When the weather is hot and sultry, what’s better than a cucumber? They’re refreshing, crunchy, cooling and in season now. (If only the weather were hot and sultry in the San Francisco Bay Area, but that’s another story.)

There are so many different varieties available these days in farmers’ markets. From Armenian to lemon cucumbers, you could try a different one every day of the week in salads, soups, pickles, and more. Here’s a rundown of recipes from around the web that celebrate cucumbers!

From Shockingly Delicious we’ve got a simple and super classic cucumber salad that sounds, well, shockingly delicious.

Over at The Kitchn they’re using up their abundant cucumber harvest by making cucumber juice. I see some vodka in there somewhere.

And Cooking with Amy offers up a gorgeous, smooth green soup with avocados and cucumbers.

Image: Swanksalot

I know we just did squash but my plants are still producing like mad and who can resist a dish called Zuccaghetti? This salad-like concoction from Food 52 requires no cooking, so it’s great for hot days and it requires shredding, which will allow gardeners to work through their massive piles of squash.

Over at The Kitchn.com, they’re giving readers lots of ideas for picnic salads that aren’t the usual boring, dressing laden options. This crunchy cabbage and peanut slaw sounds like a mouthwatering Fourth of July pick to me.

As anyone who has ever tried to make red, white, and blue food knows, blueberries are pretty much the only option for the blue. This recipe from Food in Jars for Blueberry Butter uses a slow cooker to get the job done. How brilliant! You can be on grill duty while the blueberry butter makes itself.

Happy Fourth and Happy Cooking!

Image: Jeff Kubina

It’s that time of the year already – when gardeners sneak up onto friend’s porches and leave bags of summer squash before ringing the doorbell and running – hey, it happens.

As it happened in my little garden, every plant I put in the ground died except for two (yes two!) squash plants. Now, keep in mind, I live alone, and there is a trumpet vine right near the vegetable bed, which the bees really love. I’m happy about the pollination, but these babies are a little too prolific. Nobody who lives alone really needs two squash plants. Trust me. In the space of one day, the tiny squashes turned into monsters and suddenly I was harvesting about five a day. Help!

Cutting the squash into coins and sauteing it for a side dish is a cute idea, but it’s not really going to work for me. How many times a day can I eat squash? So, the theme this week is recipes that use up lots and lots of squash.

Anytime you have to shred a squash, you know you’re going to go through several of them. Here’s a recipe from Food Blogga that is an interesting twist on the usual zucchini bread. A savory version that sounds yum.

Soup is always a good bet because you know you’re going to need to cut up more than one or two of those babies to make a pot of soup. I made something similar to this recipe from 101 Cookbooks the other day. My version included yellow squash instead of green and I garnished mine with a swirl of crème fraîche and a spoonful of basil pesto.

Back to the ever handy shredding method. This recipe from How the Cookie Crumbles is one I will return to again and again this summer. The other day a friend and I demolished at least eight squash this way and it only served three people. And that’s exactly what you want this time of year.

Image: clayirving

Here in sunny California, every few days during this unusually chilly May, the sky begins to spit out a cold drizzle. So while hearts, minds, and pale goose-pimply limbs are ready for summer, it still feels decidedly wintery. But alas, at the market we have an abundance of tender, green shoots. What to do? Here’s one answer: Late Spring Minestrone with Green Pea Pistou from Food 52.

If your winter cravings of deep leafy greens are still as intense as mine, I’d suggest trying this Kale and Carrot Salad from Food in Jars. It’s easy, healthy, and will pair well with just about any meal.

And now for something sweet: Berries are slowly coming into season here. And I love a simple cake with fruit. Here’s a lovely Lime Yogurt Cake with Blackberry Sauce from Smitten Kitchen.

Image: Gozalalewis

Every mother’s day for the past three years I have cooked for my sisters. You see, they are both mothers, I am not, and we no longer have a mother to honor. Plus they like my cooking and I like cooking for them.

We all look forward to the yearly event and just hanging out with one another. We don’t do anything special. Just sit around and eat and talk. Then we do a puzzle or play scrabble as the afternoon stretches on. Normally I make some sort of frittata dish. This year I branched out and made a leek tart from one of Marcella Hazan’s books. It was fabulous.

And now I can’t seem to get enough leeks. They’re just one of those expressions of spring that I treasure, even though they are available year-round.

Here’s a wonderful sounding recipe for leeks vinaigrette from Rachel Eats that I’d like to try.

