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Roasted Vegetable and Barley Stew
The sweetness of the parsnips and cabbage really come out with roasting. Soaking the barley for at least 6 hours is crucial to having it cook faster. As this is a hearty stew, you may want to make it later in the week when the weather turns cold and rainy again. Serves 4-6.
4 slices of bacon
1 small onion, sliced thin
1/2 head of savoy cabbage, roughly chopped into 1 pieces w/leaves separated
1 tsp. salt
1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 3/4 cubes
1 1/2 lb. parsnips, peeled and cut into 3/4 pieces
1 TB olive oil
1 cup pearled barley, rinsed, soaked over night and drained
4 cups vegetable stock
2 TB balsamic vinegar
2 TB maple syrup
2 TB chopped fresh basil or parsley, -or- 1 tsp. dried rubbed sage
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 450F. In a large heavy-bottomed pot, cook bacon over medium heat. When bacon is finished cooking, remove, cool, crumble and reserve. Increase heat to medium-high. Add sliced onion to hot bacon fat and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add half of the cabbage pieces, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt and toss to coat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage begins to wilt (3-5 minutes). Add remaining cabbage, sprinkle with remaining salt and toss with already warmed cabbage. Once the new cabbage begins to wilt, add potatoes and parsnips and toss to coat. Pour mixture onto large cookie sheet or sheet pan. Roast in hot oven for approximately 30 minutes, tossing veggies every 10 minutes. 15 minutes into the cooking time, sprinkle veggies with vinegar and maple syrup and toss to coat. Continue roasting.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in clean heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add drained barley and cook, stirring frequently, for about a minute. Add broth, bring to boil, cover and simmer until barley is al dente, about 30 minutes. Add roasted vegetables and reserved crumbled bacon to the cooked barley. Add dried or fresh herbs and stir to combine. Season to taste. Serve warm with crusty bread.
Chilean Bean Stew
From the Moosewood New Classics cookbook. Here's a recipe for a traditional summertime stew from Chile. According to the Moosewood cookbook it's traditionally made with fresh corn and fresh shelled red or white beans.
2 tbsp oil
2 c chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt
black pepper
red pepper flakes
1 quart squash puree
vegetable broth or chicken broth as needed.
3 c corn kernels
3 c pinto beans, cooked
1/2 c chopped basil
grated cheddar cheese
Heat oil in a soup pot and saute onion and garlic. Season with salt, pepper and red pepper to taste. Saute until onion is golden and fragrant. Stir in the squash and thin to desired consistency with broth. Add in the beans and corn and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt & pepper. Mix in the basil and serve with a sprinkle of grated cheddar.
White Bean and Escarole Soup
Paired with some fresh sliced bread and a side salad, it's the perfect light supper. Adapted from Epicurious.com. Serves 4.
1 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
1 purple pepper, cut into small dice
1 green pepper, cut into small dice
2 garlic scapes (or cloves), minced
3 cups (packed) 1-inch pieces escarole (about 1/2 large head)
4 cups (or more) vegetable or chicken broth
3 1/4 cups cooked white beans, such as Soldier or Jacob's Cattle
1 lb tomatoes, cut crosswise, seeds removed, then diced
2 tablespoons freshly grated local, sharp, hard cheese, or Parmesan
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch over medium-low heat. Add onion, pepper and garlic and sauté until onion is golden and tender, about 7 minutes. Add escarole; stir 3 minutes. Add 4 cups broth, beans and tomatoes and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer until escarole is tender and flavors blend, about 20 minutes. Thin with more broth, if desired. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before continuing.) Ladel soup into bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve.
Spanish Gazpacho
Nothing beats a bowl of gazpacho for a light, summer meal. Serve each bowl with a dollop of crème fraiche and a slice of crusty bread on the side. Adapted from Culinate.com. Serves 4.
2 lb. ripe tomatoes, quartered
1/4 cup chopped sweet onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped
2 medium sweet bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1/2 - 1 whole small jalapeno (to taste), deseeded and chopped
1 cube (about 2 inches square) crustless bread from a firm-textured, French-style loaf
2 TB apple cider vinegar
2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp honey
1/3 cup good quality olive oil
chopped fresh parsley or cilantro for garnish
Put half of the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the onion, garlic, peppers, bread, vinegar, salt, cumin and honey. Blend until no large pieces remain. With the motor running, add the remaining tomatoes and when well processed, gradually add the oil. Process until smooth. Serve immediately, garnished with parsley or cilantro. Cooks Note: gazpacho can be chilled overnight. Taste and adjust salt and vinegar, if necessary.
Potato Kale Soup
Heather thinks this soup is even better the next day, or made early and heated again just before serving. Serves 4.
1 bunch kale
4 TB oil
salt & pepper
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1/2 lb. spicy sausage, crumbled or chopped - optional
red pepper flakes to taste
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
water
1 quart milk
Wash kale and strip leaves from stems. Chop the kale leaves nice and small. Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add one clove of the minced garlic, and saute for one minute. Add kale with a pinch of salt and saute until bright green. Remove kale to another bowl.
