Watermelon Popsicles - a very short "recipe"

Watermelon Popsicles

Watermelon Popsicles - a very short "recipe"

Ingredients
watermelon
sugar (optional)
basil, chopped (optional)

Directions
1. Chop the watermelon; remove the seeds.
2. Blend in the Vita-mix (or blender).
3. Add sugar and/or basil if desired.
4. Pour watermelon water into some sort of popsicle maker thingy. If you are a nursing mom, consider utilizing the empty breast milk storage containers that are collecting in your cabinet. They hold 2.5 ounces and are skinny.
5. Add appropriate popsicle sticks if you have them. Or, if you are nursing mom who didn't plan this ahead very well but who hoards, you can rummage through your catch-all drawer and unearth some plastic wear from previous take-out orders. If you can find 6 plastic forks or spoons, make 6 popsicles.
6. Place onto a plate and into the freezer.
7. Wait until a super hot day or a day when your toddler needs a distraction or - ideally - both! To remove popsicles from breast milk storage containers, dip them in a glass of hot water.
8. Have camera ready.

Note to self. Buy popsicle sticks so you don't have to use forks which become kind of hazardous as the popsicle melts. Duh. 

Another note to self: take children outside and strip them naked before giving them a popsicle. Or be prepared to clean. A lot. 

Julia takes the first bite. 

Sharing with her sister. 

Neither of them capable of waiting their turn, they opt to share simultaneously. 

Making Baby Food (Ode to a Vitamix)

The Badseed Winter Farmers Market is ending this month, and Julia will be ready for solid foods soon - and we broke down and bought a Vitamix (!) - so, we've been making baby food!

"Mommy, can I eat some yet?"

Julia wore her sweet-potato-orange bib for our first session, which I thought was very clever of her. These days she has been intently watching us eat and drink, slowly but surely recognizing how we pick things up and put them in our mouths. She'll be ready soon.

silicone ice cube trays - a helpful gift from my mom

One of the reasons (the many reasons) we bought the Vitamix was because of the recipes for baby food in the back of the book. Using the Vitamix is so perfect for baby food that I can't imagine owning a separate baby food maker. I totally sound like the Vitamix demonstration lady at Costco, but it's true! It's an amazing machine and purees like magic.

smells so good

So two weeks ago I bought five pounds of sweet potatoes at Badseed - they were the last of the season for Bigg Blue Farm, so I'm glad I caught them in time! Then last weekend I bought 6 hefty acorn squashes, also from Bigg Blue Farm. (PS: the small amount of acorn squash puree left over in your Vitamix, blended with orange juice and some frozen fruit, makes a really good smoothie!) Having exhausted our orange options for now, next on the docket are some canned green beans from last year. (Won't be making a smoothie with left over green beans ... or will we?)

sweet potato puree

As the winter season wanes, we eat what we've been saving and the freezer (chockablock with preserved harvest at the beginning of the winter) slowly empties; so I am filling it back up with baby food. Tightly sealed perfect little cubes of colorful, local, organic baby food.

many cubic inches of baby food

2011 - Year of the Soup - Part 2

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, we've been eating a lot of soup so far this year. We won't go the whole year, but we have managed to go an entire month, and, proudly, we've only repeated one soup. And the most amazing thing is - I have yet to tire of soup. We diversify our menus on the weekends, which I think helps. But during the week, the crock pot and I get nice and cozy and each night we eat soup after soup after soup.

So I decided to post again on this because I'm pretty dang proud of the diversity of our soups. I included recipes if you're interested, dear Reader. But if you're not interested (and I won't blame you - it is a lot of recipes), let me direct you to the Harissa Sauce. If you read nothing else from this post, scroll down and get the Harissa Sauce recipe - it's super easy and very tasty.

Tuesday, January 18: Moroccan-Inspired Vegetable and Chickpea Stew (see recipe below) This is the first of two non-committal "Moroccan" recipes we've done - I say non-committal because, for some reason, this recipe book which is comfortable saying "Indian," "Mediterranean," "Hungarian," and "Greek" without hesitation, curiously feels compelled to qualify its Moroccan recipes with "-style" and "-inspired." At any rate - both Moroccan-ish recipes were delicious. To distinguish it from the other one, I call this one "the one with fruit."

Wednesday, January 19: Pesto-Infused White Bean and Sun-dried Tomato Stew (see recipe below) For this delicious pasta-esque soup I pulled from my freezer my own pesto (local but for the olive oil!) and sun-dried tomatoes (locally grown and dehydrated!).

Thursday, January 20: Corn Chowder (see recipe below) This is a slow cooker recipe, but I cooked it on the stove top - which I've found works well with lots of the soup and stew recipes in this book. It was a nice departure from this week's chunky stews.

