Split Pea Soup

Split Pea Soup

Serves: 4 adults

4 slices bacon

1 large onion, chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

5 cups chicken broth

2 cups split peas

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Saute bacon in a pot until browned, then add onion and saute until translucent.  Add carrots and garlic and saute for 3 minutes.  Add chicken broth, split peas, bay leaf and rosemary (make sure the peas are covered with broth).  Bring to a boil then turn the heat down and simmer covered until the peas are tender, about one hour.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Radish Leaf Soup

Don't throw out those radish leaves, make this fantastic soup instead!  From epicurious.com

Radish Leaf Soup

1 tablespoon butter
1 large chopped onion
Leaves from 10-15 radishes, washed
5 medium potatoes (about 1.5 pounds), peeled and chopped into 1 inch pieces
3 cups of water or broth
2/3 cup milk

Melt butter in saucepan then add onions and saute until translucent.   Add radish leaves and saute until wilted.  Add potatoes and water.  Bring to a boil, then turn heat down and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to puree the soup.  Alternatively a blender can be used.  Season soup with salt and pepper to taste.  Garnish with a splash of cream (optional).

Radish Hors d'oeuvres

I don't often make hors d'oeuvres, but I had about 15 radishes and I didn't know what else to do with them, so I made some snacks for the Steeler's game.

Chive Cream Cheese Stuffed Radishes

10-15 radishes

1 teaspoon chopped chives

3 tablespoons cream cheese

splash of milk

Chop off the ends of the radishes so they can stand up.  Reserve the greens for radish green soup (recipe in next post).  Use a melon baller or a small knife to core the radishes.  Reserve the cores for radish deviled eggs (for recipe see below).  Mix the chives, cream cheese and milk together so you get a frosting-like texture.  Use a pastry bag or a plastic baggie with the corner cut to deliver the cream cheese to the cored radishes.

Radish Deviled Eggs

8 hard boiled eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons diced radish
2 teaspoons diced chives
Salt and pepper to taste

Remove shell from eggs and cut in half.  Remove yolks and put in a bowl and mix with mayonnaise, mustard, radishes, chives, salt and pepper.  Spoon out mixture into hard boiled egg whites.

Ratatouille!

Ratatouille 

A simple (and very yummy) vegetable stew.  I used tomatoes and summer squash that I had frozen earlier this summer.  It was fantastic!  Serves: 4 adults

• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 medium eggplants, unpeeled, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 summer squash or zucchini, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 bell peppers (any color), cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4-6 tomatoes (fresh, canned or frozen), coarsely chopped (about 6 cups)
• 1/2 tablespoon thyme
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/3 cup minced fresh basil

Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onions and saute until tender. Add eggplants and garlic and saute 5 minutes. Add summer squash and bell peppers and saute for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then reduce heat. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 40 minutes. Stir in basil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Garlic Lentil Soup

Garlic Lentil Soup

4 cloves of garlic, chopped
4 cups water
1 cup french lentils
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon fresh parsley (use less if dried)

Add water, garlic, lentils, and oil to a stockpot.  Bring to a boil and simmer until lentils are tender, about 30 minutes.  Use an immersion blender to blend the soup.  Then stir in thyme and parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cauliflower and Garbanzo Bean Curry

Cauliflower and Garbanzo Bean Curry

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon mild curry powder
2 teaspoon hot curry powder
1 teaspoon garam masala (optional: otherwise add more curry powder)
1 1/2 cups of dried garbanzo beans (soak in water overnight, the next day cover in water, bring to a boil and simmer for 1 hour) or use 2 cans of garbanzo beans
5-6 cups of cauliflower florets
1 can of coconut milk (for healthier option use light coconut milk or a cup of yogurt)
2 tomatoes, diced
1 jalepeno, seeded and diced (optional)
1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

Saute onion in oil until tender and translucent.  Add garlic and curry powder and stir for another 2 minutes.  Add beans, cauliflower, coconut milk, tomatoes and jalepenos.  Cook until cauliflower is tender, about 15 minutes.  Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve over basmati rice.

Bean Chili with Squash and Kale

I harvested the heirloom beans I grew this year from Seed Saver's Exchange (Brockton and Good Mother Stallard Beans).  The unique coloring on them was fantastic, and I was very excited to cook with them.  Unfortunately I didn't have too many, so I combined them with red kidney beans and black turtle beans to make chili.  It was one of the best chili recipes I've ever had!  Here it is:

Bean Chili with Squash and Kale

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 large or 2 medium onions
• 2 cloves of minced garlics
• 1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
• 2 tablespoons of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons of cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/2 cups dried beans (The day before soak 2 1/2 cups of dried beans in water overnight.  The next day cook the beans for about 1 hour, or until tender.)
• 2-3 cups of chicken (or vegetable) broth
• 1 small bunch (5 leaves) kale, cut into small pieces

Heat oil in large pot.   Saute onions until tender and golden, then add garlic and saute for a few more minutes.  Add squash and spices, stir for a few minutes.  Then add beans and broth and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the squash is tender, about 20 minutes.  Then add kale and cook for another 5 minutes.  Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheddar cheese (optional).

