Curried Zucchini Soup

My family grew zucchini in our summer garden ever since I can remember. Some grew large (even as large as my calf!) and we were always looking for ways to use this abundant vegetable.

Here's another winner I'm adding to my list. It's Curried Zucchini Soup, courtesy of Everyday Food magazine (another of Martha Stewart's brilliant publications IMHO). (There is also a weekly TV show, called Everyday Food, featuring the recipes from the magazine cooked by Martha's food staff. You can find it on PBS.)

All of the Everyday Food recipes call for eight ingredients or less. I've been getting this magazine for years and have cooked out of it frequently. The recipes call for flavorful, in season, ingredients that are quickly and easily combined for a yummy meal.

This soup may be served hot or cold. Everyday Food recommends that if you want to chill the soup quickly you should set the bowl of soup in icewater. I added a dollup of sour cream to the top.

Curried Zucchini Soup
Serves 4.















Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Coarse salt
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1 1/2 pounds zucchini (about 3 medium), sliced 1 inch thick
• 1 baking potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted, for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and 1 tablespoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and curry powder; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
2. Add zucchini, potato, and 4 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer until vegetables are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In batches, puree soup in a blender (do not fill more than halfway) until smooth; serve immediately, or let cool, and refrigerate in an airtight container until chilled. Garnish with toasted almonds.

Safety note: If you are pureeing in a blender, do not fill the blender more than 2/3 full because the hot liquid will rise. You may want to hold down the lid firmly with a potholder or kitchen towel because, even with it 2/3 full, the pressure may also force the lid off. If you have an immersion blender, this is probably the safer route to go, but in my experience I don't find that the soup is as smooth as in the blender.

Enjoy!
Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA

Recipes for June 25, 2008: Cherry Chutney and Herb Pesto

Grilling with Sweet Cherry Chutney

Many thanks to the Boyertown Farmers Market (http://www.boyertownpa.org/farmersmarket/) for this cherry chutney recipe.

Cherries are in season at the Oakmont Farmers Market, and eating them fresh from the market is always a treat. But don't ignore all the many possibilities of enjoying this seasonal fruit. This recipe for a cooked chutney goes perfectly with grilled chicken, lamb, pork and even beef and bison (available from Lindenhof Farm, Hill Acres Pride and Backyard Bison). Sweet chutneys are a classic and rather Medieval sauce for meats; the sauces that follow this – the basil, herb, and arugula pesto – would be perfect with grilled meats as well as fish.

25-30 sweet cherries (about a pint) -- washed, dried and pitted
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/3 cup of water
1/2 teaspoon finely minced ginger
1/3 teaspoon crushed garlic, (or paste)
3-5 tablespoons of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 dried red chili, sliced

Boil the vinegar and water in a pan and add the ginger, garlic and red chili. If you prefer less heat, use less chili. Once the mixture starts to boil, add the cherries and immediately reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the salt and sugar to taste, but do not over-sweeten. (The cherries are sweet already -- it's the vinegar you are balancing.) Let it cook on low to medium heat until the cherries soak up all the liquid and are soft. Remove from the heat, transfer to a dish and let cool to room temperature.

For the meat, grill as you like, but it always helps to baste lightly with olive oil as it cooks. Grill over a low to medium heat with the cover down but vented.

Serve the grilled meat with a generous dollop of the chutney for a wonderful summer meal!

Herb Sauces

There are many lovely herbs available at the market right now, and it takes just a few ingredients and very little time to whip up a quick and delicious sauce for grilled meats, fish, and even tofu and tempeh.

Basic Basil Pesto

The proportions that seem to work nicely are:

2 cups washed and picked leaves
½ cup olive oil
½ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
¼ cup pine nuts or walnuts
2 large cloves garlic
salt and pepper to taste

Use either a blender or a food processor and whip the garlic and nuts with about half of the oil, until thoroughly blended. Then add the basil and the rest of the oil and blend. Add freshly ground pepper and a SMALL amount of salt, since the cheese is very salty. The final step is to blend the cheese into the sauce and use.

Basic Herb Sauces

For other herbs, use roughly the same proportions but omit the cheese.

