soup at sunset

Talk about photographically challenged--morning pics in the dark rain, dinner pics as the sun was setting. Plus we were low on groceries...

Ryan
& AJ's
lunches:
honey-
dew
melon;
mixed
nuts;
apple-
sauce
cook-
ies;
rice
w/goma
shio;
broc-
coli.

Tonight
is movie
night
at the
elem-
entary school. The boys have a choice of Toy Story 3 or the Karate Kid.

Dinner
was a
yummy
soup
full of
farm
veg-
gies
and
beans.
On the
side I
made
some
rose-
mary
bread-
sticks
and
pepper-
oni
bread
twists.

White Bean, Cabbage & Celery Soup

2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 vegetable bouillon cube
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 cup celeriac (celery root), peeled & chopped
1 large potato, peeled & chopped
1 cup tomatoes, chopped
1 cup cabbage, roughly chopped in bite-sized wedges
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
1 can (15.5 oz.) cannellini beans (or other white beans)
1/2 cup celery leaves
1/2 tsp. marjoram
water to fill pot

Add first 6 ingredients to a soup pot. Saute over medium-low heat until veggies are tender. Add next 4 ingredients plus water to fill the pot three-quarters full. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook 20 minutes. Add cabbage & liquid smoke. Cook another 20 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and cook another 10-20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Remove about 2 cups of the soup and puree (or use an immersion blender briefly) and return to pot. Stir and serve.

Pepperoni Bread Twists

1 batch of my pizza dough
for dummies
1/2 a package of veggie
pepperoni
kosher salt
garlic powder
dried oregano
olive oil

First make the pizza dough and allow to rise. (I like to let it rise for an hour, knead it for 1 minute and cover again, let it rise for another hour, then use.)
Break dough into 8 pieces. Flour your work surface or use your hands to roll and stretch the dough into long thin pieces about 1 foot long each. Two at a time, place the ropes of dough down next to each other. Place 2 pieces of veggie pepperoni on the dough every 2-3 inches, twisting the other piece of dough around and over the top of the pepperoni. Repeat 3 times for each foot-long pair of dough. Then cut into 3 equal sections and place on a baking sheet. Repeat until you have 12 bread twists. Brush tops with olive oil, then sprinkle with a little salt, garlic powder & dried oregano. Bake at 350 degrees 15 minutes for scrumptious soft bread twists.

You can also use this same exact process to make rosemary breadsticks. Just create 8 long dough ropes, brush with olive oil, and sprinkle with a little garlic powder and some chopped rosemary & kosher salt. Then bake 15-20 minutes. Yum!

Cooking with Kale

Summer is kale season. I take that back, it's ALWAYS kale season. But there are a lot more people growing it in the summer, even though it's one of the cold-hardiest veggies around. We even got kale FROM THE FIELDS in our winter vegetable share last winter! But with so much kale, you need an arsenal of recipes to keep it interesting.

I've created many
permutations of my
kale sunflower patties.
I even used kholrabi
leaves & stems in place
of kale earlier this season,
and added some quinoa
and chick pea flours to
boost protein content
while keeping them
gluten-free. I also switch
the variety of nuts & seeds
around with whatever I have handy, often using walnuts or almonds instead of sunflower seeds. This is a great family-friendly way to use a host of local produce at once.

So here's today's version...and it got raves from the kids, which is always important!

Kale Pecan Patties

3-4 large kale leaves
1 cup pecans
1 large potato, peeled
3 large carrots, peeled
3 sage leaves, chopped
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 T. olive oil
1 T. shoyu (naturally brewed soy sauce)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, add the kale leaves (stems removed) and the pecans. Process until no large pieces remain. Peel and roughly chop the potato and carrots. Add remaining ingredients. Process til relatively smooth.

Spray a metal baking
sheet with olive oil.
Spoon a big blob of the
pattie mixture into your
palm and make a
circular flatish shape,
then plop it onto the
baking sheet.

Bake for 20 minutes, flip with spatula, then bake 20 more minutes. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes.
Makes about 10 patties.

Another fave (and I forget to get a picture) is kale potato soup. It's rather like my potato leek soup, but the leeks are not necessary, which can be handy for earlier in the season when leeks aren't yet big enough for harvest.