Monday, January 24: Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili (see recipe below) Another improvisation here - my secret ingredient was Lew Edmister's smoked Hungarian peppers. They are so flavorful and taste like they came straight from the fire, even though they came from my freezer. Black or red beans would work on this recipe. Just don't leave out the chipotle.

Tuesday, January 25: Potato Stew (see recipe below) This was a classic and pleasantly-boring selection in our wide array of soups.

Wednesday, January 26: All Day Minestrone (see recipe below) I finally made a minestrone - I've been thinking of making one during this whole mad soup fest. This one was a winner for sure.

Monday, January 31: Creamy Tomato Soup with Israeli Couscous (reprise) This is the first repeat of this entire month. It was a big hit the first time so we decided to go ahead and bring it back - this time with orzo instead of soup shells. I have got to find that Israeli couscous...

Tuesday, February 1: Very Vegetable Gumbo (see recipe below) This was the first day of the big blizzard, a weather event of historic proportions, not only for the amount of snow but also for the amount of publicity, FB chatter, and silly names (i.e. "snowmaggedon" and "blizaster"). We spent the day indoors, watching the snow fall and enjoying the aroma of gumbo.

Wednesday, February 2: Moroccan-Style Lentil and Chickpea Soup - "the one with harissa" (see recipe below) Day two of "snowpocalypse" - same as day one. Stayed at home, watched our neighbors dig their cars out of the snow, enjoyed the aroma of another Moroccan-esque meal, and - towards the end of the day - made Harissa sauce, which was so, so tasty. I will no doubt be making this sauce again before I make this soup again. The soup was delicious, mind you. But the harissa was spectacular.

Thursday, February 3: Black Bean Soup (see recipe below) Classic, simple, and delicious.

...

The following recipes are from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

Moroccan-Inspired Vegetable and Chickpea Stew - aka "the one with fruit"
Slow cooker size: 4-6 quart
Cook time: 6-8 hours
Setting: Low
Serves: 4 to 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 shallots, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 small bell pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
8 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups slow-cooked or 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/2 cup mixed dried fruit (apricots, apples, prunes, raisins, etc.), chopped
1/4 cup imported green olives, drained, halved, and pitted
1 Tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the shallots, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic. Cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, cinnamon, cumin, paprika, and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds to bring out the flavors.

Transfer the mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the green beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, stock, and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

About 20 minutes before serving, add the peas and dried fruit.

When ready to serve, stir in the olives and sprinkle with the parsley.


Pesto-Infused White Bean and Sun-Dried Tomato Stew
Slow Cooker Size: 4 quart
Cook time: 6 to 8 hours
Setting: Low
Serves: 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
3 large ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or canned tomatoes)
1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
3 cups slow-cooked or two cans cannellini or other white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups vegetable tock
salt and pepper
1/4 cup pesto

Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the onion to a 4-quart slow cooker. Add the bell pepper, both kinds of tomatoes, the beans, and stock; season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Just before serving, stir in the pesto.


Corn Chowder
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped (optional)
1 Yukon gold potato - OR 1 medium sweet potato - peeled and diced
1 1/2 - 3 cups frozen corn kernels
1/2 small yellow bell pepper
4 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper (use smoked salt if you have it - delicious!)
1 large ripe tomato, seeded and chopped (optional)
1 Tablespoon snipped fresh chives, parsley, or other fresh herbs (optional)

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, and bell pepper and cook until softened.

Add the rest of the vegetables (to the stove top pot or to the slow cooker) and bring to a boil; cook on medium heat for 30-45 minutes. In a slow cooker, cook on low for 6 hours.

Ladle 2 cups of the soup solids into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Or blend partially with an immersion blender. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with chopped tomato and herbs.


Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 4-6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, seeded and chopped (AND/OR two small smoked peppers from Lew)
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 Tablespoon chili powder or more, to taste (or 1/4 t. cumin, 1/2 t. oregano, dash of paprika)
1 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes or (1 quart of canned tomatoes)
1 1/2 cups slow-cooked or 1 can black beans
2-3 cups water or vegetable broth
2 Tablespoons of tomato paste (optional)
salt
1 Tablespoon minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper (and/or smoked pepper), and garlic, cover and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chili powder and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sweet potatoes and stir to coat with the spices.

Transfer mixture to the slow cooker. Add the tomatoes, beans, and broth; season with salt, cover, and cook on low 6 to 8 hours.

When ready to serve, stir the chipotles into the chili.


Potato Stew (a modification of "Almost Irish Stew")
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 4-6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium potatoes
3 cups vegetable broth
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 small chunk of frozen collard greens (or 3 large kale leaves or other dark leafy greens, cooked in simmering water until tender)
2 Field Roast Italian sausages (optional)

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and carrots, cover and cook until softened.