Heat the rest of the oil in the same pot, add onions and remaining garlic with (optional sausage), salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Saute until fragrant and browning, about 5-10 minutes. Add potatoes and saute briefly together. Add water to just cover potatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potatoes are falling apart tender. Remove from the heat and mash the potatoes with the back of a spoon to make a thick base. Add kale and enough milk to make a creamy soup; taste for salt and pepper. Bring to a very gentle simmer and cook about 15 minutes longer.
Black Bean and Roasted Tomato Soup
This soup stretches a few tomatoes into an easy and flavorful meal. Adapted from Epicurious.com. Serves 4.
1 lb. tomatoes, seeded and quartered
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, cut into thin wedges
1 medium carrot, peeled, quartered
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 tsp fresh oregano, chopped, or 1/2 tsp dried
2 cups (or more) vegetable or chicken broth
3 1/4 cups cooked black beans
1/2 cup plain whole milk yogurt
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine tomatoes, onion and carrot in large roasting pan. Add garlic, oil and oregano and stir to coat vegetables. Roast until vegetables are brown and tender, stirring occasionally, about 55 minutes. Cut carrot into small cubes and set aside. Transfer remaining vegetables to processor. Add 2 cups broth to roasting pan and scrape up any browned bits. Add broth and 2 1/4 cups beans to processor. Puree vegetable mixture until almost smooth.
Transfer soup to heavy large saucepan. Add remaining 1 cup beans. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until flavors blend, adding more broth if soup is too thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in carrot. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm before continuing.) Ladle soup into bowls. Top each with dollop of yogurt.
Green Soup
A few years back I had a summer when I ate variations of this soup all of the time. Sometimes I would throw different herbs into the pot. I would also liberally substitute radish or beet greens for mustard, or chard for spinach, etc. Serves 8.
2 lbs. spinach
1 bunch mizuna (about 1/2 lb.)
1 cup loosely packed cilantro
5 cups water
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
1 large potato, peeled and chopped in large pieces
1 TB, + 1 tsp olive or sunflower oil
2 onions, chopped
1 TB sherry or Madiera, optional
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 TB lemon juice
freshly ground black pepper
Wash and roughly chop the greens. Place greens, cilantro, water, salt and potato in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes. While greens are simmering, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add onions and a sprinkling of of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally until onions are golden brown and soft, up to 45 minutes or more. When nicely browned, add liqueur or a bit of water and stir to bring up any remaining bits in the bottom of the pan. Add cooked onions to the pot with greens. Back in the skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp of oil and garlic. Saute for a minute or two until soft. Add to the pot. Add broth and red pepper flakes and simmer for another 10 minutes. Working in batches puree soup in a blender, or use an immersion blender in the pot. Process just until smooth, but do not over blend or the potato can make the soup gummy.
Back in the pot, return soup to a simmer. Add pepper, a dash more salt and lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve garnished with yogurt, feta or goat cheese.
Hearty Greens, Squash and Pepper Stew with Beans and Olives
This one is adapted from an Epicurious.com recipe. Serves 4.
3 TB olive or sunflower oil
2 large onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1.5 lb to 2 lb. winter squash, peeled, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
2 bell peppers, seeded, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup vegetable or chicken stock
1 bunch kale or tatsoi, thick stems trimmed, leaves cut crosswise into 2-inch strips
1 tsp dried rubbed sage, or 2 tsp chopped fresh
6 cups cooked white beans, such as Jacobs cattle or soldier
2/3 cup Kalamata olives, pitted, halved
Freshly grated sharp, hard cheese, such as Crawford Family Farms Picante
Heat oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add squash and sauté. Add bell peppers and stir to coat with onion mixture. Add broth. Cover and simmer until squash is just tender, about 10 minutes. Mix greens and sage into stew. Cover and cook until greens wilt, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add beans and olives and stir until heated through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Transfer stew to large shallow bowl. Sprinkle generously with cheese.
Fennel and Spinach Soup
If you are unhappy with the texture after pureeing, you can strain the soup for a satiny smooth texture. Serves 4.
3 TB unsalted butter
3 cups chopped fennel
2 cups minced Walla Walla onions
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste
2/3 cup (packed) fresh spinach leaves
1 TB dry sherry
Melt butter in large pot over medium heat. Add fennel and onion. Sauté until just translucent, about 15 minutes. Add broth to cover veggies and the salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer until vegetables are tender, about 30-40 minutes. Puree soup in small batches in blender until smooth, adding spinach to last batch before pureeing. Return soup to same pot. Stir in sherry and taste for seasoning. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or cream cheese and a sprinkling of fennel fronds.
Lentil and Spinach Soup
Serve this soup with a dollop of plain yogurt or creme fraiche with a toasted slice of Red Hen whole-wheat bread on the side. Serves 4.