When I was in Portland recently for IACP, I had the pleasure of meeting and dining with Kim Boyce, pastry chef and cookbook author. Her new book, Good to the Grain, about cooking with whole grain flours has been getting lots of attention because she’s some kind of genius at combining the special characteristics of the various whole grains with complementary and unusual flavors. This is thoughtful baking, not at all about health for the sake of health. I have yet to buy the book, but in the meantime, I can try this recipe for olive oil cake shared by The Wednesday Chef on her blog.

Sometimes I work at home and sometimes I work at the home of my colleague. Come lunchtime, we usually throw together something out of our combined leftovers paired with fresh bread, cheese, salad, or whatever we have. It’s always fun because we never know how the meal will play out and it’s almost always better than we think it will be.

One day, we had no salad greens so we foraged in her backyard for herbs to create an herb salad. Combining parsley, cilantro, chives, and mustard green flowers from domesticated mustard that had gone to seed, we created a salad whose sharp flavors awakened our palate and kept us fueled for the afternoon’s work.

Here’s a recipe for herb salad from the award-winning Hunter, Angler, Gardener, Cook blog.

Image: Muffet

Recently when I was in Portland for the IACP conference, every menu seemed to have rhubarb on it. I ordered rhubarb crisp, rhubarb compote, rhubarb this and rhubarb that. Rhubarb is one of the shortest season produce items I know, which makes it all the more special. I’ve been hankering to make something with it myself and Mother’s Day weekend seems like the perfect time. I’m going to pick up some rhubarb at the farmers market this weekend and make this Spring Rhubarb Crisp, from fellow Oaklander, Romney Steele, out of her wonderful book My Nepenthe.

And while we’re on the subject of Mother’s Day, if your mom is a pancake fan, check out these genuine buttermilk pancakes from Culinate. You can mix the dry ingredients up the night before to save time. Why not make rhubarb compote to go with?

If your Mother’s Day brunch plans are savory, as are mine, this springy golden beet salad from The Kitchn is healthy, easy and super green. No waste here since you mix the beet tops in with the roasted beets and serve them all together. I’m serving this with my leek tart.

Image: garyknight

During a recent dinner at my friend’s underground restaurant (shh!) we were presented with the most inventive use of kumquats I’d ever seen. They were sort of glazed and roasted, and served atop a seared duck breast.

The kumquats were so luscious and such a perfect foil for the rich duck that I was smitten. The flavor has been haunting me ever since.

My reaction was interesting because I tend to shy away from kumquats, as I’m not really sure what to do with them. I’m attracted to their cute, happy orangeness at the farmers’ market, but since I’m not really a lover of the flavor of citrus rind, when it comes to everyday snacking they tend to just sit there and shame me for not eating them.

Then I found this recipe from food writer Molly Watson. Now wouldn’t these be good with duck, or pork, or dessert for that matter? Try it and let me know. There should be kumquats at markets (at least here on the west coast) for another week or two.

Speaking of seasonal recipes, I can’t get enough asparagus. I tend to spend the first several weeks just roasting it in a super hot oven with salt and olive oil (and sometimes standing in the kitchen eating the spears one after another like French fries) before graduating to more complex (and civilized) preparations like this one from 101 Cookbooks with the super healthy grain quinoa.

If you’ve never tried fava beans, this is your year. They are a short season shelling bean just coming into markets now. Yes, you have to shell them in two steps but it’s worth it. And this dip from Simply Recipes sounds like a winner.

P.S: Favas are easy to grow and provide a wonderful “green manure” for your garden because they are excellent nitrogen fixers. The leaves are edible too!

Image: Miss Meister

While waiting impatiently for spring shoots, we have to continue to enjoy our roots. This is the time of year that I start getting bored with the usual winter suspects and turn to the less common (and less appreciated) roots.

Parsnips, for example, are terribly underrated. They’re shaped like carrots and they’re sweet like carrots, but they have an herbaceous, almost wild flavor. This recipe would make a nice Sunday dinner accompaniment to serve with roasted chicken, fish or lamb. Or add a salad or some braised greens along with a whole grain and you have a comforting and satisfying vegetarian winter meal.

Last of Winter Parsnip, Mushroom and Leek Gratin

Serves 6-8

1 1 /2 pound parsnips
1 tablespoon butter plus more for buttering dish
2 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 ounces mixed fresh mushrooms (king trumpets, oysters or whatever is fresh and local), cleaned and sliced
3 leeks, white and light green parts, cleaned and sliced lengthwise
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Peel parsnips and slice about 1/4 inch thick on an extreme angle so as to get the largest slices possible. Butter a 12 x 8 inch baking dish and preheat the oven to 400 ° F.