Kale Potato Soup

2 T. olive oil
2 medium onions, roughly chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds pepper
4-6 large kale leaves, roughly chopped
3-4 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup plain almond milk or rice milk

Cook onions in olive oil over med-low hear until quite soft.
Add potatoes, kale, stock, salt & pepper. Cook about 30 minutes or until potatoes and kale are very soft.
Allow to cool somewhat, add milk, then puree soup in a food processor until just smooth.
Serve & add more salt & pepper to taste.

And here's another idea (though I won't share my recipe because it's just not healthy enough, LOL! No need to enable eating battered fried foods...but once in a while, yummmmm. Though I don't know which was less healthy, the food or the sauce I made to dip it in!)

Beer battered tempura
kale! I also made onion
rings while I was at it.
And I used an entire bottle
of locally brewed Harpoon
beer. Pwin!

But for healthier snack fare,
don't forget about good old
kale crisps--quick and easy. Or kale pesto to add to pasta, bread, sauteed veggies, etc. Still nervous to try kale with your family? How about steaming it and pureeing it into a red sauce for pasta or pizza or layering in a lasagna.

Summer is a great time to give kale a try. There are many varieties. Our CSA added a third type this summer, lacinata, otherwise known as "dinosaur kale". Supporting your local farmer's by buying directly from farms or at farmer's markets is a great way to help the local economy. But you may also donate to the Federation of Mass Farmers Markets directly via PayPal. Just visit this link to their website for more information.

an o-"K" lunch

The letter "K" turned out to be easier than I expected. And Ryan was psyched about the sushi and the soup...
Ryan's "K" lunch: kalamata olives; kiwi; kidney bean salad; kanpyo maki sushi; kale potato soup.

Unseasonably warm

The day began with wind and heavy rain. Ryan asked for "something in a Thermos". Easy, his favourite, lentil soup. And we even had oyster crackers to snaz it up a bit. But minutes before the boys left for school the sky cleared, the sun shone brightly, and it turned into a windy almost 70F degree day. In December.
Ryan's lunch: a side of oyster crackers; checkered apple slice; carrots; pickles; sauteed mushrooms; black olives; cucumber slices; a Thermos of lentil soup.
And donations for the
school food drive: tri-
coloured pasta for AJ,
sugar cookies mix for
Ryan.

The high winds took
down some big trees
in the area...
We hike a lot of trails on Sudbury Valley Trustees conservation land, including woods behind our CSA. Check out this Chia rock I found today!
And here's a little froggy
I found...







...and not 2 feet from him was
this sneaky snake. I didn't
stick around to see if the frog
became its lunch.

There
are
many
sturdy
bridges
crossing
the
small
brooks
in the
area,
built
to bear
the
weight
of
horses.
This
area
used
to be
fox
hunt
territory. But it is still frequented by trail riders.

Winter Soups, Part 2

Enjoy these delicious
soups with your family.
Spring will be here soon!

Mushroom Barley

1 onion, diced
1 T. olive oil
1 tsp. walnut oil (optional)
4 chopped sage leaves (or
1 tsp. dried crushed leaves)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
2 large carrots, diced
6-8 white button mushrooms, halved & sliced
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1/3 cup barley
2 cups vegetable stock
2 cups water

Combine first 5 ingredients over med-low heat, cooking until onions are soft, about 10 minutes.
Add next 3 ingredients (garlic powder, carrots & mushrooms) and cook another 5-10 minutes until mushrooms darken.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 45 minutes.

Split Pea Soup

1 onion, chopped
2 leeks, washed and chopped
1 T. olive oil
1 T. margarine
1 tsp. liquid smoke
1 tsp. salt
1 carrot, chopped
2/3 cup dried split peas
1 medium potato, chopped
2 cups vegetable stock
3 cups water
1 cup frozen peas
pepper to taste

Combine first 7 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions & leeks are soft.
Add split peas, potato, vegetable stock and 2 cups of the water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 1.5-2 hours, until split peas are softened.
Add frozen peas, remaining 1 cup water, and fresh black pepper to taste. Cook 10 more minutes.
Turn off heat. Blend until creamy but lumpy using an immersion blender or food processor.