Transfer the onions and carrots to a 4-6 quart slow cooker. Add the potatoes, stock, wine, soy sauce, herbs and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

About 10 minutes before serving, stir in cooked greens. (Add chopped, cooked sausage on top when serving.)


All Day Minestrone
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 7-8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 can of diced tomatoes left undrained
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash
6 cups vegetable stock
salt and pepper
1/2 cup raw or 1 cup cooked ditalini or other small soup pasta (we used soup shells)
1/4 cup pesto

Pour the oil in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic, cover and cook on High while you assemble the remaining ingredients.

After they've been prepped, add the green beans, tomatoes, zucchini, and stock to the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low 7 to 8 hours.

If using raw ditalini, about an hour before you're ready to serve, add it to the slow cooker and cover.

Just before serving, stir in the pesto and already cooked pasta if using.


Very Vegetable Gumbo
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
1/2 large green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 cups vegetable stock
2 cups tomato juice or vegetable juice
1 can diced tomatoes, drained
1-2 zucchinis, chopped
approx 2 cups of okra (frozen or fresh - mine was local, of course, and frozen)
1 teaspoon filé powder (optional - if you use okra, you don't need filé)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
2 cups hot cooked long-grain rice (I used 1 cup, dry, basmati rice)

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, and garlic, cover and cook until softened.

Transfer vegetables to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, add the stock, tomato juice, tomatoes, zucchini, okra and/or filé powder, and thyme, season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low 8 hours.

Just before serving stir in Tabasco and Liquid Smoke. To serve, divide the cooked rice evenly into four soup bowls and top with the gumbo.


Moroccan-Style Lentil and Chickpea Soup - "the one with harissa"
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 6-8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 4-6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 cup dried lentils, picked over and rinsed
one 14.5 ounce can plum tomatoes, drained and chopped
1 1/2 cups slow-cooked or one 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable stock
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 teaspoons harissa sauce, to taste, plus more to serve (recipe follows)
salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic, cover and cook until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add the ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, cumin, and cardamom, stirring to coat the vegetables.

Transfer the onion mixture to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker, add the lentils, tomatoes, chickpeas, and stock, cover, and cook on Low for 8 hours.

About 10 minutes before serving, add the lemon juice and harissa and season with salt and pepper. A small bowl of harissa may be placed on the table for those who wish to add more.

Harissa Sauce
In addition to using this spicy condiment in the Moroccan soup, it can also be used to spice up other soups, as well as stews and grilled vegetables. Mild chiles, such as ancho, may be used instead of hot ones if you prefer. Harissa sauce can also be purchased ready-made in Middle Eastern and specialty stores.

4 dried red chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3/4 teaspoon ground caraway seeds
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 Tablespoons water

Break the chiles into pieces and place in a heatproof bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover and let soak for 5 minutes.

Drain the chiles and place them in a food processor. Add the garlic, oil, caraway, and coriander, and salt and process until puréed. Add the water and process until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a tightly covered container and store in a refrigerator until ready to use. Properly stored, it will keep for several weeks.

Makes about 1/2 cup.


Black Bean Soup
Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 8 hours
Setting: low
Serves 4-6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1/2 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups slow cooked or 2 cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can diced tomatoes
4 cups vegetable broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons lemon juice

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, bell pepper, and garlic, cover and cook until softened.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to the slow cooker, add the beans, tomatoes and their juice, stock, bay leaves, cumin, thyme, and cayenne, and season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Cover and cook on Low for 8 hours.

Remove and discard the bay leaves and taste to adjust seasoning. Just before serving, stir in the lemon juice if using. To thicken, purée at least 2 cups or up to one half of the soup solids with an immersion blender right in the cooker, or ladled into a regular blender or food processor and returned to the cooker.

If you've read this far, I suggest you go ahead and buy Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker. You won't be sorry.

2011 - Year of the Soup

We've been eating a lot of soup so far this year. And while I don't think we'll actually spend the entire year on a soup diet, we have at least sustained it for nearly two weeks and it's been a blast planning out our menus.

On a regular basis, we make a lot of soups and stews that are terribly similar and formulaic (this one, this one, and this one, for example) and so I was looking to diversify our repertoire with a few new and different soups. Plus, I wanted to take advantage of my being home all day thus allowing for 6-hour soups in the crock pot. So, I've been reading Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker each night before bed, picking out some recipes and trying not to get distracted by the complicated and delicious-sounding non-soup recipes.

We've had a couple of chunky soups or stews, a chili, some smooth pureed soups, some with a tomato base and some without. Each one different, all of them vegan, and most of them as locally sourced as possible. A trip to Badseed's winter market last Friday boosted our ingredient list for the second week of soup and beyond.

So here's what we've had...

Monday: Lentil Soup with Ribbons of Kale - I made this for some friends who had a baby right before Christmas; I'd been craving it ever since, so it was first on the list. An oldie but a goodie.