2 tablespoons sunflower or olive oil
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced leeks
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped sweet peppers
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
9 1/2 cups (or more) water
1 lb dried lentils (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/2 lb. spinach, stems removed, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
salt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add next 4 ingredients; sauté until golden, about 10 minutes. Stir in cumin, oregano, bay leaf, and dried crushed red pepper. Add 9 1/2 cups water and dried lentils; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered until lentils are tender, adding more water by 1/2 cupfuls to thin soup, if desired, about 25 minutes. Add spinach and cilantro; simmer until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
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Curried Squash Soup with Green Garnish
Meg made this soup the other night for her and Pete. It will work equally well whether you have the pie pumpkin or kuri squash in your share. Mix the left over green garnish with eggs and cheese to make a frittata for a second evening's meal.
1 winter squash, such as pumpkin or kuri, peeled and sliced thin
2 pinches sea salt
1 15 oz can coconut milk
2 pinches yellow curry powder
salt and pepper to taste
For garnish:
1 TB sunflower or olive oil
1 large leek, sliced thin
1 clove garlic, minced
1 bunch mustard greens, washed, dried and chopped fine
salt and pepper to taste
Steam squash, sprinkled with salt, in a large pot over medium heat, until soft. Puree with coconut milk, curry powder, salt and pepper. Taste and adjust seasonings.
While squash is steaming, heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic and saute, stirring frequently, until leeks are translucent, about 5 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and add mustard greens, salt and pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until mustard greens turn deep green, about 5 minutes, decreasing heat if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Ladle hot squash soup into bowls and garnish with the sauteed greens.
Portuguese Style Autumn Vegetable Stew
This is a warm and flavorful dish, perfect for a chilly fall evening. Serve this vegetarian stew over cooked wheat berries. Or, to make a meat version, add 1 lb. Portuguese Linguiça, or another spicy sausage. If adding the sausage, try omitting the potatoes, cutting down on the stock by 1 cup, and serving over mashed potatoes. Serves 4-6.
1 TB sunflower or olive oil
2 small sweet onions, sliced thin
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 medium sweet peppers, cut into 1.5 thin strips
2 small bulbs fennel (or 1 large), stalks trimmed, core removed, sliced into 2 thin strips
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1 TB Hungarian Paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 tsp dried oregano, or 1 TB freshly chopped
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 lb. potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1 cubes
Heat oil in a heavy bottomed, large saute pan with deep sides, over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute, stirring occasionally, until onions are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add sweet peppers and fennel. Saute for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, oregano, red wine, stock, parsley and potatoes. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove cover, increase heat slightly, and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste, adjust seasonings and serve warm.
Curried Squash Soup
This recipe is adapted from one of my all time favorite cookbooks, The Silver Palate Cookbook. Considered the new Joy of Cooking when I got married 16 years ago, its recipes have stood the test of time. This particular soup is one of my favorites and must be made at least once each and every autumn when squash is abundant. Makes 4-6 servings.
4 TB sweet butter
2 cups finely chopped onions
4-5 tsp curry powder
3 lbs. orange-fleshed winter squash, like butternut or red kuri
2 apples, peeled, cored and chopped
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup apple cider
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
plain yogurt for garnish
Melt the butter in a pot. Add chopped onions and curry powder and cook, covered, over low heat until onions are tender, about 25 minutes. Meanwhile, peel the squash, scrape out the seeds and chop the flesh. When onions are tender, pour in the stock, add squash and apples, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until squash and apples are very tender, about 25 minutes. Pour the soup through a strainer, reserving liquid, and transfer the solids to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, or use a food mill fitted with a medium disc*. Add 1 cup of the cooking stock and process until smooth. Return pureed soup to the pot and add apple cider and additional cooking liquid, about 2 cups, until the soup is of the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper, simmer briefly to heat through and serve immediately, garnished with yogurt.
*I normally use an immersion blender and puree the soup right in the pot, eliminating the straining step. I then add the apple cider to the desired consistency.
Spinach and Sorrel Soup
Adapted from the book Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini by Elizabeth Schneider. Serves 4 as a first course.
2 tsp olive or sunflower oil
1/2 sweet onion, minced
3/4 lb small, tender spinach, stems removed
5-6 ounces sorrel
3 1/2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
salt and pepper
1 1/2 TB cornstarch
big pinch of ground nutmeg or ground anise
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
lemon juice
6 TB heavy cream
Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes, until translucent. Add greens and stock. Bring to a boil, stirring. Simmer until soft, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Puree soup until smooth with an immersion blender. Or, transfer to a blender or food processor and puree. Stir together cornstarch with 1/4 cup of the puree. Combine in pot with remaining soup. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Add nutmeg, zest and juice. To serve, ladle into bowls. Drizzle 1 1/2 TB heavy cream onto each, then swirl gently with knife tip or fork to form a pretty pattern.
