The Foodist: Martian Matzo Soup

After spending most of 2020 experimenting and learning to maximize yields, I decided to start using some of the food from #ProjectMartian. My video intern at PAST Foundation was feeling under the weather, so I decided it was a good time to make Martian Matzo Soup.This was a #ProjectMartian mashup: MirePoix (carrots, onion, celery, oil, thyme, parsley) prepared and frozen at time of harvest. Then there was a chicken harvested, cooked, and vacuum sealed in the spring from the freezer. I also made chicken broth made from chicken carcass and spare Martian vegetables tailings that I had frozen and stored in freezer. Lastly there was the Matzo ball mix made with stale matzo crackers (a gift (fresh, two years ago) from a PAST Foundation colleague that I found and ground into matzo meal) and dehydrated onion, garlic, and celery mixed in that was packaged and vacuum sealed and stored for another day - like today! It’s make your intern feel better day!It took me 30 minutes from start to finish to make this soup. That’s it. My colleagues at PAST had to endure endless photos of the process. Looking at the first text:[media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="900"]To the last text of the finished soup was indeed 30 minutes.[media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="900"]

Here is the recipe and it is crazy easy!

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots peeled and chopped
• 2 onions peeled and chopped
• 2 celery sticks chopped
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• or 2 mirepoix frozen cakes (2 cups)
• 4 cups water or chicken broth
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 Tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp each Tarragon, Thyme, Parsley
• Salt and Pepper

Matzo Soup Base:

• 2/3 cup seasoned matzo meal
• 2 Eggs
• 2 TBsp oil
• 1 Tbsp baking soda and 1 Tbsp vinegar or lemon juice or
• 2 Tbsp seltzer water

1. In a 4 quart pan, add olive oil and fresh vegetables. Alternatively add oil and melt mirepoix. Add 4 cups of broth or water with bouillon. Bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat. Add in chicken, wine and herbs. Let simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Prepare Matzo balls:

Matzo Balls:

1. In a stainless or glass bowl (not plastic) add two eggs. Add in the oil.
2. Add in the seltzer water OR combine the baking soda and acid and mix.
3. Pour either the seltzer water or baking soda acid into bowl. Whip vigorously with a FORK - not a whisk until frothy.
4. Add in Matzo meal (you can buy matzo meal kits, but making your own is the way to go on Mars - just saying)
5. Gently combine the meal with the frothy liquids until just mixed. Do not over mix. You want lots of air!
6. Cover matzo mix with cling wrap, a cover or a cloth. Set in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
7. Form 3cm balls.

Finish your soup:

1. Add matzo balls to the simmering soup.
2. Baste the matzo balls with broth.
3. Cover pan and let matzo balls cook for 15-20 minutes on low heat.
4. Matzo balls will swell! This is normal. In fact as you reheat this soup the balls will disintegrate; this is OK.
5. The magic of matzo is threefold:

• the Uber simplicity!
• the flavor!
• The antibiotic and antioxidants in this are off the hook!

Enjoy! PS my PAST Foundation intern was VERY concerned that the Martian Matzo Soup was purple. I explained that when you live on Mars, you eat what you have. We had Purple carrots. He ate it, and he loved it! So did mom![media-credit id=3 align="alignnone" width="828"]I told him to tell his mom she needs to go to Msrs! LOL! just kidding. Juana, this blog post is dedicated to you!