Green Garlic and Potato Soup

This recipe is a play on the classic potato leek soup. Yukon golds are a medium starch potato meaning that they will have a good texture blended up into a soup without being too mealy and instead have a more creamy texture.  

I am sorry, but this is another one of those recipes that work well if you have an immersion blender. A blender will work just fine as well. 

1 pound potatoes

2 stalks of green garlic (chopped)

¼ cup cream

2 Tbsp butter

Water

Salt and pepper to taste

Dice the potatoes and put cold water on them. Just enough to cover them and put on the burner at a med-high heat. I leave the skins on because I like the fiber and I don’t like peeling. If you want to peel the potatoes, that’s fine too. The reason you start with cold water is by slowly bring the water up to boiling temperature you will be able to leach out the starch into the water. This will help thicken the soup when you blend it. Keep an eye on the pot because it will try to boil over on you. 

While the potatoes are boiling, add 2 Tbsp of butter to a separate pot. Once the butter melts, add the chopped garlic. Cook this over medium heat. You are just going to sweat the garlic; you don’t want to brown it. If it browns, it’s ok. That’s just creating more sugars. Once the garlic is aromatic and starting to get translucent, remove from the heat. 

When your potatoes are fork tender, remove from heat. Bring the garlic pan back up to medium heat and start to add the potatoes with some of the cooking water, one ladle at a time. Make sure to get more potato than water. Once all of the potatoes are into the garlic pan, They should be pretty much falling apart. Turn off the burner and blend the soup. Make sure you err on the side of too thick of a mixture because you can always make it thinner if you need to. If the consistency looks appropriate to you, add your cream and then season with salt and pepper to taste.  

Green Garlic and Chive Vinaigrette

Standard Vinaigrette ratio is 3 parts oil to one part vinegar. An acceptable low fat alternative is 2 parts oil to one part vinegar. This is a good starting-out point. You need to keep tasting and adjust to make sure the balance of sweet oil and acidic vinegar is pleasing to your palate.

If you don’t have an immersion blender, I would suggest picking one up does wonders with making vinaigrettes and mayonnaise. A blender will work just fine as well. 

1 cup olive oil

½ cup white wine vinegar 

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp green garlic, minced

1 Tbsp chives, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Mince together the green garlic and chives

Measure out your oil and vinegar

Mix together and add Dijon mustard. Toss in the product and blend thoroughly. If you have an immersion blender you will get a very nice full bodied dressing for your salad. 

You may need to add a little more oil or a little more vinegar depending on whether you like a sweeter or more sharp vinaigrette

Salt and pepper to taste. 

Greek Tomato Salad

2 pounds ripe tomatoes, heirloom or hybrids

1 small red onion, sliced thinly crosswise

1 bell pepper, sliced thin

 Sea salt to taste

3 ounces feta crumbles

2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley

½ teaspoon dried oregano

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Pinch of cracked black pepper

Wash, core and slice tomatoes 1/2-inch thick. Arrange slices on a platter or in a shallow wide bowl.

Scatter onion and pepper slices over tomatoes and season everything with sea salt. Let sit 10 minutes to draw out juices.

Break feta into rough chunks and scatter over salad. Sprinkle parsley and oregano over top, drizzle generously with olive oil and serve.

Golden Beet Borscht Stew

2 tbsp. canola oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1/2 tsp smoked sweet paprika

1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, divided

2 carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped

3-4 cups peeled and chopped golden beets (1-inch pieces)

3 cups thinly sliced napa cabbage

4 cups vegetable or chicken stock

1 tbsp. white wine vinegar

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill, divided

Sea salt, to taste

1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt

In a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven on medium-high, heat oil. Add garlic and onion and sauté, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes, until soft and translucent.

Stir in paprika and 1/4 tsp pepper, then add carrots, beets, cabbage and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until beets are tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from heat. Stir in vinegar, 2 tbsp dill, remaining 1/4 tsp pepper and salt. (TIP: For a creamier dish, transfer about half of the soup to a blender and purée. Add purée back to soup and stir.)

Meanwhile, whisk together yogurt and remaining 2 tbsp dill. Divide among serving bowls and top with yogurt mixture.

Golden Beet and Basil Pasta

8 ounces uncooked whole-wheat penne (tube-shaped pasta) 

2-3 golden beets with greens

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 

3/4 cup water, divided

1/3 cup organic vegetable broth

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups loosely packed fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup dry-roasted unsalted almonds

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 ounces fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Cook pasta according to the package directions. Drain.

Remove greens and stems from beets; rinse and drain. Coarsely chop greens and stems to measure 4 cups. Peel beets, cut in half vertically, and cut into 1/8-inch slices.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beets; sauté 3 minutes. Add beet greens and stems, 1/2 cup water, broth, salt, and pepper; cover. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 8 minutes or until beets are tender.