Pasta & Bean Soup

1/2 medium onion, diced
1-2 stalks celery, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1 T. olive oil
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. liquid smoke
2 cups tomatoes, diced,
chopped or crushed
2 cups vegetable stock
1 can chick peas, drained & rinsed
1 can cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 cup small pasta (I used mini farfalle)
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram

Combine first 6 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions are soft.
Add tomatoes & vegetable stock. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 10-15 minutes.
Add chick peas. Cook 10 more minutes.
Add remaining ingredients. Cook 15 minutes.

Carrot Ginger Soup

1/2 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. fresh ginger (or 2 tsp.
chopped jarred ginger)
1 T. olive oil
1 stalk celery, chopped
5-6 large carrots, chopped
1 large potato chopped
1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. dried dill
2 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water

Combine first 5 ingredients over medium-low heat, cooking until onions are soft.
Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium & cook about 40 minutes.
Turn off heat. Puree until smooth in a food processor or with an immersion blender.

If you prefer a milder soup, reduce ginger by half and cayenne pepper to just a sprinkle.

Winter soups

It's snowing. Again. Definitely time for a soup recipe post. A bunch of them. So here are my recipes for a few satisfying yumminesses I've showcased in Ryan's Thermos and at home during the past few months, and an old fave...Happy New Year!

Star Soup

My vegan version of Chik'n & Stars.

1 T. olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 carrots, peeled & diced
1 package Lightife Smart
Strips, chopped
2-3 cups mild vegetable
broth (I like Imagine's Organic
No-Chicken Broth)
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
1/2 box/bag star pasta

Cook onion & carrots in olive oil over low heat until onion is very soft.
Add broth & salt, bring to a boil.
Add pasta, reduce heat to medium, stirring often.
After about 10 minutes add the chik'n strips. (Add extra water if soup becomes too thick.)
(If you don't want to use faux meat, try adding 1/3 cup of red lentils when you add the broth instead.)

Potato Leek Soup

Creamy goodness. And you can change it up by adding chopped broccoli, parsnip, or winter squash when you add the potatoes.

1 T. olive oil
1-2 T. margarine
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 large leeks, washed and roughly chopped
6 potatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds pepper
3-4 cups milk vegetable broth (I like Imagine's Organic No-Chicken Broth)
1/2 cup plain almond milk or rice milk

Cook onion & leeks in olive oil & margarine over med-low hear until quite soft.
Add potatoes, broth, salt & pepper. Cook about 30 minutes or until potatoes are soft.
Allow to cool somewhat, add milk, then puree soup in a food processor until just smooth.
Serve & add more salt & pepper to taste.


White Bean & Root Veggies Soup

Somehow white beans in soup seem so delicate and delicious. A great way to mix & match your winter storage root veggies.

1-2 T. olive oil (and/or walnut oil)
1 yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups vegetable broth + 2 cups water
1 tsp. salt (optional)
1/3 cup dried red lentils
2-3 large carrots, peeled & chopped
1 turnip, chopped
1 parnsip, chopped
1 medium potato, peeled & chopped
1/2 tsp. dried marjoram
1 can cannellini beans (or other white beans), drained & rinsed.

Cook onion & garlic in olive oil over med-low heat for a few minutes until they begin to soften. Add all but remaining ingredients except for the beans and cook until vegetables are just tender. Add beans and cook another 15 minutes.


Spicy Black Bean Soup

Add an extra jalapeno and clear your sinuses baby!

2 T. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
3-5 cloves garlic, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded, diced
2 cans black beans, drained, rinsed
2 T. ground cumin
1 T. dried oregano
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
a few grinds black pepper
1 poblano pepper, seeded & chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
4 cups vegetable broth, plus 1 cup water
1 T. brown sugar
2 T. cooking sherry
2 T. lime juice (lemon will suffice in a pinch)

Cook onion, garlic & 1 of the jalapenos over low heat until soft.
Add black beans, cumin, oregano, 1/2 the cilantro, 1/2 the parsley, salt, pepper, 1/2 the poblano pepper, 1/2 the red bell pepper and the vegetable broth.
Bring to a boil. Cook for at least 1 hour at a slow boil, adding water if necessary.
Remove from heat. Briefly puree soup with an immersion blender, or ladle half the chunky contents from the soup and puree in a food processor.
Return to pan and add remaining ingredients. Cook for another 30 minutes.