Tuesday: Creamy Tomato Soup with Israeli Couscous (see the recipe below) - our beloved Cosentino's, alas, did not have Israeli Couscous. But we made do with a charming tiny shell pasta. This was a very fun soup that I intend to add to our regular repertoire.

Wednesday: Red Bean and Quinoa Chili - my "award-winning" chili ... okay, it's not really mine (it's Cynthia Lair's from Feeding the Whole Family) and it really only won second place (out of three chilis) ... but it's delicious nonetheless.

Thursday: Lentil Soup with Ribbons of Kale Redux - I added Field Roast Sausage to spruce up our left overs.

Friday: Dinner out at Eden Alley where we had soup! Potato Dill to be exact.

Saturday: ¡Pozole! Sergio found this super simple and delicious recipe. It's traditionally made with meat, but what ours lacked in traditional ingredients, it made up for in traditional garnishes: radish, red onion, cilantro, lime, and tostadas.

Some fancy smoked salts that Sergio got for Christmas made a nice addition to our other traditional garnishes.

Sunday: On the seventh day, we rested from our soup fest and had a special lunch at Blue Bird Bistro in honor of Julia's baptism.

Monday: Winter Squash Soup (see recipe below) - one giant butternut squash from the Badseed winter market was the star of this show.

Tuesday: Two Mushroom Barley (see recipe below) - if you love mushrooms, you'll love this soup. Funny thing, though - I don't love mushrooms. In fact, I was preparing to eat left over winter squash soup if this little number was going to come out as mushroomy as it smelled all day. But eventually the pearled barley plumped and took a prominent place among the mushrooms and, lo and behold, I actually like it!

Wednesday: Left over Winter Squash (for me) and Two Mushroom Barley (for Sergio)

Thursday: Golden Summer Squash Soup - I know - a weird thing to eat in the winter, right? But it's one of the soups I made in September, before Julia was born, and it's been hanging out in the freezer all this while. It was just as delicious four months later.

Golden Summer Soup with salsa and tostadas

The following recipes are from Fresh from the Vegetarian Slow Cooker.

Creamy Tomato Soup with Israeli Couscous
Israeli couscous is distinctly different from regular couscous in appearance and flavor. About the size of peppercorns, Israeli couscous can be found in well-stocked supermarkets and gourmet grocers. If unavailable, substitute acini de pepe (peppercorn) pasta, or another small soup pasta such as orzo or ditalini.

Slow cooker size: 4 quart
Cook time: 6-8 hours (ours was done in 6)
Setting: Low
Serves: 4

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-size yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
(I added about 1 cup of chopped red peppers)
3 cups vegetable broth
one 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes (or one quart of local canned tomato halves!)
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
pinch of sugar or a natural sweetener
2 bay leaves
(I added a teaspoon each of basil and oregano; I also added a 1/2 teaspoon of tamari soy sauce)
salt and pepper
1 cup cooked Israeli couscous
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh basil leaves for garnish

Heat the oil in a medium-size skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. (You can leave this step out and just but the onion and garlic straight in.)

Transfer the vegetables to a 4-quart slow cooker, add the stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, and bay leaves (and basil and oregano and soy sauce); season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on Low for 6-8 hours. Remove the bay leaves and purée the soup in a food processor or blender or use an immersion blender to purée it in the slow cooker. Adjust the seasonings.

To serve, spoon about 1/4 cup of cooked couscous into the bottom of each bowl, ladle the hot soup on top, and serve sprinkled with the basil.

Winter Squash and Sweet Potato Soup
This soup is a great way to begin Thanksgiving dinner. Best of all, when made in a slow cooker, it frees up the already-crowded stovetop and keeps the soup at a good serving temperature while everyone gathers at the table.

Slow Cooker Size: 4 to 6 quart
Cook Time: 6 hours
Setting: Low
Serves 4-6

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
2 medium-size sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced (I had a huge squash so I used all squash and no sweet potatoes)
4 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, and celery, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the sweet potatoes, squash, stock, thyme, and sage; season with salt and pepper, cover, and cook on Low for 6 hours.

Purée the soup in a blender or food processor, working in batches, or directly in the slow cooker using an immersion blender. Taste to adjust the seasonings, and serve hot.

Two-Mushroom Barley Soup
Both dried and fresh mushrooms are used in this satisfying soup popular throughout Eastern Europe. Any kind of dried mushroom is fine for this soup - I especially like the woodsy flavor of porcini. Pearl barley can be found in most supermarket or health food stores.

