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Food memories ……..

Caldo Verde.
For me this recalls the time we were living in Madeira, Portugal. We were living and working in Porto Moniz, in a wonderful apartment overlooking the ocean, close to the center of Funchal, near the rock pool  and a great restaurant which was in a rock cave just below our house and specialized in grilled sardines. During many evenings during the cooler months of the year, Maria and I went across the street to a simple restaurant/kiosk which was located right on the stony beach, just opposite the cave restaurant. While I forgot the name of the places, I remember clearly what we consumed most times: A bottle of  ” Gatao Vinho Verde ” for me, a diet coke for Maria and two bowls of  ” Caldo Verde ” for the both of us if we had dinner on the beach.  Same beverages, accompanied by four orders of grilled sardines (one for Maria, three for me ) when we dined in the Cave.  These simple dinners alway’s made a perfect ending to a busy day.  Memories…….  🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Kale,  thoroughly washed, stems removed
Potatoes,  medium diced
Chorizo,  finely sliced
Stock,  chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables
( I used leftover  smoked pork stock I had in my freezer
from last weeks  “Collard Greens”  preparation )
Garlic,  paste
Onions,  diced
Black pepper,  fresh ground
Kosher salt,
Maggi seasoning
Olive oil,  to saute

Method :

Saute chorizo in oil until starting to brown.
Remove chorizo, reserve. Saute onions and garlic
until translucent, add potatoes and stock, simmer
until potatoes are soft. Mash potatoes or blend with a
stick blender. Add kale and most of the chorizo. Simmer
until kale is soft. Season soup with salt,  pepper and maggi to taste.
To serve, sprinkle the rest of the chorizo on top for color.

Bom apetite !  A vida é boa !
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