Potato Leek SoupAdmittedly, I do miss those summer nights of yore, but I also love cooking up a pot of soup on a chilly fall evening. The following recipe is for a very simple potato leek soup. I used bacon in the mix, but feel free to nix that. A glug of olive oil will also do. Also, I used the red-skinned potatoes from last week's share, un-peeled, but any variety of potatoes will work just fine, even a mixture. You can't really mess this soup up. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1/3 lb of bacon, diced
3-5 leeks (depending on their size and your taste for them. I say, don't be shy. ;-)), white and light green parts only, sliced (make sure to wash out the grit after you slice them)
2-3 cloves of garlic, smashed and chopped
About 12 small-medium potatoes, quartered
1-2 Tbsp fresh thyme leaves
4-6 C chicken or veggie stock
1-2 C whole milk
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Shredded cheddar cheese for topping
Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
Cook bacon in a soup pot over medium heat until fat is rendered.
Add in the leeks, sauteing until softened and fragrant.
Toss in the garlic and saute briefly.
Add the potatoes and thyme, stirring to combine and coat the potatoes.
Pour in the stock and turn up the heat to bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the potatoes are fork tender.
Smash the potatoes using a potato masher (or the back of your spoon).
Add in the milk, sea salt, and pepper.
Using an immersion blender, blend the soup just a bit to incorporate everything. (This step is optional. Feel free to leave the soup alone of you want it more chunky and rustic).
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Ladle the soup into bowls, top with shredded cheese and a bit of parsley, and serve.
Sweet Potato, Black Bean Quesadillas
I brought these to a potluck yesterday and they were gone before I could even get a slice. Luckily I got to taste and sample them during the cooking process. ;-)
The following recipe makes 4 large quesadillas, which I then sliced into eighths like a pizza. Perfect for a party. Feel free to cut the recipe in half for a smaller crowd or a family dinner (or, if your family eats as much as mine does, keep the recipe as is ;-)).
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes, roasted in a 400 degree oven until soft, skinned, and mashed
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2-3 large cloves of garlic, minced
Glug of olive oil
A couple of generous pinches of mexican oregano
2-3 tsp cumin
1-2 tsp smoked paprika
1-2 tsp ancho or chipotle chili powder (just the ground peppers, not a "chili powder" mix)
Sea salt
3 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
1 1/2 lbs (or so) cooked, shredded chicken breast tenders (I simply cooked these over medium heat in some olive oil. Another option would be to use leftover roasted chicken or omit the chicken altogether)
8 large, flour tortillas
3 C shredded cheddar or jack cheese (or a combination of both)
1 bunch cilantro (minus the stems below the leaves), chopped
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400.
Saute the onion and garlic over medium heat until softened and fragrant.
Add in the cumin, smoked paprika, ground chili, and sea salt.
Toss in the black beans, stirring to incorporate.
Saute a bit longer, allowing the flavors to meld.
Kill the heat.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Set aside.
Spread about 1/4 of the sweet potato mash onto one of the tortillas.
Top this with about 1/4 of the bean mixture and 1/4 of the shredded chicken.
Sprinkle cilantro over the chicken (don't be shy) and then top the cilantro with about 3/4 C of shredded cheese.
Place another tortilla over top of the cheese and bake in the oven until the tortilla starts to brown in spots and the cheese is all melty and yummy.
Repeat the above steps until you have assembled and baked 4 large quesadillas.
Slice the quesadillas with a pizza slicer and serve.
Enjoy!
Green Beans and Zesty Tomatoes
This is a very simple recipe that will showcase those lovely little green and yellow haricot verts especially, but any of the green beans from your Inverbrook share will do, really. Also, any and all of the tomatoes from your share will work. This a sure fire recipe, really hard to mess up. I happened to serve this with meatloaf and mashed potatoes as you will see in the photo. It's so versatile, it will make a lovely side dish for any number of main dishes, or a beautiful lunch all on it's own. Enjoy!
Ingredients
1-2 lbs or so green beans, stem end snapped off
1-2 large cloves of garlic
Glug of olive oil
1-2 tsp lemon zest
About 1 C or so fresh tomatoes, chopped
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Shaved parmesan for topping
Instructions
Saute the garlic in the olive oil over medium heat until fragrant.
Toss in the lemon zest and beans, stirring to combine.
Cover and simmer, shaking the pan occasionally, until the beans are just barely tender (this will happen within 5-10 minutes, tops, so check very frequently).
Uncover and toss in the tomatoes, sea salt, and pepper.
Saute very briefly, just until heated through.
Turn off the heat, taste and adjust the seasoning, and serve topped with a few shavings of parmesan.
Arugula, Edamame Pesto This stuff is so yummy, I simply can't stop eating it. I have put it on chicken, eggs, bread, tomatoes, potatoes, etc. Seriously, I have an addiction, and I really don't even care that much for arugula. :-) Anyway, the following recipe makes a vat of this stuff, but it stores really well, so have at it (or, feel free to cut the recipe in half). I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!
Ingredients
1 lb frozen, shelled edamame beans thawed (1 lb of fresh cooked edamame or fava beans would also work)
1/4-1/3 C olive oil
2-3 large handfuls arugula, washed and torn
1/3-1/2 C shredded parmesan
1-2 large cloves of garlic, smashed
Juice of 1 large lemon (add in some zest too, if you like the flavor)
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
Instructions
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.
Add in some water to thin, if necessary.
Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Spread on any number of things (or just eat it plain, by the spoonful) and enjoy!
1 comment:
Oh yum! Your recipes always make me hungry. :p'
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