Deceptively Delicious

(Photo by Scott Robinson via Flickr)

This fabulous recipe is a go to favorite for crazy week nights. I use flat breads or whole wheat pita bread to make these. You can substitute beet greens or kale or steamed chard for the spinach. It is from the book Vegetarian Planet by Didi Emmons. I found the recipe all typed up and pretty on-line at this great CSA website that has lots of other things to check out too.

Spinach and Mozzarella Grilled Cheese Sandwiches with Chile Dipping Sauce

Sandwiches:

6 ounces fresh spinach (large stems removed)
2 fresh pieces of lavash bread, or 1 large split pita pocket
2 plum tomatoes, cut in half lengthwse, then sliced crosswise
2 ounces mozzarella cheese, grated (or sliced, if it's fresh mozzarella)

Chili Dipping Sauce:

1 teaspoon hot chili sauce
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain whole, low-fat, or nonfat yogurt, or nonfat sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Make the dipping sauce: in small bowl, combine the chili sauce with the mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, cider vinegar and garlic. Stir well.

Steam the spinach over high heat for 2 minutes. Let the spinach cool.

Lay one of the pieces of lavash or pita on your work surface, with a short side of the bread directly in front of you if you are using lavash. Lay half the tomatoes across the bread, about 3 inches from the side closest to you. Squeeze any excess water from the spinach, then lay half of it on the tomatoes. Sprinkle or lay half the mozzarella on top of the tomatoes and spinach. Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Then roll the bread, starting with the side closest to you, as tightly as possible. Follow the same procedure for the second sandwich. (For pita pocket, fill in same order.)

Heat the olive oil in a large (preferably non-stick) skillet over medium heat. Place the two rolled sandwiches (or pita pocket) in the skillet, and place another skillet on top to weigh the sandwiches down. Cook the sandwiches for about 4 minutes or until they are golden brown, then turn them and cook the other side for 4 more minutes, checking the undersides frequently. Cut in half and serve with a small bowl of the dipping sauce.

(edited to add Lee's Kohlrabi recipe from the paper crop sheet!).

Soy Sauce Vegetables

(This resembles the little pickled side dishes served at Japanese cafes)

2 cups any firm vegetables-turnip, daikon, kohlrabi, carrots, beets and so on

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons sugar

mild soy sauce

Cut vegetables along the grain into julienne strips. Put them in a large jar with a lid. Add salt and sugar and shake well so that vegetables are coated. Let stand at room temperature for at least an hour or up to overnight.

Pour in enough soy sauce to cover vegetables. Press down to get rid of air pockets and let stand at room temperature for a day. Drain off soy sauce. (it can be reused for pickling or cooking). The vegetables will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.

MAKES 2 CUPS

Recipe Maven Musings

Well, you all had great responses to my ravings, I mean musings last time. Thanks so much for your comments. Barbara Blackie sent me this link to a really great New York Times article that addresses almost the exact issue I was talking about last time: picky kid eaters. The highlight of the article, to me, was the point that little kids between ages 2-5 are prone to picky eating and that it's okay. From the article: "It’s an evolutionary response, researchers believe. Toddlers’ taste buds shut down at about the time they start walking, giving them more control over what they eat. “If we just went running out of the cave as little cave babies and stuck anything in our mouths, that would have been potentially very dangerous,” Dr. Cooke said." This makes a whole lot of sense to me and gives me hope that Abby will someday take a bite of chard and dig it. The article also does a mini-review of Deceptively Delicious written by Jerry Seinfeld's wife. This is another book that has mom's grinding up the good stuff to hide it from their kids. This method gets the "strong food" into the kids, but it doesn't teach them to like it or understand it.
Interestingly, the day after sending out the last cropsheet, I caught wind of the 2 Angry Moms movement. This is a documentary that follows two mothers as they attempt to change what's in their children's school lunches. The movie is wonderful and the idea of trying to change things here is even more wonderful. Even if you don't have children, your tax dollars pay for the crud that gets served to the children of our community. And, eventually, we'll all have to pay for the health care costs of the next generation from eating High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Fats and MSG (among other nasties). The sound bite that struck me the most from this movie is that the current generation of children are the first ever to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents. Shocking. Now, if that isn't reason enough to start fighting for change locally, I don't know what is. To get involved and see the film, go to the Port Angeles Public Library Saturday October 27th at 3pm or Monday Oct. 29th at 6:30pm.