Slow Cooker Size: 4-6 quart
Cook Time: 6 hours
Setting: Low
Serves 4-6

1 ounce dried mushrooms
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 medium-sized yellow onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
1 celery rib chopped
1 cup pearl barley
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced (we got ours from Paul and Judy at Badseed!)
6 cups vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
salt and pepper
2 Tablespoons minced fresh chives

Place the dried mushrooms in a heatproof measuring cup and cover with hot water. Let sit until softened. Drain, straining and reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, thinly slice the mushrooms, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrot, and celery, cover, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Transfer the cooked vegetables to a 4- to 6-quart slow cooker. Add the barley, both kinds of mushrooms, the stock, the reserved mushroom liquid, and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6 hours. Taste to adjust the seasonings before serving. If a thinner soup is desired, add more broth.

Serve garnished with the chives.

Strawberry Weekend

the first quart of 14

Last Saturday Sergio and I went to pick strawberries at the farm. There were more strawberries than the farmers had time to harvest, so they opened it up to u-pick and we took full advantage, coming home with 14 quarts - almost more than we could carry back to the car.



Christy, Nina, and Emilio came along, too, and enjoyed every bit. At first Nina picked indiscriminately but we intervened to show her which ones were ripe and then she proceeded to eat two for every three she put in the basket. Even Emilio, not quite ripe enough himself to pick strawberries, enjoyed the adventure, sitting with Tio Sergio and letting the grass tickle his toes.

our crew

We already had plenty of strawberries to go around at home, as I'd bought some extra at the CSA distribution on Wednesday. So to start our strawberry picking morning off before heading to the farm, we had a strawberry licuado and we finished what I thought was the last of the strawberry jam from last year (although I subsequently found another jar that I'd stowed away for safe keeping; the strawberry jam was our favorite last year and I wanted to make it last).

jam and licuado

The next day the strawberriness continued as Farmer Tom and I taught a Jams and Jellies canning class at Badseed complete with 20 quarts of strawberries. We also had oranges and mint, and by the end of the five hour class, me, Tom, and our 12 students had completed three full batches of strawberry jam (one batch no pectin slow cook, one batch with pectin and one batch of freezer jam), one batch of orange marmalade, and one batch of mint jelly.

jams for sampling

berries ready for jamming

I still had quarts upon quarts of strawberries to contend with at home so I froze 6 quarts for later. I had intended to take a picture of the berries in the freezer, but I seem to have forgotten. I had cleaned them of their green tops and laid them out upside down on a cookie sheet and left them in the top of the freezer overnight. The next day they were a beautiful flat forest of fat little red bushes with a dusting of frost on the top of each. I gathered them into zip lock bags for safe keeping. With some of the remaining unfrozen quarts, I made my own batch of strawberry jam (with pectin) on Tuesday. Then on Thursday we had some out of town visitors so we made dinner and - for dessert - the long awaited strawberry dumplings. My favorite.

dumplings (what's left)

I forgot to take a picture of the dumplings, too, before we devoured them, but to be honest, they're not all that photogenic. They are, however, delicious and all gone. Not to worry, though. Some of those 6 quarts of frozen berries in the freezer will be the next delicious batch of dumplings sometime this summer. Can't wait.

Strawberry Dumplings

Baked strawberry dumplings are similar to a cobbler, made with fresh strawberries and sweet dumpling dough.

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 pint (about 2 cups) strawberries, hulled and rinsed
• 1 tablespoon sugar

Preparation:
In a saucepan, combine 1/3 cup sugar and the water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in vanilla extract.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, the 2 tablespoons sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until mixture is crumbly. Add milk and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Place strawberries in a 1 1/2-quart casserole dish; pour hot sugar mixture over strawberries. Immediately drop dough evenly in 8 to 10 spoonfuls over strawberries. Sprinkle dumplings with the remaining 1 tablespoon of sugar (and a little cinnamon, if desired). Bake at 450° for 25 to 30 minutes, or until dumplings are lightly browned. Serve hot with whipped topping or ice cream, if desired.

Makes 4 to 5 servings.

Weekend with Mom and Dad

Mom and Dad came for a visit last weekend - a great visit. Mom and I shopped for maternity clothes on Friday; on Saturday we went to the KCCUA Transplant Sale to buy some vegetables, to check out the farm and to admire the transplants.

Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture

Mom, Dad and me at KCCUA

transplants

Dad and his transplant

Even though it would be days before he got back home, Dad decided to buy a tomato plant - a Zapotec Pleated Tomato plant. We will call it the Miracle Zapotec Pleated Tomato plant if it stays healthy all the way back to OKC. I am optimistic it will and I look forward to trying the pleated, ruffled, pink-red flesh of the fruits that it will bear.

Mattie Rhodes

After the transplant sale - where we bought tons of fresh spring vegetables - we went to have crepes for brunch at Chez Elle on the Westside. It was a beautiful, sunny day so we took a walk through the neighborhood stopping in at Mattie Rhodes gallery, taking a gander at the Herb'n Gardner's urban farm, and picking up some agua de jamaica, agua de tamarindo, and diet coke at the Los Alamos market.

spring outside of blue bird bistro

peaking over the wall at the Herb'n Gardener's Urban Farm
(CSA SHARES STILL AVAILABLE for 2010!)