Combine remaining 1 tablespoon oil, basil, almonds, and garlic in a food processor; process until smooth. Add cheese and remaining 1/4 cup water; process until blended. Add pasta, pesto, and lemon juice to beet mixture; toss to combine.

German-Style Potato Salad

1.5 pounds halved small potatoes

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 chopped onion

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

4 sliced scallions

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, separate about ½ tsp of flowers.

1 teaspoon toasted caraway seeds 

Salt

Pepper

Cover 2 pounds halved, small, waxy potatoes with cold salted water, bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 chopped onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring often, until soft, about 5 minutes. The last minute, toss in dill flowers to draw out the flavor oils.

Remove from heat and mix in 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar.

Add to potatoes along with 4 sliced scallions, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, and 1 teaspoon toasted caraway seeds and toss, crushing potatoes slightly; season with salt and pepper.

German-Style Cabbage and Delicata Squash

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons light brown sugar

1/2 cup cider vinegar

2 cups fresh cider

1 cup homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock

1 cinnamon stick

1 dried bay leaf

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 delicata squash, seeded and cut into half moons

1 small head red cabbage cut into 8 wedges, core intact

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat oil in a large, heavy ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Cook onion until edges start to caramelize, 10 to 12 minutes. Add sugar, and cook 1 minute more. Add vinegar. Scrape up brown bits from bottom of pan with a wooden spoon. Stir in cider, stock, cinnamon, bay leaf, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add cabbage and delicate arranging in a tucked layer. Bring to a boil. Cover; transfer to oven. Braise until cabbage is tender, 40 to 45 minutes.

Transfer cabbage and squash to a serving platter using a slotted spoon; discard cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Bring remaining liquid in saucepan to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes (you will have about 1 cup sauce). Spoon sauce over cabbage.

Perfect side dish for Oktoberfest celebration beers.

German Potato Salad

3 cups diced peeled potatoes

4 slices bacon (optional) (If not using bacon, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil)

¼ cup pearl onion, diced small

1/4 cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons water

3 tablespoons white sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Garnish with parsley

Place the potatoes into a pot, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Drain, and set aside to cool.

Place the bacon in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Fry until browned and crisp, turning as needed. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add onion to the bacon grease, and cook over medium heat until browned. Add the vinegar, water, mustard, sugar, salt and pepper to the pan. Bring to a boil, then add the potatoes. Crumble in half of the bacon. Heat through, then transfer to a serving dish. Crumble the remaining bacon over the top, and serve warm.

Garlic Scape and Cilantro Pesto

1/4 cup pine nuts

1/2 cup coarsely chopped garlic scapes

1 bunch of cilantro minced

Juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

1/2 teaspoon salt

A few generous grinds of black pepper

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

Add this pesto to any pasta dishes with a little bit of fresh chevre and you can’t go wrong.

Garbanzo Bean and Kale Soup

Garbanzo beans, or chickpeas, pair very well with this hearty Kale Variety. This vegetable and bean soup helps utilize what this week’s share has to offer.

2 cups garbanzo beans, drained (if using canned beans, ½ cup dry beans if cooking)

½ a bunch of kale cut in half length-wise then chopped

2 turnips  - chopped

2 zucchini or patty pan- chopped

2 garlic scapes – minced

¼ cup scallions- chopped (reserve the tops as an herb to finish the soup)

2 oz olive oil

2 cups stock (vegetable or chicken) (water also works)

Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté ¼ cup scallions and garlic scapes in olive oil until aromatic. Try not to let it brown. Add turnips and zucchini and cook for 1-2 minutes add kale and 1 cup of stock and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add the beans and the remaining stock and cook until all ingredients are tender (not mushy).

Add salt and pepper to taste. Then finish with minced scallion tops.

Several variations can be done to this dish. By adding some curry powder or chili powder you can definitely kick it up a bit. This recipe is a basic starting point. Feel free to experiment. Also, if you make a grilled cheese sandwich with the pesto jack in the cheese, share and dip it into this soup. That would be a tasty addition. 

Fried Potatoes and Peppers

½ cup canola or safflower oil (or enough oil to come up to about ¼ inch in your skillet)

1lb Carola potatoes 

2 long Italian peppers ribs and seeds removed, cut into 1-inch by 2-inch pieces.

Kosher salt or sea salt, to taste

Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water. Peel the potatoes and place them in the water as you go, to prevent discoloration.

Slice the potatoes thinly (⅛-1/4 inch thick), and place slices in the bowl of water, as you go. 

Drain the sliced potato in a mesh strainer and dump them onto a towel. Pat them dry. They will brown better if you get them nice and dry.

