Bright Carrot Cumin Soup

Winter is when warm carrot soup tastes soooooooo good!

Serves 4 to 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 25 minutes

6 to 7 carrots, chopped (about 4 cups)
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 Tablespoon butter
1 quart vegetable broth, divided
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon finely diced ginger
3 to 4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice from 1/2 lemon slice
1/2 cup coconut milk (optional)

Preheat oven to 400° F. Combine carrots, oil and a pinch of salt on a baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes or until fork tender.

Sauté onions in butter over medium heat until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons broth, cumin, turmeric, paprika and remaining salt and allow to simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add remaining broth, ginger, garlic and roasted carrots. Bring to a boil, then simmer 5 minutes more. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 to 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and coconut milk, then blend until smooth with an immersion blender, or in batches in a stand-up blender.

We thank Virginia Newman for this recipe.

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Posted on February 8, 2017

Sunchoke Soup

Sunchokes are a knobby but delicious root vegetable. Not to be confused with ginger, which is a common mistake, sunchokes offer a sweet and nutty crunch to your winter menus.

2 pounds sunchokes
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped leek (white and pale green parts only)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
7 cups (or more) vegetable broth
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Ground white pepper
Shelled and roasted pumpkin seeds

Rinse and scrub sunchokes to remove all soil. Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium heat. Add onion, leek, and garlic; sprinkle with salt and sauté until soft and translucent, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Cut sunchokes into 1-inch pieces. Add to onion mixture and sauté 5 minutes. Add vegetable broth, increase heat to high, and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until chokes are very tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly.

Working in batches, puree soup in blender until very smooth. Return to pot. Rewarm soup, adding more broth by 1/4 cups, if needed, to thin. Stir in cream and season to taste with salt and white pepper.

This soup can be made 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Rewarm before serving. Divide soup among bowls and garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds; top with a drizzle of pumpkin seed oil and some sautéed mushrooms, if desired.

Recipe adapted from epicurious.com.

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Posted on February 2, 2017

Kori’s Lacinato Kale & Fennel

1 cup bow-tie pasta, cooked according to package
Olive oil
2 cups lacinato kale, rinsed and chopped into bite-size pieces
1 can (14 ounces) diced Italian-style tomatoes
2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 fennel bulb, thinly-sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cup fresh shiitake mushrooms, diced
1 cup (8 ounces) thick bacon or pork belly, cubed
Grated Parmesan, for garnish

In small saucepot, boil water and cook the bow tie pasta according to package directions. Drain after cooking and set aside.

In separate saucepan, cook the bacon. Once cooked, set aside over paper towel to absorb grease until ready to add to dish.

In large saucepot, drizzle olive oil over med-high heat. Add minced garlic; sauté for about 2 minutes. Add lacinato kale and fennel; sauté about 5 minutes until softened.

Add Italian tomatoes, fresh tomatoes and shiitake mushrooms. Let simmer for about 5-10 minutes, or until everything is softened and cooked.

Add the pasta to the large saucepot to create a 50/50 mix of pasta and veggies. Drizzle olive oil.

Lastly, add the bacon. Let warm over stove for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Served with fresh Parmesan.

We thank Ocean Mist Farms for this recipe.

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Posted on November 30, 2016

Linguine with Arugula, Garlic & Parmesan

More fun facts about arugula: *Arugula’s bitter and pungent properties make it a digestive tonic. *In Ayurvedic medicine, arugula is considered an energy mover. *Arugula oil has been extracted from the seeds and is considered an aphrodisiac in Europe.

12 ounces linguine or other dried pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil or butter
7 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 very large handfuls (about 5 ounces) arugula
1/2 cup freshly shredded or shaved Parmesan, plus extra for topping
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Cook pasta al dente in a large stockpot of generously salted water according to package instructions.

While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil (or melt the butter) in a saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until it begins to turn just slightly golden. Remove from heat. If the pasta is not yet ready, transfer the garlic to a separate dish to prevent it from overcooking.

Once the pasta is cooked, drain it. Immediately stir in the garlic and olive oil mixture, arugula, and Parmesan cheese. Toss until combined. Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan cheese (and toasted pine nuts, if using).

We thank gimmesomeoven.com for this recipe.

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Posted on October 19, 2016

Carrot Tahini Salad with Spiced Chickpeas

Nash’s carrots are BACK!