Summer Minestrone Soup

I love this soup. It's a great way to empty the refrigerator at this time of year and it's super tasty too. I used this recipe as a starting point, but added lots more stock and veggies. I put in a can of organic garbanzos and a can of kidney beans for some added protein. It made about 5 quarts, plus a bit. Give some to your neighbors.

Summer Minestrone – Recipe Page 123

Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004).

Simple Solution
Ah, the bounty of summer! Gardens overflow with tomatoes, zucchini, summer squash, peppers, and dark leafy greens. Who can resist them? But sometimes it can be hard to figure out what to do with all of them! Well, this lovely soup is a perfect way to use those lively colors, flavors, and textures.

Fragrant with herbs and bursting with nourishment from the good earth, you can make this one-pot meal in advance (during those cooler morning hours) or even freeze it. Either way, Summer Minestrone is a favorite with both kids and adults, a key player in the Mediterranean diet and lifestyle.

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 10-inch stalk celery, coarsely chopped
4 cups (about 12 to 15 large) chopped ripe plum tomatoes
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 stem basil, plus extra sprigs for garnish
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) penne, elbow macaroni, small shells, or other medium-sized pasta
12 green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2-inch by 1/4-inch strips
1 medium leek, washed, white and tender green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 stems Swiss chard, stalks and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and stir in the garlic. Let it soften for a couple of minutes, then stir in the carrot and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 cups of the broth, oregano, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Cover the pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a brisk boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta, followed by the green beans, bell pepper, and leek. Cook briskly, stirring often, for 3 minutes.

3. Reduce the heat so the soup is simmering and add the chard, zucchini, and summer squash. If the mixture is very thick, or if you would simply like it thinner, add some or all of the remaining broth. Return to a simmer and cover the pan. Continue cooking the soup for 5 minutes, or until the pasta and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately, or cool and reheat as needed. Garnish with basil leaves. Check for seasoning before serving and add more salt and pepper to taste if necessary.
Serves 4 to 8.

Musings:
The fullness of my fridge at this time of year makes me both wonder and panic. How amazing to have such great bounty right here in our little town. How the heck do I use it all up!? Right now, my family is not eating a ton of food, so trying to figure out how to make it through the share each week has sent me whirling. I stumbled upon this great article in the Oregonian online that got me working on small batch preserving. I get overwhelmed when I think about doing a big canning day. It's a lot to manage by yourself. Especially with a little one running around. So, one option is to can with friends, or you can take on a couple of different tactics.

• Freeze stuff. Right now, I have a ton of summer squash that I plan to grate and freeze. Later in the winter, I can add it to soups or thaw it, squeeze it dry and make bread with it. I also make a lot of soups and freeze them too.
  
• Pickle stuff. I do refrigerator pickles, because we eat them fast enough that I can keep adding cucumbers to the brine for a month or so (recipe follows).
• Small batch canning. Put a pot of water on while you're cooking dinner and can a couple of jars of jam or tomatoes while the stove top's on and you're in the kitchen anyway.
• Dehydrate. I love to do apples this way and then we can crunch our way through the crop from our apple tree all year! Abby loves to crank the apple machine (it peels, cores and slices as you turn the crank). We found ours at goodwill for $4 and it's been worth it, plus it's fun.
  

Last year, I did an entry about canning here on the blog. You can check it out here. It has more information on how to be safe with your canning.
Lee's resource for canning from last week's farm news is great too. You can get to it here.

I love the idea of doing a dinner or soup swap. Maybe someone will organize one for us here (not it!). The jist is this: A bunch of people gather and bring 6 or so quarts of frozen soup or frozen containers of dinner or whatever. Then, you all draw numbers and pick items so that you go home with 6 items. That way you can make a whole lot of one thing and then not have to eat it for 2 weeks

Mom's Fridge Pickles
Makes about 1 quart

1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 TBS sea salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
6 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp. dill seed
4 to 5 small kirby cucumbers, peeled in stripes and cut into 1/8 inch thick slices
1 small white onion, thinly sliced into rounds

1. Combine the vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper flakes, and dill seed in a quart jar. Place the lid on the jar and shake until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Layer the cucumbers and the onions in the jar using a wooden spoon to press them tightly into the jar, shake it well, and refrigerate it at least 4 hours, shaking the jar occasionally to keep the ingredients mixed. These pickles will keep in the refrigerator for at least 1 month.
From Fresh Every Day by Sara Foster