Heat oil in a large skillet (preferably cast iron) over high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the potato slices and immediately toss them until they're all coated with oil. Let the potatoes cook, undisturbed, for 3-5 minutes, or until the bottom pieces look brown around the edges. Mound the peppers on top and add a pinch or two of salt. Flip the potatoes over with a spatula, so some raw potatoes and peppers are on the bottom of the skillet. Leave them undisturbed for another 3-5 minutes, until they are nice and brown on the bottom. Continue to brown and toss potatoes for 5-10 minutes longer, until about half of them are crisp and brown and the rest are soft and creamy.

Serve hot. Season to taste with salt

Fried Potato and Broccoli - Indian Style

1-2 heads of broccoli cut into small florets

1-2# potatoes- cut into thin half moons

1-2 onions, sliced thin

1/4tsp turmeric powder    

1 tsp red chili powder 

¼ tsp cumin powder 

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp cooking oil

¼ tsp mustard seeds 

1 tsp fennel seed

Wash the broccoli and chop it into small florets. You can use the stem of the broccoli spear also after peeling it.

Wash potatoes and slice into half moons roughly the same size as the broccoli florets.

Heat oil in the pan and add mustard seeds. When it begins to sputter, add the fennel seeds.

Add the chopped potatoes along with salt and pinch of turmeric.

Stir fry the potatoes over medium heat until they are half-cooked. You can cover with a lid for some time to cook it faster. Do not add water.

When the potatoes are partially cooked, add the broccoli florets and the onion. Stir fry over medium heat for 5 minutes until the broccoli turns dark green.

Now add the red chili powder, cumin powder. Reduce the heat and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Freezing Broccoli

1. Bring pot of salted water to boil.

2. While waiting for the water to boil, cut broccoli into bite size pieces then wash.

3. Once at a boil, add the broccoli in two batches (overloading the pot brings the temperature of the water down too much and can lead to mushy broccoli).

4. Leave broccoli in water to it just starts to boil again then remove and place immediately in an ice water bath (if you don’t have ice, pour cold running water over the broccoli until the heat is gone).

5. Bag, freeze, and enjoy mid winter!

Fennel Leaf and Basil Pesto

1 cup roughly chopped fennel tops

1 bunch of basil, stems removed

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoon pine nuts or slivered almonds (optional)

½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)

½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

¼  cup extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the fennel tops, basil, garlic, nuts, chili flakes and salt in a food processor or blender and pulse until the mixture is chopped up.

Add oil and process/blend until the mixture becomes paste-like. (You may have to scrape down the sides of the bowl.) Serve pesto at once, refrigerate for up to a week, or freeze for up to a month.

Fennel and Zucchini Salad

1 medium-large zucchini, sliced into paper thin coins

1 fennel bulb, top trimmed and shaved paper-thin

2/3 cup fennel frond and tops minced fine (the fronds have the most flavor)

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice, plus more if needed

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more if needed

fine grain sea salt

1 Head of Magenta lettuce cut into thin ribbons

Honey, if needed

1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted 

1/3 cup feta cheese, crumbled

Combine the zucchini, fennel and minced tops in a bowl and toss with the lemon juice, olive oil and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside and marinate for 20 minutes, or up to an hour.

When you are ready to serve the salad, put the lettuce ribbons in a large bowl. Scoop the zucchini and fennel onto the lettuce, and pour most of the lemon juice dressing on top of that. Toss gently but thoroughly.

Taste and adjust with more of the dressing, olive oil, lemon juice, or salt if needed. If too acidic for your liking try adding a tiny drizzle of honey into the salad at this point. Serve topped with pine nuts and feta.

Fennel and Pepper Risotto

7 cups vegetable stock

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 head of fennel, diced small with core removed (reserve tops)

1 finely chopped shallot

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 yellow peppers, finely diced

 Salt to taste

1 ½ cups arborio or short grain rice

½ cup dry white wine

 Freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons chopped fennel herb

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)

Bring the stock to a simmer in a saucepan, with a ladle nearby. Season generously with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large, wide, heavy skillet or saucepan over medium heat and add the diced fennel and shallots. Cook gently until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, peppers, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, until the peppers are limp and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the rice and stir over medium heat until the grains separate, about 3 minutes.

Stir in the wine and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. When the wine has just about evaporated, stir in just enough stock to cover the rice. Reduce heat slightly. Cook, stirring often, until the stock is just about absorbed. Add another ladleful or two of the stock and continue to cook in this fashion, stirring often and adding more stock when the rice is almost dry, for about 25 minutes or until the rice is cooked through but still a little chewy. Taste and adjust seasoning.

When the rice is cooked through, add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper, and stir in another half cup of stock, the Parmesan and the fennel herb. Remove from the heat. The rice should be creamy; if it isn’t, add a little more stock. Stir once, taste and adjust seasonings, and serve.

