Rutabaga Chipotle Soup

rutabagas

Add the smokiness of chipotle peppers to the turnipy spice of rutabagas!

3 tablespoons butter
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 large rutabagas, peeled and diced (about 5 cups)
4 cups broth of choice
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 to 1 teaspoon dried ground chipotle, depending on your taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon  ground pepper
Salt to taste

Melt butter in a large pot and add onion and celery, cooking until browned. Season with salt. Add the rutabaga and the broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until the rutabaga is fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Add the chipotle and the pepper. Stir well.

Process in a blender or food processor until smooth, and pass through a fine mesh sieve to remove any chunks. Stir in the cream and taste. Gently simmer for 15 minutes. Add more salt, pepper, chipotle, or paprika if you think it needs it.

We thank thekitchn.com for this recipe.

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Cream of Celery Soup

Celery fansServes 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Soup
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 1/2 pounds celery (stalks and leaves), washed and diced
1 large potato, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Salt and pepper
1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Garnish
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 Italian sausage links, meat removed from casings
1 cup bread cubes
Cracked black pepper

In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil and cook the onion and celery until soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute or two. Add the broth and potato, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the potato is fork tender, about 20 minutes. Add the parsley leaves and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Use a hand blender to puree the soup until smooth, or work in batches in a food processor and pulse until very smooth. Return to pot, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in the lemon juice and keep warm.

To prepare the garnish, heat the oil in a skillet, and cook the sausage meat over medium heat until lightly browned, breaking the meat up into small pieces as it cooks using two forks. Add the bread cubes to the sausage and cook until the bread is golden and crisp, stirring often to prevent burning.

Serve the soup in four individual bowls, then sprinkle the sausage, black pepper and croutons on top.

We thank italianfoodforever.com for this recipe.

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Buckwheat Potato Balls

russet potatoes

Here’s a great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes.

1/2 cup toasted kasha (buckwheat groats)
1 cup water
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 teaspoons dried sage
1 head roasted garlic, cooled and pressed from skins
2 cups mashed potatoes
2 tablespoons chopped peppers
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups soft bread crumbs
1 beaten egg
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil

Bring water to a boil and add kasha. Return to boil, lower heat and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes until water is absorbed and kasha is soft.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 9 x 13″ pan with parchment paper. Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Add oil and onion. Reduce heat, sweat onions until transparent. Remove lid, add celery, and stir until veggies are soft and starting to brown. Blend in sage.

In a large mixing bowl, combine garlic, mashed potatoes, kasha, peppers, onion mixture and salt. Blend in bread crumbs and let mixture sit for 10 minutes. Mix in egg.

Using an ice cream scoop, or oiled hands, form mixture into 1-inch balls and place in the baking dish, close together. Drizzle with oil and bake for 45 minutes until lightly browned.

Recipe from Local Vegeterian Cooking by Debra Daniels-Zeller.

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Quinoa and Parlsey Salad

Curly Parsley

A flavorful and colorful salad, this can be served cold and tastes even better the second day!

1 cup water
1/2 cup uncooked quinoa
3/4 cup fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
1/2 cup finely chopped dried apricots
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted pumpkin seed kernels, toasted

Bring water and quinoa to a boil in a medium saucepan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Spoon into a bowl; fluff with a fork. Add parsley, celery, onions, and apricots.

Whisk lemon juice, olive oil, honey, salt, and black pepper. Add to quinoa mixture, and toss well. Top with seeds.

We thank MyRecipes.com for this recipe.

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Roasted Vegetable Bisque

1 bunch leeks, quartered
2-3 turnips, cut into 1″ cubes
2-4 carrots, quartered
2-4 stalks celery, quartered
1 bulb garlic, raw, cloves separated, paper and skin removed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 cups broth (whatever kind you prefer)
1-2 cups water

Place prepared vegetables and olive oil in plastic bag and toss to coat evenly. Place on ungreased baking sheet and spread out so they don’t touch. Roast 15 minutes at 425 F, turn over, and roast another 15 minutes until golden brown (caramelized) on both sides.
Transfer roasted vegetables to soup pot. Add broth and enough water to cover vegetables. Bring to a gentle boil, then simmer for 15-20 minutes. With ladle or measuring cup, transfer soup to food processor or blender and puree until smooth (may have to do in batches).

Serve in soup bowls and top with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream. Serves 4.

We thank Chef Annie McHale of Port Angeles for this recipe.

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Kitchen Sink Potato Salad

russet potatoes

Imagine all the colors swirling around this potato salad like confetti!

Salad
7-8 soft potatoes, boiled, sliced, and peeled
1 large beet, boiled, sliced, and peeled
2 carrots, sliced
4 stalks celery, chopped
5 garlic scapes, chopped
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup chopped parsley
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

Dressing
1/2 cup mayo
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup dijon mustard
Salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Mix salad ingredients in a large bowl.

Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Combine the two with a spatula.

Refrigerate until cool.

Adapted from Betty Lou’s World Famous Potato Salad.

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Aquacotta-Tuscan Peasant Soup

4 cups onions, sliced 1/3 inch thick
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt
3 cups celery, chopped fine, including leaves
3 cups savoy or green cabbage
2 cups lacinato kale, sliced fine
1 cup firm tomatoes, peeled and seeds removed
8 leaves basil
Broth, vegetable or chicken
1/3 cup dried Nash’s kidney beans, soaked, cooked and drained
12 slices day old bread
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
6 eggs

Place onion, salt, and olive oil in a pan and cook until onion wilts. Add celery, cabbage, and kale, and stir. Add tomatoes, basil, and broth until all veggies are covered by 2 inches, and simmer 2-3 hours. Add beans and pepper to taste.

Toast bread and soft-cook the eggs. Don’t overcook because you want the yolk runny. Place a piece of toasted bread in bottom of soup bowl, ladle the soup on top, sprinkle with some cheese, and top with an egg.

From Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazen.

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Caulifower Salad

Cauliflower and carrots at farmer's market

It’s cauliflower and carrot time!

1 medium cauliflower
Choice of vegetables, such as grated carrot, chopped parsley, water cress, green onion, celery, olives, tomatoes, chopped pickles
Salt and pepper
Oil and vinegar, or sour cream
Choice of herbs, such as basil, dill or cilantro

Cut the raw cauliflower into small pieces. If you want to cook them, blanch or sauté for just 3 to 4 minutes. Allow to cool completely. Cut up other ingredients and mix with cauliflower in a bowl. Prepare an oil-and-vinegar or sour cream dressing and mix it with the salad ingredients, adding herbs of your choice, and salt and pepper to taste. Leave in the fridge until serving time.

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Pickled Mixed Vegetables

Makes 5-6 quarts

1 large head cauliflower
4 ribs celery
1 dozen small pickling cucumbers
8 small carrots
1 medium green bell pepper
1 medium red bell pepper
8 small pearl onions
16 cloves garlic
1 pound green beans
10 cup vinegar
6 cup water
1 cup salt
2 teaspoons celery seed
4 teaspoons dill seed
4 teaspoons mustard seed

Sterilize jars. Break cauliflower into small florets; cook in boiling water 5 minutes; drain. Cut remaining vegetables into bite-sized pieces and mix in a big bowl. Mix the vinegar, water, salt, celery, dill and mustard seed to make brine and heat over medium. Pack hot jars with random vegetables, bring brine to a boil and fill to 1/2” head space. Follow the USDA recommendation for processing pickled mixed vegetables.

We thank Stocking Up for this recipe.

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