Fruit Stickers

Okay, I'm eating an organic apple the other day and end up chewing up one of the little stickers they put on EACH AND EVERY PIECE of fruit. I fished it out of my mouth, but in the process, started wondering about those stickers. I spent extra money on an organic apple. I expect that it's going to be good for me. I wonder what those stickers are made of, I wonder what the adhesive is made of, I wonder if I just chewed on something really bad for me.
As most people these days, I turned to the internet and though I didn't track most of my research (read: take what I say with the understanding that it could be wrong), I discovered a few things about those little stickers. From what I can tell, the stickers use FDA approved food grade adhesive. I could not find out if EVERY sticker is made of this stuff (I wonder about fruit imported from other countries) or what exactly "food grade adhesive" is (I wonder what the FDA thinks is "food grade" and if I'd agree). I found one company that makes stickers for fruit and on that site, they assured me that the stickers are "lead free." This made me wonder if some stickers are not "lead free."
Here is something that I found all over the web and I find most interesting. By looking at the number on the sticker, you can tell if a piece of fruit is organically grown, conventionally grown, or genetically engineered. Each piece of produce has a universal PLU code that is 4 digits. If it is organic, there is a 9 put in front of the code, if it is genetically engineered, there is an 8 put in front of the code. For example, a conventionally grown banana has a PLU code of 4011. An organic banana would read: 94011. A genetically engineered banana would read: 84011. Now, that is a handy little thing to know. I have to say, I'd really rather eat locally grown fruit that I picked myself, but as that is not always an option, I'm glad to have more tools to understand what I'm buying.
By the way, I don't recommend chewing on an apple sticker, they are not tasty!

So, here's a tasty way to eat up your yummy veggies! I like to serve this over brown rice. You could easily substitute leeks for the onions, garlic tops for the garlic and use any of your greens instead of the spinach. The key to the taste is the homemade curry powder. If this is your main course, it really only serves 2 people. Enjoy!
Indian Chickpeas over Garlic Spinach

This recipe relies on several spices, such as fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander, and red pepper, for a simple, homemade curry powder. Measuring out the separate spices is worth the extra effort; it has a brighter flavor than packaged curry powder. The fennel and cumin seeds add a pleasing crunch and pungency.


4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
2 cups sliced onion
1 1/2 cups canned vegetable broth
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (19-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained and divided
2 garlic cloves, chopped
16 cups chopped spinach (about 12 ounces)
1/2 cup plain fat-free yogurt

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Add broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through red pepper), and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes.

Place 1/2 cup chickpeas in a food processor; process until minced. Add minced chickpeas and remaining chickpeas to onion mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes.

Heat remaining 2 teaspoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté 30 seconds. Add spinach; sauté 3 minutes or until spinach is just wilted.

Spoon 1/2 cup spinach mixture onto each of 4 plates. Top each serving with 3/4 cup chickpea mixture; dollop each serving with 2 tablespoons yogurt.

Yield: 4 servings

CALORIES 247 (26% from fat); FAT 7.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 13.8g; CHOLESTEROL 1mg; CALCIUM 251mg; SODIUM 882mg; FIBER 11.3g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.1g

Cooking Light, JUNE 2004

Greens Pie

I know, that doesn't sound appetizing, but the recipe to follow kicks some serious butt. It's pretty simple to prepare too. My notes tell me that last time I made this, I wanted more dill and more feta than what's called for in the recipe. You can use any greens for this, including your salad mix. I used some of the leeks from our farm share in addition to the onions. Phyllo dough is often found in the freezer section of the grocery store. At Safeway, it’s with the pre-made crusts and frozen pies. Use your leftover phyllo to make a berry tart. There's a recipe down there. Yum!
Greek Greens and Sweet Onion Pie

Fresh dill and feta cheese flavor this double phyllo-crusted pie. Serve with vegetable soup and crusty bread. Cutting slits into the top phyllo layer allows steam to escape so the crust will be crisp. To serve a larger crowd, double the recipe, and bake the pies side by side in the oven.

Ingredients
2 quarts water
12 cups torn Swiss chard (about 3/4 pound)
8 cups torn spinach (about 1/2 pound)
Cooking spray
2 cups chopped Vidalia or other sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 cup (3 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
10 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed

Preparation
Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large Dutch oven. Add the chard and spinach; cook 2 minutes or until tender. Drain well. Place chard mixture on several layers of paper towels; squeeze until barely moist.
Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute. Add chard mixture, dill, and parsley, stirring well to combine. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove from heat. Combine chard mixture, cheese, eggs, and egg whites, tossing well to combine. Stir in pepper and salt.