In a medium skillet, over medium high heat, warm the butter and olive oil. Add mushrooms and leeks along with a pinch of salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they release all of their liquid and begin to brown. Add thyme and white wine and cook, stirring, until wine evaporates. Set aside.

Begin to layer the ingredients into the dish beginning with a single layer of parsnip slices, followed by salt and pepper, followed by half of the leek/mushroom mixture and half the Parmesan. Repeat with parsnips, more salt and pepper, the remaining leek/mushroom mixture, and most of the remaining Parmesan, reserving a little for the top.

The final layer should consist of the remaining parsnips. Pour the cream over and push down with the back of a spoon to submerge everything as much as possible. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and cover with foil. Bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and check for tenderness, and continue to bake if necessary. When the parsnips are nearly tender, uncover and continue to bake uncovered for an additional 15 minutes or until the top begins to brown and all the cream has been absorbed. Let sit for about 10 minutes before serving to allow the cream to thicken.

Recipe Copyright Vanessa Barrington 2010

Note: Use local and organic ingredients whenever possible. As shown with Alaskan halibut.

Image: Danielle Scott

The gray of winter calls for warm and hearty soups, but what about ones that aren’t made with animal stock? We’ve rounded up some of the best vegetarian soup recipes on the web, full of delicious flavors and packed with great ingredients that are good for your body. They’re sure to warm up your kitchen with wonderful aromas and keep you feeling healthy and full of energy. If you’re feeling extra creative, we even added in some tips on concocting your own veggie soup recipes at the bottom. Bon appetit!

1. Black Bean Soup with Quinoa

If you haven’t discovered the glorious grain that is quinoa, kick off with this soup. Hearty, healthy and full of protein! Adapted from Whole Grain Gourmet.

Ingredients:

2 cups black beans, soaked overnight
2 quarts vegetable broth
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup diced carrots
1 cup diced onion
3 tsp minced garlic
1 cup diced tomatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 tsp chopped cilantro
4 tsp sour cream

Spice blend:

1 1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp ground new mexico chili pepper (if available)
1/2 tsp cumin powder
salt to taste
1/4 tsp black pepper

Preparation:

1. Prepare basic quinoa.
2. Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add the soaked beans, reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered until tender. Check water level and add more if necessary. (About 1 hour)
3. Strain the beans and reserve 2 cups of the water.
4. In the same pot, with beans removed, sauté onion, garlic, celery, and carrots in olive oil until the onions are translucent. Add the spice blend and sauté for 1 minute.
5. Pour the reserved cooking water, chicken broth, and tomatoes into the pot. Add the beans and simmer for 20 minutes over low heat.
6. Using a hand held blender, puree the soup in the pan until mostly liquid allowing some texture to remain.
7. Serve soup in a bowl over a scoop of quinoa or brown rice. Garnish with 1/2 tsp of cilantro and 1 tsp sour cream.

Serves 4

2. Apple and Butternut Squash Soup

Orangette has been one of my favorite food blogs for a long time, and author Molly Wizenberg has a great collection of soups. Here’s one that’s perfect for winter ingredients.

¼ cup olive oil
1 2-lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 4 cups)
2 flavorful apples, preferably Gala, peeled, cored, and cut into 2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
1 large onion, peeled and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
¾ tsp curry powder
¾ tsp ground mace
½ tsp ground cardamom
1 cup good-quality apple cider
1 quart vegetable stock
½ tsp salt
¼ freshly ground pepper, preferably white

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-low heat. Add the squash, apples, and onion, and stir to coat with oil.

Sauté uncovered, stirring occasionally, for ten to fifteen minutes, or until onion is transparent.

Stir in the mace, curry, and cardamom, and continue cooking until the onion begins to brown.

Add the cider. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, and cook for three minutes. Add the stock, lower the heat to medium-low, and simmer the mixture, partially covered, for another 35 minutes, or until squash is tender.

Working in batches, blend mixture in a food processor or blender until smooth (be careful to not overfill, as hot liquid could expand when machine is switched on, making a huge, burning-hot mess). Return soup to the stockpot. Reduce the soup, uncovered, over medium-low heat, to about one-fourth. Stir occasionally. Stir in salt and pepper, and serve hot.

