Clean-Out-the-Fridge Freestyle Veggie Soup

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We've got so many beautiful veggies right now! We've got our weekly CSA supply as well as the proceeds from our small garden, and this week we've got some bonus squash from my brother-in-law's community garden plot. It's hard for us to eat everything every week, so I usually end up throwing everything into a big veggie soup every week or two.

 

This week I had a huge yellow summer squash, red and gold potatoes, carrots, tri-color beans, parsley, and basil. Use whatever you have on hand. Last week I threw in some canned garbanzo beans and dry red lentils as well. I almost threw in the kale tonight, but I'm really looking forward to a kale salad tomorrow.

 

Like the title says, we're freestylin' here.

 

First, sauté a few chopped cloves of garlic in about 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Pour in a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. (I like the Muir Glen fire roasted variety.)

 

Add in your chopped veggies and herbs, and then add enough veggie broth so that all the good stuff is covered in liquid.

 

Bring it all to a boil. This is where you can add some lentils if you're going that route. Season as desired. I recommend salt, fresh ground pepper, crushed red pepper, smoked salt, and maybe even a tiny bit of dried oregano.

 

Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until all veggies are tender.

 

Enjoy your big, beautiful pot of soup!

 

Upgrade option: If you're really a pro, you'll have your own garden tomatoes and some homemade veggie broth!

In Season: Zucchini

Anyone else feel like this yet?

Here's a zucchini bread recipe from The 63rd Street Farm.

• 1 1/2 c Flour
• 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp. Allspice
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. Baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. Salt
• 1 Egg
• 1 c Sugar
• 1/2 c Veggie or canola oil
• 1 c Grated green or yellow zucchini
• 1 tsp. Vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter/oil/spray and flour an 8" x 4" or 9" x 5" loaf pan. Use plenty of butter and flour. I didn't use enough when I made the first loaf and it really stuck to the pan.

 

Combine all of the dry ingredients EXCEPT the sugar.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar. Add oil, zucchini, and vanilla extract.

 

Add flour mixture to wet ingredients and stir until combined.

 

Pour into your prepared pan and bake for about 45 minutes.

 

Experiment with the proportions. I think next time (tonight!) I'll add more zucchini and maybe some raisins or shredded coconut. You could probably even cut the sugar in half to make it just a little heathier.

 

Happy baking!

Thai Style Green Beans

photo from abeautifulmess.com

Last week we got some beautiful tri-color bush beans from our CSA. I think we'll try this recipe tonight.

Do you do anything exciting with your green beans?

PS - abeautifulmess.com is one of my FAVORITE blogs!

In Season: Tomatoes & Basil



Tonight we're making Giada's Orzo with Smokey Tomato Vinaigrette. It's to die for. Really.

Our tomatoes are just starting to turn red, and our basil is looking great. We would have had lots more basil had our tomatoes not gone CRAZY while we were on vacation. This year's tomato plants are quite the unruly bunch. They're taking over and the basil is barely getting enough sun!

This recipe has some non-local ingredients, but we're doing the best we can with what we've got going in the garden right now.

• 1 pound (2 pints) cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 cup (a big handful) torn basil
• 2 tablespoons Bragg's apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon local honey
• 1 tablespoon smoked salt (NO SUBSTITUTIONS, trust me!)
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pound orzo

We didn't have a full pound of tomatoes, so we had to supplement our supply with some from the store. Our garden is providing plenty of basil, so the basil we used was all ours grown from seed!

• Rinse the tomatoes and cook in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until the skins are charred, about 15 minutes.
• Throw the tomatoes and all the other ingredients except the orzo in the food processor. Mix on high until the dressing is smooth.
• Cook the orzo according to package directions. I cook the past about a minute less than the low end of the package directions. Drain and return to pan.
• Pour the dressing over the pasta and mix well.
• Enjoy!

Thanks, Giada!

This week I'm looking forward to:

 

• Giada's Orzo for dinner on Monday
• CSA pick up is on Thursday (Last week was zucchini, lettuce, carrots, basil, parsley, cucumber and potatoes!)
• Riding the tandem bike to Niwot Rock 'n Rails on Thursday
• Viognier from Boulder Creek Winery
• An outdoor party with our friends Annie and Matt on Saturday
• Another weekend hike at Flagstaff
• And maybe a royal baby?

Kale

Lovely edible container from yougrowgirl.com

So I'm a little hungry right now, and I'm dreaming of kale chips. Seriously. We don't have any kale, but I'm hoping my luck will turn with tomorrow's CSA pick up.

Kale is great so many ways. It's great raw in a salad, in soups, and as baked chips. Here's the best (easy!) recipe for kale chips. This is possibly the best food ever...

You'll need:

• Kale - Use as much as you want. It will cook down A LOT.
• Oil - We like a light mix of Peanut and Sesame. Olive oil is great, too.
• Sea salt
• Fresh ground pepper
• An oven, baking sheet, and parchment paper (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Wash, chop, and salad spin the kale. I discard the less-leafy parts of the stem.
3. Pour on a tiny bit of oil - less is more. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat evenly.
4. Spread kale in a single layer on a baking sheet. Line baking sheet with parchment paper first of you like.
5. Bake for 4 minutes. Pull out the baking sheet and toss the kale around a bit. Finish baking for about 3 minutes. Your cook time with depend on the type of kale you have. Bake until thin and crispy.

Happy eating!