Eggplant and Delicata Stew

1 eggplant

1 delicata squash

¼ cup canola oil

½ cup finely diced red onion

1 cup finely diced bell pepper

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 cups diced tomatoes, 

1 tablespoons whole cumin

1/2 tablespoon whole coriander seed

1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro

Cut the eggplant and delicata into similar sizes. I prefer to go with a large dice

In a large frying pan, heat 1/3 cup of the oil over medium-high heat, and cook the delicata until it starts to brown. Add the eggplant and continue cooking until it starts to brown then remove from pan

Add the onion and pepper to the pan with the coriander and cumin, and cook over medium heat until soft and caramelized, about 5 minutes.

Add the apple cider vinegar to the pan, scraping up any of the browned bits that have adhered to the bottom with a wooden spoon. Cook until the vinegar has evaporated, then add the tomatoes.

Cook the tomatoes over low heat until they are thickened and saucy. Then return the eggplant and delicata to the pan and continue cooking on low heat for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and stir in the cilantro.

Delicata and Red Cabbage Stir-Fry

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil 

½ pound firm tofu, diced. ( or ½ pound of cooked chicken)

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 delicata squash cut into half moons

Salt to taste

½-1 red cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

Rice

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the rice wine vinegar, sugar or honey, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates upon contact. Add the tofu, and stir-fry until lightly colored, about three minutes. Remove from the pan, and season to taste with soy sauce.

Add the remaining oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the delicata squash. Stir-fry until it begins to color, five to eight minutes. Add salt to taste, the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, and add the cabbage. Stir-fry until the squash is tender and the cabbage is crisp-tender, about six minutes, adding about 1/4 cup water to the pan from time to time if the vegetables begin to stick. Return the tofu to the pan.

Stir the sweet and sour mixture, and add to the vegetables. Stir just for a few seconds until they are glazed. Remove from the heat and serve with rice.

Delicata and Green Bean Casserole

1/2 lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into inch pieces

1 Portobello mushroom, thinly sliced

2 small yellow onions sliced thin

3 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

2 cups whole milk

salt and pepper to taste

1 medium-sized delicata squash

1 tablespoon olive oil

about 2 oz. grated parmesan 

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a wide pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms along with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until just beginning to brown slightly. Add the onion slices and another pinch of salt and pepper. Decrease heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, until the onions are just translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the pan and set aside.

In the same pan, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat and once just melted, stir in the flour. Continue stirring until the mixture becomes bubbly and appears liquid. Continue stirring frequently until the mixture turns golden-brown, about 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in another pan until just warmed through (do not bring to a boil). Grab a whisk and while whisking the butter and flour mixture rapidly, pour in the warmed milk. Continue whisking until the mixture appears smooth and no large lumps appear. Increase heat and bring to a boil. Continue whisking at a rolling boil for another 5-6 minutes, until the mixture thickens significantly. Add salt, pepper and optional nutmeg to taste and remove from heat. Congratulations! You just made a béchamel sauce (gravy).

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the delicata squash in half lengthwise and scrape out seeds and pulp. Slice very thin across the squash to create little crescent moons. Toss with the olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

Stir the green beans, mushrooms and onions into the béchamel sauce. Taste, and add salt and pepper as desired. Add about half of the squash to the bottom of a casserole dish then pour green bean mixture in and spread evenly. Scatter the remaining squash evenly across the top of the bean mixture. Sprinkle the grated cheese on top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the vegetables sliced on top appear golden and sizzling. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Delicata and Cabbage Stir-Fry

1 delicata squash cut into half moons

½-1 cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped

1-2 red peppers cut into thin strips

1 red onion sliced thin

2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 teaspoons sugar or honey

2 teaspoons dark sesame oil

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons canola oil 

½ pound firm tofu, diced. ( or ½ pound of cooked chicken)

2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger

2 garlic cloves, minced

Salt to taste

Rice

In a small bowl, whisk together 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, the rice wine vinegar, sugar or honey, sesame oil and cornstarch. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates upon contact. Add the tofu, and stir-fry until lightly colored, about three minutes. Remove from the pan, and season to taste with soy sauce.

Add the remaining oil to the pan. When it is hot, add the delicata squash. Stir-fry until it begins to color, five to eight minutes. Add the peppers, onion, ginger and garlic. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds, and add the cabbage. Stir-fry until the squash is tender and the cabbage is crisp-tender, about six minutes, adding about 1/4 cup water to the pan from time to time if the vegetables begin to stick. Return the tofu to the pan.

Stir the sweet and sour mixture, and add to the vegetables. Stir just for a few seconds until they are glazed. Salt to taste. Remove from the heat and serve with rice.