Serves 4-5

3. Celeriac and Sweet Potato Soup with Ginger

For a taste of French flair there’s no better blog than Chocolate and Zucchini. Although the blog isn’t entirely vegetarian it does have some great recipes, like this easy and zesty one that’s sure to spice up a dreary afternoon.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
One small head celeriac, about 2 pounds, peeled, quartered and sliced
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
Salt, pepper
a knob of ginger, about the size of your thumb (that’s 2 inches), peeled, and grated or thinly minced
1/3 cup milk

Preparation:

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large soup pot or cocotte. Add in the garlic and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly, until fragrant. Add in the vegetables, season with salt and a generous amount of pepper, and cook for ten minutes, until they start to get golden. Pour in hot water (or stock) to just cover the vegetables, add in the grated ginger, stir, and bring to a simmer.

Lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 35 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked through and very soft, stirring from time to time to make sure the vegetables don’t stick to the bottom. Stir in the milk (and a bit more water if the mixture is too thick), puree the soup to the desired smoothness (I like it chunky), and serve immediately, optionally topped with a fresh grind of pepper.

Serves 6

4.Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

101 Cookbooks is the go-to blog for a lot of foodies, and the soup section is huge. I’m a personal fan of the Vegetarian Tortilla Soup; spicy, full-bodied and packed full of flavor. Note: seasoning is very important in this soup, and if it’s not correctly seasoned with salt it will taste flat.

Ingredients:

6-8 corn tortillas, cut in half and then into matchstick-thin strips
a big splash of extra virgin olive oil
fine grain sea salt

20 small yellow or red cherry tomatoes

another splash of extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne or other spicy red chili powder
1 14-ounce can crushed tomatoes
6 cups vegetable broth (or water)

a few sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
1/4 cup of goat cheese, crumbled

Preparation:

Gently toss the tortilla strips with a glug of olive oil and salt. Turn them out onto a baking sheet, arrange them across the pan and bake in a 350F degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden and crispy. Set aside.

Halve (or quarter) the tomatoes lengthwise and put them in a small roasting pan, oven proof dish, or rimmed baking sheet. Toss with a bit of olive oil and a pinch or two of salt. Bake in a 350F degree oven for 40-45 minutes (less time if you use smaller cherry tomatoes), or until the tomatoes are shrunken and golden around the edges. The tomatoes keep nicely in a jar for days (refrigerated), so you can do this part in advance if you like. Set aside.

In a big pot over medium-high heat cook the garlic and onions in a splash of olive oil along with a couple pinches of salt for just a minute or so. Stir in the spices and then the tomatoes. Cook down for about five minutes or so, it should thicken a bit. Remove from heat, add one cup of the broth and puree with a hand blender (or puree in a traditional blender). Add the remaining 5 cups of broth and puree until smooth. Bring the soup back up to a simmer and cook for another 10 minutes.

Serve the individual bowls topped with plenty of tortilla strips, the roasted and sun-dried tomatoes, and some crumbled goat cheese. Alternately, as I mention up above, you can finish with sliced avocado, cilantro, white onions, and a squeeze of lime. If you like a creamier soup base add a splash of half and half, or stir in some extra goat cheese.

Serves 6

5. Creamy Carrot Soup with Coconut

The coconut milk gives this quick and easy vegan soup a creamy consistency as well as an exotic taste.

Ingredients:

2-3 large carrots, chopped small
1 onion, chopped small
1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 tsp curry powder
1 3/4 cup vegetable broth
1 14 ounce can coconut milk
sea salt, to taste

Preparation:

Simmer the carrots, onions, ginger and curry powder in vegetable broth for 20-25 minutes, until carrots are soft.

Allow to cool slightly, and then puree in blender, working in batches if needed.

Return to heat and stir in coconut milk until well combined.

Season generously with sea salt, to taste.

Serve hot, or, chill until cold and serve as a gourmet vegetarian and vegan appetizer soup. This carrot soup will thicken as it cools, so if serving this vegan carrot soup cold, you may want to add a bit extra liquid.

6. Thai Red Curry Soup

On the vegan train of thought, this is another exotic inspired soup from over at Show Me Vegan, sure to add some flavor to your dinner table. If you like you can switch out the setain for tofu.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
6 ounces portobella caps, chopped
8 ounces seitan, chopped
2 Tablespoons vegan red curry paste
1 heaping cup peeled and diced russet potatoes
4 ounces green beans
3 cups unsweetened coconut milk
3 cups vegetable broth
1 Tablespoon tamari
salt and pepper, to taste
heaping 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
Sriracha sauce, optional condiment

Preparation:

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Saute bell pepper and mushrooms for about 5 minutes. Add seitan and red curry paste. Stir to distribute curry paste, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and green beans and saute about 1 minute more. Add coconut milk, broth, and tamari. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat. Simmer for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are done. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in fresh basil before serving.