At home that night we made a big stir fry with all our vegetables from KCCUA - turnips (white and red), carrots, pak choi, bok choi, and turnip greens. Plus some well-preserved green beans from my freezer. After dinner we put up the big screen and watched The Botany of Desire - the fabulous PBS film version of Michael Pollan's book - and had popcorn with kale chips (more on the kale chips).

stir fry

Sunday came too soon and the weekend ended. Time to plan the next visit.

How Green was my Gumbo

A friend looking for kale and chard recipes commented on a previous blog post of mine, and my exchange with her reminded me of Green Gumbo, which I haven't made in forever and which I quickly began to crave. Once it dawned on me that last summer's preservation endeavors meant that I had all the ingredients I needed - including the okra, chopped and frozen - I decided to make some.

okra, bell pepper, tomatoes & corn - frozen/canned in August; collard greens frozen in December

The recipe I originally used for Green Gumbo is mostly just greens, okra, and Creole seasoning. Oh, and a roux. I much prefer making mine with tomatoes and corn as well. The first time I made it I botched the roux and then just left it out after that. But I tried again tonight and I think I was successful. (In as much as "successful" simply means, I didn't have to throw anything away.)

The consistency of the gumbo seemed just right to me; maybe that was from the roux. Or maybe it was the okra. Which, by the way, is where the word gumbo comes from: ngombo in West Africa is the word for okra.

Green Gumbo over rice

Green Gumbo
serves 4
6 Tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1-2 Tablespoons of Creole seasoning*
1 medium onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper
(celery, if you've got it, to complete the Holy Trinity; but tonight, like most nights I had none)
12-16 ounces of okra, chopped
1 quart of tomatoes, with juices
1-2 cups vegetable broth (depending on how much juice there is with the tomatoes)
1 pint of corn
1 teaspoon of thyme
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
or a few splashes of liquid smoke
6-8 ounces of frozen chopped collard greens (also works with turnip greens, kale, chard, or a combination - and you can use as much as you want, depending on how green you want your gumbo - just add extra broth if needed)

Melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring, until flour turns golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in Creole seasoning.
Add onions, garlic, and bell pepper (and celery, if using). Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until onion softens, about 3 minutes. Stir in okra, cover, and cook. Add tomatoes, corn, broth, thyme, Worcestershire and/or liquid smoke. Cook, stirring, 10 minutes.
Add greens, stirring. Cover and cook until greens are tender, 10 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve gumbo over cooked white rice.

* I used a modified version of this recipe to make Creole seasoning. Modified, because I didn't have celery seed or paprika.

Heat in the Cold

No sooner had I gotten a pressure canner for my birthday in August, I decided to make a batch of soup. The Ball Blue Book of Preserving offered one particularly promising recipe that was simple to make and only a bit time-consuming to can, which all seemed worth it to me when I imagined having homemade canned soup during the cold months of winter.

Little did I know just how cold this one winter month would be, and thus how welcome a reeeaaaaally spicy soup would be. (How many jalapeños did I put in there?) Nor did I realize how welcome a minimum-preparation-required meal would be on a weekend when the dishwasher had been broken for 10 days and when I couldn't possibly be persuaded to wash another dish.

Not to worry. Southwestern Soup out of a "can" (jar, really - why don't we call it "jarring") to the rescue. I only got four quarts out of my batch back in August and I want to make them last so I used just one quart for our lunch the other day. I thickened it with a pint of tomatoes and a can of kidney beans. Oh, and spruced it up with lime, cilantro, and plain yogurt. That made it just barely enough for four people, and only a little less spicy.

But it was still probably spicy enough to melt snow.

From the Ball Blue Book of Preserving:
Southwestern Vegetable Soup
Yield: about 9 pints or 4 quarts

6 c whole kernel corn, uncooked
1 quart chopped, peeled, cored tomatoes
2 c chopped, cored, husked tomatillos
1 c sliced carrots
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup sweet red pepper
1 cup sweet green pepper
3/4 c chopped and seeded long green pepper
1/4 c chopped and seeded hot pepper
3 T minced cilantro
2 t chili powder
1 t cayenne pepper
1 t black pepper
1 t salt
6 cups tomato juice
1 cup water
4 t hot pepper sauce ( I used Chipotle Tabasco)

Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes. Ladle hot soup into hot jars, leaving 1-inch headspace. Adjust two piece caps. Process pints 55 minutes, quarts 1 hour and 25 minutes, at 10 pounds pressure in a steam-pressure canner. ("jarrer" if you will)
NOTE: When cutting or seeding hot peppers, wear rubber gloves to prevent hands from being burned.