2 cups picked leaves, washed
½ cup olive oil
garlic to taste
nuts if you want
salt and pepper to taste

I also like to add other aromatics, especially hot peppers, capers, and olives, all dependant on the herb (or herbs) used. For instance, arugula is used as ‘the’ pesto base in much of Tuscany (basil pesto is a specialty of Liguria) and arugula mixes beautifully with other herbs (mint, for instance) and capers/olives for sauce for lamb or beef and bison. Parsley, garlic and capers are magical with grilled fish, as is cilantro, garlic and capers (which pairs perfectly with lamb and pork as well). Another great addition is summer savory and tarragon (with parsley) for fish. All of these sauces also make perfect dips for vegetables, pita bread, and even (gasp) tortilla chips. In fact, all you need to do is add a bit of tomato and hot pepper to the cilantro and garlic sauce and viola!, you have a very tasty salsa! The only herbs to be cautious about are the very strong-smelling ones with a lot of oils, such as rosemary and sage. These sauces freeze beautifully so they will be ready for your next BBQ feast. And you can even put them on pasta – imagine that!

Recipes for June 18, 2008: Stir-Fried Beef (or Bison) and Broccoli and Cherry Clafouti

Stir-Fried Beef (or Bison) and Broccoli

From Gourmet Magazine, October 1990: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/STIR-FRIED-BEEF-AND-BROCCOLI-13212

Ingredients
For the beef: 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 pound boneless beef or bison sirloin, cut across the grain into 1/4-inch-thick slices

For the sauce:
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon medium-dry Sherry or Scotch
1/4 cup chicken or beef broth or water
1 teaspoon sugar2 teaspoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh gingerroot
1 tablespoon minced garlic
a 4-inch fresh red chili, seeded and minced (wear rubber gloves) or 1/2 tablespoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 pound broccoli, cut into flowerets and the stems peeled and cut into 1/2-inch-thick sticks
cooked rice as an accompaniment

Preparation

Prepare the beef:
In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, the sugar, and the salt, add the beef, and let it marinate for 20 minutes.

Make the sauce while the beef is marinating: In a small bowl dissolve the cornstarch in the soy sauce and stir in the Sherry, the broth, the sugar, and the sesame oil.

Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until it is hot, add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil, and heat it until it just begins to smoke.

Stir-fry the beef in the oil in batches for 1 minute, or until it is no longer pink, and transfer it as it is cooked with a slotted spoon to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to the wok, heat it until it is hot but not smoking, and in the oil stir-fry the gingerroot, the garlic, and the chili for 30 seconds, or until the mixture is fragrant. Add the broccoli and stir-fry the mixture for 1 minute. Add 1/3 cup water and steam the broccoli, covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until it is crisp-tender. Stir the sauce, add it to the wok with the beef and any juices that have accumulated on the plate, and cook the mixture, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the sauce is thickened and the beef is heated through.

Transfer the mixture to a heated platter and serve it with the rice.

Cherry Clafouti

This is a very easy dessert that can be popped in the oven while dinner is being eaten, ready to come out warm in time for dessert. Can be eaten alone, or topped with a dusting of powdered sugar or ice cream….

Ingredients:
4 Tablespoons melted butter
4 cups cherries, pitted – this is about 1.5 pounds
2/3 cup flour
a pinch of salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup sugar
1 cup milk
½ to 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (depends on how much vanilla you prefer)

Procedure:
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the melted butter in a 10 inch pan (you can use a quiche pan, a spring-form, or a cake pan). Arrange the cherries on the bottom of the pan (you can sprinkle a few tablespoons of cognac or kirsch over them if you wish).

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the milk and the vanilla to the egg mixture and whisk until blended. Add the rest of the melted butter and the flour and salt mixture and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter over the cherries and place in the oven; bake for 5 minutes and lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for about 40 minutes longer, until the clafouti is puffed and golden brown. Serve warm.

Vegetarian Summerfest

If you are vegetarian, or are just fond of vegetarians (like me) check out the Vegetarian Summerfest.

The Vegetarian Summerfest is an annual conference hosted by the North American Vegetarian Society. This year's meeting starts Wednesday, June 18th and runs through Sunday, June 22nd at the University of Pittsburgh Conference Center in Johnstown, PA.

It features many notable speakers, educational sessions, and a great opportunity to network with like-minded folks!

Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA

Food Shopping Talk (Link)

CityMama writes about the cost of food and shopping at the local farmers market. Be sure to read all those comments. Great stuff.

Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA

Caution Food Purists: Here Comes a Microwave

I don't like cooking with microwave ovens. They take the crisp out of pizza, the crunch out of the mac 'n cheese breadcrumb topping, turn eggs into firecrackers, leave half of my leftover lasagna congealed and half oozing with super hot cheese, well, you get the picture.

There is one exception that I have to share with you. It's an incredibly simple, fast, and tasty way to cook vegetables. Sure, you can steam them or just eat them raw - and I do that, too. But, I just want to offer up this method (maybe some of you have been doing this for ages) because you will be surprised at how much you will want to cook vegetables every night.

Microwave Cooking Your Veggies In 5 Quick & Easy Steps
Step 1: Get out your GLASS casserole dish with lid (Clear pyrex is my favorite; PLEASE DO NOT USE PLASTIC)
Step 2: Fill the dish with desired amount of cleaned veggies
Step 3: Cover with water
Step 4: Add sea salt or kosher salt, fresh pepper, a couple glugs of extra virgin olive oil and sliced fresh garlic
Step 5: Cover dish and microwave on high for 5 to 6 minutes

It's seriously that easy. I have used this method to cook sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, asparagus - just try it! The vegetables come out crisp and juicy. As a bonus, the sliced garlic turns slightly sweet after it cooks with the vegetables.

Do you have a favorite way to cook your vegetables? Tell me in the comments!

Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA

Images from Last Week's Market

Rob Trumbull, Havertown's 3rd Ward Commissioner, was on hand to draw the winning tickets for the OFM raffle.



On the produce front, it's still too early in the season for the fantastic tree fruits from North Star Orchard. But they're back and going strong at the market this year, with new plantings providing them with a richer selection of greens, including beautiful broccoli and pac choi.

Acoustic entertainment was provided by Steve the Banjo Busker.
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David McDuff, HTFMA
McDuff's Food & Wine Trail

Recipe for June 11, 2008: New Orleans Creamed Spinach

Last week I (Janet) was in New Orleans for a food and farming conference, and as you might imagine, the participants took a real interest in local cuisine. Which was excellent, of course, since New Orleans food is justifiably revered all over the world. However, I was struck by the ubiquity of food with lots of cream, butter, and other forms of oleaginous inputs, including fried foods. I even had one dish deep-fried and THEN smothered in a cream and butter sauce! It was not a good week for vegetable intake. The Creoles maintain that the concomitant high intake of spirituous beverages helps even out the fat intake and protects the heart from adverse outcomes. I’m not so sure about that, so I’ll opt for more veggies in the diet.

Here is a dish popular in the restaurants of New Orleans; I ate a particularly good version of it at Galatoire’s, one of New Orleans’ finest restaurants. This version comes courtesy of Brennan’s, another fine New Orleans establishment.

Brennan’s Creamed Spinach

Ingredients:
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
10 ounces fresh spinach leaves washed, stemmed and chopped
1 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups scalded milk
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of white pepperpinch of nutmeg

Process: Melt 1/2 cup butter in a large sauté pan; add the spinach and cook over medium heat a few minutes until wilted. In a large saucepan, melt the remaining 1/4 cup butter. Add the onion and cook over medium heat until tender. Using a whisk, blend the flour into the mixture, and gradually pour in the milk. Stir until smooth, and add the spinach. Season with salt, white pepper, and nutmeg. When the mixture is thick and warmed through, remove it from the heat and serve.

At Brennan’s this delightful Spinach dish is served as a base for poached eggs with Hollandaise sauce. In order to recreate that experience at home, poach two Lindenhof eggs per person, place on a bed of cream spinach, and pour a generous amount of Hollandaise Sauce over the top (for a recipe for Hollandaise: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/HOLLANDAISE-104919). Please note that this recipe follows the theme of Creole cooking of placing butter sauces on buttery foods. You may wish to consult with your doctor before attempting this at home. If you do, and if you wish to recreate the entire Breakfast at Brennan’s experience, you will need to accompany the meal with large quantities of Brennan’s Brandy Milk Punch, followed by Bananas Foster or Bread Pudding with whiskey sauce. “Laissez le bon temps roulet!"