Place 1 phyllo sheet on a large cutting board or work surface (cover remaining dough to prevent drying); lightly coat phyllo sheet with cooking spray. Place phyllo sheet in a 9-inch pie plate coated with cooking spray, allowing edges to overlap plate rim. Repeat the procedure with 6 additional phyllo sheets, placing sheets in a crisscross design. Spoon the spinach mixture over phyllo. Lightly coat each of remaining 3 phyllo sheets with cooking spray, and place sheets over spinach mixture in a crisscross design. Roll excess phyllo into the dish to create a decorative edge; press lightly to hold. Cut 4 (2-inch) slits in top of pie; cover with foil. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until crust is crisp and golden. Cut pie into 8 wedges.

Yield
4 servings (serving size: 2 wedges)

Nutritional Information
CALORIES 312(30% from fat); FAT 10.5g (sat 4.8g,mono 3.5g,poly 1.1g); PROTEIN 16.1g; CHOLESTEROL 125mg; CALCIUM 264mg; SODIUM 955mg; FIBER 5.9g; IRON 6.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40.3g

Cooking Light, APRIL 2004

We had a lot of salmon berries around here last night and a couple of pears. I used the following recipe as a starting point for a yummy dessert. I used salmon berries, a few pears, lime juice and added some raspberry jam to the filling to help sweeten those perky salmon berries. The end result was very tasty. Especially with ice cream!

Low Fat Blackberry and Apple Tart

This blackberry and apple tart is the result of a morning's apple and blackberry picking at a local farm. Phyllo dough is a great substitute for regular pastry.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 medium apples, peeled, cored and sliced
• 1/2 dry pint of blackberries
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 8 sheets phyllo dough

PREPARATION:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss apples slices and blackberries in a medium bowl with sugar and lemon juice. Meanwhile, remove eight sheets of phyllo dough from the pack. I use 14-inch by 9-inch sheets.

If yours are 14 by 18, then cut them in half. Lay the phyllo sheets on a clean work surface or cutting board.

To prevent the sheets from drying out, cover with plastic or wax wrap and then with a damp cloth. Removing one sheet at a time and covering the remainder, spray each sheet with butter-flavored cooking spray, then lay sheet in a 9-inch pie dish, with the sides hanging over the edge. Repeat with remaining sheets, forming a circular pattern.

Fill the center with the apple and blackberries, then bring up the sides of the dough and fold in, leaving a gap in the center. Spray with butter-flavored spray or brush with egg white.

Bake for 30 minutes, until the crust is golden brown.

Serves 6.

Per Serving: Calories 170, Calories from Fat 16, total Fat 1.7g (sat 0.3g), Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 114mg, Carbohydrate 36.4g, Fiber 3.5g, Protein 2g

Indian Greens

Oh No! I had this all ready to go last week, but totally failed to send it off or post this entry! Oops. Sorry. Here's the post as it was written last week!
People often ask me where I find recipes. Here's a list of my favorite cookbooks. Please note that all of these books except From Asparagus to Zucchini and the Complete Vegetarian Kitchen are available to check out at our library. You might have to put it on hold or request it from another library, but they are easily obtainable. I encourage you to purchase books from our local booksellers. Port Book and News will order anything for you. I've only linked these books to Amazon.com because it's an easy way for you to look at the covers and get the full title and author. If you must buy online, buy from Powells or another independent bookseller.
So, here are my favorites!
Anything by Deborah Madison, including:

Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison's Kitchen; Local Flavors ; Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone
Lorna Sass: Whole Grains Every day Every Way, Recipes from an ecological kitchen ( Now available in paperback by this title: Complete Vegetarian Kitchen)
Feeding the Whole Family, Cynthia Lair
From Asparagus to Zucchini
Victory Garden Cookbook
I also really like the following websites for recipes:
epicurious it's searchable by ingredient
Live Earth Farm CSA: recipes by key farm share ingredient
Green Living
This week's recipe comes from members Hazel and Mike Levine. They've included their notes right in with the recipe. We tried it out too and enjoyed it (see the picture at the top of this post. . . really, it's hard to photograph Indian foods to make it look as yummy as it is!). It would be tasty with cooked chicken or paneer (if you can find that!) instead of the tofu. If you're industrious you can make your own Naan (indian flat bread) to go with it. I like to get a couple of orders of garlic naan to go from India Oven in Port Angeles to go with Indian inspired meals I make at home. Yum!