Refreshing Fresh Salsa

Here's a great, easy recipe for when you're swimming in tomatoes in the beginning of fall.  It makes a tasty and healthy snack!

Refreshing Fresh Salsa

3-5 tomatoes diced

1/2 purple onion diced

1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley or cilantro

1 jalepeno pepper seeded and diced

Squirt of lemon or lime juice

Sprinkle of salt

Mix together and serve with tortilla chips.

Apple Cupcakes (from Meg)

Here's a recipe from my friend Meg to help you use your fall apples:

Shelby's Apple Cake Recipe

• 4 cups peeled and diced apples (I like to use 4 1/2 to 5 cups)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup canola oil
• 1 cup chopped nuts (pecans or walnuts)-- nuts are optional... I left them out of the cupcakes this time and they turned out great.
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• 3 teaspoons cinnamon (I usually put in a little extra)
• 1 teaspoon salt

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix apples and sugar thoroughly. Add oil, nuts, eggs and vanilla and mix well. Mix dry ingredients together separately and add to apple mixture. For apple cake, bake in a greased 13x9 inch pan for 1 hour.  For apple cupcakes, bake in lined cupcake pans for 30-35 minutes.

Easy (and Delicious!) Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• 8 oz (one brick) cream cheese-- does not have to be room temperature, you can mix it straight out of the fridge!  I usually used reduced fat.
• 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Approx 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (you may not need two full cups)

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric hand mixer at low speed until combined.  Add powdered sugar about a quarter cup at a time, mixing well after adding.  you can add as much or as little sugar as you want, until the frosting is at the sweetness and consistency you would like.

That's it!  If you decide to make it as a cake, it doesn't really need frosting (my mom never put frosting with it... Just served it warm with some vanilla ice cream.  Or plain for breakfast, yum!).  I think the cupcakes would be really good topped off with a little cinnamon sugar, but I didn't have any to test it out with.  Enjoy!! :)


--Meg

Baba Ghanoush ("eggplant hummus")

I would describe Baba Ghanoush as "eggplant hummus".  The base of hummus is chick peas, whereas Baba Ghanoush is mostly eggplant, but the spices and extras are about the same in both.  Baba Ghanoush is a great dip for football games and parties, especially because it's pretty healthy, and it's a great way to use your extra eggplants.

Baba Ghanoush

1 large or 2 medium eggplants

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or parsley

2 tablespoons tahini (Sesame seed paste- in the ethic or middle eastern section of your grocery store.  Available in bulk at the East End Co-op)

2 garlic cloves

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground pepper

Remove the stem from the eggplant, stab a few times with a fork, then wrap in foil and cook in oven until mushy (about 1 hour at 400 degrees, alternatively put it in the oven when you're cooking something else, and if it's a lower temperature just cook it longer).  Let the eggplant cool.  Remove the eggplant pulp from the skin and add to a food processor.  Add all the other ingredients to the food processor as well and process until smooth.  Serve with pita bread or pita chips.  For homemade pita use the recipe from my lamb souvlaki post (shown on the right).

Vichyssoise (creamy potato leek soup)

Vichyssoise (apparently pronounced vish-ee-swaze) is one of my favorite soups.  The only difference between Vichyssoise and potato-leek soup is that it has a little bit of cream.  I made an especially good batch last night and I'm going to give credit to the fresh, local ingredients.  I bought the potatoes and leeks at the East Aurora farmers market (outside of Buffalo, NY) while I was visiting the area.  I must admit that that farmers market has a much bigger selection than the ones in Pittsburgh (although they have less "organic"/pesticide free).  Anyway, here's the recipe:

Vichyssoise

6-8 large servings

Total time: 45 minutes

6 medium leeks

3 tablespoons butter

6-8 large potatoes (about 1.5 pounds)

5-6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (enough to cover potatoes)

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 cup of cream (or 1/2 cup cream and 1/2 cup milk)

First remove roots and green part of leeks (some green part is okay, just remove the really thick stuff).  Then remove the outer layer and rinse, as there tends to be some dirt stuck here.  Then chop into thin slices.  Saute chopped leaks in butter for about 15 minutes (until tender but not brown).  In the mean time peel potatoes and chop into thin slices.  Once leeks are tender add potatoes and enough broth to cover them.  Also add the salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 25 minutes).  Then add cream and blend until smooth.  An immersion blender is a great tool for this, but a regular blender works fine too (just be prepared for a mess).  Alternatively the soup can be mashed (I know people who prefer it a little chunky).  Garnish with chives (optional).  Serve hot or chilled.

Five-Spice Beet Soup

We got a lot of beets in our farm share for the past few weeks and I don't think it's cool enough to store them in the basement yet.  Instead I made some Five-Spice Beet Soup (recipe from epicurious.com).  Definitely a healthy soup, but I wouldn't recommend it for a meal.  I served myself a big bowl, and I stopped enjoying it towards the end.  It would be good for an appetizer, but I think I like roasted beets better.