Post Thanksgiving Weekend in OKC (a photo essay)

left-over pumpkin pie at Mom and Dad's house - made from fresh pumpkin

Black Friday was a beautiful day to stay home and go for a walk (& scoot & ride).

We also practiced writing with our left hands, Ling's specialty.

On Saturday, Mom and I went to Mema's to plant pansies.

Here's the last rose of the season.

"Your roses may have thorns, but don't forget -- your thorns may have some roses, too."

Dad cut me a big branch of these to bring home for Christmas decoration.

I also brought home green tomatoes; Mom and Dad also cleaned out their garden before the big freeze; half of these came home with me and became green tomato chutney.

The herbs had to be harvested, too - before the freeze - and I brought half of these home as well; they're on stand-by, drying, waiting to be delicious.

A Very Big Squash

this was the smallest pink banana squash they had

The Badseeds, Brooke and Dan, have been growing some winter squash like you wouldn't believe. Some are funky, some are gnarly, some are mammoth - they are all at once formidable and enticing. These squashes called to me for a few weeks, but I resisted, thinking that a two-person household with a maxed-out freezer couldn't possible address the entirety of a squash of that size. Until two weeks ago when just one taste of a Pink Banana squash finally caused me to cave. So I picked the smallest Pink Banana squash there was (huge though it may be) and came home to hunt for recipes. Several recipes.

Brooke and Dan suggested treating this squash like a pumpkin so I headed straight for the "squashes, winter" section of Chez Panisse Vegetables. I found an ultra simple Pumpkin Soup recipe that welcomed the Pink Banana substitution perfectly.

under each hunk of squash: thyme and unpeeled garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper

croutons to garnish

The Pink Banana is sweet, like pumpkin, and so a plain old pumpkin pie seemed like a natural fit. Using this Pumpkin Pie recipe from the Rolling Prairie Cookbook, Sergio made a lovely pie - it was a low fat version that was pretty good as is. But we also slathered it with whipped Shatto cream (not low fat). So we're thinking, next time we make it we might try making the pie full fat. It is a pie after all - in for a penny, in for a pound.

Sergio serving the pie

Days later I still had what seemed like two pumpkins' worth of squash. I was home alone that week, while Sergio was out of town and so it was up to me to finish the remainder of this squash alone. I was pretty sure I was up to the task. I had kept the remaining squash in the refrigerator, the open end covered in plastic wrap for preservation. I pulled it out and started chopping, intending to make another a soup. Or a stew, rather, this one hardier than the pure pumpkin soup.

almost there: just an entire pumpkin's worth of squash left to go

While my stew was stewing I realized I still had a significant portion of Pink Banana squash left and I decided to tackle it in another dessert form, an ultra simple treatment this time. I just chopped what was left and roasted it for a short eternity in a hot oven with honey, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

the last of the Pink Banana

It occurs to me now that I never should have been so intimidated by the enormity of the pink banana squash given that it's such a versatile and flexible food. Savory or sweet, it lends itself to so many possibilities.

THE RECIPES:

Roasted Pumpkin Soup
from Chez Panisse Vegetables

1 sugar pumpkin (about 3 pounds) ... or 1/3 or 1/4 of a pink banana squash
olive oil
salt and pepper
2 sprigs thyme
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 quart chicken or vegetable stock
optional: unsalted butter
4 slices bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Split the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and pith, oil the cut surfaces with olive oil, and season generously with salt and pepper. Place the halves cut side down on a baking sheet, with a sprig of thyme and 2 unpeeled cloves of garlic tucked underneath each seed cavity. Roast in the oven for 45 minutes, or until completely tender. When the pumpkin is cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh (or peel off the skins) and add the pulp to a soup pot along with the roasted garlic, squeezed out of its skin. Mash them together with a heavy wire whisk or a wooden spoon, add the stock, and heat to a simmer. Taste and correct the seasoning. For a richer soup, add a little butter at this point.
While the pumpkin is baking, make black pepper croutons: cut the slices of bread into 1/2 inch cubes and toss them in the melted butter; salt, spread on a baking sheet, and roast in a medium oven until brown and crisp; generously grind black pepper over them as soon as you take them out of the oven.
Serves 4.

Pumpkin Pie
from Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O'Connor (from the Rolling Prairie Farmers Alliance in Lawrence, KS)
In this particular recipe, the pumpkin pie filling is completely fat free; all of the fat is found in the crust. There are those times when you really want to splurge with a crust, but consider baking this pumpkin pie filling directly in a baking dish. You'll have a really nutritious dessert that you can serve up as a pudding ... and you may not even miss the crust.

2 cups cooked pumpkin, winter squash, or sweet potatoes
1/2 cup honey or maple syrup
3 egg whites
1 1/2 cups evaporated skimmed milk or regular lowfat milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 9-inch unbaked whole wheat pie crust.