Spinach Saag (serves 4-6 people as a side dish or 2-3 people as the main event)

Ingredients:
1 chopped onion
6 cloves minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 tsp coriander seed
0.5 tsp tumeric
1 tsp garam masala
0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp oil or ghee
1 lb chopped spinach (we added all our farm share greens including most of our salad mix)
1/3 cup chopped coriander
1 cup water
2 tsp salt
0.5-1 cup plain yogurt
1 block firm tofu cut in 0.5" pieces

Method:
1. Saute onions in oil till translucent. Add garlic, ginger and spices and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
2. Add greens, water and salt and simmer for 10-15 minutes over low heat.
3. Remove to a blender and puree in batches.
4. Return puree to the pan and add a little water if necessary. Simmer another 5-10 minutes. Add chopped coriander.
5. Stir in yogurt and tofu and return to brief simmer. Do not boil. Season to tasted and serve.

Variations:
- You can use frozen or fresh greens
- A squeeze of lemon at the end will brighten the flavor of the dish
- Nice when served with naan (located in freezer section of the health food store in PA and at Sunny Farms)

Greens, Glorious Greens!

Recipe Maven Musings:

I found kale in the “leave one, take one” box at the drop site in town last week. I greedily took it all! This time of year, our crop shares are full of greens. When we first became members, I struggled with the amount of greens in our share. I couldn’t figure out how to use them all up. It seemed a bit overwhelming. Over the years, I’ve come to love the greens and have found lots of ways to prepare them and include them in our meals. Last week, I made a huge salad one night, the marinated kale salad from last week’s crop sheet, a bok choi stirfry and threw the spinach into some enchiladas we were making. The greens are all gone.

Most of the greens we get in our shares can be used interchangeably. If a recipe calls for chard, but you have spinach or bok choi greens on hand, use the latter. The only caveat I’d throw in there is that kale generally takes a bit longer to cook/soften. Some people steam it a bit before adding it into recipes. Don’t be afraid to throw extra greens into any stir fry or casserole (enchiladas and lasagna are particularly greens friendly). Step out and try this recipe that lets the greens take center-stage! It has a fancy name, but we just called it “Greens and Beans on Toast” at my house. We mix it up a lot and use kale with pinto beans or spinach or broccoli rabe and Romano beans. The garlic on the toast really is key! Also, check out the recipe for “Green Soup”. It’s a tried and true favorite!

Carrie Sanford

Recipe:

Braised Mixed Greens and garlicky beans on toast
Serves 3 to 4

Any mixture of greens can be spooned over garlic-rubbed toast, as it is here, pasta, or polenta. For wine, try a Spanish red, such as a Grenache-based Priorat wine or a Spanish white Alberinio.
1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for finishing
1 small onion, finely diced
2 plump garlic cloves, 1 slivered, 1 halved
1-pound greens, such as chard mixed with the tips and leaves of broccoli rabe, or a mix of small braising greens, washed and chopped
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
if available, a few leaves to a few handfuls sorrel, 5 or 6 lovage leaves, or a handful each of chopped cilantro and parsley
1 1/2 cups cooked beans (borlotti, cannellini, etc.), made from scratch or canned
3 to 4 slices chewy country bread
shaved Parmesan cheese or crumbled Gorgonzola

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the onion and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Once the starts to soften a bit, after 3 to 4 minutes, add the slivered garlic. Cook a minute more, and then add the greens and any herbs. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.
2. As the greens cook down, turn them in the pan to bring the ones on top closer to the heat. Once they’ve all collapsed, add 1/2 cup water or bean broth, lower the heat, and cook, partially covered, until tender. Depending on the greens you’ve chosen, this could take as little as a few minutes or as long as twenty. Just make sure there’s some liquid in the pan, for in the end you’ll want a little sauce. When the greens are done, add the beans, heat them through, then taste for salt, and season with pepper.
3. Toast the bread and rub it with halved garlic. Arrange on plates and spoon the greens and beans over the top. Drizzle extra olive oil on top. Garnish with the cheese and serve.

From: Vegetarian Suppers from Deborah Madison’s Kitchen (This is a great book for quick, healthy meals made from whole foods.)

Green Soup

This is a soup that I put in the crop sheet before I started typing it, so this is it's debut on the blog. It was originally called "Lettuce Soup" but that's not very appetizing! I've often just used a salad mix and added any extra winter greens I have around. It's also a great base for adding cooked chicken or beans. Also, I use a hand blender right in the pot instead of getting a whole blender messy. Enjoy

Green Soup

This soup is a great way to use lettuce's outer leaves and ribs, which usually go to waste. Any kind of potato and any salad greens, including lettuce, arugula, spinach, and watercress, will work fine.