Serves 6

For the chickpeas:
1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas, rinsed & drained (or 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt and pepper

For the dressing:
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons minced parsley
Water to thin if necessary

For the salad:
3 cups shredded carrots (from 3 to 4 medium-sized carrots)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup fresh parsley, minced
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 425°F. Toss the chickpeas with the oil, spices, salt, and pepper. Place on a prepared baking sheet and roast in the oven until lightly browned and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Shake the pan several times throughout baking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. In a large salad bowl, toss the shredded carrots, onion, raisins, and parsley with the dressing. Mix well. Season with a little salt and pepper. Right before serving, top with the chickpeas and enjoy.

We thank thekitchn.com for this recipe.

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Posted on September 15, 2016

Lemony Braised Lacinato Kale

1 large bunch (about 10 ounces) lacinato kale, leaves rinsed and thick center ribs cut out
Scant 1/2 tablespoon extra-virgin fruity olive oil
2–4 cloves garlic, or to taste
1/8 cup dry white wine (could use vermouth)
1/4–1/2 cup chicken stock
1 teaspoon coarse salt or sea salt
1–2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice, to taste

Cut kale into 1-inch pieces and steam until slightly wilted. Remove from heat and drain well.

In a large fry pan over low heat, heat olive oil. Add garlic and sauté, stirring often, until soft. Add kale and wine; cover and cook until almost all liquid has evaporated. Add 1/4 cup chicken stock and cook until stock is almost evaporated and kale is very tender, approximately 30 minutes. Check for tenderness. If needed, add the remainder of the chicken stock and cook until done.

Season to taste with salt and lemon juice; toss with tongs and serve. Serves 2.

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Posted on September 2, 2016

Cilantro Dill Pesto

Cilantro!

This pesto is packed with flavor and can be spread on crackers or veggies, or mixed with a pasta dish.

1 jalapeño pepper (or substitute pickled jalapeño pepper slices)
3 tablespoons roasted sunflower seeds
1/2 cup canned white beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup water
Pinch ground cumin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat grill. Grill jalapeño pepper until charred. (You can use pickled or simply jarred jalapeño slices in place of the grilled jalapeño.) Cool, peel off skin and remove all of the ribs and seeds from the inside of the pepper. Note: Seeds and ribs can also be left in to increase heat of pesto.

Toast sunflower seeds on a tray in a toaster oven for 5 minutes or until golden. Place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender container and puree. Slowly drizzle in olive oil after pesto has been pureed.

Recipe adapted from canyonranch.com.

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Posted on July 21, 2016

Lemon Tahini Kale Salad

Kale didn’t earn its reputation as a superfood for nothin’!

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped
2 pinches salt (more to taste)
1/3 cup tahini
1 small lemon
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
2 tablespoons warm water (more if needed to thin)
1-2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

Salt the kale and massage with your hands. Let the prepped kale sit while you prepare the dressing. Combine tahini, juice from lemon, soy sauce or tamari, and water and mix well with fork. Add more water to thin as desired. Mince garlic and add to dressing along with sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Pour 3/4 of dressing over kale, mix, and add more if necessary, or reserve for a vegetable sauté or salad dressing for later use.

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Posted on June 23, 2016

Basic Aioli

Aioli is also known as garlic sauce.

4 cloves garlic, peeled, chopped fine
2 egg yolks
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon cold water
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Put garlic and salt to a mortar bowl and grind slowly with the pestle, moving in one direction only,. You can also use a food processor, then transfer the mixture back to a medium-sized bowl. Whisk in the mustard first, then the egg yolks.

Add half the oil as you whisk very slowly or the oil will not emulsify and your sauce will not thicken. Once it is incorporated, add the water and the lemon juice, whisking or stirring constantly. Then slowly add the rest of the oil. The mixture will thicken as you continue to blend it. It should be slightly thinner than commercial mayonnaise. If it becomes too thick you can add a bit more warm water, one teaspoon at a time.

We thank gourmetsleuth.com for this recipe.

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Posted on June 16, 2016

Simple Sautéed Fava Beans

Fava beans are fun and delicious!

3-4 pounds fava beans
2 cloves garlic, diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
Juice from 1/2 lemon
Pinch of salt

Shell the fava beans from the larger pods. Bring 2 cups water to boil, and cook the fava beans for 2 minutes, strain, and rinse with cold water. Pierce the outer shell of the bean with your fingernail, and slip the bright green beans out of this second layer into a bowl.

Heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat. Add beans, and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Add diced garlic and sauté for 2-3 more minutes. The beans should be just browned. Remove from heat, add lemon and salt. Serve as a side dish or atop a salad.

We thank Virginia Newman for this recipe.

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Posted on June 10, 2016