Comfort Casserole

Ah comfort foods! Various
bruschetta made with
mostly local ingredients:
- tomato, basil, garlic, olive oil.
- swiss chard, garlic scapes,
raisins, cannellini beans,
olive oil.
- roasted garlic & herb "butter".

Roasting garlic couldn't
be easier. Just cut off
the tops off each head
enough to expose the
cloves inside. Then wrap
in foil and bake in a 400
degree oven for half an
hour. Pop out the soft
roasted cloves and voila!
This is still from our remaining garlic share from the farm last year! They're just starting to sprout so I thought it was time to use some serious quantities in preparation for the new harvest coming later this month.

Monday:

Now here's something all-American...macaroni casserole. This is NOT health food! I think my pregnant nesting instincts took over and I just had to have it. Ryan declared it "the best dinner in a long time!" and "Even better than spaghetti!" My father used to make something similar with tuna and cheese, but here's my vegan version from what I can remember:

Comfort Casserole

1 box macaroni pasta, cooked al dente and drained
2 cups frozen peas & carrots, (or fresh carrots added to pasta water during last 5 minutes)
1 can fried onions (or 2 onions roasted until carmelized and crisp)
1 package Lightlife Chick'n Style Strips, diced (optional)
1 cup grated soy cheese (optional)
2 cups (or one batch) nutritional yeast "cheese" sauce (see recipe below)
1 cup creamy broccoli soup (I use Imagine Creamy Broccoli Soup)

Place cooked pasta in a large casserole dish.
Stir in peas, carrots, 1/2 can of onions, chick'n strips, cheese, 1/2 of the cheese sauce, and soup.
Spoon the remaining cheese sauce over the top.
Cover. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.
Uncover. Add other 1/2 can of fried onions. Bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Nutritional Yeast Cheese Sauce

1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup flour
2 T. cornstarch
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 cups water
1 T. margarine
1/2-1 tsp. mustard

Place first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan.
Add water and cook over medium heat, stirring consistently until the sauce thickens (5-10 minutes).
Remove from heat and stir in margarine and mustard.

This recipe is easily doubled, and keeps covered in the fridge for days.
Great for mac & cheese, grilled cheese sandwiches, casseroles, stuffed shells or enchilada toppings, pizza, etc.

Tuesday:
Ryan's lunch for farm camp: tempeh, lettuce & tomato sandwiches; flat pretzels; watermelon; cold spinach; black raspberries.

Ryan loved using this
2-tiered Pokemon
bento. I'm sure it will
get a lot of use this fall
for kindergarten.




Ryan wearing a
flower crown he
helped make at
the farm.





CSA farm share:
- 2 1/2 quarts strawberries
- 1 head green leaf lettuce
- 1 bunch scallions
- 1/2 lb. mixed baby greens
- 12 stems rainbow swiss chard
- 12 stems kale
- 15 garlic scapes
- 2 large zucchini
- 1 quart peas (1/2 snow peas, 1/2 shelling peas)
- 1 lb. carrots

Wednesday:
Oops! I totally forgot to photograph AJ's lunch!! He had his first day of preschool camp and obviously pregnancy brain took over. He watched me pack his lunch, and declared every single item to be his favourite: "Spicy tofu! My favourite! Mashed potatoes! My favourite!" Etc. His lunch box came back empty, with the exception of the juice box...he's never been a juice drinker.

AJ's lunch: spicy baked tofu; green beans; mashed potatoes; cantaloupe; mini pumpkin-carrot-apple muffin; a cookie; juice box; water bottle; and a Luna bar (for his morning snack).

Thursday:
Ryan's lunch for his last day of farm camp: strawberries & black raspberries; spicy baked tofu; green beans; onigiri triangle; carrots; mini pumpkin-carrot-apple muffin. Not shown: juice box; Luna bar for his morning snack; water bottle.

We have a patch of black raspberry bushes on our property and each year I've trimmed them back just a bit and we've been getting better and better yields every summer. Ryan has been picking/eating about 1/2 pint each day! But I can't manage to get out there and get a photo before everyone picks them!