Serves 4-6

7. Lentil Soup with Chipotle Yogurt

Lentils are a vegetarian’s best friend, and the absolutely beautiful blog Sprouted Kitchen has this amazing recipe that combines the legume with other vegetarian favorites like kale and brown rice. Add a dollop of chipotle yogurt and you’ve got a killer combination!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Lentils (French or Black Beluga)
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
1 Fennel Bulb, Diced
1 tbsp. Olive Oil
1 Cup Brown Rice, Cooked (any whole grain will work)
6 Cups Organic, Low Sodium Vegetable Stock
1 tsp. Cumin
1 Large Bunch of Kale, Chard or Combo of Leafy Greens
Salt/ Pepper
1 Lemon

Chipotle Yogurt
1 Cup Plain Greek Yogurt
1 Chipotle Chile in Adobo, Chopped (no more than 2 tsp.)

Preparation:

1. Cook your rice or desired grain and set aside. Boil about four cups water, and boil the lentils for 20 minutes until cooked. Add water as needed. Drain.
2. In a large soup pot, saute the yellow onion and the fennel in the olive oil for about 8 minutes, or until just starting to turn light brown. Add the stock and cumin. Bring the heat back up to a gentle boil, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the lentils and the brown rice and simmer about 10 minutes. While you are waiting, stem your greens and slice them into thin strips. Taste the soup for salt and pepper, add seasoning as desired.
4. Turn off the heat and add in the greens, stir. The greens will wilt in the hot soup, and avoid overcooking this way. Stir in the juice of half the lemon, add more to taste.
5. Mix the greek yogurt with the chipotle chile and stir. Serve the soup with the dollop of the chipotle yogurt. Warning, chipotles are pretty spicy, so start with a small amount of sauce and you can add if you like it hot. If too spicy, add more yogurt.

Serves 6

8. Soupe de Potimarron, au beurre noisette à la sauge – Chestnut pumpkin soup with sage brown butter

We couldn’t complete this list without a soup with a French name, and this one from Chez Pim is just perfect. The chestnut flavor of the Potimarron gives a surprisingly complex flavor, and just like with any other squash soup, the consistency is certainly smooth.

Ingredients:

1 2-3 pounds Potimarron, or Kuri pumpkin, or, you get the picture
1/2 small onion, cut into cubes
3 cups of milk
3 tbsp of crème fraîche, (you can also use yogurt or sour cream)
1 tbsp butter, soft
salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:
1 cup of croutons (trim and cut stale bread into small cubes and sauté with a little butter until brown)
4 tbsp butter
3 sage leafs

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Cut the Potimarron into quarters, scoop out the seeds, and rub 1/2 tablespoon of the butter all over the exposed surface. Bake the Potimarron quarters in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.

While the Potimarron is baking, cook the cubed onion in a sauté pan with the rest of the butter and a pinch of salt over a very low heat. Let the onion cooked, while stirring every so often, until uniformly brown and caramelized but not burn, for about 20-25 mins.

When the Potimarron is cooked through, take them out of the oven and let cool for a little bit.

While the Potimarron is cooling down, make the sage brown butter. In the smallest pot you own, preferably a small butter warmer, cook the 4 tbsp butter with the sage leafs until completely melted over low heat. The butter will foam up as it cooks, when the foam subsides, let it continue to cook until you can see the bits of milk solids at the bottom of the pot turning brown. Take the pot off the heat immediately and let cool. If you’ve overcook the butter and the brown bits are getting a bit too brown, then strain the butter into a cool bowl immediately. If not, you can leave the butter and sage leafs to macerate in the warm pot until ready to use.

When the Potimarron quarters are cool enough to handle, scoop out the meat with a spoon. The cooked flesh should separate readily from the skin. You should have about 3-3.5 cups of cooked Potimarron.

Add the Potimarron flesh in a medium pot with the three cups of milk, the caramelized onion, a generous handful of salt, and a few turns of the pepper grinder. Let cook on low heat until it comes to a gentle boil. Turn the heat off, then blend the content of the pot into a smooth puree, either with a hand blender or in a stand blender.

If using a stand blender, pour the blended soup back into the pot and let cook gently over low heat. Add the three tablespoons of crème fraîche (or yogurt of sour cream). Keep stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot or it will burn. Add more salt if needed. When the soup comes back to a gentle boil, turn the heat off and serve.