Preheat oven to 425 F. Place all filling ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour into 9-inch unbaked pie crust and bake for 15 minutes at 425 F. Reduce temperature to 350 F and bake another 45 minutes or until set. Makes one 9-inch pie.

Nutrition Information per serving, 8 servings per pie, baked in a crust: Calories - 232; Protein - 7g; Total Fat - 6.2g; Carbohydrates - 36g; Cholesterol - 1.5mg; Sodium - 410 mg; Vitamin A - 12% DV; Vitamin C - 5% DV.

Black Bean and Pumpkin Stew
from Rolling Prairie Cookbook, by Nancy O'Connor

2 Tablespoons olive oil
3 cups pumpkin, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 large onion, diced
1 to 2 hot peppers (to taste), seeded and finely minced
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup dry red wine or vegetable broth
3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
4 cups cooked black beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups corn kernels, fresh off the cob or frozen
sour cream and fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat 1 Tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the pumpkin and sauté until beginning to brown, approximately 10 minutes. Set aside. In a large soup pot, heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion, and hot pepper. Sauté until just beginning to get tender. Add cumin, cinnamon, cloves, chili powder, and salt. Stir to combine. Add tomatoes and their juice, along with the wine and/or broth, and the sautéed pumpkin. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer 20 minutes. Add beans and corn. Simmer for another 20 minutes, adding more broth if necessary to thin the stew. Serve hot, with a spoonful of sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro for garnish. Serves 6 to 8.

Nutritional information per serving, 6 servings per recipe: Calories - 362; Protein - 15g; Total fat - 5.7g (sat. fat - 1.1g); Carbohydrates - 62 g; Cholesterol - <1mg; Sodium - 605mg; Vitamin A - 52% DV; Vitamin C - 84% DV.

Roasted Pink Banana
from the ether

pink banana squash
honey
cinnamon
brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Or 400. Ish. I don't know - try 375 for good measure. Drizzle chopped squash with whatever amount of honey you deem appropriate. That should be enough - maybe add just a little bit more. Sprinkle cinnamon generously and brown sugar sparingly. Roast in the oven for what seems like forever but is actually like an hour. Or until squash is tender. Obviously.

When I say Pear, you say Butter

A few weeks ago, a friend from church asked me if I wanted some pears from his neighbor's pear tree. I responded with a resounding yes and got ready with my canning jars and pressure canner. From the Ball Blue Book of preserving I found the following recipe. And from the following photo you may see just how well my pear butter turned out and how eagerly it was received and consumed. Not to worry, I have 2 and a half more happy pints in my cabinet to enjoy all winter long. Which will be the perfect time to eat this batch of butter given that the hint of nutmeg and the orange peel make the whole thing taste like Christmas.

pear butter 10-5-09

Pear Butter
6 to 7 pounds pears (about 20 medium)
4 cups of sugar (use less! perhaps 3 cups?)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup orange juice

To Prepare Pulp: Wash pears. Core, peel and slice pears. Combine pears and 1/2 cup water in a large saucepot. Simmer until pears are soft. Purée using a food processor or food mill, being careful not to liquefy. Measure 2 quarts pear pulp.

To Make Butter: Combine pear pulp and sugar in a large saucepot, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add remaining ingredients. Cook until thick enough to round up on a spoon. As mixture thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Ladle hot butter into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles. Adjust two piece caps. Process 10 minutes in a boiling-water canner.

Yield: about 4 pints

Corn

The weekend before Labor Day was the new pressure canner's maiden voyage - its inaugural canning session - its premiere - its opening night - its debut. To prepare I got up early on Saturday to go to the Brookside Farmers Market (where everything's organic!) and I took my Ball Blue Book of preserving with me so I'd know what I needed. In addition to the mountain of tomatoes I had already begun to collect from Fair Share Farm and Badseed, I was hunting specifically for corn at Brookside. And I found plenty. Not knowing exactly what I was doing - I consulted the farmer at the stand and we decided that I needed a whopping 36 ears of corn, which she sold to me at a discount.



That evening I settled in at the dining room table to shuck all 36 ears. (Oh, the corn husk dolls I could have made - families of corn husk dolls, indeed a village of corn husk dolls.) Then Sergio and I scraped every kernel off every cob. A juicy, messy endeavor. We filled six pint jars with corn kernels and would have filled a seventh if I'd had it. (The last bit of corn went into the freezer, instead). I read the instruction manual closely, slowly, repeatedly and out loud, just to be safe. (Everyone keeps telling me pressure canning horror stories - as if I weren't already anxious enough in the kitchen.) I followed each step of the procedure and in just one short hour and a half, I had six jars of corn, still bubbling when I took them out, but ready to stand by for the winter. And - no small victory - all 6 jars sealed.

Success.