At camp the kids made herbal "dream pillow" sachets and drew pictures of the dreams they wanted to have.

I love using kale in
soups. Beans go
particularly well,
along with an orange
vegetable and anything
else you have handy in
the fridge. My favourite
herb for soups is
marjoram.

From the farmer's market:
- kettle corn
- loaf of white bread
- quart of new red potatoes
- 3 tomatoes
- 1 cucumber
- loaf of apple pie bread (not
shown...my husband hid it!)

Just a fun picnic dinner (I'm getting lazy while so uncomfortably pregnant):
- popcorn, green bell pepper, apple, pretzels, tortilla chips, celery & carrot sticks, peanuts/almonds/raisins.
- fresh shelled peas, black raspberries, tiny pickles.
- grilled nutritional yeast "cheese" sandwiches.

Friday the 4th of July:

My husband took the
boys to grandma's pool,
along with a deli style
pasta salad, watermelon,
and popcorn. I usually
add broccoli to this pasta
salad, but some steamed
zucchini seemed like the
logical choice at the
moment. I stayed home and ate a few bowls of my own!

Worm for a week

The weekend:

A yummy lunch of pea shoots
with an asian sauce over ramen
noodles & a little cold tofu....and
some sorrel leaves, which are
an herb by the way, so do not
cook them like I did or they
turn brown! Don't make my
mistake! Slice and add as a
garnish.

I need to learn more
about the less popular herbs.
I need to stroll the herb gardens at our CSA and pay closer attention to those lesser known varieties. But until then, can any of you out there suggest a good website with photos of different culinary herbs?
Popsicles on the porch steps: frozen layers of soy yogurt & fresh strawberry puree.

Tuesday:
Ryan had his first day of
"Farm Camp" at our CSA.
He brought a snack, lunch,
and contribution to the
farm's daily Stone Soup.
Each day all of the farm
employees, work-for-
sharers, regular
shareholders fulfilling
their work hours, volunteers, and kids are welcome to share lunch at the big picnic tables under the apple tree. Everyone contributes something for the vegan soup, or brings along something to accompany the meal such as bread, cookies, etc.

Ryan brought a can of
organic black beans and
some barley for the soup.
And he brought his own
bowl and spoon, since
everyone either brings
their own dishes or uses
the big wooden bowls that
belong to the farm.

In addition to Stone Soup, Ryan brought a bento with Alton Brown's Cold-Fashioned Potato Salad, tofu salad sandwiches, an orange slice, cucumbers, & carrots. He had an organic juice box, which I had frozen beforehand to use in place of an ice pack in his lunchbox.
For his snack he had an Odwalla bar, and of course a big bottle of water.

The kids harvested baby carrots, drew pictures, and made their own wormeries to take home. So we now have a pet worm living in the dining room for the week.

Our CSA share is starting to grow:
- basil, thyme, oregano...and a few other's I'm not sure of! (that's what happens when I'm not there to pick them and my husband takes over.)
- 3 quarts of strawberries
- 1 head green leaf lettuce
- 2 quarts sugar snap peas
- 1 large zucchini
- 1/2 lb. mixed baby greens
- baby beets with greens
- 1/2 lb. spinach
- a dozen garlic scapes
- 18 stems rainbow swiss
chard
- a bunch of baby carrots
with greens

Dinner was whole grain
spaghetti with zucchini,
garlic & garlic scapes,
oregano, & capers. So
delicious.



Thursday:
Ryan's lunch for farm camp: strawberries; almonds; fresh peas; mini-corn muffin; carrots; crescent roll sandwich with smoked Tofurky slices, soy cheese, & lettuce. Not shown: juice box, Luna bar, water.

Lunch at home: pasta
with leftover zucchini
sauce mixed with a
marinara sauce & sliced
green olives. Oh man
was this good!




From the local
Farmer's Market:
- 1 loaf white bread
- 1 loaf wheat bread
- red new potatoes
- 2 tomatoes
- 1 green bell pepper

What makes these local
greenhouse grown tomatoes
so tasty is that they are
sown right into the ground inside the greenhouse.

Ryan shows off his wormery.