Serve in a warm bowl with a small handful of croutons and a teaspoon -or two, or three, as you wish- of the sage brown butter.

9. Red Lentil and Saffron Soup

Red lentils paired with the distinct flavor of saffron make this a hearty soup with an exotic flair; plus the saffron flower used is much more inexpensive than saffron threads so it’s a gourmet soup that’s gentle on the pocketbook. From the Chubby Vegetarian.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups dried red lentils (rinsed)
1 red pepper (seeded and cored)
1 medium red tomato (cored)
1/2 white onion
1 bouillon cube
1 palmful of dried saffron flower (much cheaper and milder than just the saffron threads)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon beet powder (optional)

Preparation:

Over medium heat, melt butter in a medium-sized pot. Place the onion, tomato, & pepper into the food processor, and turn it on. Let the vegetables get chopped very fine until nearly smooth. Add the vegetables to the butter and cook until most of the moisture is absorbed.

Add the lentils, the bouillon, the saffron flower, and enough water to cover by about 1/2 an inch. Bring to a boil and then cover and simmer for about 20 minutes. The red lentils cook that fast. Blend or leave the lentils whole.

10. Winter Vegetable Soup

Everyone has their soup staple, and this one from Martha Stewart is quick and easy.

2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 pound acorn squash, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 bunch kale ( 3/4 pound), ribs cut away and discarded, leaves torn
5 1/2 cups (43.5 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
1 can (14 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed
3 sprigs thyme
Grated Parmesan, for serving (optional)

Preparation:

In a large Dutch oven or heavy pot, melt butter over medium. Cook onion and garlic until fragrant, 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add squash and kale and cook until kale is wilted, about 3 minutes; season with salt and pepper. Add broth, beans, and thyme. Bring to a simmer and cook until squash and kale are tender, about 12 minutes. Season soup with salt and pepper and serve with Parmesan, if desired.

Serves 4

Make Your Own!

After a morning walk through your local farmers market, your basket is certainly filled with plenty of inspiring vegetable waiting to be put to good use. There are no limits to your food creativity, but if you’re attempting to make your own vegetable soup there are some important things to keep in mind, the most crucial being building layers of taste. Here are a couple of excellent tips to make you a vegetable soup maven from Not Derby Pie.

1. Roast or saute vegetables before adding liquid
2. Toasting spices can elevate the flavor of your soup
3. When replacing meat or poultry broth, use a mix of good vegetable stock, water, and, sparingly, wine or juice

Happy soup making!

Photo Credits: gezellig-girl.com, land camera land camera, Chocolate & Zucchini, 101 Cookbooks, norwichnuts, Whole Grain Gourmet, Sprouted Kitchen, Chez Pim, The Chubby Vegetarian, Martha Stewart

Though I’m an omnivore, I eat vegetarian (or even vegan) most of the time, so that I can afford to buy the most sustainable, delicious, pasture raised meat and poultry from local family farms. For protein, I rely on legumes and eggs.

I’m going to share one of my favorite dishes, mujaddara, with you. This popular Middle Eastern dish basically consists of three ingredients that you can find anywhere (lentils, rice, and onions).

It’s simple, quick, healthy, super green, tasty, versatile and here’s maybe the best thing about it: It’s really, really cheap. I priced it out once and the tab came to 40 cents a serving. I like to serve this as a one-dish meal with sautéed greens on the side.

This recipe will make 4 to 6 servings. Leftovers formed into rough cakes and fried with an egg are very enjoyable. Enhance with chopped parsley or cilantro and your favorite hot sauce or harissa, if you like.

There are many versions of this dish, with the rice and lentils cooked in varying proportions. For best flavor, make sure you salt a little at different stages. Here’s how I make it.

Mujaddara

2 large yellow onions, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup regular brown lentils
1/2 cup long-grain white rice
Salt

Dice one-half of one of the onions and slice the remaining onions very thinly.

In a medium saucepan with a tight fitting lid, over medium high heat, warm one tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the diced onion and a pinch of salt. Stir while cooking until it begins to brown. Add the lentils and rice, along with 3 cups of water and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and add the sliced onions and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are brown and very caramelized. You truly want them on the verge of burnt. This is what gives the dish flavor. This will take about the same amount of time as the lentils and rice take to cook.

When the rice and lentils are tender, turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes to steam. Serve with the caramelized onions on top and a dollop of yogurt if you like.

Buy organic whenever possible!

Recipe Copyright 2009 Vanessa Barrington