1 cup chopped onions, scallions, and/or shallots
1 garlic clove, chopped
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup diced (1/3 inch) peeled potato
8 cups coarsely chopped lettuce leaves including ribs (3/4 lb)
3 cups water

Cook onion mixture and garlic in 2 tablespoons butter in a 4- to 5-quart heavy pot over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add coriander, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Stir in potato, lettuce, and water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potato is very tender, about 10 minutes.

Purée soup in batches in a blender (use caution when blending hot liquids) and transfer to a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Bring soup to a simmer, then whisk in remaining tablespoon butter and salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

Gourmet
May 2005

Stew is Yummy

Here's a recipe I'm trying today. I'll post pics if it looks good.
update: This is amazing! I might not put quite as much cayenne in next time so Abby can eat it, but it is VERY good. I didn't have parsnip, so I increased the carrots and added them when the parsnips would have gone in and I used a whole smaller pumpkin instead of two kinds of squash. Yup. . .yummy.

FALL VEGETABLE STEW

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup of carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 cup celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
• ½ onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 leek, cleaned and sliced
• 1 cup of pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup parsnip, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup squash, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 2 cups of potato, peeled and cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 cup dark leafy greens, washed and sliced
• ½ cup chopped Italian parsley
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (28 oz)
• 2-3 tbsp Moroccan spice
• Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• Saute the carrots, onions, leek and celery over medium heat until the vegetables turn a caramel brown
• Add the spices and cook for 30 seconds
• Add 5 cups of water, the tomatoes, and the garlic
• Bring the stew to a boil for 15 minutes
• Lower the heat and add the remaining vegetables (except for the greens and herbs)
• Cover the pot and gently cook for another 30 minutes
• Season with salt and pepper
• Add the greens and herbs right before serving
• Garnish with olive oil and toasted pumpkin seeds

Make your own Moroccan spice!

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Blend together and store in an airtight container.

Summer Minestrone and Spinach ravings!

Recipe Maven's Musings

Okay, I’ve done a little reading on the e coli outbreak, but I’m definitely not an expert. I am, however, opinionated. Just in case you haven’t heard, here’s a little review. Some spinach distributed by Natural Selection Foods in California has been contaminated with e coli. At this point, They, can’t figure out exactly where the contaminated spinach is coming from because it’s grown in such high quantity and is also bought from lots of smaller farms in California. Once they get all of the greens, it’s mixed together, triple washed, cut up and packaged in bags or plastic boxes and sent out all over the country for consumption. They package for Trader Joe’s, Safeway organics, Costco and under other names too. They also haven’t determined if it’s the organic or conventionally grown spinach that’s the culprit. The best guess at this point is that the e coli came from cow manure used for fertilizing, but it will be very difficult to determine exactly where it came from, given that it’s such a huge industry. 100 people have contracted e coli and 1 person has died. Spinach farmers all over the country are destroying their crops. So, I guess there’s another really good reason to buy your food locally. Organic is great, but huge corporate organic? I’m not so sure. Read the article I read here.

Recipe:

I used beet greens and collards instead of chard. Yummy comfort food for the colder weather!

Summer Minestrone
Adapted from The Tomato Festival Cookbook, by Lawrence Davis-Hollander (Storey Books, 2004).

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 or 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 10-inch stalk celery, coarsely chopped
4 cups (about 12 to 15 large) chopped ripe plum tomatoes
4 to 6 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 stem basil, plus extra sprigs for garnish
salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 cup (4 ounces) penne, elbow macaroni, small shells,

12 green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green or yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into bite-size strips
1 leek, washed, white and tender green parts cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 stems Swiss chard, stalks and leaves cut into 1-inch strips
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1 medium yellow summer squash, sliced

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the oil and stir in the garlic. Let it soften for a couple of minutes, then stir in the carrot and celery. Cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, 4 cups of the broth, oregano, thyme, basil, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir. Cover the pan, bring to a simmer, and simmer for 10 minutes.
2. Increase the heat and bring the soup to a brisk boil over high heat. Stir in the pasta, followed by the green beans, bell pepper, and leek. Cook briskly, stirring often, for 3 minutes.
3. Reduce the heat so the soup is simmering and add the chard, zucchini, and summer squash. If the mixture is very thick, or if you would simply like it thinner, add some or all of the remaining broth. Return to a simmer and cover the pan. Continue cooking the soup for 5 minutes, or until the pasta and the vegetables are tender. Serve immediately, or cool and reheat as needed. Garnish with basil leaves