Recipes: Cream of asparagus Soup and a Spring Omelet of Greens

I just realized that I haven't been very good about adding the recipes to the blog. I'm sorry! Here are the recipes for May 28th and June 4th.

Recipe for May 28, 2008: Cream of Asparagus Soup

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Here is an easy recipe for a cream of asparagus soup; it’s also a good ‘base’ recipe for vegetable cream soups of all sorts, since you can simply substitute other veggies (broccoli, peas, squash, etc.). Serves four.

Ingredients:
About 24 stalks of asparagus, washed and with woody ends removed
1 shallot or ½ of a sweet onion
3 cups of chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 tablespoons flour
1 cup heavy cream or yoghurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh herbs as desired

Process:
Cut the asparagus into 1 inch lengths, and save 8 tips for garnish. Simmer the asparagus and the shallot (or onion) in the stock for 20-25 minutes, and blend (either with an immersion blender or transfer to a regular blender) until smooth. Place back into the soup stockpot and place on low heat to warm.

Steam the 8 asparagus tips (keep them crunchy!) and save them for garnish.

Using a fork, mash the flour and butter together until blended (as you would if making pastry) and add to the soup in small chunks, whisking between each addition in order to blend thoroughly. Allow the soup to thicken on low heat, whisking occasionally to eliminate lumps. Add salt and pepper to taste.

This soup can be served hot or cold; place in four bowls, swirl the cream or yoghurt into each bowl, and garnish with the asparagus spears.

The soup recipe is a very simple one and can be adapted for other vegetables easily. You can also add herbs to this soup - experiment with flavors, and see what you like. You won’t want to overwhelm the delicate flavor of the asparagus with strong herbs, but a touch of fresh tarragon or basil might be a delightful touch. You could also garnish with chives and chive flowers and/or freshly grated nutmeg. Experiment! Have fun!

Recipe for June 4, 2008: Spring Omelet of Greens

This recipe section is designed to be a guideline for using the vast array of vegetables and food products that come into the market any given week. Because of this, sometimes I like to give you rather loose guidelines for dealing with the bounty rather than concrete recipes that promise specific results. This week is an example of that – we’ll stroll the market and come home with the makings of a really tasty and healthy dinner. For tonight that will be an omelet made with spring greens, a salad, bread and rhubarb-strawberry crisp. All of these ingredients are available this week at the Oakmont Farmers Market.

If you are searching for recipes, do see what was provided last year. Those recipes are available on the Oakmont Farmers Market webpage under the recipe section: http://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/recipes.php and even more are available archived on the Blog: http://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/blog/

First, we’ll start with dessert. Last week a gentleman at the market asked for recipes for rhubarb; we chatted about a strawberry-rhubarb recipe. Fortunately, HTFM Association member Jennifer Sanders provided exactly that recipe last week: http://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/blog/

If you really love rhubarb, you can also try out this recipe, provided by the folks at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market in San Francisco: http://www.cuesa.org/seasonality/recipes/desserts/dess_sp9.php

OK, so backing up and starting with our main courses, here are some loose recipes for making a quick dinner.

Greens Omelet

Last week I noticed that Blueberry Hill Farm and Wimer’s Organics had beautiful greens – this week North Star Orchard will bring us even more. We really don’t eat enough dark green leafy vegetables, in part, I think, because we think they are hard to use. Not true! Here is an easy way to prepare and store a variety of mixed greens so you’ll have them available for soups, sautés, and even – yes – omelets.

Walk along the market and buy a number of bundles of difference greens. Kale, spinach, chard, boc choy, broccoli di rapa, even lettuce; it doesn’t matter as long as it’s green and leafy. When you get them home, wash them very carefully (a submersion lettuce spinner is ideal) and then blanch them in a huge tub of boiling water for about a minute. Scoop the greens out and drain in the sink in a colander. You may wish to blanch in several bunches if you have a lot of greens.

When they are drained and cool enough to touch, gently squeeze out the water and chop into large pieces – a one to two inch size is perfect. You will find that your huge pile of greens has collapsed quite a bit and you have a much smaller pile; determine the amount you want to use for tonight’s supper and freeze the rest in baggies. I generally put about a cup of greens in each bag and then I always have some on hand for a quick meal.

