiful Mystery I remember devouring How the Light Gets In, with my heart in my mouth, to find out how it was all going to play out. Fortunately I came late to the series so was able to binge read the books in quick succession. Louise Penny did not disappoint.