For the omelet, figure on about 2-3 eggs per person; beat them very thoroughly just before you put them in the pan. You’ll need eggs (Lindenhof Farm) cheese (Hillacres Pride) and spring onions and herbs (Blueberry Hill, Wimer’s Organics). Grate the cheese and wash and chop the fresh herbs.

The greens can either be used as blanched or sautéed in olive oil or butter before they are put in the omelet. I’d also recommend adding some spring onions to the sauté and at the very last minute, a handful of fresh herbs (parsley, marjoram, etc.) from the market.

Prepare your omelet pan; start it on high heat, add a bit of oil, and add the beaten eggs. Turn the heat down to medium and let the omelet firm up a bit. When it is solid enough to turn, flip it over and, to one side of the egg mix, add some greens, more fresh herbs (if you are so inclined) and some grated cheese. Gently fold the omelet over and cook on low heat until the ingredients are heated through, the cheese is melted, and each side is browned a bit (you’ll flip it once). Scatter some of the cut herbs on top and serve.

For the salad: This is pretty basic; you’ll stroll through the market and buy everything you might want in a salad. In addition to the beautiful spring lettuces and spinach, there are radishes, cucumbers, sugar snap peas (which are also available from Fruitwood Farm), snow peas, small tomatoes, etc. A small handful of each on the salad adds many different high-nutrient vegetables to your dinner. For a salad dressing recipe, check out the August 1, 2007 recipe from last year’s market: http://www.oakmontfarmersmarket.org/recipes.php.

Serve the omelets and salads with a nice fresh hunk of bread from Great Harvest and your dinner is complete. Bon appetit!

Janet Chrzan, HTFMA

Recycle Your Baskets

I started bringing back my baskets from the strawberries and sugar snap peas last week thinking that I could just get a refill. It doesn't quite work that way, but...great news...the farmers are happy to take the baskets back and recycle them for the following week's goodies.

Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA

PS - Aren't those strawberries and sugar snap peas amazing? This is how food should taste.

No More Hair Dye?

I’m no scientist. I’m no nutritionist. I’m just a woman with grey hair.

A woman who is very tired of covering those wiry greys every six weeks.

A woman who would rather spend the money from her hair color on good food.

If you can relate (men with grey hair this is for you, too), keep reading.

I recently treated myself to some great vegan cookbooks, Vegan with a Vengeance and Veganomicon, and found a couple delicious-sounding recipes that required molasses. So I bought a jar of the pure unsulphered Blackstrap Molasses from Fruitwood Orchards on opening day at the Farmer’s Market.

I started doing some research on the properties of blackstrap molasses and found that this is wonder serum in a jar! Blackstrap molasses is made from the third boiling of cane sugar syrup. Regular molasses is made from the first or second. By the third boiling, the iron content of the molasses is at its highest level. It is also high in many other nutrients (manganese, copper, Vitamin B6, and many more) and because of that it is superior to other sugar-based sweeteners. Some folks even claim it has cured cancer, acne, arthritis, the list goes on and on. And, yes, it may even turn premature grey hair back to its original color.

Most folks who use blackstrap molasses for an ailment (or to remove greys) usually either take it by mouth, dissolve it in water or milk, or drizzle over oatmeal. However, I think by cookie works best for me. Here’s a recipe that I found from one of my favorite websites, The Green Guide, courtesy of Amy Topel.

Molasses Cookies
Makes 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

3/4 cup softened butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (blackstrap works well)
1-3/4 cups sorghum flour, or 2-1/4 cups white wheat flour, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Raw, coarse, or sanding sugar for coating

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Oil or butter a large baking sheet.

In a large bowl, cream the butter and brown sugar. Add in the eggs and molasses and beat until well blended.

In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and ginger. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Beat at medium speed until the mixture doesn't stick to the bowl, adding more flour if necessary.

To form each cookie, make a golf-ball-sized ball, and then flatten it between your hands. Dredge each flattened ball in the raw sugar.

Place the cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 to 2 inches apart, and bake for 6 to 7 minutes. Don't let the cookies get too brown on the bottom. Cool on a rack.

If you would like to learn more about blackstrap molasses, click here or here.

There's also a book available on Amazon called Crude Black Molasses by Cyril Scott for those who are intrigued.

I'm off to eat those greys right out of my hair. Is that how the old hair color jingle goes?

See you at the Market!

Jennifer Sanders, HTFMA